KNOWLEDGE
While knowledge is a part of learning, it seems that we (teachers) often forget this. We simply look at the final versions of papers, quizzes, or tests to see what students know. However, there exists much more knowledge and learning than can be accounted for in a formal written paper. Allowing students to continually make observations and create and demonstrate their knowledge and skills in a variety of contexts enables students and teachers to see the construction of knowledge and the types of knowledge that students gain.
The LRO affords students the opportunity to create, demonstrate, and observe their processes and knowledge not otherwise created by and accounted for in traditional written papers.
One of the goals of any composition course is that students gain knowledge, understanding, and abilities. Although the LRO does push for (against Sommors' advice) successive revisions and improvements in papers, the LRO does so by taking into account a variety of situations and styles. Progress, improvement, and learning come in a variety of forms and students begin a composition course on various levels. Therefore, the LRO asks teachers and students to look at the construction of progress, processes, and knowledge, where "ambiguity and uncertainty" will remain, in order to truly achieve improvement and knowledge and not simply an ideal text.