FAQs and Answers
1. What is a writing-enriched (W-E) course and what is a writing-dedicated (W-D) course?
What makes a course writing enriched is a philosophy, not a technique. Simply assigning a final paper, for example, would not constitute a W-E course. Students need meaningful and timely feedback on writing projects that they can then apply and practice through revision. Writing can be incorporated in many forms but to be enriched, the writing becomes a significant method students will use for understanding and communicating course content. For examples of writing enriched courses click here:
A dedicated writing course is a course about writing. The actual content of the course is writing (e.g., how one writes, what good writing is, and plenty of practice usually in composing, drafting, and movement toward a final product/s). Writing courses can be tied to any subject matter or content. But, the thematic content of the course serves the writing content. Current J courses are one form of a dedicated writing course. Your department may already have a J-course in place. For other examples of dedicated writing courses click here:
2. What are some characteristics of a W-E course?
Provides Writing Opportunities for the Students
Writing in a W-E course should at least be 25% of the course work. The guideline for how much writing students should produce is approximately 5,000 words or the equivalent of 20 typed pages, some of which may be informal and not typed at all, e.g. journals, project logs, reflections. Students will have opportunities for multiple writing and feedback. However, one should also consider other defining criterion appropriate to the discipline: How complex is the writing task? Can complex tasks be broken into component parts? For example, a history or sociology or health course might require a research paper involving forty or fifty sources. For that course, the paper, perhaps with one revision and one or two preliminary research summaries might serve. But a literature or biology or art history course might be designed so that students comment on class readings or fieldwork or slides every day or so. Both formats could be considered “writing enriched.”
Incorporates Repetition or A Mix of Assignments
For some courses, practicing one form (the report, the essay, the feature article, the annotation) may be the best way to unlock content. For others, a mix of forms better serve the students (the letter and the journal entry and the short research paper and the long term paper). Whether one form or many, when writing is a significant part of the student’s work and course evaluation, the course is considered “writing enriched.” However, if assigning only a single form or genre without multiple drafting and revision, then the students ought to at least practice the form several times with the opportunity to learn and develop as writers from feedback.
Encourages Revision
For some courses writing a new version (e.g. a new letter, a new book review) is as effective as revising earlier versions. For other disciplines, reworking an item is the only way to master the form. Whether writing a new version or reworking an item beyond simply editing, some form of feedback and revision should be included in a course considered “writing enriched.”
Assigns Formal and Informal Writing
Informal writing includes such tasks as keeping journals, writing up notes, recording personal observations, reacting to speakers or films in class and other writing-to-learn assignments. Formal writing includes clearly defined forms appropriate to the discipline, perhaps the research paper in biology, the market survey in advertising, the proposal in engineering, critical or evaluative writing in studio arts courses. A mixture of both makes a well-rounded W-E course.
Includes Evaluation of Student Writing
Evaluation of student writing can be done by the instructor or by the instructor and peers when appropriate. The advantage of the peer review system is that students learn from others and that they receive feedback and perspectives other than that of the instructor. It also helps students to become thoughtful critical readers of other texts, student or otherwise. One disadvantage of peer review is that students can be very unskilled in reading carefully for weaknesses and strengths, especially in lower division courses; thus, it requires that the instructor model for and train students in appropriate peer critique and response.
Assigns and Teaches Writing
The intent of W-E courses is to provide some instruction in writing appropriate to the course and the discipline. However, we understand that in ten weeks it is difficult to balance both the discipline’s core material and writing instruction. If one has to cover the major historical events of the nineteenth century, or the principles of supply and demand, or the psychology of the third grader, can there be time to explain how to improve writing too? Students can learn about the writing conventions of a discipline through the texts they read and the kinds of writing assigned, but individual instructors will have to judge the needs of their students to decide how much class time is needed for instruction. If ample classroom time is not available, the use of detailed handouts or web sites about the writing assignments can supplement without shortchanging instruction of other material.
3. What are some characteristics of a W-D course?
Assigns and Teaches Writing
Since a W-D course is a writing course, the course itself should be 100% about writing. Students should have opportunities for multiple writing, hopefully both formal (research paper, articles, field reports) and informal (journals, project logs, reflections), that build upon each other, and feedback from the instructor and their peers. Students should also have opportunities to examine various kinds of writing. If it is a W-D course primarily about writing in a particular discipline, then students can discuss how writing is composed in that discipline, as well as read texts that facilitate understanding of writing in that discipline.
Incorporates Repetition or A Mix of Assignments
For some courses, practicing one form multiple times (the report, the essay, the feature article, the annotation) may be the best way to unlock content. For others, a mix of forms better serve the students (the letter and the journal entry and the short research paper and the long term paper). Whether one form or many, when writing is at the center of the student’s work and course evaluation, the course is considered “writing dedicated.”
Encourages Revision
Writing a new version can be effective for a student learning to write in any discipline or across disciplines. However, research shows that reworking and revising a writing project is one of the best ways to master any form or genre. With helpful feedback from the instructor, provided during the course of the quarter, students will better understand that revision is key to completing quality written products.
Assigns Formal and Informal Writing
Informal writing includes such tasks as keeping journals, writing up notes, recording personal observations, reacting to speakers or films in class and other writing-to-learn assignments. Formal writing includes more clearly defined forms, perhaps the research paper in biology, the market survey in advertising, the proposal in engineering, critical or evaluative writing in studio arts courses. A mixture of both makes a well-rounded W-D course.
Includes Evaluation of Student Writing
Evaluation of student writing can be done by the instructor or by the instructor and peers when appropriate. The advantage of the peer review system is that students learn from others and that they receive feedback and perspectives other than that of the instructor. It also helps students to become thoughtful critical readers of other texts, student or otherwise. One disadvantage of peer review is that students can be very unskilled in reading carefully for weaknesses and strengths, especially in lower division courses; thus, it requires that the instructor model for and train students in appropriate peer critique and response.
4. What might a syllabus look like for sample Writing-Enriched courses or for sample Writing-Dedicated courses?
|
