Writing Intensive Courses at Meredith College

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Guidelines for Writing Intensive Courses

Teachers of writing intensive courses will

·        integrate writing and critical thinking activities to promote learning in a specific discipline;

·        include informal (ungraded) writing assignments and at least one formal (graded) assignment, done according to the conventions of the discipline;

·        offer instruction and coaching as students write;

·        provide guided revision for at least one formal writing assignment;

·        assess the quality of the writing by the characteristics of any effective prose, including clear organization, convincing support, and correctness;

·        assure that a substantial portion of the grade is determined by written work other than essay tests;

·        refer to the Learning Center any student needing help with grammar and other elements of composition.

Reminders:

Ř      There is no requirement for several or even one lengthy research paper.

Ř      Teachers are not expected to serve as copyeditors or teachers of composition.

Recommendation:

          It is recommended that faculty include on their syllabi a statement of their writing expectations for the course.  For sample statement, please scroll down.

 

Potential Benefits of Writing Intensive Courses*

  1. Written evidence of preparation holds students accountable.
  2. In-class writing demonstrates the importance of regular class attendance.
  3. Informal writing before formal assignments better prepares students for essays and tests.
  4. Class participation improves because students are more comfortable speaking from written responses.
  5. Student writing helps teachers get to know students.
  6. Writing showcases thoughtful students and motivates weaker students to improve.
  7. Writing breaks up the standard lecture-question-answer format.
  8. Informal writing students send through e-mail can give teachers advance notice of upcoming problems or questions.

* These potential benefits are based upon the work of Jim Pace, a religion professor at Elon College.

 

Ways to Use Writing to Improve Student Learning*

  1. Allow students to use notes for quizzes.
  2. Raise questions to which students respond in writing.
  3. Invite students to write questions on index cards and select a few for class discussion.
  4. Have students write for fifteen or twenty minutes on a question arising from the lecture.
  5. Allow time for students to summarize and analyze the main points of the lecture.
  6. Divide students into small groups and have them respond in writing to each other’s questions.
  7. Encourage students to keep journals.
  8. Ask students to paraphrase or summarize passages from the primary or secondary sources.
  9. Use essay quizzes.
  10. Have students write letters to famous folks they encounter in their reading.

* This list of ways to use writing is based upon the work of Jim Pace, a religion professor at Elon College.

 

Sample Statement for Writing Intensive Course Syllabi *

What does it mean for this to be a writing intensive course?

In this course we will “write to learn” and “learn to write” as it specifically applies to the statistical investigation of questions. Writing to learn means that I will ask you to clearly communicate understandings through writing, formulate questions in writing, and write interpretations of results. The writing will help you in your self-assessment of personal understandings.

Learning to write about statistics means that you will learn appropriate ways to communicate the meaning of the symbols and charts of statistics through written expression. You will learn to write a report of lab activities and a report for your personal statistical inquiry. You will have instruction, coaching, and re-write opportunities for writing.

However some aspects of good writing are expected though not taught in this course. I will expect paragraph structure, grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation to be correct despite the absence of direct instruction for these in this course. If you need or want assistance with these basic writing skills, contact the Learning Center (122 Jones).

* This statement is taken from Gwen Clay’s syllabus for Statistics I.

 

For additional information, please contact Professor Judy Dearlove at dearlove@meredith.edu.

Page originally created by Ms. Nan Miller.

 

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