Bridging the Gap: Possibilities for Writing Across the Curriculum WAC Presentation to the Curriculum

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Bridging the Gap Possibilities for Writing
Across the Curriculum (WAC)Presentation to the
Curriculum Review Steering Group

• Dr Mary Pryor Dr Christine Laennec
• Student Learning Service
• Centre for Learning Teaching
• 28 February 2008

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Guiding principles

• In our previous presentation, we focused on
• The importance of contextualising writing
• By discipline
• By level of study
• The need to take into account the shorthand
  culture many students live in
• The need to communicate expectations and offer
  reasonable guidance, i.e.
• Bridging the gap with stepping stones rather than
  by a giant leap!

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Possibility 1Multi-disciplinary foundation
course (not labelled as a writing course but
with explicit emphasis on writing)

• By studying different disciplines, students
  experience different approaches, modes of thought
  and discourses
• Writing is contextualised the student is writing
  on a topic related to the field of study
• Written articulation of thought can be reinforced
  by verbal articulation of thought in discussion
  groups
• Inclusive of all staff, including those who do
  not see themselves as writing teachers

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Possibilities 1a 1b

• 1a Student takes one core course which runs
  alongside others
• Several discrete core courses could be offered,
  e.g.
• Arts
• Social Sciences
• Sciences
• 1b All Level 1 courses across the university are
  redesigned to emphasise writing

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Possibility 2Stand-alone generic writing course
at Level 1

• WAC is standard practice in USA where lecturers
  have themselves been through this system and
  expect to teach writing, as well as
  discipline-specific content, at all levels
• Would all teaching staff at Aberdeen want to
  contribute to a writing course?
• What about levels 2 - 4 and beyond?
• Risk that teaching staff assume that writing has
  been taken care of
• One size does not fit all different discipline
  expectations

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A few examples of different writing aims in the
disciplines

• test a hypothesis
• fully demonstrate a knowledge of theories
• reflective writing
• test a thesis
• close reading
• give an interpretation of a cultural phenomenon
• compare and contrast

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Possibility 3Practice in writing little and
often across all courses

• Students are led step by step 500 words, 1000
  words analyse primary source, incorporate
  secondary sources, etc.
• Disciplines define what is important at each
  level
• Must consider what status formative / shorter
  pieces will have

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Possibility 4 Feedback on writing is given in
all courses, at all levels

• Current practice is widely varied some markers
  give feedback on writing, some do not
• This causes confusion for students
• Examples at University of Aberdeen
• Not just at Aberdeen
• One of my third-year dissertation students
  looked at the corrections Id made to her draft
  thesis with absolute disgust and said to me I
  dont understand why youre so picky about my
  spelling and punctuation. Nobodys ever told me
  theres a problem before.
• Anonymous university lecturer, The kids
  arent all write functionally illiterate and
  frankly not bothered, Times Higher Education 21
  Feb. 2008, p. 27

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Possibility 5 Every level counts

• Incentive to perform from the start
• If marks at Level 1 and 2 counted, students
  would be more motivated to do well

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Current good practice

• Some courses give full guidance as to
  expectations
• Many staff give full feedback on writing (as well
  as thinking)
• Some courses are incorporating formative writing
  assignments, with good results
• In-course workshops in collaboration with Student
  Learning Service contextualise expectations of
  writing skills at different levels and across
  disciplines