How Tofoster Deep Student Engagement with Course Concepts

WritingtoLearn:

How tofoster deep student engagement with course concepts

CELT

October 4, 2013

Agenda

1. The context of WtL
2. Theoretical Foundation
3. Characteristics of WtL Activities
4. Sample Activities

Identify a particular instance during your academic career (any time from your high school days up to the present) in which you learned from some writing that you did. This should be an experience in which writing facilitated your own intellectual growth and development. It might be a single, one-time writing event or a much longer and extensive writing project.

Now, write a few paragraphs in which you:

a) describe this particular experience of writing

b) try to understand precisely how and why this activity facilitated learning.

Bob Baker

Coordinator of College Composition

English Department

Hartwell 101

(585) 395-5234

Writing Across the Curriculum

Two Main Strands

A) Writing to Learn (WtL)

• Informal, ungraded writing activities are used to help students reflect on course content, integrate the content into previously developed cognitive frameworks, associate the content with personal interests, and explore potential new strands of thought. Students interrogate assumptions, arguments, and values in a systematic way. Essentially, students are using writing to stimulate critical thinking.

• These activities are typically used in lower-divisional general education courses.

WritingtoLearn pedagogy emerged in late 1960s from the ideas of James Britton, a British educator, who argued that language plays a key role in learning by helping the writer organize and integrate experience. A key mode is expressive writing,which is personal and used to explore and reflect on ideas. In “Writing as a Mode of Learning” (1977), Janet Emig argued that characteristics of the writing process are ideally suited to stimulate neurological processes that foster “deep” learning.

B) Writing in the Disciplines (WID)

• In order to master the skills required for effective communication within a particular field of inquiry, students are explicitly made aware of the conventions of writing in the field.

• These activities are typically used in courses for students in a particular major (or group of related majors).

Writing in the Disciplines emerged in the late 1970s incollege writing programs run by Barbara Walvoord and Elaine Maimon in the U.S. These educators drew on the notion of discourse communities and the “social turn” in composition theory which recognized that acts of writing are always situated within a particular social context and that effective writers respond to the particular characteristics of each “rhetorical situation.” In more recent decades, WID has drawn on genre theory to explore particular ways that knowledge is socially constructed.

Instead of using writing to test other subjects, we can elevate it to where it will teach other subjects.

---James Moffett

Sample Activities

1) Journals
Throughout the semester, students do exploratory, speculative writing designed to get them thinking deeply about the material they are learning in class.

• Students should know that their writing will not be evaluated. However, the instructor typically reads at least some portion of their journals. Completion of journaling assignments often counts as some portion of the course grade.
• Journals work best in smaller classes (less than 30), since the instructor can then review, scan, or read selected journals. This reading provides highly valuable feedback to the instructor about student learning.
• Research has shown that specific prompts that encourage exploration of complex issues are more useful to students than vague or open-ended assignments. Essentially, prompts created and initiated by the instructor tend to be more productive of critical thinking than student-initiated prompts.

Mathematics: Explain the relationship between a linear equation and its graph.

Economics: You are talking with your parents, who wish to know what you’re learning at college. Explain the term “leakage” as it relates to the circular flow concept. Then describe a type of leakage taking place in your own (or your parents’) household. Be specific and explain how that example of leakage affects Aggregate Demand.

History: Vienna of the 1890s has been stigmatized as the training grounds of Adolf Hitler. Was Paris of the 1890s any better or worse?

Literature: We have seen how the Aesthetes of the late 19th century reacted against certain forms of artistic expression. Identify a current art form or piece of art (from literature, the visual arts, music, popular culture, etc.) from the 21st century that the Aesthetes would have problems with and explain why they would not like it. Explain as precisely as possible what their reservations about this artwork would be.

Each journal entry is a deliberate exercise in expansion: “How farcan I take this idea? How accurately can I describe or explain it? How can I make it make sense to me?” The journal encourages writers to become conscious, through language, of what is happening to them, both personally and academically.

---Toby Fulwiler

2) Focused Freewriting

These highly directed writing activities allow students to create new ideas, explore newly introduced topics, and integrate new concepts into their prior knowledge. Focused freewriting works in classes of any size.

Focused Freewriting may occur:

• At the beginning of the class period as a way to help students recall material from the reading and prepare them for the day’s lecture.

Philosophy: How does Plato’s allegory of the cave make you look at knowledge in a new way?

Literature: Based on our readings from the last two class periods, how are George Egerton’s attitudes about female sexuality different from Sarah Grand’s?

Economics: What is meant by the assumption of “rationality” in economics? Do you feel that the consumer’s behavior is rational? Why or why not?

• At any point during the class period, and especially in the middle of a lecture, in order to help students integrate new concepts into their current storehouse of knowledge.

What might be some potential problems with the proposition ______?

How might X concept, just explained, help us move forward in trying to address the overall issue of Y?

History: Why was there such diversity of opinion and attitude in Europe at the end of the nineteenth century?

Mid-class free-writes can also help to energize a dragging class discussion or cool down a heated discussion.

• Near the end of a class period to help students synthesize information

What were the two most important concepts from today’s lecture? Explain how they are connected to what we have been learning in this unit?

What was the most surprising thing you learned in today’s lecture? Why was this particular thing so surprising to you?

History: What is the single most significant reason that Italy became a center of the Renaissance? What one question puzzles you about Italy’s role in the Renaissance?

Writing along with your students while they write in class sends strong signals about how important writing is for learning course material.

3) Minute-Papers

These short freewriting prompts can allow instructors to gain feedback about the level of their students’ understanding. Minute-papers are particularly useful in large lecture classes.

At the end of a lecture, pass out 3x5 cards to each student. Give them three to five minutes to neatly write responses to one or two questions. Students do not put their names on the cards, and the instructor collects the cards when class is finished. Most professors can quickly scan 30-40 cards in a very short period of time.

The minute papers provide extremely useful feedback regarding student learning. Many instructors use them as a basis for clarifying or emphasizing certain points at the beginning of the next class period.

What was the most important thing you learned during this class? What important question remains unanswered?

Chemistry: Carbon and oxygen react according to the following equation: C + O2CO2. Select the container in the picture (A or B) that represents the molecules after C and O2 react. Write an explanation of why you made the choice you did.

4) Short Exploratory Papers

Students can be asked to write papers that invite them to interact with course materials on a deep and personal level. These papers encourage personal interaction with course concepts. The papers may or may not be evaluated, but they are typically read by the instructor. They tend to differ from typical college papers in the following ways:

• They don’t require outside research
• They invite the student to insert and incorporate her personal experience into the discussion. The student does not necessarily assume an objective or unbiased stance.
• The purpose of the paper is not necessarily to support or defend a thesis.

5) Microthemes

Originally, microthemes were typed on 5”x8” note cards. Nowadays, they can be given a strict word-count limit. The purpose of the microtheme is to use a short writing requirement to stimulate a large amount of thought. Well-crafted microtheme assignments immerse students in some material as they plan what they will write. Microthemes also have the advantage of being quick and easy to read. Some instructors grade them. Some instructors “go over” them in the following class by reproducing a few of the best themes for class discussion.

6) Other sample activities:

• Contemporary Issues Journals. Students connect course content to current newspapers or new sites.
• Double-entry notebooks. Students first reflect on course readings and then later reflect on their own reflections.
• Exam Preparation Journals. Possible exam essay topics are distributed at the beginning of a unit, and students can write about these throughout the unit.
• Imagined Interview. Students write a dialogue in which they imagine themselves questioning a famous author or historical figure. Or, they might imagine a dialogue between two important figures.

Resources and References

Angelo, Thomas A. and K. Patricia Cross. Classroom Assessment Techniques. 2nd Ed. San Francisco:

Jossey-Bass, 1993.

Bean, John. Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and

Active Learning in the Classroom. 2nd Ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2011

Bean, John C., Dean Drenk, and F.D. Lee. “Microtheme Strategies for Developing Cognitive Skills.” In

Myers Zawacki. 146-57. Originally published in New Directions for Teaching and Learning:

Teaching Writing in All Disciplines. Ed. C.W. Griffin. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1982. 27-38.

Emig, Janet. “Writing as a Mode of Learning.” College Composition and Communication 28 (May

1977): 122-28.

Fulwiler, Toby. “Showing, Not Telling, at a Writing Workshop.” In Myers Zawacki, 108-17. Originally

published in College English 43.1 (1981): 55-63.

Fulwiler, Toby. Ed. The Journal Book. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1987.

Herrington, Anne J. “Writing to Learn: Writing Across the Disciplines.” In Myers Zawacki. 118-27.

Originally published in College English 43.4 (1981): 379-87.

McLeod, Susan. “The Pedagogy of Writing Across the Curriculum.” A Guide to Composition

Pedagogies. Eds. Gary Tate, Amy Rupiper, and Kurt Schick. Oxford: Oxford University Press,

2001. 149-64.

Myers Zawacki, Terry, and Paul M. Rogers, Eds. Writing Across the Curriculum: A Critical

Sourcebook. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012.

Odell, Lee. “Context-Specific Ways of Knowing and the Evaluation of Writing.” Writing, Teaching,and

Learning in the Disciplines. Eds. Anne Herrington and Charles Moran. New York: Modern Language

Association, 1992. 86-98.

Soven, Margot K. Write to Learn: A Guide to Writing Across the Curriculum. Mason, OH: South-

Western Educational Publishing, 1995.

Practical Benefits of

Writing to Learn

A) Students are provided with a non-threatening forum for developing higher-order critical thinking skills. They move beyond the traditional model of passive learning wherein they simply consume information.

B) Students become more engaged learners.

• Short, focused freewriting activities during class and lectures can get students interacting with the material you are presenting, not simply copying down PowerPoint notes.
• Carefully crafted prompts can help students approach assigned readings very differently. They will approach readings with a purpose and from a critical stance.
• Exploratory writing done beforehand will help students come to class prepared to participate. When they have done in-depth thinking about the readings, they will be more likely to participate actively in class discussions because they have something to contribute.

C) Informal writing provides valuable feedback to the instructorabout which concepts students understand and which concepts they need further help with. Instructors do not read all informal writing that students do; instead, they selectively read work that will provide a quick and accurate means of assessing students’ understanding.

Adapted from: Bean, John. Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom. 2nd Ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2011. 121-22.

I began my research on what happens when students write in physics class not knowing what I would find. I discovered that:

1. the best problem solvers in physics are students who are able to relate the theories of physics to experiences in their lives;

2. writing helps students find the connections between experience and theory;

3. students will do more work than is required if they are seeking answers to questions they initiate;

4. keeping learning logs on a regular basis encourages students to initiate such questions;

5. students need many opportunities to play with the ideas of physics; they need time to work with a concept in a number of different contexts before rushing on to new information . . .

My students use writing in their logs the way real scientists have always used writing and journals: to clarify their thinking, to explore the ideas of science, to search for connections between theory and practice, and to ask questions.

Quoted from: Grumbacher, Judy. “How Writing Helps Physics Students Become Better Problem Solvers.” The Journal Book. Ed. Toby Fulwiler. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1987. 323-29.

Common Objections to

Writing to Learn

A) It’s too time-consuming for the instructor to read.

Response: You can read some of students’ exploratory writing, but there is no need to read all of it. Since you’re not formally evaluating the writing and are focused solely on content, informal student writing is often fun to read. Reading students’ exploratory writing can help connect you to your students as individuals and human learners. Choose to read the assignments that will provide the type of feedback you desire.

B) Students will view it as busywork.

Response:

1) It is true that:

• Those with a learning style that seeks closure and avoids open-ended exploration may have problems with the apparent lack of a concrete goal in exploratory writing.
• Students fixated on grades may be reluctant to do anything that is not graded.

These attitudes can, to a certain degree, be countered by your own attitude to informal writing. If you model exploratory writing and discuss its value in your own intellectual development, students will begin to understand its potential.

2) It will seem less like busywork if it is properly integrated into the course. Students should always know the purpose of a particular assignment. Assignments can be used to stimulate in-class discussions and prepare students for exams or formal papers.

3) Many students still view learning as obtaining the “right answer”; they don’t understand the exploratory nature of critical inquiry. They don’t understand that knowledge is generated by carefully-posed questions or problems. Explain to them that Writing to Learn is something that experts do; this will help them understand it is not simply a basic task given only to novices.

C) It encourages bad writing habits.

Response: This argument confuses the final stage of the writing process (revising a text for presentation to readers) with the earlier stages of discovery and development. John Bean says, “Exploratory writing is messy because thought is messy.” Novices often don’t understand this; instead, they expect writing to emerge fully-formed in a single, polished draft. College students are learning how to switch among various kinds of writing with differing purposes. They often find this ability liberating.

From: Bean, John. Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom. 2nd Ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2011. 122-25.