Writing & Learning Blog

CFP: WAC 2010 Conference

The 2010 International Writing Across the Curriculum Conference will be hosted by the Campus Writing Program at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Conference dates are May 20-22, 2010. Deadline for proposal submissions is October 19, 2009. Notification of acceptance will be no later than December 4, 2009. The deadline for conference registration is April 1, 2010 (those registering after this date will be charged a late fee).

This biannual conference, the only U.S. conference dedicated exclusively to writing across the curriculum (WAC) and writing in the disciplines (WID), is typically of interest to people who are concerned with using writing to improve teaching and learning—faculty, administrators, and students from post-secondary institutions, as well as faculty and administrators from secondary schools.

Conference chairs Laura Plummer and Jo Ann Vogt welcome proposals for pre-conference workshops (3 hours), panels (60 minutes), and individual presentations (20 minutes) on topics of true interest and concern; there is no delimiting theme. Potential WAC topics include: administration, assessment, curriculum, economics, faculty development, history of WAC, interdisciplinary collaboration, student learning, politics, research, school/college collaboration, sustainability, teaching, technology, theory, writing, and other forms of communicating across the disciplines. We particularly encourage collaborative projects among contributors from varied disciplines.

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CFP: How Students Learn through Writing

The How Students Learn grant project is an ideal opportunity to develop or revise writing assignments in a variety of courses: first-year, multi-section, General Education, Writing Emphasis, Writing-in-the-Major, capstone, online, etc. Begin by sharing what you do already, where you have encountered problems, and what you hope to achieve. Then collect information about how students interpret and respond to assignment guidelines. After students submit their final papers, discuss what worked well and what might be improved. This process could lead to tangible products you can use in the classroom, in your teaching portfolio, and in department assessment reports.

CFP: Writing Research Conference

Writing Research Across Borders II

George Mason University, February 17-20, 2010 3ydip7xmvt

As societies become more knowledge-intensive and communication technologies draw us more closely together, the importance of writing in economic, scientific, civic, personal, and social development becomes more apparent. Correspondingly, the imperative to conduct research on writing in schools and the workplace, in relationship to learning and development, and in all aspects of our lives has invigorated work among scholars in all regions of the world. The conference Writing Research across Borders II will provide an opportunity for researchers to share their findings and set research agendas for the coming years.

Why Learning to Write Well in College is Difficult

1. Variations from discipline to discipline. Disciplines are discourse communities with their own methods of developing and communicating knowledge. However, students take classes in several disciplines (i.e., several discourse communities) at the same time and have difficulty mastering the different forms of inquiry and the different stylistic conventions that apply. It takes a long time to develop writing proficiency in one discipline—let alone several.
2. Lack of uniform criteria and standards. Criteria, standards, and definitions of good writing differ from course to course (even within the same department). Students develop the idea these are arbitrary and a matter of instructors’ personal preferences. This prompts them to search out “what you’re looking for” or “what you want” in their assignments.
3. Lack of explicit criteria and standards. In some courses, students have little or no information about what constitutes appropriate writing: no clear sense of the goal students are supposed to work toward.
4. Undeveloped writing processes. In many classes students are expected to write well, but are not taught to do so. Courses do not try to develop students’ writing: they simply require it. And students are left to use whatever strategies and competencies they have. But—unless they are given feedback and helped with their composing processes—students will not get better by simply writing a lot.
5. Misleading or incomplete writing instruction.  In some classes, formal writing may be treated solely as a list of rules governing the use of language (grammar, spelling, punctuation) rather than as purposeful communication of ideas. When this is done, mechanical aspects of language are emphasized to the exclusion of important conceptual abilities.  Often key writing concepts are never addressed in courses. For example, how to adapt one’s knowledge to the audience and the situation (i.e., rhetorical thinking) is extremely important but rarely taught. Similarly, how to develop a coherent train of thought is crucial to good writing—but rarely taught.
6. Incomplete understanding of the subject matter. Students very often have to write about subjects that are unfamiliar to them.  And, typical of novices in any subject area, their understanding as they write tends to be incomplete and naïve.  Thus, it is very common that their writing lacks coherence and structure—reflecting their fragmented understanding of the topic, not necessarily their incompetence as writers.
7. Lack of experience with and failure to understand genres. Most assignments are academic writing exercises: “tests” in which students demonstrate their knowledge to the teacher (e.g., essays, library research papers). These are genres that are rhetorically difficult and confusing—and poor preparation for the writing they will do after their university careers. Students have fewer opportunities to develop knowledge of other forms of writing and to write to different audiences.
8. Lack of consistent coaching. As students go from class to class, they experience writing as a hodgepodge of activities, assignments, advice, etc. It is unlikely that these unrelated, discrete experiences promote cumulative learning and develop writing expertise. 
9. Non-reflective writing experiences. Students probably do not treat writing as a deliberate skill to develop. For the most part, they do not analyze their own writing or reflect on their strengths, weaknesses, and development as writers. 
10. Students do not care about what they write. Often students perceive academic writing as a chore rather than as a meaningful learning experience. While this is part of current student culture, it is not inevitable. Students are more likely to be invested in their work when they have some control over the selection of the topic and the work has an “authentic purpose” beyond getting a grade.

Authors: Bill Cerbin, Terry Beck & Bryan Kopp, UW-La Crosse

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