DC WRITING INITIATIVE
CRITICAL THINKING (CT)
1 CT requirement in every writing assignment
1 CT discussion topic per week
WRITING TO DEMONSTRATE KNOWLEDGE
Program Capstone
Essay exams
Course final paper
Articulation of ideas, concepts, connections, summaries
FEEDBACK
Student Responses
Reflection
Journalling
Faculty Responses
End of term class-wide writing evaluation
Rubrics: DQ, Annotated bib, Writing,
Final Paper, Capstone
ASSESSMENT
Plan and make improvements
Record progress, no change, new weaknesses
Compile and analyze evaluations
How often?
Contract faculty to evaluate samples
Build an assessment rubric
Classroom rubrics are the source of evaluation data
Pull writing samples every term
WRITING TO LEARN
Subtopic
Research papers
Annotated Bibliography
Discussions
Exploration of ideas, concepts, connections, summaries
INFRASTRUCTURE
Tools and Resources
Web-based tutorials and exercises (use Flipboard approach?)
ONline reference guides (Hacker, Easybib, etc.)
Tutor.com
EN105 as a set of tutorials
P/F, no credit, no cost; take them till you pass them;
Who determines the P/F? Registrar involvement, degree-planning required!
Low-stakes writing: all "first" courses
BSSSDA: ENGL270, HIST310; BSMS: COMM301, MNGT209, MNGT530; BSCJ: ENGL250,SCIE202, HIST210; BSCS CYBR210, CYBR230; BIS: COMM301, COMM315
EN101
Course Development/Revision
Writing effective discussion posts
Guidelines for Annotated Bibliographies
Guidelines for creating writing assignments
Course Expectations
Course Writing Objectives
Course Learning Objectives
Writing Assessment Exam
Score determines
what the student's "first writing course" will be
what writing transfer credits are accepted
Required post-admission, pre-registration activity regardless of courses presented for transfer credit
WHY?
Meet CGCS Academic Requirements (Gen Eds)
See Expository Writing or Professional Writing courses under General Education at http://catalog.norwich.edu/onlineprogramscatalog/bachelorsdegrees/generaleducation/
Writing = Communication = Connection to Others
Peter Elbow: Being able to render knowledge and experience in everyday language is a mark of real understanding
Peter Elbow’s “Reflections on Academic Discourse: How It Relates to Freshmen and Colleagues” (College English 53.2 (1991): 135-155)
Students can learn how to voice and stand by their opinions confidently
Students can learn to produce reasons & evidence that hold up on their own rather than leaning on the authority of convenient, commonplace, available sources
Peter Elbow: Academic discourse using the language of the textbook or the discipline insulates students from experiencing or internalizing the concepts they are learning
Peter Elbow’s “Reflections on Academic Discourse: How It Relates to Freshmen and Colleagues” (College English 53.2 (1991): 135-155)
Writing success will encourage students to write by choice in their lives
