Can you remember the last project you wrote for a single reader? How about the last one you finished in one draft and with zero input from peers? In papers written for one reader (the instructor) without peer feedback (classmates), learners face an artificial situation. They write to perform—not to communicate, the purpose of most… Read more »
Without reading well, students can’t write well. The two skills cannot be disentangled. Yet, in my writing courses, I’ve often lamented that students don’t seem to be completing or comprehending the reading assignments. Why aren’t they reading? My colleagues Sarah Pedzinksi and Madeleine Gonin lay out five common barriers and some solutions in their post,… Read more »
A few millennia ago, Plato was anxious about a new technology called writing, fearing it would degrade people’s capacity for memory. Writing took hold, of course, despite the philosopher’s qualms. Today, we all accept writing as an indispensable tool for sharing knowledge and expressing the self. But new technologies are shaking up our educational philosophies… Read more »
The IU2030 Strategic Plan’s emphasis on “meaningful and mentored research and creative experiences” for undergraduates is an opportunity to think about how we support our seniors’ writing thesis and capstone projects. Thesis writing can be overwhelming: often a student’s first foray into long-term research projects feels like a completely different experience to classes and coursework…. Read more »
Convincing students of the value of crafting essays can be a daunting task at the best of times. With services such as ChatGPT that offer easy alternatives to the painstaking work of drafting and revision, many instructors are concerned that students may be more tempted than ever to forego the time commitment of writing and… Read more »
Some students begin their post-secondary education with substantial experience in conducting research and properly citing sources while other students are less familiar with established research practices. At the college level, policies regarding citations, using sources, and avoiding plagiarism vary from course to course. Teaching your students how to handle research within your course will help… Read more »