Writing Workshop: Developing, Assigning, and Assessing Writing-to-Learn
Tasks
Rich House, Anne Watt, and
Julia Williams
Workshop Overview Definition: Writing-to-Learn, Writing-to-
Communicate Writing-to-learn tasks and assessment Developing writing-to-learn tasks for your
courses
Writing-to-Learn
What do we mean and how will it help our students?
Two Perspectives on Writing Writing to Learn Writing to Communicate Student writing sample
“Student” Writing Sample“ascertain if some magnetic arrangement might not
be included with the circuit to wor so that it would exactly neutralize the static charge in So many knots of Cable if these devices Could be put in the Cable & their capacity would remain as Constant as the Capacity of the Cable = it would be valuable =
Try two insulated disks of rubber on which is a strip of Zinc & of Copper Connected together =“
“Student” Writing Sample Thomas Edison Greenwich Cable
Telegraph Pocket Notebook, June 10, 1873
Speculations, plans, critiques, rough technical drawings, thinking/visualizing on paper
Writing and Thinking
Discovery ThinkingInvention
Writer-basedAudience: Self
Personal LanguageTeacher as Mentor
Personal KnowledgeForms: Journals, Notes,
Rough Drafts
Critical ThinkingRevision
Reader-basedAudience: DistantFormal Language
Teacher as EvaluatorContextual Knowledge
Forms: Essays, Reports
Discovery and Critical Understanding
A World of Difference Writing to learn: in order to explain the
matter to oneself Writing to communicate: in order to
explain the matter to others Impossible to explain the matter to others
before the student has explained it to herself Course assignments generally focus on
WTC, rather than encouraging WTL
Benefits for Students Improved learning Deeper understanding
leads to improved written communication
Assessment burden reduced
Writing-to-Learn Tasks: Development and Assessment
1/2 Dozen Possibilities
#1: “Journals” (Logbooks?) A place to write regularly Can be assigned topics Or open topic, with specified structure Or open topic and structure, but specified
number/frequency of entries and/or amount of writing
Journal Assessment Collect periodically +/- on individual entries, and letter grades for the
set of entries Or small number of points for each entry I assign credit, offer readerly response in spots,
and make a few teacherly comments at end of the set.
No need to mark grammar mistakes except when interfere with understanding point
Journal Advantages Student sense of ownership “Permanent” record/ documentation Reflection Fewer small pieces of paper floating around
Journal Disadvantages Can be bulky for both you and students to
carry around (consider electronic alternatives?)
Easy to fall behind in grading
#2: Short Response Papers Perhaps due on weekly basis on day of their
or your choice Limit to a page or a few paragraphs Can serve similar function to journals, but
generally writing is more polished and better formulated
Varying degrees of structure vs. openendedness
Assessment: Responding to Response Papers vs. Journals
Expect more developed thoughts Expect more eloquence and polish I do correct grammar and other sentence
level errors Less purely self-oriented: a mixture of
writing-to-learn with writing-to-communicate
#3: In-class Writing In-class written response Possible topics:
• What did you learn in class today?• What questions and concerns do you still have?• Explain one of the concepts we discussed in class
today.• Answer a specific question
Assessment: collect essays, read quickly before next class, respond to students (individual or collective)
#4: Writing Notes Students write notes back and forth to each other Summarize what you understand about the
concept being studied; difficulties and questions (200 words, 2 copies)
Pass your note and respond Assessment: collect copy, assess points based on
student’s degree of response to note
#5: Explain a Problem Good as accompaniment to homework
problems Explain in words what you did to solve a
particular problem from the homework Assessment: can be done with peer groups;
important that the student makes all work explicit, provides justification for doing the work in a particular way
#6: Letter First letter: addressed to partner in class;
problems with concept or topic (200 words) Second letter: response to partner’s letter;
offering solutions, clarifications (500 words)
Assessment: collect and read; award points based on level of analysis and response
Designing Writing-to-Learn Assignments
Goals, Guidelines, Questions
Goals Integrate into important
course work: no busywork or add-ons
Promote active learning, interactive learning
Improve classroom communication, environment
Integrate with problem solving, reading, talking, listening, visualizing, critical thinking
Guidelines and Checklist Consider purpose of the assignment:
consider audience for the assignment Consider the context for assignment: in
class, out of class, lab Consider the form of the assignment: in-
class writing, journal, note, letter, problem explanation, etc.
See attached checklist
Writing Workshop: Developing, Assigning, and Assessing Writing-to-Learn
Tasks
Rich House, Anne Watt, and
Julia Williams