A writing emphasis course is
one that is part of a department's regular curriculum with an added
writing component. These courses must meet several criteria:
- The kind of writing assigned. A writing emphasis course
includes both formal ("writing-to-communicate")
and informal writing ("writing-to-learn").
Formal writing meets the conventions of form, style, analytical
and/or argumentative structure, and documentation appropriate to
the field of study. It includes traditional academic as well as
discipline-specific forms of writing. Informal writing is exploratory
writing done both in and out of class, including journal entries,
problem-solving or focusing exercises, reading notes and summaries,
informal dialogues between students or between students and instructor,
etc. Typically, informal writing should not be constrained by meeting
rigorous standards of linguistic or stylistic correctness.
- The amount of writing assigned. A writing emphasis course
must require at least 50 pages of writing during a semester. Of
this, at least 10 pages should be formal, polished prose. The remaining
40 or more pages should be informal writing.
- The frequency of assignments. Students should do informal
writing every week, ideally before, during, and after every class
meeting. Formal writing should be spaced throughout the semester
so that students have ample time to re-think and revise and incorporate
what they have learned from previous assignments.
- The sequencing of assignments. To the extent possible,
assignments should be arranged in sequences which begin with more
basic writing and thinking and move progressively to more complex
and complicated demands, thus helping students to develop deeper
understanding of the subject matter and growing master of the intellectual
and rhetorical skills of the discipline. This should be the case
for both formal and informal writing.
- Guidance and feedback. In order to maximize their learning,
students need to be guided into successful performance, with feedback
informing them of problems and opportunities as they are engaged
in writing. Guidance should provide clear ideas about what kind
of writing is expected and how it will be evaluated. Rather than
simply pointing out errors, constructive feedback should explain
how the student's writing can be improved. Clear and detailed guidance
is important in all situations; but instructors may adapt the amount
of feedback to prevailing conditions, such as class size, teacher
expertise, and the nature of the assignments. Clearly, instructors
need not read and comment on every piece of student writing, and
generally, instructors give far less feedback on informal writing
than on formal writing.
