writing across the curriculum
TRANSCRIPT
WRITING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM
Writing is a Threshold Skill
Writing is a fundamental professional skill.... writing is a
ticket to professional opportunity, while poorly written job applications are a figurative
kiss of death. ~Gaston Caperton
President of the National Commission on Writing for America's Families, Schools, and Colleges
Writing Goes Beyond the Classroom
90% of employers cite writing
and critical
thinking as “very important” for
success
But, only
16% of new hires have
excellent
written commu
n-ication skills
And, only
28% of new hires have
excellent critical thinking
skills (The
Partnership for 21st Century Skills)
“A third of
workers fail to meet the
writing require-ments of their jobs” (College Board’s National
Commission on Writing)
3.1 BILLION
The Annual Cost of Writing
Deficiencies in the Workplace:
Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) is…
Examining standard
practices of good
academic research
and writing across all disciplines
Developing written
communication and critical thinking skills
Incorporating Writing to Learn and Writing in
the Disciplines
WHAT IS WRITING TO LEARN?
Using writing to examine complex thoughts and to develop critical thinking
skills.
Writing In the Discipline (WID) is …
…researching and writing in ways that are specific to a particular field of study.
Transferrable Skills
Metacognitive
Awareness
Contextual Clues
Textual Intelligence
Identification of
Audience
Writing Goals within Disciplines
Investigation of
Opposing Sides
Knowledge of the
DisciplineIndependent
Learning
Research Strategies
within Disciplines
What is Metacognition? An awareness of one’s own knowledge—what one does and
doesn’t know—and one’s ability to understand, control, and manipulate one’s cognitive processes (Meichenbaum, 1985).
Knowing when and where to use particular strategies for learning and problem solving as well as how and why to use specific strategies.
The ability to use prior knowledge to plan a strategy for approaching a learning task, take necessary steps to problem solve, reflect on and evaluate results, and modify one’s approach as needed.
21st Century LiteraciesAcademic Literacy:
• Read & Think Critically• Comprehend varying modes
of information• Find, evaluate, incorporate, &
acknowledge sources• Identify, evaluate, & present
arguments• Paraphrase & Summarize• Write expository prose• Present information visually• Develop one’s own voice• Work collaboratively• Develop problem-solving
skills• Participate in intellectual
dialogue• Use technology effectively
• Self-advocate
Workplace Literacy:• Design, evaluate, and manage
one’s own work• Frame, investigate, and solve
problems• Collaborate strategically• Communicate effectively• Find, analyze, & use
information• Develop new products & ideas
Journal: WAC Questions?
Take a few minutes to think about the information we have discussed today such as WAC, WID, and metacognition.
In your notes, write down your impressions of this information
Does this course sound different from what you expected?
Do you have follow-up questions about this material?
What are those questions?
ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES
What are Disciplines?
Discipline is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a “branch of learning or scholarly instruction.”
Disciplines = Branches of knowledge which are . . .Academic = liberal or classical rather than technical or vocational
Major Umbrella Disciplines Include…
Humanities
Social Sciences
Natural Sciences
Applied Fields
History Languages Literature Performing Arts Philosophy Religion Visual Arts
ARTS & HUMANITIES
SOCIAL SCIENCES Anthropology Communication
Studies Economics Geography
Library & Information Science
Military Science Political Science Psychology Sociology
NATURAL SCIENCES Astronomy Biology Chemistry Environmental Studies Mathematics Physics
APPLIED FIELDS Business Criminal Justice Education Engineering Health Sciences Law Public Administration
A Disciplinary Field Shares…
a community of scholars
a tradition or history of inquiry
a mode of inquiry that defines how
data is collected and interpreted
the existence of a
communications network
Discourse Communities
When groups of scholars share a cluster of interests, methods of study, and norms of communication, we say that they
participate in a discourse community.
Dialogue in each discipline is based on types of evidence and methods of analysis that scholars in that discipline privilege.
In order for your research to contribute to the dialog of a community of scholars you should observe the standards of that discipline.
Maintain Disciplinary Standards
Common Issues Methods of Research
Technical Terms
Primary Resources and
Scholarly Secondary Resources
Build on the work of other
scholarsStyles of
Communication
Journal: Understanding Disciplinarity
In your notes, and in your own words, write a brief description of the four academic disciplines mentioned in the previous section.
Humanities Social Sciences Natural Sciences Applied Fields
Next, list your current class schedule. How might you classify the courses you’re taking in terms of these four categories? For each class, write for a few minutes about what characteristics of the course cause it to fit into the category you’ve chosen.
BibliographyCaperton, Gaston.College Board’s National Commission on Writing.Miller-Cochran, Susan, Roy Stamper, and Stacey Cochran. An Insider’s Guide to Academic Writing: A Rhetoric and Reader. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2016.Partnership for 21st Century Skills.Ruszkiewicz, John J. and Jay T. Dolmage. How to Write Anything: A Guide and Reference, 2nd ed. NY: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012.