Background: Process skills such as critical thinking and information processing are commonly stated outcomes for STEM undergraduate degree programs, but instructors often do not explicitly assess these skills in their courses. Students are more likely to develop these crucial skills if there is constructive alignment between an instructor's…

Utility-value (UV) writing interventions help students find the personal relevance of course material to promote interest and performance. However, little is known about how best to frame the intervention, particularly in the 2-year college context where students have more varied backgrounds than the samples previously studied. Using a randomized…

Study analyzed the writing assignments of two secondary preservice teachers involved in a university teacher education practicum designed to promote reflective thinking. Found that written assignments were more useful in making participants' cognitive processes explicit than in their actively constructing knowledge about teaching and learning.…