A writing-intensive, upper-level undergraduate course which integrates content, context, collaboration, and communication in a unique fashion, is described. The topic of the seminar is "Scientific Writing in Chemistry" and an assignment-based curriculum was developed to instruct students on best practices in all aspects of science…

This article presents two approaches to using original sources in a capstone writing project for a History of Mathematics course. One approach involves searching local libraries and is best suited to schools in metropolitan areas. A second approach involves online resources available anywhere. Both projects were used in a course intended for…

To teach effective business communication, instructors must target students’ current weaknesses in writing. One method for doing so is by assigning writing exercises. When used heuristically, writing exercises encourage students to practice self-assessment, self-evaluation, active learning, and knowledge transfer, all while reinforcing the basics…

"A Tale of Four Electrons" is a creative writing assignment used with 10th-grade Honors Chemistry students. The project helps students consolidate their learning about bonding--an important unifying theme in chemistry--and answers questions such as (1) How are ionic, metallic, and covalent bonds related? (2) How do variations in electron…

While literacy autobiographies, citizenship autobiographies, and family narratives are common first writing assignments in the freshmen composition classroom, they are usually followed by some kind of research proposal, annotated bibliography, or research essay. While there is nothing wrong with literacy and citizenship autobiographies or family…

Current approaches and trends in writing pedagogy within the composition classroom focus on the development of students' identities through personal, cultural, or disciplinary processes. By employing writing assignments and activities that concentrate on developing certain traits or characteristics of students' identities has led to a "crisis"…

Drawing on his own experiences as a student and as an English teacher, the author considers the learning value of the marks and comments teachers make on students' compositions. (SJL)

Reports the results of a study to determine grading criteria and evaluative standards used by a select group of business communication instructors. (AEA)

THE BOOKLET CONSISTS OF 14 IMPROMPTU THEMES WRITTEN IN 50 MINUTES BY FRESHMEN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, MADISON. TEACHERS' COMMENTS ARE INCLUDED FOR EACH THEME, AND A BRIEF HEADNOTE TO EACH GROUP OF THEMES EXPLAINS WHY THEY WERE RANKED "UNSATISFACTORY QUALITY,""MIDDLE QUALITY," OR "SUPERIOR QUALITY." THE…

Assignments, grading methods, and classroom techniques for teaching creative writing in the high schools. (RL)

A study of college students' (n=98) writing strategies and instructors' essay evaluation strategies revealed that time spent on the essay, number of books used, number of references cited, and proportion of research-based content in the essays influenced grading. However, students emphasized content and instructors emphasized argument. (Author/MSE)

In this article a method to improve sentence writing ability called sentence combining is explained. The potential effects of sentence combining are related and relevant research summarized. In addition, how to introduce sentence combining practice to a class, key instructional components including oral practice and peer assistance, sources of…

Third-year education students (n=25) required to self-assess a literature review using the teacher's grading guide produced assessments generally in agreement with the teacher's but tended to overestimate their grades. Interviews with students indicated those overestimating their grades were less clear about evaluation standards and wanted more…

Development of oral foreign language proficiency in high school and college instruction is complemented by well-designed writing exercises integrating all skills and providing contact with various language forms. A series of short, text-adaptable, proficiency-based writing activities reinforcing aural, oral, and reading skills throughout the basic…