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Writing Across the Curriculum and Writing in the Disciplines

Writing to Learn
This particular approach to WAC frequently makes use of journals, logs, microthemes, and other, primarily informal, writing assignments.  If they write reactions in their own words to information received in class or from reading, students often comprehend and retain information better.  Also, because students write more frequently, they either maintain or improve their writing skills and avoid a decrease in writing ability from entrance to senior year.

Writing in the Disciplines (WID)
This approach is based on the understanding that each discipline has its own conventions of language use and style and that these conventions must be taught to students so that they might successfully participate in academic discourse.  Reports, article reviews, and research papers are the most commonly used assignments in a WID focused course.

If you are interested in utilizing WAC and/or reading further on the subject, you might wish to explore Purdue OWL's resources:
 

Annotated bibliographies that include resources for class assignments, pedagogical theory, and writings on the use of WAC, WID, and Writing to Learn in particular disciplines.

Resources for citing sources in the disciplines, including citing electronic sources.

As part of their WAC/WID programs, some institutions have online materials on incorporating writing into content courses. Some of the more useful materials are the following:

• Boise State University has a WAC newsletter, Word Works, with an index to their online issues on topics such as designing writing assignments, using journals, etc.
• George Mason University has a number of guides to writing in the disciplines, including biology, psychology, management, and nursing.
• Indiana University's Campuswide Writing Program Web site has an online article on Microthemes, short inclass writings.
• Northern Illinois University's Kinds of Writing Assignments has some useful material on assigning journals.
• Northern Illinois University's Setting up Writing Assignments includes topics such as assignment sheets, scheduling assignments, support material, and scoring rubrics.
• WAC.Pitt, at the University of Pittsburgh, provides information about Writing across the Curriculum for their students and faculty and for other programs. They offer information about writing assignments and W-course guidelines, assistance with writing an essay or submitting a paper for a writing award, as well as other writing resources.
• Wright State University's WAC site has a newsletter with articles on effective writing assignments, grading rubrics, etc.
• LALAC (Language and Learning Across the Curriculum), a project of the National Council of Teachers of English, has a searchable bibliography of readings on using writing in a wide variety of fields, including chemistry, engineering, foreign language, health science, math, geology, social science, political science, philosophy, among others
• The WPA Statement on Plagiarism is a good resource and model for understanding plagiarism guidelines.

• WAC Homepage
• The WAC site at Indiana University Bloomington
• The WAC site at The Citadel
• The WAC site at the University of Missouri, Columbia
• The WAC site at Boise State University
• The WAC site at the University of Hawaii
• The WAC site at George Mason University
• The WAC site at Harvard University
• The WAC site at Georgia State University
• The WAC site at the University of Toledo
• The University of Richmond's list of model WAC programs throughout the country
• The WAC site at the University of Richmond
• The WAC site at Northern Illinois University
• The WAC site at Colorado State University

In many WAC and WID programs, the support facility on campus for writing is the university writing center. At Purdue University, which does not have a formalized WAC or WID program, the Writing Lab (226 Heavilon Hall; (765) 494-3723) serves as an informal support facility because its purpose is to assist all Purdue students (both at the undergraduate and graduate level) with writing skills as they write papers and reports for any class on campus. Assistance is also offered to teachers who want to talk about adding writing to their courses. Purdue's OWL (Online Writing Lab) is offered as an online writing tool on the World Wide Web for students and teachers.

For links to Purdue's OWL and other Online Writing Labs (OWLs) with materials on writing:

• The Purdue University OWL's Teaching Resource Section
• The Purdue University OWL's links to other OWLs
• The National Writing Center Association with a list of OWLs

Works consulted:
Assessing Writing Across the Curriculum: Diverse Approaches and Practices. Ed. Kathleen Blake Yancey and Brian Huot.  Greenwich, CT: Ablex Pub., 1997.

Emig, Janet. "Writing as a Mode of Learning." College Composition and Communication. 28 (1997): 122-128.

Landmark Essays on Writing Across the Curriculum.  Ed. Charles Bazerman and David Russesll.  Davis, CA: Hermagoras Press, 1994.

McLeod, Susan and Margot Soven.  Writing Across the Curriculum: A Guide to Developing Programs.  New York: Sage Publications, Inc. 1992.
 
 

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