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Teaching Writing as Part of Arts and Science Courses: Lessons from Experience

Prepared by Margaret Procter for the Arts and Science Committee on Writing, University of Toronto, August 2001


The in-course writing initiatives sponsored from 1999 to 2001 by the Arts and Science Committee on Writing have provided several insights into efficient and effective ways of delivering practice and instruction in writing within existing departmental courses, and also some warnings about what not to do. The points below derive from studies of student, TA and faculty experiences. We looked at student samples and at data from surveys and focus-group discussions, and sought out ideas from course instructors and TAs.

We now offer some advice for consideration by faculty members who already include writing assignments within their courses, and who may not have ideal levels of TA support or other resources for doing so. The links to examples are made available by permission of the course instructors.

General observations

A.  With few resources  | B.  With modest resources  | C.  With optimal resources 


A few general points of observation

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A.  With few resources, you gain efficiency if you

  1. Design written assignments integrated with course material and goals rather than added on as extra "writing" tasks, and demonstrate your interest and engagement in the topics and procedures you have assigned. Students valued especially the capstone assignments that let them engage with controversies in the discipline.
    • Students were enthusiastic about what they learned by writing a research paper at the end of an Environmental Science course on a current topic of public debate.
    • The final assignment in an Astronomy course challenged students to write a briefing paper advising the federal cabinet about funding research on extraterrestrial intelligence.
    • Students in BIO250Y appreciated the chance to learn something about the range of publications on a leading-edge research method that has some intriguing practical applications.

  2. Give students a clear statement of expectations for each written assignment ahead of the due date, not only after marking. All the writing-initiative courses worked out criteria statements outlining the desired qualities of writing and reasoning, and most reported that these improved TAs' efficiency in grading and diminished student complaints about grades. They had most effect when accompanied by oral remarks from both course instructors and TAs. Sheets that merely showed marks breakdown, especially if distributed only after grading, tended to rouse resentment and complaints. Checklists were popular with both students and TAs because they kept responsibility in students' hands but offered specific guidance on particular assignments. Some courses were able to work out guidesheets that combined the efficiency of marks breakdown and the effectiveness of checklists.
    • HUM101Y developed a detailed statement about university expectations for academic reasoning and writing. TAs used it to plan lessons as well as guide their grading, but did not distribute it to students in written form.
    • BIO250Y included a general criteria statement in the course handbook that named the desired qualities of reasoning and style for all written assignments, then adapted it slightly for grading specific assignments. This version was used in the courseware developed to show examples of past student writing, along with instructors' comments.
    • AST251H gave students a checklist to guide their work for the final research paper, and also used it in grading.
    • ENV200Y gave students an explanation of marking criteria ahead of time, and then a detailed breakdown with their graded papers, along with some personalized comments.
    • SOC203Y TAs used a comment sheet in grading each of the course assignments, allowing for evaluation by standard criteria and also leaving space for individualized comments.

  3. Confer with colleagues and writing specialists on the design and presentation of assignments and on the wording of criteria statements. Even slight ambiguities and inconsistencies frustrate students and graders, and lead to unsatisfying results. (Here, alas, there's no need to offer examples.)


  4. Refer students knowledgeably and enthusiastically to existing resources within the university such as writing centres, the website Writing at the University of Toronto, and relevant handbooks: Strunk and White's The Elements of Style remains a favourite with instructors, and students also mentioned Northey and Procter, Writer's Choice.

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B.  With modest resources, it's worthwhile to

  1. Involve TAs in designing assignments, formulating grading criteria, and finding ways to teach towards the stated standards of the course. In several of the courses we studied, this collegiality kept TA commitment high, lessened problems of grading and commenting, and led to the production of excellent course material.
    • For one example, see the description of a teaching activity for developing concise style, developed by Alwyn Burridge for HUM101Y.
    • See also the online handbook prepared for PHY256F by Ken Meiklejohn, a course TA, with Margaret Procter.

  2. Use your course website for giving detailed instructions and links to readings for written assignments and for putting up group feedback on specific assignments. TAs are often web-proficient enough to handle the posting and maintenance of such material.

    • See these examples of web-based group feedback by course TAs in ENV200Y.
    • Also watch for news of courseware being developed for Arts and Science that will allow you to show excerpts, with your comments, from good student writing.

  3. Give as much specific feedback as you can on marked papers, including group feedback in class or on the web. Students told us they often felt hurt when they had worked hard on an important assignment but got only a grade as response -- even a good grade.
    • Note, for instance, that the SOC203 comment sheet provides space for individual comments for each item and for a final comment.
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C.  With optimal resources, you get excellent results if you

  1. Build in more small assignments, sequenced for cumulative or increasingly complex tasks, perhaps allowing some grades not to count. Asking students to write the same kind of piece several times in a row gives them a chance to master demanding tasks.
    • HUM101Y used a sequence of increasingly complex assignments to help students develop some of the basic skills of academic literacy.
    • ZOO496, an upper-level specialized course, also asked students to write repeated small assignments based on readings, in this case helping them develop skill and confidence in critiquing scientific research papers. Students were enthusiastic and grateful for the intensive comments given by the course instructors on their work.

  2. Give formative feedback on drafts, focussing especially on overall approach and reasoning. This can be done in oral appointments or written comments, with or without grades. If you've commented on the draft, you don't need to mark up the final version intensively. Building in a rewrite assignment, perhaps with an additional task added to the initial one, can also encourage students to raise their own standards.
    • Students in ENV200Y had a chance to rewrite one short paper and strengthen their arguments. The students who chose this option expressed great satisfaction at the chance to deepen their thinking (and get bonus marks).

  3. Consider involving a specialized TA or co-instructor to take the lead in giving instruction and feedback on writing. This use of resources proved especially effective in some science courses, but only when the person was fully conversant with the discipline. Asking an outsider to teach or grade writing as a separate aspect from the course content led to strong resentment and resistance in several classes studied.
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