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Introduction

Learning Through Writing is a collection of assignments, techniques, and tips that have proven successful at the university level. These readily transferable activities can be used by university instructors in all disciplines as a resource to help students to improve the quality of their writing, and, ultimately, their learning.

The assignments in this guide aim to develop students' analytical skills, writing skills, library research skills, and comprehension of subject matter. To help the reader find relevant assignments quickly, assignments with the same primary purpose have been grouped together.

The first version of Learning Through Writing appeared in 1993, and a revised version followed in 1994. Hundreds of copies were distributed at workshops and purchased internationally. Eileen Herteis, then a member of the Dalhousie University Office of Instructional Development and Technology (OIDT) professional staff, spearheaded the publication project. When the OIDT decided to publish a revised and expanded version of Learning Through Writing, we turned once again to Eileen, now at the University of Saskatchewan's Gwenna Moss Teaching and Learning Centre, to lend her talents to the project. Eileen has once again made a fine editorial contribution to the revised edition.

The preparation of this revised and expanded version of Learning Through Writing was skilfully handled by Brad Abernethy. I am very thankful to Brad for lending his talent and organizational ability to this task.

The revised version of Learning Through Writing contains a wealth of new material, including 17 additional writing exercises and assignments as well as a section on "Writing and Computers". I am extremely proud of the fact that over 50 university professors from many different universities have contributed to this valuable teaching resource.

In closing, I would like to thank my collaborators at Dalhousie University for making the publication of this and other teaching guides possible, as I will soon be leaving Nova Scotia to take up the position of Directeur des �tudes de premier cycle at the Universit� du Qu�bec.

Alan Wright,
August, 2001

Editorial Team:

W. Alan Wright is Executive Director of the Office of Instructional Development and Technology of Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Eileen M. Herteis is Programme Coordinator at the Gweena Moss Teaching and Learning Centre at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Brad Abernethy is a freelance writer and editor living in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

• Introduction



• Acknowledgment of Contributors



• Principles of Writing and Learning
• Basic Theories and Assumptions about Writing
• Using Writing as a Learning Tool
• How Do Students Use Writing to Learn?
• Writing Across the Disciplines
• Patrolling the Academic Mall: Writing Across the Disciplines
• Tips for Teachers
• Writing Assignments in Larger Classes
• Responding to Student Writers - Some Guidelines
• Using Writing as a Learning Tool: Professional Development Exercises
• Students With Literacy Problems: Suggestions for Instructors
• ...and more...
• Writing Assignments to Improve Analytical Skills
• The Critique Exercise
• Writing in Medicine
• Writing Research Grant Proposals
• Writing Abstracts to Improve Interpretation and Synthesis
• ...and more...
• Tips for Student Writiers
• Essential Features of Academic Writing: A Writing Centre Handout
• Recommendations to Strenthen Term Papers
• Guidelines for Essays
• Essay Assessment Sheet
• Assignments that Emphasize Feedback and the Process of Writing
• Weekly Feedback to Improve Performance
• Encouraging Students to Address Comments on Previous Papers
• Peer Review to Increase the Quality of Students' Work
• A Pre-Writing Activity: Planning to Write Using the Planning Diamond
• ...and more...
• Different Formats for Assignments
• Asking Students to Design and Answer an Exam Question
• Learning Journals
• Learning to Write in a Foreign Language: The No-Red-Ink Method
• Using Journals and a Mock Courtroom to Teach Literature and Feminist Theory
• ...and more...
• Demonstrating the Writing Process
• Writing a "Live" Essay in Class
• Encourageing Effective Use of the Library
• Why Use Library Assignments?
• Faculty-Librarian Cooperation
• Developing Information Literacy: One View From the Library
• Applying the Earlham College Model
• ...and more...
• Writing and Computers
• Introduction
• Using Computers in Your Class: A Dozen Specific Suggestions
• Commenting on Eectronic Papers
• Software for Teaching Writing
• OWLs (Online Writing Labs)
• Resources
• References

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