This self-paced course can be taken at any time and is intended for instructional faculty from any discipline seeking to improve the use of writing assignments to foster learning. Through a series of modules and assessments, participants will (a) learn to define and differentiate between Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC), Writing to Learn (WTL), and Writing in the Disciplines (WID); (b) identify key genres in their discipline; (c) identify key elements of these genres; (d) develop methods for teaching how to read and write these genres; (e) learn to incorporate WAC best practices, such as scaffolding, informal writing, peer review, reflection, and revision; (f) and improve grading with tips.

Objectives

At the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

Distinguish between Writing Across the Curriculum, Writing to Learn, and Writing in the Disciplines.
Identify key genres in their own discipline/field.
Explain the important elements that make up a genre.
Develop methods/techniques for teaching how to read and write in a genre.
Develop strategies for effective feedback on student writing.
Incorporate WAC course design best practices, such as scaffolding, informal writing, peer review, reflection, and revision, to develop effective writing skills.

Target Audience: Higher Ed Faculty.

Course is offered by Excelsior University.

Course Instructors

Benjamin Pearson

Faculty Program Director for Writing, Excelsior University

Benjamin Pearson holds an MA and PhD in Modern European History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also has a Graduate Certificate in Online Writing Instruction from the University of Arkansas - Little Rock. Read More.

As someone who came to writing instruction by way of history, he is especially interested in writing across the curriculum--how to teach writing in meaningful and effective ways in all subject areas. He lives in the Albany, NY area with his wife and two daughters.

Nan Rodriguez

Director of the Excelsior Writing Center and Online Writing Lab

Nan Rodriguez holds an MAT from Smith College in English Literature and Education. Nan has worked for over 25 years helping students of all ages find their voice and learn to write. Nan has added pages to our Writing in the Disciplines section in Business, Health Sciences, and Nursing, a new page on Research Hypotheses, and she has rewritten our Sentence Structure pages. Nan is working on more projects, including finalizing the Spanish version of the OWL.