Graduate Writing Across the Disciplines, Introduction

Brooks-Gillies, Marilee; García, Elena González-Blanco; Kim, Soo Hyon; Manthey, Katie; Smith, Trixie G.

doi:10.37514/atd-j.2015.12.3.04

Cited by 11 publications

(9 citation statements)

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“…Effective communication skills are no longer considered a luxury in chemical enterprise. Instead, meaningful writing and persuasive speaking for a broad range of audiences have become integral parts of the standard core professional skills required for scientific and professional success in the workforce − and graduate school. − Despite recent discourse emphasizing the importance of scientific communication, especially in a scholarly sense, it is a perennial problem originating at the undergraduate level. , It is well documented that undergraduate science students frequently struggle with written − and oral − communication skills. ,− This persists into graduate school, − ,− the medical fields, − and the workforce. ,,,, To meet this challenge, educators have been urged to adopt curricular changes that will foster strong communication skills in their students. ,,,− …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Scientific Method as a Scaffold to Enhance Communication Skills in Chemistry

et al. 2022

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Scientific success in the field of chemistry depends upon the mastery of a wide range of soft skills, most notably scientific writing and speaking. However, training for scientific communication is typically limited at the undergraduate level, where students struggle to express themselves in a clear and logical manner. The underlying issue is deeper than basic technical skills; rather, it is a problem of students’ unawareness of a fundamental and strategic framework for writing and speaking with a purpose. The methodology has been implemented for individual mentorship and in our regional summer research program to deliver a blueprint of thought and reasoning that endows students with the confidence and skills to become more effective communicators. Our didactic process intertwines undergraduate research with the scientific method and is partitioned into six steps, referred to as “phases”, to allow for focused and deep thinking on the essential components of the scientific method. The phases are designed to challenge the student in their zone of proximal development so they learn to extract and ultimately comprehend the elements of the scientific method through focused written and oral assignments. Students then compile their newly acquired knowledge to create a compelling and logical story, using their persuasive written and oral presentations to complete a research proposal, final report, and formal 20 min presentation. We find that such an approach delivers the necessary guidance to promote the logical framework that improves writing and speaking skills. Over the past decade, we have witnessed both qualitative and quantitative gains in the students’ confidence in their abilities and skills (developed by this process), preparing them for future careers as young scientists.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Scientific Method as a Scaffold to Enhance Communication Skills in Chemistry

et al. 2022

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“…• To realize that your perception of effort is not enough to justify a good grade. (Schwartz, 2019, p. 5) This syllabus excerpt provides evidence of the professor's apparent expectation that students' writing skills may not be up to par, an attitude well-documented in the literature (Brooks-Gillies, Garcia, Kim, Manthey, & Smith, 2015;Curry, 2016;Eley & Murray, 2009;Hallett, & Tierney, 2011;Kamler & Madden, 2016;Murray, 2013;Sallee, Simpson, 2016;Starke-Meyerring, 2011;Thompson, 2014).…”

Section: Chapter 2 Literature Review Introduction: Graduate-level Dis...mentioning

confidence: 68%

“…There may or may not be a writing center to provide support. There is also the widely shared notion that students should come to graduate programs ready to communicate at an advanced level (Brooks-Gillies, et al, 2015;Curry, 2016;Madden, 2016;Sallee, Hallett, & Tierney, 2011;Simpson, 2012Simpson, , 2016Starke-Meyerring, 2011). Simpson (2016) notes a "stubbornly persistent view that graduate students should have learned how to write earlier in their education despite the fact that the genres they encounter in graduate school might be far different from any they have previously experienced" (p. 2).…”

Section: Chapter 1 Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Their professors, who may have become expert academic writers through years of experience, are often unable or unwilling to provide support for both content and writing (Eley & Murray, 2009;Kamler & Thompson, 2014;Murray, 2013). Much research has revealed professors' beliefs that graduate students should begin their programs with advanced academic writing skills (Brooks-Gillies, Garcia, Kim, Manthey, & Smith, 2015;Curry, 2016;Madden, 2016;Sallee, Hallett, & Tierney, 2011;Simpson, 2012Simpson, , 2016Starke-Meyerring, 2011). Consider this excerpt from an course syllabus in the engineering program at ISU: What I expect from students:…”

Section: Chapter 2 Literature Review Introduction: Graduate-level Dis...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Extending our understanding of unpublished academic writing: The creation and analysis of CorGrad

Becker

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“…1 Some universities and graduate programs have responded by developing courses to teach graduate students to write and in other cases, writing centers have offered graduate writing workshops and writing boot camps. 11,12 Although a dedicated writing space is beneficial, offering the program from a formal writing center may feel remedial or may be seen as a quick fix rather than a lifelong journey from a student's perspective. 11 Unlike boot camps or workshops, writing groups have the ability to create a community of practice, which can be deepened when coupled with existing outside classrooms and formal writing centers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Writing in the Discipline (WRITE-D): A new approach to graduate student writing success

Daignault,

Morse

2022 ASEE Annual Conference &Amp; Exposition Proceedings

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Writing, regardless of stage in one's academic career, can be a challenge. For many graduate students, the writing of the dissertation may be the most difficult part of the academic journey.The collection of thoughts, the ability to ground research in appropriate literature, and expressing the topic and research activities so that others reading the work can understand may include abilities and skills a graduate student needs to develop. Writing a dissertation can be a lonely proposition as the graduate student may only receive feedback and support from their advisor. To assist students in reaching their writing goals, the Graduate School at Michigan Technological University piloted WRITE-D: Writing in the Discipline with graduate students in the Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Department. The purpose of the WRITE-D program is to provide a dedicated time and space for graduate students to gather within their department to improve writing skills and make progress toward writing goals. Participants are encouraged to set writing goals and plan toward achieving those writing goals. The group provides a social network to work through writing challenges together, with discipline-specific guest speakers providing advice, guidance, and insight. These guest speakers are often faculty members as well as members of industry who can share experience writing within the discipline. The purpose of this paper is to identify the benefits of the guest speakers and content on graduate student writing, examine the impact of dedicated writing time on graduate student writing progress, and explore the impact of WRITE-D on graduate student comradery.

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Graduate Writing Across the Disciplines, Introduction

Cited by 11 publications

References 0 publications

The Scientific Method as a Scaffold to Enhance Communication Skills in Chemistry

The Scientific Method as a Scaffold to Enhance Communication Skills in Chemistry

Extending our understanding of unpublished academic writing: The creation and analysis of CorGrad

Writing in the Discipline (WRITE-D): A new approach to graduate student writing success

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