Innovative resources and reflections on writing instruction at Mason

Abstract

In order to review the syllabi, the program developed a rubric to focus on 12 criteria, which were comprised of WI requirements and best practices for teaching writing. The rubric was tested and redrafted several times in order to ensure a more consistent data collection. The following numbers represent the summary of data collected on the 12 criteria. BACKGROUNDEstablished in 1993, the Writing Across the Curriculum Program at Mason was designed to develop both our students' understanding of their disciplines and their ability to communicate as professionals in those disciplines. The curricular approach is based on the following beliefs: § writing is an important tool for learning and discovery, § students gain proficiency as writers when they are given frequent opportunities to write for various audiences and purposes, § faculty across share responsibility for helping students learn the conventions and writing practices of their disciplines, § students benefit from revising their writing based on meaningful feedback from their instructors, § and writing instruction must be continuous throughout a student's education.The frequent opportunities for writing, receiving feedback, and revising help students to think more creatively and critically, engage more deeply in their learning, and transfer their learning from context to context.