Skip to Main Content

High Impact Practices: Writing Instructive Courses

Writing Intensive Courses

Definition: A WI course "emphasizes writing at all levels of instruction and across the curriculum" (AAC&U, 2023) . Students will draft, edit, and revise works in varied classes across their degree program.

American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U). 2023. High impact practices. Retrieved from https://www.aacu.org/trending-topics/high-impact 

What do you need to know about WI Courses?

There are course guidelines to help you get started.

Guidelines

Writing instructive courses do not need to assign a lot of writing assignments. In fact, writing quality is more important than quantity. Instructors teaching writing instructive courses should include all stages of the writing process, such as brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising, etc.

Across disciplines, writing instructive courses have assignments where students use writing to analyze course subject matters and explain reasoning. This can include several shorter assignments that build on one another, so that students can show mastery of a subject or writing skills, or assignments with revisions. 

 

Requirements

  • The course includes writing assignments that are either individually or collectively worth a significant part of the final grade.
  • Writing assignments must be an integral part of measuring the mastery of the content in a course.
  • The course syllabus should provide a robust explanation for how and why a class is writing instructive.
  • Writing assignments must be tied to specific course objectives and outcomes.
  • Instructors must provide feedback on submitted writing assignments.
  • At least one assignment must involve revision or all assignments should be sequenced so students can improve the quality of their work.

 

Possible Syllabus Description

"This is a Writing Instructive (WI) course so writing will be an integral part of my instruction and our interactions. Writing will also be a fundamental way that I measure student mastery of course content. WI means that you will have several opportunities to work on improving your writing skills."

Recommended Research on WI Courses

Brownell, S. E., Price, J. V., & Steinman, L. (2013). A writing-intensive course improves biology undergraduates' perception and confidence of their abilities to read scientific literature and communicate science. Advances in Physiology Education, 37(1), 70-79. https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/advan.00138.2012

Eodice, M. Geller, A. E., & Lerner, N. (2019). The power of personal connection for undergraduate student writers. Research in the Teaching of English, 53(4), 320-339. https://scholar.stjohns.edu/english_facpubs/2/ (See also The Meaningful Writing Project from Learning, Teaching, and Writing in Higher Education)

Lonie, J. M., & Rahim, H. (2010). Does the addition of writing into a pharmacy communication skills course significantly impact student communicative learning outcomes? A pilot study. Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 23(6), 525-530. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0897190010372858 (We have access to this article. It can be found by title in the Sage Journals database.)

Examples of WI Courses at TAMUCT

WI Courses in Spring 2023

ACCT 3310- Accounting Information Systems

AVSC 4309- Aviation Security

BIOL 3380- Research Methods

BUSI 3301- Business Communications

BUSI 4359- Business Strategy

CIS 3360- Ethics in Computing

COUN 5302- Intro to Research

CRIJ 4316- Research Methods

EDUC 3370- Foundations

ENGL 3309- Technical Writing and Document Design

FA 4301- Arts in Contemporary Society

HIED 5300- CPD Seminar

HIST 3300- Historian’s Craft

LIBS 3300- Intro to Liberal Studies

MGMT 3350- Management and Organizational Behavior

NURS 3304- Nursing Research

POLI 3330- Social Science Research

PSYC 3409- Writing in Psychology

PSYC 4435- Behavioral Science Research

SOWK 4300- Social Welfare Policy

SOCI 3315- Sociological Research Methods