George Mason University:

Writing across the Curriculum

Using Writing as a Tool for Learning

Teachers often hesitate to assign writing because they think that all writing has to be evaluated. However, the very act of writing can foster student learning by allowing them to focus their attention at the beginning of class or to discover what they may not understand. In addition, a quick reading of this informal writing can help a teacher see how well students are understanding course material and/or what concepts are giving them trouble.

Writing-to-learn exercises and assignments can be done in-class or as homework. They can require very little time or involve regular, ongoing work by students. A list of such activities follows:

Regular Writing in Class

Discussion starters (questions, prompts at the beginning of class to focus students' attention on the day's work)
Immediate summaries (synthesis and questions at the close of class)
Systematic note-taking (not random recording)

Regular Writing Outside of Class

Journals and Logs:

Reading response, analytical (teacher gives questioning heuristic)
Reading response, affective (teacher gives questioning heuristic)
Expressive, free choice of topic (to identify problems and frustrations; increase self-awareness)
Scientific (precise observation, process record; teacher usually provides heuristic)
Historical (narrative, descriptive, reflective on events)
Stylistic/formal (experiments in style and form; imitation)

For more information on writing-to-learn assignments, we recommend The Journal Book by Toby Fulwiler (Heinemann, 1987) and Chapter Two of The Harcourt Brace Guide to Writing Across the Curriculum by Christopher Thaiss (Harcourt Brace, 1998).

George Mason University:

Writing across the Curriculum

Using Writing as a Tool for Learning

Regular Writing in Class

Regular Writing Outside of Class

Further Reading

Faculty Resources: