Wednesday, August 9, 2017
9:00-11:30 am
Helen C. White Hall

Register online HERE.

Well-designed writing assignments can help students learn the subject matter of a course more deeply, increase students’ engagement with complex topics, and give course instructors valuable insight into what students understand—and what they don’t. But it can be difficult to design writing assignments that advance specific course goals and encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning. In this interactive workshop, we’ll share advice, examples, and best practices for using writing to its full potential in SBE and STEM courses. We’ll discuss research about interactive writing assignments that advance student learning; analyze effective examples of syllabi and assignments from a range of SBE and STEM courses at UW–Madison, including small seminars, large lecture courses, and labs; consider how writing can be used to both develop community in your classroom and to enter broader disciplinary communities; and discuss ways to design effective evaluation rubrics to give efficient feedback on writing assignments. Finally, you'll have a chance to draft and get feedback on a new writing assignment to use in your own teaching - now or in the future.