Does creative writing improve scientific writing and learning?

Abstract

Although creative and scientific writing differ in form, objectives, conventions, and language, integrating creative writing into science pedagogy is a promising and increasingly prevalent strategy. For example, recent pedagogical research describes the value of reading and writing poetry in chemistry, neuroscience, pharmacology, nursing, and general physics courses and curricula. At Kenyon College, we incorporate creative writing into the training of biological scientists using diverse approaches at all levels of the curriculum. In several upper‐level Biology courses, students complete “News and Views” assignments in which they write two essays based upon a research article. One essay is targeted towards a general audience; the other is written for scientists. We have found that in‐class instruction, such as reading and discussing writing that effectively engages general readers, is needed for students to write well for general audiences. Members of the English and Biology departments have collaborated to develop and teach a Science Writing course that combines literary analysis of writing about science with a writing workshop that values accurate exposition, creative presentation, and connections to topics beyond science. In the Neuroscience department, a major assignment of the senior seminar is to produce an issue of a magazine for general readers modeled on Scientific American. Students select the topics, write and edit the essays, and contribute figures and relevant artwork. Scientists at Kenyon, in collaboration with the Kenyon Review and with creative writers at Kenyon and beyond, have developed and twice taught the Kenyon Review Young Science Writers Workshop. In the two‐week summer workshop, high school students read poems, stories, essays, and research articles about science and write in a variety of creative genres. Finally, Kenyon students have founded Lyceum, a creative science community that publishes a semesterly journal of science‐inspired poetry, artwork, and essays. We observe that many science students enjoy and benefit from opportunities to write creatively about science. Moreover, students report that to write effectively and creatively about science requires a deeper understanding of underlying scientific concepts than more typical assessments like exams. Thus, we hypothesize that including creative writing in science courses and curricula improves: 1) students’ understanding of scientific concepts, 2) students’ communication of science to scientific and general audiences, and 3) retention and success of students in STEM fields.