Optimizing Faculty Use of Writing as a Learning Tool in Geoscience Education

Abstract

As geoscience educators, we focus on helping students understand technical content and learn to think like geoscientists. Although research substantiates writing as a tool for teaching technical content and disciplinary thinking, geoscience educators often do not integrate writing in geoscience education because of the frustrations and exigencies involved. To address these issues, this paper describes the literature on using writing as a learning tool in both cross-disciplinary and geoscience teaching contexts. Further, we describe our Less is More approach, designed so faculty can spend less time grading student writing and still yield more learning benefits from incorporating writing. This approach involves five strategies, including explicitly integrating assignments with course objectives, designing effective assignments, incorporating process writing, evaluating writing effectively and efficiently, and consulting appropriate campus resources. Results of an initial assessment using this approach with a geoscience course suggest gains in student learning.