Outcomes from a Baccalaureate Program's Writing Improvement Initiative

Abstract

Using a writing-in-the-discipline approach, our department explored teaching writing through faculty development and evaluated the results achieved after designating writing-intensive courses in the major. A pre- and posttest quasi-experimental evaluation design examined the effect of the department's writing-intensive methods classes on a cohort of majors, and the effect of an additional instructional intervention. Trained faculty assessed student writing from required writing assignments. Sixty-one students (62 percent of the cohort) comprised the study sample. Paired t-tests revealed the cohort's improved writing over time in four of six criteria. Repeated measures analysis revealed no main effect for the additional intervention. The initiative introduced ideas and techniques that promote confidence and enthusiasm for teaching writing as a product of critical thinking. It also provided outcome data for a key component of the educational endeavor.