Scalable, scaffolded writing assignments with online peer review in a large introductory economics course

Abstract

Despite widely acknowledged benefits of integrating writing into economics courses, instructors’ costs are often prohibitive. To reduce costs and make writing assignments more feasible, the authors describe multi-part, scaffolded writing assignments developed by an economist and a WAC (Writing Across the Curriculum) specialist, integrated into an 800-student introductory economics course with multilingual students and TAs. Students draft and revise an abstract and later draft and write an op-ed with a convincing economic argument for a general audience. The authors use writing centers and peer review software to provide feedback while reducing grading time, and train inexperienced TAs to evaluate student writing through detailed rubrics and moderated marking sessions. They provide detailed assignment descriptions and an accounting of resources and time needed to grade each assignment.