Texas A&M has seven undergraduate learning outcomes, and although only one expressly addresses acquiring written and oral communication skills, having students write or speak can help them achieve the other six as well.
Following is a short list of the learning outcomes. (See http://us.tamu.edu/ for more details):
- Master the depth of knowledge required for a degree
- Demonstrate critical thinking
- Practice personal and social responsibility
- Demonstrate social, cultural, and global competence
- Prepare to engage in lifelong learning
- Work collaboratively
- Communicate effectively
In upcoming blogs, I’ll explore how writing and speaking can help students meet learning outcomes 2-6. For now, let’s examine the first: how do writing and speaking help students “master the depth of knowledge required for a degree” Perhaps that seems obvious, given that term papers, presentations, and such are a staple of higher education. However, we have generally used writing (sometimes, too, oral presentations) to assess learning, not to promote it.
Since the early 1970’s there has been a movement in higher education to use writing as a method of learning across the curriculum, more formally called “writing-to-learn.” The essence of this method is to encourage low-stakes, reflective writing that helps students think more slowly and thoughtfully about their subject matter. There is also some attempt since the early part of this decade to apply this movement to spoken discourse (e.g., Deanna Dannels, “Time to Speak Up: A Theoretical Framework of Situated Pedagogy and Practice for Communication across the Curriculum” Communication Education 50 (2001):144-58).
Because the emphasis is on thinking through writing or speaking, proponents advocate not worrying much about correctness or perfection—if the student uses writing or speaking to think through a problem or explore an issue, the results may look or sound messy. In fact, they probably should. First thoughts are often disorganized. We have only so much attention to spare as we formulate ideas to communicate, and focusing too closely on correctness or articulation, diverts attention from those ideas, especially for novice writers/speakers or those exploring new or complex topics.
The aim of reflective writing or talk is not to produce a finished product to present to a formal audience (which can always be done at a later stage of the composing process) but to coordinate the “hand, eye, and brain” in thinking something through (in the words of composition researcher Janet Emig). When we jot down ideas in a first draft or when we speak to peers in small groups, we do not need a carefully crafted performance to gain from talking or writing.
This kind of low-stakes writing or speaking should be ungraded or count for a participation grade. For students to take it seriously, provide more than a grade incentive. You can explain the purpose of the assignment in relation to other class objectives, and you can also provide feedback on the performance to help students see if they are doing well. You do not have to provide feedback for every single student if you use peer review in discussion groups or if you respond only to a few good performances.
A simple way to do this: if students have to read before a class meeting, ask them to jot down one question that they have from the reading or one insight they gained. Or ask them to summarize the reading’s main argument. (Some professors like to ask students to bring in index cards for this purpose.) Collect the responses, and choose a few of the best to discuss during class. Or ask students to form small groups or work with a partner to discuss their responses. Focus on the best so that you can show what you want (and how it could be even better). You’ll create more enthusiasm if you show what to do instead of harping on what not to do.
Microthemes and journals are also commonly used in writing-to-learn. Ask students to write a short theme or journal entry (200-300 words) for homework or even in class on a topic that is open to reflection, discussion, or debate. Collect these and, in the comfort of your office, select a few good examples. To begin the next class, read them aloud to the students (or project them), and talk about their strengths (and, tactfully, other ways they could be developed). When you do this, you demonstrate for students the type of approach and thinking that you value. You operationalize, as it were, critical thinking.
In another Stand and Deliver blog, Jennifer Jones Barbour of the Department of Communications describes the “four corners debate.” She uses it to helps students conquer a fear of public speaking, but it is also effective for engaging students in learning and developing critical thinking about class material. Brady Creel, a Communications Manager at TAMU Qatar, has also used low-stakes writing in a communications course by creating role-playing scenarios for students to practice applying political theory to political campaigns (A Testament to Low-stakes Assignments). Students worked in groups and played political strategist in five scenarios. The assignments were not graded; instead, students critiqued each other.
Engagement and active learning, however they are achieved, help students remember and master knowledge and skills at a deeper level. Memorizing terms, we all know, is only the first step toward mastery. Application of that knowledge, using it to solve problems or to explore ideas, takes students to the level we want for undergraduates. The more they use the knowledge, the better they learn it.