1. Writing Across the Curriculum One way to facilitate critical thinking

2. What is it? • Movement to broaden the scope of student writing beyond the confines of the English Department • Based on the notion that writing increases subject area knowledge • Based on the notion that the subject area provides a necessary context for writing instruction

3. Major writing projects • Long papers typically require students to use skills such as: interpretation, analysis, evaluation, explanation, self-regulation • Students need guidance in order to use these skills • One way to do this: provide a rubric

4. Assessing writing (you) • Take one minute to think of 3-5 criteria that could be used to evaluate writing in a variety of disciplines • Turn to a neighbor or two and compare lists. Make a group list • Share with the big group • (This was an example of “Think-Pair-Share”)

5. Assessing writing (me) • Washington Senior-Level Writing Study developed a rubric • This rubric used in a variety of disciplines including business, chemistry, education, history • I have used this in Issues in Science and Religion • Insight Assessment has writing rubrics as well

6. Small writing projects • Not all writing across the discipline assignments need to be major • Short , informal exploratory assignment help instructors with formative evaluation and help students learn course material • One good example of a short writing project: one minute paper

7. One minute paper • Summarize what you know about the senior-level writing rubric I just shared. You have 1 min. • Read your paper to your neighbor • Helps students organize thoughts • Immediate feedback for the instructor • Grade on participation only OR make it a small part of the course grade

8. Important Links • Statewide Senior-Level Discipline-Based Writing Rubric http://pandora.cii.wwu.edu/cii/resources/writing/writing_rubric.html • Insight Assessment Rubrics http://www.insightassessment.com/writing_rubs.html • One-Minute Papers http://www.flaguide.org/cat/minutepapers/minutepapers1.htm