1. Student Writing in Geoscience Courses
Elizabeth Catlos, University of Texas Austin
Rachel Beane, Bowdoin College
On the Cutting Edge Early Career Workshop 2013

2. Session outline Why include writing Example assignments Problems
Offering instruction and guidance to students
Group work: consider your courses

3. Why include writing in your course?
Benefits students
Important training
Commonly done for the class
Required for curriculum ?

4. Examples of writing assignments
Wikipedia mineral assignment
Students create an entry for a mineral that is missing
Rocks and water of the Middle East
End-of-semester term paper for freshman students
Your examples?

5. What are problems you have seen in student writing?
References
How to cite a reference in correct format in the body of the paper
When to cite a reference
Plagiarism
When to make a new paragraph
Citing and using figures and tables
English as a second language
Your examples?

6. Guiding student writing
Goal: For students to use reader expectations and context to improve writing. Read: Gopen, G.D. and Swan, J.A., The science of scientific writing. American Scientist, Volume 78, p
RB – 5’

7. Guiding student writing
Present: Share geological examples for main points of article.
Follow a grammatical subject as soon as possible with its verb.
Place in the stress position the “new information” you want the reader to emphasize.
Place the person or thing whose “story” a sentence is telling at the beginning of the sentence, in the topic position.
Place appropriate “old information” (material already stated in the discourse) in the topic position for linkage backward and contextualization forward.
Articulate the action of every clause or sentence in its verb.
In general, provide context for your reader before asking that the reader consider anything new.
In general, try to ensure that the relative emphases of the substance coincide with the relative expectations for emphasis raised by the structure.
Assess: Comment on lab reports, include in grading rubric for projects
RB – 5’

8. Reviewing and revising writing
Professor comments
Individual meetings
Writing Centers
Reflection
Peer review
RB - 5’

9. Reflection
Goal: For students to consider strengths and areas for improvement in their own writing.
First day of class: What are your strengths as a writer? What would you like to improve in your writing?
After one or more of the projects: If you had one more hour (or day) how would you improve your paper?
End of class: How has your writing improved during this course? What do you want to continue to improve in your writing?

10. Peer Review approaches
In class with groups of 3-5 students Out of class with students trading papers Graded? Anonymous? Calibrated peer review Student guidelines for review Students address the comments
RB & EC 5’
Bowdoin students at the writing center

11. Peer Review – example instructions
General questions Most time on these Qs
6. Does the organization of the paper follow from the thesis?
7. As a reader, were you confused at any point?
8. Do you have any suggestions to improve the writing or structure?
9. How compelling is the evidence the writer presents?
Does the paper follow the assignment?
Can you state the thesis?
What could the writer do to improve transitions between thoughts, sentences, paragraphs?
Are there places the writing could be more concise?
What grammatical, tense, spelling or punctuation errors are in the paper?

12. Peer Review – example instructions
Writing
References
Tables and figures
Abstract
Format
Content
Length
Comment on the writer’s “role”
Intellectual content
RB – 3’
UT Austin Undergraduate Writing Center

13. Grading and Responding to writing
Written comments EC

14. Grading and Responding to writing
Grading by video
Faster, more effective
Detailed comments and suggestions
Friendly tone that students can hear
Students anticipate comments and listen/watch the video
Screen cast/screenshot software EC
*Idea shared by Tom Hickson, University of St. Thomas

15. Consider writing in your course
What is the writing goal?
What will the assignment be?
How will you offer instruction/guidance prior to the assignment?
How will students get feedback?
EC - 15’ small groups work on assignment together at table, may need to continue outside of this session

16. References
Bates, R. L., Adkins-Heljeson, M. D., and Buchanan, R.C., editors, Geowriting: A Guide to Writing, Editing, and Printing in Earth Science, Fifth Revised Edition. American Geological Institute, 100pp.
Bean, J.C Engaging Ideas: The Professor's Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom. Jossey-Bass, 384pp.
Brohaugh, William (2002) Write Tight: How to Keep Your Prose Sharp, Focused and Concise. Intercollegiate Studies Institute, ISBN-10: , ISBN-13:
Carnegie Mellon, Eberly Center, Responding to Student Writing
Gopen, G.D., Swan, J.A., The science of scientific writing. American Scientist, 78,
Gopen, G.D., Expectations: Teaching writing from the readers perspective. Pearson, 395 pp.
Irvine, T.N. and Rumble, D., III, A writing guide for petrological (and other geological) manuscripts. Journal of Petrology, 46pp.
Swan, J., In praise of technique. TEDxCMU