Shifting Responsibilities: When Chemistry Replaces First-Year Writing

Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton FL

Investigators

Abstract

Chemistry (12). Faculty from the Departments of Chemistry and English are collaborating to create a writing-intensive, second-semester, introductory Chemistry course, which also fulfills second-semester College Writing requirements. The new course content and assignments are the equivalent of both existing courses, employing a "writing to learn" strategy. Graded writing assignments consisting of formal laboratory reports and a case-based research paper are being prepared and assessed according to designed rubrics. Students are improving their writing through drafts and revisions reviewed by instructors and peer writers. Students are keeping notebooks in the laboratory and writing short, non-graded assignments on chemical concepts to engage them in exploratory writing. PIs and independent consultants are evaluating the effectiveness of this course for improving student understanding of chemical principles, writing skills, and attitudes towards learning by comparing examination scores, writing assignment grades, survey results, and long-term performance of students who complete this course with those of similar demographics who complete the conventional introductory chemistry and college writing courses. The project has the potential for serving as a model for implementing and evaluating such courses at other colleges and universities and within other disciplines.