Strategies for Writing in the Disciplines

Our English resources are offered in support of a Writing in the Disciplines approach to improving student writing. Current research in the field of Composition and Rhetoric as well as in Cognitive Science has proven that student learning is enhanced through sustained practice in and application of sound writing practices (Kellogg, 2008; Anson, 2007).  This research, as well as a national call for improving the writing skills of college graduates, has prompted many institutions to adopt this Writing in the Disciplines (WID) approach.  WID recognizes that college-level writers need a great deal of practice and a variety of writing experiences to enable them to move from “knowledge-telling to knowledge-transforming to knowledge-crafting” (Kellogg, 2008) and that such practice can come from infusing writing in courses across the curriculum as well as in their professional field.

For deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) students in particular, whose writing experiences are often limited (for a variety of reasons), a WID approach would give them the practice the research calls for, as well as the opportunity to develop more knowledge in their respective fields. 

The links at left offer a variety of resources to support STEM high school teachers and college faculty in providing a Writing in the Disciplines approach in their STEM classes.