Incorporating Writing Into Teaching Nestor Matthews Psychology / Neuroscience Denison University

The Context Research in Sensation & Perception PSYC 341 Liberal Arts Goal Students will write effectively Course Goal Students will write effective scientific reports in APA-style – The reports describe student-designed experiments – 2 experiments, conducted in small groups, written individually

Teaching By Example “The Science of Scientific Writing” Gopen & Swan, 1990, American Scientist, 78, “Information is interpreted more easily…if it is placed where most readers expect to find it.” pp.551 Students critique my writing early in the semester

In-Class “Writing Workshops” Six full-session writing workshops – 3 workshops for each of the two experiments (a) Intro & Methods (b) Results & Discussion (c) Final Draft Within each session – Final 20 minutes for general discussion and reflection – Multiple round-robins of peer-editing Students flag each “error”, in color, with a number (1-22) from the “Writing-Feedback” document…

Feedback on Writing Style (Sample Items) 1. Spelling error 2. Plural / singular error… 15. Ineffective transition ( between sentences or paragraphs )… 22. Lapse in logic or coherence

Evaluation Students are graded on their writing, – not explicitly on their peer-editing. – but gross negligence in peer-editing can reduce a student’s class participation grade

Benefits & Challenges Student writing improves – I can spend more time addressing “higher level” conceptual issues in the final drafts Large variability in students’ editing skills – I “veto” many of the student edits

Thank You! Public Domain Image from Wikimedia Commons

Additional Material 1 Books that exemplify effective science writing for the public – The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing Richard Dawkins – Life Ascending Nick Lane

Additional Material 2 Rubric “Your grade will be based on your writing style (i.e., grammar, clarity, succinctness, organization, and transitions), and on the novelty and persuasiveness of your prose.”