Integrating Writing in a Large Undergraduate Science Course
Abstract
Written assignments are usually not incorporated into large undergraduate courses due to the significant amount of time and resources their administration requires. Our presentation will reveal how we addressed these challenges for our written assignment in a large (1800 students) first-year undergraduate biology course. Our students write a proposal, receive feedback from their teaching assistant, and submit a revised proposal. We will discuss how we designed and administer the assignment, how it is scaffolded into the laboratories associated with the course, and how we train over 30 course TAs. Additionally, we will explore how we have measured the effect of this assignment on students’ writing and their scientific reasoning, using both student surveys and quantitative methods.
Integrating Writing in a Large Undergraduate Science Course
PAB 150
Written assignments are usually not incorporated into large undergraduate courses due to the significant amount of time and resources their administration requires. Our presentation will reveal how we addressed these challenges for our written assignment in a large (1800 students) first-year undergraduate biology course. Our students write a proposal, receive feedback from their teaching assistant, and submit a revised proposal. We will discuss how we designed and administer the assignment, how it is scaffolded into the laboratories associated with the course, and how we train over 30 course TAs. Additionally, we will explore how we have measured the effect of this assignment on students’ writing and their scientific reasoning, using both student surveys and quantitative methods.