Why study Active Learning and Writing to Learn in All Fields? This page identifies the various components of the Writing to Learn movement and discusses the importance of writing in the curriculum.  

Introduction to Writing to Learn Movement

Two movements in past two decades have influenced the integration of writing in institutions of higher learning.  These movements are Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) and Writing in the Discipline (WID). This section presents a brief review of the Importance of Writing in the Curriculum and  Writing Across the Curriculum which involves Writing to Learn and Writing in the Discipline (WID).

Importance of Writing in the Curriculum

No one doubts that writing is an effective method to teach content as well as to test knowledge and can be combined with collaborative learning structures (e.g., peer editing) or that writing aids critical thinking skills as well as lower levels of learning. Emig (1977) believes, "Writing represents a unique mode of learning - not merely valuable, not merely special, but unique." To learn we must place new knowledge into a cognitive framework. Writing provides the process needed to relate new knowledge to prior experience (synthesis). It also provides a means by which knowledge is symbolically transformed via language into icons. Finally, the written material, the product of this process, is concrete and visible and permits review, manipulation, and modification of knowledge as it is "learned" and put into a framework (Emig, 1977; Fulwiler, 1982; Tomlinson, 1990).

Writing is an active process of discovery and reinforcement. Writing prevents students from being passive, "every time students write, they individualize instruction; the act of silent writing, even for five minutes, generates ideas, observations, emotions...regular writing makes it harder for students to remain passive." (Fulwiler, 1980). Finally, writing provides the reinforcement (i.e., practice) needed to retain knowledge, "If the most efficacious learning occurs when learning is reinforced, then writing through its inherent re-informing cycle involving hand, eye, and brain marks a uniquely powerful multi-representational mode for learning." (Emig, 1977).

Writing Across the Curriculum 

WAC is a pedagogical movement that began in the 80s as a response to a perceived deficiency in literacy among college students.  WAC is premised on theories that maintain that writing is a valuable learning tool that can help students synthesize, analyze, and apply course content.  WAC designated courses tend to apply either or both, Writing to Learn or Writing in the Discipline. 

Writing to Learn
This particular approach to WAC frequently makes use of journals, logs, micro themes, and other, primarily informal, writing assignments.  If they write reactions in their own words to information received in class or from reading, students often comprehend and retain information better.  Also, because students write more frequently, they either maintain or improve their writing skills and avoid a decrease in writing ability from entrance to senior year.

Writing in the Disciplines (WID)
This approach is based on the understanding that each discipline has its own conventions of language use and style and that these conventions must be taught to students so that they might successfully participate in academic discourse.  Reports, article reviews, and research papers are the most commonly used assignments in a WID focused course.

Source:  Writing Across the Curriculum and Writing in the Disciplines. Purdue University Online Writing Lab

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