Core Principles
That students’ writing ability is largely a function of their thinking ability. Generally, the better students are as thinkers, the better they are as writers. This premise is supported by years of studies on student writing development.
That the heart of academic writing is developing and supporting a complex claim or stance. In other words, it is not enough to provide information on a topic or craft a one-sided argument—academic writing requires the student to make a commitment to a stance or position while demonstrating an awareness of multiple perspectives on the issue.
That in order to learn how to write well, students need to write about a subject in depth, over time, with consistent feedback and opportunities to revise.
To this end, all ITW sections:
Have a clear focus or theme. From “What is Nature?” to “The Search for Right and Wrong” to “Comic Books and Current Events,” students in ITW read books, not just textbooks, that provide a context for their own writing projects.
Require a 15-20 page sustained writing project. This paper must develop a complex claim and support it using reliable, credible sources. Require students to think for themselves. Students in ITW must generate their own topics, claims, or questions and engage in independent research. Students must demonstrate that they understand more than one perspective on the issue they select for their long project.
Require at least three drafts of the long writing project. Students are given substantial instructor and peer feedback on each draft. Work with a library liaison and a Writing Center liaison. The library faculty collaborate with ITW faculty to teach students how to locate and evaluate good sources, and the tutors at the Center for Writing provide workshops for ITW students and work with their writing.
Teach students about academic honesty. Students learn the Keene State College Academic Honesty Policy and they practice citing sources in text and in a works cited or reference page.
Teach students that learning how to write for college takes time, effort, and thought. ITW begins this process, but it does not complete it. After ITW, students will not necessarily have “mastered” the list above, but they will be prepared to continue developing as writers and thinkers.
