MAWCA 2015: STEM & Writing: The Writing Fellows Program

• Engineering students were not revising or valuing that process
• writing and design were about equal component of senior courses
• Fellows participation didn’t change the course content, but small design challenges were able to scaffold the improvements for existing writing
• literature reviews, technical writing are emphases in the Junior capstone
• for tutors, extended relationship benefit = seeing growth over time
• faculty looking for quantifiable change (pre/post)
• creating video modules for Freshmen after learning about the needs of Juniors
• separate tech experts and writing experts makes it seem easier and more credible to students
• JMU Writing Rubric used = statistically significant results for improved learning
• peer is not “the” expert but an expert
  • reduces burden of copyeditor/dependence
  • lacks intimidation factor
• learning curve on the front end to norm tutor to styles, needs, and having some shared expectations
• seniors think they know it all –> need to review value of an outside voice
• tutor benefits
  • better know APA
  • greater exposure to projects on campus
  • teaching technical writing –> led to more and better technical writing comprehension
  • immediate feedback helps reduce anxiety
• reading recommendation: Technical Communication in the 21st Century

MAWCA 2015: Sharing of Academic Disciplines in the Writing Center

• need more objective evaluations in this field
• self-selection bias of who is and isn’t choosing to participate
  • embedding tutors in course can be one approach to gather a more diverse participate pool
  • embedded tutors can also see the larger values of the faculty member, as expressed in course content, grades, etc
• other variables to consider
  • instructor, time of class, writing training in high school, interest in writing
• pre/post methodology important to measure baseline and impact effect
• used in a study of cortisol levels (as measured in spit) of tutors
  • found that the cortisol levels went down after completing tutoring sessions in comparison to before