Writing+to+learn

Writing to Learn Resources

Below are a few examples of how writing to learn can engage your students in deeper processing of materials from varying subject areas.

__**In a mathematics class**__ Analyzing the Process Sometimes students are baffled by the explanations teachers give of how things happen because teachers move too quickly or easily through the process analysis. A quick run-through of an equation is often just not enough for students struggling to learn new material. A more useful approach to process analysis--from the learners' point of view--is to trace //in writing// the steps required to complete the process or to capture the thinking that leads from one step to the next. Students can either write **//while//** or **//after//** they complete each problem. Particularly when students get stuck in the middle of a problem, writing down why they completed the steps they did will usually help someone else (a classmate, tutor, or teacher) see why the student experienced a glitch in problem-solving. Similarly, teachers can look over the process analyses to see if students have misapplied fundamental principles or if they are making simple mistakes. In effect, students can concentrate on problem-solving rather than on minor details, and they can move from simple procedures followed by rote into a deeper understanding of why they are solving problems appropriately. from []

__**In a science class**__ Post hoc analysis//**:**// After an event is reported in the general news media or in your disciplinary media, ask students to reflect on
 * what happened
 * why it happened
 * what it means to your field

Various science disciplines, for instance, could analyze the Pathfinder mission to Mars by focusing on appropriate elements of the actual event. from []

Ask individuals or groups to analyze a real problem--gleaned from industry reports, scientific journals, personal experience, management practices, law, etc. Students must write about the problem and a solution they could implement. from []
 * __In Physical Education class__**