Write@UGA Workshop: Writing to Learn in STEM Lectures: Assignment Design

A team of UGA biology and writing faculty participated in an NSF-funded STEMwrite Institute this past summer at the University of Minnesota. Now, attndees can participate in a workshop modeled after this institute. Participants will have the opportunity to design a writing-to-learn activity to use in their STEM lecture courses and curate peer-review prompts to facilitate assessment. These short writing exercises coupled with peer review can make a big impact in the classroom, helping students grapple with key course concepts, engage in active learning, and work together to revise and deepen their understanding.



Workshop leaders will introduce participants to writing to learn and peer review and how these practices can be leveraged in STEM lectures to support student-centered learning. As well, workshop leaders will share the prompts they developed at the summer institute as models and reflect on their experience with the assignment-design process. Then, participants will be guided through this process to draft a writing-to-learn activity they can use in their own course. Finally, the group will work together to curate peer review prompts and create plans for implementing the writing tasks and peer review in the classroom.

Write@UGA is coordinated by Lindsey Harding, Elizabeth Davis, and Holly Gallagher.