by Casey Dawson, WIC Graduate Assistant

FIRST WORKSHOP OF THE ’23-’24 ACADEMIC YEAR: UNGRADED WRITING AND DISCIPLINARY LEARNING

WIC Director Sarah Tinker Perrault kicked off this year’s WIC workshop series with “How to Use Ungraded Writing to Promote Disciplinary Learning.” In this workshop, Dr. Perrault shared insights into the effectiveness of ungraded writing exercises in promoting content learning and writing confidence among students across academic disciplines. She leveraged research and practical advice to combat common misconceptions about integrating writing into the classroom. Among the most common concerns from workshop participants were how to keep students engaged in ungraded writing exercises and how to stagger ungraded writing across the term without sacrificing other parts of their curriculum.

Along with addressing these concerns about ungraded writing, Dr. Perrault also shared various ungraded writing exercises, along with ways to incorporate these writing practices into the classroom. Workshop participants engaged in one such exercise, called “cubing,” in which they practiced articulating different facets of knowledge about a key concept in their field, an exercise that many said they plan to use with their own students.

To close out the workshop, participants were also able to share their own ungraded writing exercises with the group. Participants also shared and discussed common anxieties and solutions surrounding student participation and writing.
Access the recording of this workshop by following this link.

HALLOWEEN WORKSHOP AT CASCADES CAMPUS: WRITING AND GENERATIVE AI

This Halloween, tricks and treats abounded at OSU Cascades, where WIC Director Sarah Tinker Perrault hosted the workshop “Pedagogical Principles, Writing, and Text Generating Tools.” With educators witnessing the impacts of generative writing tools like Chat-GPT on their students’ lives and learning, Dr. Perrault discussed the opportunities and limits to leveraging AI in Writing to Learn (WTL) and Learning to Write (LTW) in-class activities.

Dr. Perrault emphasized the limits of generative text tools in Writing to Learn exercises, which foster deep engagement with course content, the development of one’s own writing voice, critical thinking, and more. She also offered insights into the ways that generative AI may be useful for Learning to Write exercises, which get students practicing strong writing habits, understanding appropriate tones for various writing contexts, and other critical writing skills.

The nine attendees represented a variety of disciplines, including Literature, American Studies, Psychology, Molecular Biology, Environmental Sciences, Chemistry, and Biochemistry. Participants brainstormed various knowledge-making and habit-based writing exercises they might include in their own classrooms, and debriefed on the ways that generative AI had shifted their approach to instruction. 

(No recording available)