Teaching College Writing Courses
Instructors of writing intensive courses are generally concerned with developing students' ability to examine and present ideas critically and to construct and present coherent arguments. To this end, an instructor might comment extensively on written work submitted for a grade and provide frequent opportunities for students to discuss their writing, both with him/her and with other class members, thereby encouraging students to rethink and revise their work. Discussions of writing may occur during class time or outside of class.
Instructors of writing intensive courses may use class time to teach features of style or the conventions of Standard Written English. Some instructors prefer to identify stylistic features and grammatical conventions when they occur in individual students' work. Some instructors order and require copies of a handbook (samples are available from the Director of Writing); others refer students to the Simon and Schuster Handbook for Writers available at the Reserve desks in the Main Library and the Armstrong Library.