What this resource is about: 

This resource is about integrating Writing Center support into undergraduate chemical engineering courses.  

 

What is Writing Center support? 

While the primary work of the Writing Center is direct student support in the form of one-on-one tutoring, the Writing Center staff and tutors also work with instructors to address specific writing contexts and needs. 

 

Reflection from Dr. Wettstein: 

In 2018, a representative of the Writing Center came to my junior-level chemical engineering class (ECHM 323) and gave a 5-minute overview of the Writing Center. I had been teaching in the Chemical and Biological Engineering department at MSU for six years but didn’t know the purpose of the Writing Center until then. From that point on, I incorporated Writing Center support into my courses.  

In the ECHM 323 course, Writing Center tutors and staff gave workshops on “Revising for Clarity and Concision,” and then met in class with the students to review their 3-page memo. In my senior-level laboratory course (ECHM 442), I gave extra credit to encourage students to make appointments with tutors to review their technical reports and memos. Additionally, I have benefited from the learning community hosted by the Writing Center in which a group of STEM faculty discussed how to better integrate technical writing into their courses.  

Since many students feel that they are already strong writers and are hesitant to use the Writing Center, I gave students 3-5% extra credit on the technical writing assignments for attending a tutoring appointment. On teamwork-based assignments, students attended the tutoring appointment as a team. Not only is the feedback provided by the Writing Center tutors useful, but these appointments also help motivate the students to complete their sections by a certain date. 

 

Benefits:  

I have integrated a Writing Center component in ECHM 442 since 2018 and ECHM 323 since 2021. The students learn skills necessary for their future careers, and from my (and other instructors’) standpoint, the quality of student writing has improved. In 2018 and 2022, I surveyed my ECHM 442 students to get their feedback on using the Writing Center. Of 155 responses, 66% of students said that the visits to the Writing Center made them better writers. Additionally, the students felt that the Writing Center helped them with a wide variety of language skills (see Figure; students could select all that applied), which helps instructors because they can focus more on content and less on grammar-based corrections. 

integrating WC table

Challenges: 

There are certainly challenges with integrating the Writing Center into a course. The assignment must be designed to benefit from using the Writing Center, and it takes time to coordinate with the Writing Center staff to ensure they have the resources to handle the influx of appointments around the assignment due dates. With good communication between the faculty and Writing Center, scheduling has not been an issue as long as students plan early. However, approximately 50% of the students said that their schedule is too busy and 30% said that the hours do not fit their schedule. In order to address this, assignments with a Writing Center component are posted near the beginning of the semester; allowing for at least a month’s notice for students to schedule an appointment. Additionally, students are reminded throughout the semester to make an appointment early since appointments fill up quickly. 

Another challenge is the motivation to go to the Writing Center. As mentioned, students come into the junior and senior level courses confident in their writing skills. In order to motivate them, extra credit is given. Approximately 50% of students said that they would not go to the Writing Center without that extra credit.