In this singular study, David R. Russell provides a history of writing instruction outside general composition courses in American secondary and higher education, from the founding of public secondary schools and research universities in the 1870s through the spread of the writing-across-the-curriculum movement in the 1980s. Russell's task is to examine the ways writing was taught in the myriad curricula that composed the varied structure of secondary and higher education in modern America. He begins with the assertion that, before the 1870s, writing was taught as ancillary to speaking. As a result, formal writing instruction was essentially training in handwriting, the mechanical process of transcribing sound to visual form. From this point, Russell carefully examines academic writing, its origins and its teaching, from a broad institutional perspective. He looks at the history of little-studied genres of student writing such as the research paper, lab report, and essay examination. Tracing the effects of increasing specialization on writing instruction, he notes how two new ideals of academic life, research and utilitarian service, shaped writing instruction into its modern forms. Finally, he contributes the definitive history of the current writing-across-the-curriculum movement, providing a study of the long tradition of other WAC efforts with an analysis of why they have waned.

In this singular study, David R. Russell provides a history of writing instruction outside general composition courses in American secondary and higher education, from the founding of public secondary schools and research universities in the 1870s through the spread of the writing-across-the-curriculum movement in the 1980s. Russell's task is to examine the ways writing was taught in the myriad curricula that composed the varied structure of secondary and higher education in modern America. He begins with the assertion that, before the 1870s, writing was taught as ancillary to speaking. As a result, formal writing instruction was essentially training in handwriting, the mechanical process of transcribing sound to visual form. From this point, Russell carefully examines academic writing, its origins and its teaching, from a broad institutional perspective. He looks at the history of little-studied genres of student writing such as the research paper, lab report, and essay examination. Tracing the effects of increasing specialization on writing instruction, he notes how two new ideals of academic life, research and utilitarian service, shaped writing instruction into its modern forms. Finally, he contributes the definitive history of the current writing-across-the-curriculum movement, providing a study of the long tradition of other WAC efforts with an analysis of why they have waned.

Designing interesting problems and writing assignments is one of the chief tasks of all teachers, but it can be especially challenging to translate and apply learning theory, good teaching techniques, and writing assignments into STEM and other quantitative disciplines. Student Writing in the Quantitative Disciplines offers instructors in math-based disciplines meaningful approaches to making their coursework richer and more relevant for their students, as well as satisfying institutional imperatives for writing curricula. This important resource provides instructors with the hands-on skills needed to guide their students in writing well in quantitative courses at all levels of the college curriculum and to promote students' general cognitive and intellectual growth. Comprehensive in scope, the book includes: Ideas for using writing as a means of learning mathematical concepts Illustrative examples of effective writing activities and assignments in a number of different genres Assessment criteria and effective strategies for responding to students' writing Examples of ways to help students engage in peer review, revision, and resubmission of their written work "Those of us who spend our lives urging faculty in all disciplines to integrate more writing into their courses have wished for the day when someone like Patrick Bahls would step forward with a book like this one." Chris M. Anson, University Distinguished Professor and director, Campus Writing and Speaking Program, North Carolina State University "Written by a mathematician, this readable, theoretically sound book describes practical strategies for teachers in the quantitative sciences to assign and respond to students' writing. It also describes numerous approaches to writing that engage students in disciplinary learning, collaborative discovery, and effective communication." Art Young, Campbell Professor of English emeritus, Clemson University "Loaded with practical advice, this timely, important, and engaging book will be an invaluable resource for instructors wishing to bring the benefits of writing-to-learn to the quantitative disciplines. As a mathematician thoroughly grounded in writing-across-the-curriculum scholarship, Bahls brings humor, classroom experience, and pedagogical savvy to a mission he clearly loves improving the quality of student learning in math and science." John C. Bean, professor, Seattle University, and author, Engaging Ideas

Autobiographical Writing Across the Disciplines reveals the extraordinary breadth of the intellectual movement toward self-inclusive scholarship. Presenting exemplary works of criticism incorporating personal narratives, this volume brings together twenty-seven essays from scholars in literary studies and history, mathematics and medicine, philosophy, music, film, ethnic studies, law, education, anthropology, religion, and biology. Pioneers in the development of the hybrid genre of personal scholarship, the writers whose work is presented here challenge traditional modes of inquiry and ways of knowing. In assembling their work, editors Diane P. Freedman and Olivia Frey have provided a rich source of reasons for and models of autobiographical criticism. The editors’ introduction presents a condensed history of academic writing, chronicles the origins of autobiographical criticism, and emphasizes the role of feminism in championing the value of personal narrative to disciplinary discourse. The essays are all explicitly informed by the identities of their authors, among whom are a feminist scientist, a Jewish filmmaker living in Germany, a potential carrier of Huntington’s disease, and a doctor pregnant while in medical school. Whether describing how being a professor of ethnic literature necessarily entails being an activist, how music and cooking are related, or how a theology is shaped by cultural identity, the contributors illuminate the relationship between their scholarly pursuits and personal lives and, in the process, expand the boundaries of their disciplines. Contributors: Kwame Anthony Appiah Ruth Behar Merrill Black David Bleich James Cone Brenda Daly Laura B. DeLind Carlos L. Dews Michael Dorris Diane P. Freedman Olivia Frey Peter Hamlin Laura Duhan Kaplan Perri Klass Muriel Lederman Deborah Lefkowitz Eunice Lipton Robert D. Marcus Donald Murray Seymour Papert Carla T. Peterson David Richman Sara Ruddick Julie Tharp Bonnie TuSmith Alex Wexler Naomi Weisstein Patricia Williams

In Professional Academic Writing in the Humanities and Social Sciences, Susan Peck MacDonald tackles important and often controversial contemporary questions regarding the rhetoric of inquiry, the social construction of knowledge, and the professionalization of the academy. MacDonald argues that the academy has devoted more effort to analyzing theory and method than to analyzing its own texts. Professional texts need further attention because they not only create but are also shaped by the knowledge that is special to each discipline. Her assumption is that knowledge-making is the distinctive activity of the academy at the professional level; for that reason, it is important to examine differences in the ways the professional texts of subdisciplinary communities focus on and consolidate knowledge within their fields. Throughout the book, MacDonald stresses her conviction that academics need to do a better job of explaining their text-making axioms, clarifying their expectations of students at all levels, and monitoring their own professional practices. MacDonald’s proposals for both textual and sentence-level analysis will help academic professionals better understand how they might improve communication within their professional communities and with their students.

Historical Studies of Writing Program Administration: Individuals, Communities, and the Formation of a Discipline collects essays that shine new light on the early history of writing program administration. Broad in scope, the book illuminates the development of the profession in the narratives of the individuals who helped form the discipline prior to the emergence of the Council of Writing Program Administrators in 1976, including those narratives of Gertrude Buck and Laura J. Wylie, Edwin Hopkins, Regina Crandall, Rose Colby, George Jardine, Clara Stevens, Stith Thompson, and George Wykoff. Drawing from deep archival work, these narratives offer rare glimpses into writing program administration and the development of composition as a college requirement.

The most comprehensive and up-to-date source available for college reading and study strategy practitioners and administrators, the Third Edition of the Handbook of College Reading and Study Strategy Research reflects and responds to changing demographics as well as politics and policy concerns in the field since the publication of the previous edition. In this thorough and systematic examination of theory, research, and practice, the Handbook offers information to help college reading teachers to make better instructional decisions; justification for programmatic implementations for administrators; and a complete compendium of both theory and practice to better prepare graduate students to understand the parameters and issues of this field. The Handbook is an essential resource for professionals, researchers, and students as they continue to study, research, learn, and share more about college reading and study strategies. Addressing current and emerging theories of knowledge, subjects, and trends impacting the field, the Third Edition features new topics such as disciplinary literacy, social media, and gaming theory.