Previous research has shown that when students are required to submit a draft and a revision of their writing, large proportions of students do not improve across drafts. We implemented a writing assignment in which students were permitted to submit up to four optional drafts. To encourage substantive revisions, students were awarded additional…

We examined how writing cover letters to the instructor influenced final papers in research methods courses. After receiving instructor feedback on drafts of each section of an American Psychological Association style research paper throughout the semester, students in two classes wrote cover letters to the instructor explaining how the instructor…

Describes the use of a clustering technique developed to improve writing skills and facilitate thinking in classroom settings. Involves presenting a relevant work at the beginning of each discussion section of an introductory psychology class. Defines clustering as writing down a word or phrase and engaging in free association. (Author/NL)

Describes a writing assignment based on the main character of a novel, an autobiography, or a biography about mental illness. Requests students to describe the characters' symptoms, to provide a diagnosis, to suggest a treatment plan, and to describe the treatment received. Notes the assignment promotes critical thinking and empathy for the…

Explores the use of journals as teaching tools. Finds modifications are necessary to accommodate the differences between the psychology professor's goals and the composition teacher's goals. Recommends using dialectical reasoning entries and lists some practical methods to encourage students to think critically. (NL)

Suggests specific approaches to critiquing A student's paper motivates THE student to produce better papers and to improve writing skills. Warns against overemphasis on the mechanics of writing, and points out steps the instructor may follow to involve students in the editing process. (NL)

Suggests an intervention method designed to teach undergraduates how to write literature review papers. Develops a series of exercises addressing typical student difficulties in completing assignments. Provides a sequence of assignments designed to teach students to formulate a topic, summarize articles, and integrate findings. (Author/NL)

Describes a peer tutoring program and how it was implemented in an introductory psychology class. Presents data suggesting that both students and instructors found the program useful. Reports students with high scores on the English Placement Examination were invited to enroll as peer tutors. (Author/NL)

Compares two studies in which the effects of a writing component in introductory psychology were measured. Evaluates the impact of the format on students' writing skills. Notes essay questions were restricted to four rhetorical forms previously encountered by students in freshman composition classes. (Author/NL)

Describes and evaluates seven organizational/motivational academic research guides, and points out their value to the dissertation writer. States doctoral students frequently rely on major professors and fellow students in learning how to plan, execute, and document their work. Recommends incorporating these guides into dissertation strategies.…

Examines journal writing as a teaching/learning technique enabling students to connect specific course concepts to their experiences. Uses a questionnaire to assess student attitudes toward journal writing. Finds students believe journal writing stimulates critical thinking and provides feedback about learning. Teachers agree journals provide…

Examines professors' resistance to implementing writing as learning. Contends that certain strategies can help inhibited teachers become receptive to writing-intensive courses. Combines strategies with surveys and observations of faculty implementing writing-intensive courses to produce a specific sequence of steps for overcoming professor…

Describes the development and evaluation of writing-across-the curriculum teacher inservice workshop at Virginia Commonwealth University. Characterizes the approach as a faculty-based model. Workshop topics included writing activities and assessment for individual psychology courses. Provides an extensive bibliography. (NL)

Contrasts immediate and delayed effects of focused freewriting and focused thought on lecture comprehension. Finds the immediate effect was increased comprehension. However, on a one-week delayed test, the performance of the focused freewriting group was below that of the focused-thought group. (Author/NL)

Integrates readings from primary sources into introductory psychology courses by means of short writing assignments. Uses content-oriented feedback to focus and facilitate conceptual mastery of primary sources. Includes tables of student responses and notes positive evaluations endorsing writing as a means to introduce original sources. (Author/NL)