• consultations
• events
• faculty writing hunker
• teaching resources
  • course design
  • course feedback & assessment
  • assignments & activities
  • responding & grading
  • grammar & mechanics
  • preventing plagiarism
  • browse by discipline

center for writing | teaching with writing | teaching resources | course design

course design

When designing a course that involves substantial writing, you may find it useful to keep a few key components in mind: course-specific learning objectives, discipline-specific writing expectations, sequencing of writing assignments, and, within those assignments, opportunities for instructors (and/or peers) to coach or provide feedback on drafts.   

In this section, you’ll find materials and examples that can help you effectively integrate writing within your specific course.

approaches to course creation

Writing Intensive: Application Instructions for Topics Courses (download PDF)

Writing Intensive: Criteria for Approval (download PDF)

Writing across the Curriculum & Writing in the Disciplines: Basic Principles

Checklist for Writing-Intensive Syllabi

Learning Outcomes for First-Year Writing Courses at the University of Minnesota

WPA Outcomes Statement for First-Year Composition (Council of Writing Program Administrators)

Building Oral & Written Communication Into Your Classroom (University of Delaware)

samples of syllabi

american studies 3112 | American Everyday Life
sequenced writing assignments: ethnographic observation, primary document interpretation, fiction/journal writing, cultural criticism

business administration 1910 | Freshman Seminar
individual and group assignments

communication disorders 5900 | Clinical Issues and Procedures
reflective journal; collaborative writing portfolios; written evaluation of journal articles and a professional conference

history 3613 / medieval studies 3610 | History of the Crusades
textual analysis and informal writing within a compressed summer course schedule

mechanical engineering 4431 | Energy Conversion Systems
laboratory notebooks; lab reports, including preliminary drafts; oral reports

music 5201 | Advanced Music History: Music and Society
3- to 5-page weekly writing assignments

physics 3071W | Laboratory-Based Physics for Teachers
idea journals; daily reflective journals; lesson designs and presentations

support

... for teaching
Schedule individual consultations and attend our workshops and seminars.

... for student writers
Students can schedule one-to-one consultations and download handouts about style and grammar, punctuation, the writing process, and documentation.