Developing Writing in STEM Disciplines > Special Interest Group 'Writing and Communicating in STEM Disciplines' > Challenges highlighted by local SIG members at Bath, March 2012

Special Interest Group 'Writing and Communicating in STEM Disciplines' > Challenges highlighted by local SIG members at Bath, March 2012

At a meeting of local SIG members on 20 March 2012, in supporting writing development in STEM disciplines, the following challenges were highlighted:

Students

Students bringing varying amounts of prior knowledge, writing experience and confidence

The range of writing in which students engage

Specialist disciplinary requirements e.g. for citing and referencing. Avoiding a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

Because of the modular nature of their degree, students may not be aware of the range of writing required on their programme
Assumptions by the ‘academy’ that there is commonality [in epistemology and other assumptions and requirements] when there might not be e.g. the nature of a report
Even within a discipline, different requirements for different tutors
Switching genres for those doing multidisciplinary degrees
Academic needs vs. employability
For students, considering audience when communicating and using the appropriate level of complexity for the task

Feedback and scaffolding

When do students find out what they don’t know? This could be at the summative assessment stage when it is too late.
Students’ first major writing could be in final year (no chance to accumulate skills needed for assessed academic writing)
The opportunity and time to provide feedback and for students to improve their different kinds of writing
How to encourage students to take onboard feedback? Peer feedback? Lack of an iterative cycle.

Where is there time in the students’ timetable? Does the feedback need to be on that student’s work? Can it be generic? Will students read the guidance?

The writing process

The technicalities of writing throw up lots of questions e.g. grammar, spelling, disciplinary conventions
The holistic writing process – multiple elements including visual. How to get to the finished product?
Desperate for models, examples
Complexity of requirements in STEM disciplines e.g. equations, tables, graphs
For example, in mathematics, getting the order of symbols right, developing a logical argument, making assumptions clear, knowing what to include, signposting

Giving feedback and peer assisted learning emerged as major themes and these will be reported on in these webpages in the coming weeks. There is an HE National STEM project on Peer Assisted Learning & STEM