Teaching with Writing in General Education

this workshop has been postponed until fall 2022

Workshop Description

This five-part workshop is designed for faculty to review university-required writing learning outcomes for General Education (GE), including in upper-division writing-intensive GE, consider how writing operates in GE coursework, and develop ideas for how best to effectively and efficiently embed writing into their classes.

Participants in Teaching with Writing in GE will explore evidence-based teaching strategies for using writing to:

• Enhance course content learning
• Increase critical thinking
• Improve written communication practices

This workshop also invites participants to consider: 

• The benefits of "low stakes" and "high stakes" writing activities
• Characteristics of effective writing assignment design
• The use of peer review to build class community and deepen critical engagement
• Strategies for incorporating revision and reflection into the writing process

We are offering this program as part of our efforts to provide more opportunities for faculty to investigate the profound value of including writing activities and practices in their curriculum, whether disciplinary or generalist, during every phase of students' time at Cal Poly. We hope to continue to offer this and other writing in the curriculum programs every quarter. Participating in this program is a way for you to contribute in concrete and powerful ways to Cal Poly's goals of preparing Cal Poly graduates to enter their professional fields and personal lives as rhetorically savvy critical thinkers and communicators.

This workshop series is intended as a precursor to an upcoming CTLT and Office of Writing and Learning Initiatives (OWLI) collaborative offerings which align with campus efforts to expand Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR) courses across the curriculum.

Register to join

Stipend Information and Time Commitment

This workshop incorporates five weekly 1-hour synchronous discussions and self-paced reviews of online materials, and some reflective activities. It is designed for faculty and instructors who currently teach at Cal Poly. A $100 stipend (eligibility subject to university policies) is available for those who complete all components of the workshop: the weekly self-paced readings, activities and reflections, five synchronous meetings, and a final reflection about change(s) faculty may make to their courses based on what they learn as part of this experience, as well as suggestions to workshop leaders for improving this and future Teaching with Writing workshops. 

Time commitment is 2-3 hours per week for a total of 10-15 hours, depending on prior knowledge, skill level, and experience. (This includes our 1 hour meeting time per week.)