At the National WAC Conference in June, Tracy M. Volz presented information about a Web site developed at Rice University to help students in Chemistry 121 write-and think-more effectively about chemistry. The URL is <http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~chem121/class/ chemproj/index.htm>. Although that site has been designed for introducing students to a particular discipline, the strategies used there could be readily adopted to other fields.

Scientific Reasoning and Writing in Chemistry

The introductory screen emphasizes differences between high school chemistry classes students are likely to have taken and the present course: "Your prior experiences in science courses likely emphasized a good deal of memorization and endless repetition of practice problems. Chem 121 places high value on a deeper understanding of concepts that parallels the actual process of scientific development." The message about the drawbacks of that kind of training is equally clear: "Too many high school graduates have underdeveloped critical thinking skills and can't recognize argument strategies. Additionally, high school textbooks oversimplify the nature of science, which causes confusion later on when students try to understand more advanced scientific concepts." Acknowledging that many students do, in fact, have a good understanding of the concepts in the course but lack the necessary skills for arguing and writing about them, the site provides opportunities for students to develop those skills in relation to this particular course. The site is developed around four major areas:

Test Taking introduces the types of questions that occur most frequently in exams in this course. It demonstrates how to recognize each type, explains how to approach each, provides examples that demonstrate the approach, offers annotated exam answers, and gives users a chance to grade some exam answers to test their understanding of the material.

Types of Reasoning describes various types of reasoning (inductive, deductive, analogical) required to answer exam questions and gives examples that make abstract logic accessible. As the list of topics suggests, Additional Resources provides more information about types of reasoning, beginning with a useful side-by-side comparison of deductive and inductive approaches. Exam Writing provides pointers on constructing clear, organized answers. Each of these features provides helpful guidance for students trying to develop reasoning skills while also trying to master new concepts. For the sake of illustration, only two will be highlighted here. Both demonstrate approaches that could be adapted to other subject areas.

Annotated Answers

First, here is a slightly shortened version of the annotated answer from the Observation to Theory section of Test Taking. It begins with a question that might be posed on an exam, followed by a pair of sample answers, complete with commentary.

The two annotated answers below compare a "writing to discover" answer to a "reader-oriented" answer. The left column presents the actual answer, and the right column describes the test-taker's reasoning. The Web site uses different colors of text to distinguish the parts of the answer and annotation; this newsletter version uses different fonts for the same purpose.

SAMPLE ANSWER 1: An example of discovery writing. The following answer illustrates parallel structure in organization: it presents the same information about each isomer, then draws conclusions. The writer presents an overall summary statement of the main conclusion that's not completely supported by his or her reasoning.

SAMPLE ANSWER 2: An example of reader-oriented writing.

This sample answer introduces the principle or theory in the conclusion, then explains how specific differences in molecular structure lead to differences in intermolecular interaction for each compound. This answer helps the grader see right away that the student understands how boiling points are related to the relative strengths of different intermolecular interactions.

Be a Grader

In this section, students are asked to role play, assuming the part of the grader for the course who must explain to students why their answers on an exam have not been given full credit. Both the question and unsatisfactory answer are given, as in this instance:

Question: State the three main types of intermolecular interaction. For each type give an example of covalent molecule and describe how that molecule structure produces that type of intermolecular interaction.

The "grader" then has to determine why the following answer has been given only 9 out of 15 possible points:

London Dispersion forces are found in molecules with big heavy atoms like I2.

Dipole-dipole interactions are found in asymmetric molecules (with permanent dipole moments) like HI.

Hydrogen bonding is found in molecules like HF.

The "grader" is also provided an answer, in this case in response to a student called Beth: "Although Beth gives an example of each type of interaction, she doesn't describe how that molecule's structure produces that type of intermolecular interaction. She also doesn't recognize that dispersion forces operate in almost all molecules, but that heavy molecules that have lots of electrons shield the nucleus so that electrons in the outer layers may experience these forces more readily."

Conclusion

Although most readers of this newsletter will not be asking their students to write about chemistry, this site could prove a useful model for anyone interested in using the Web as a medium for instruction. Its opening screen is a good reminder to faculty and students alike. People approach a new task equipped with the skills they have developed before, but skills that were successful in one context may be inadequate in another. To help foster those skills, both the annotated answers and grading scenarios give students an opportunity to approach a new cognitive task from multiple perspectives. Additionally, both sections ask that students consider their answers from the reader's point of view, an extremely valuable exercise for recognizing the real purpose of exam questions.

The other sections of this site are equally useful, providing clear explanations of various types of reasoning. It is easy to envision a similar discussion tailored to the demands of other disciplines, perhaps extending to the kinds of evidence and approaches to argument that constitute acceptable "proof" in those fields. In short, this Web site ought to be of interest not only to Rice students in Chem 121 but to educators across the curriculum.

To register for a workshop, you may call Joe Law at x2155 or e-mail him at jlaw@wright.edu.

Workshops are open to all instructors interested in using writing in their classes, not just those teaching designated writing intensive classes.

All workshops begin at noon and last about an hour. A light lunch will be provided.

WAC Resources on the Web
October 13, 12:00 to 1:00 in 156 Rike
October 14, 12:00 to 1:00 in E156A Student Union

This session will sample the wide range of Internet resources available for people teaching writing in various disciplines. Among the topics introduced will be working with students whose first language is not English, locating archives of discipline-specific writing assignments, and dealing with issues of plagiarism.

Writing and GE Goals
November 16, 12:00 to 1:00 in E156A Student Union

Participants will explore ways that writing assignments might be used to further the GE goals of cultivating critical thinking, ethical awareness, and knowledge of the past and its impact on the present and future. Time permitting, we will also look at ways writing can be used to achieve the proposed learning outcomes of the new GE program.

Joining the professional staff of the University Writing Center and the WAC program this fall is Cynthia Marshall, who is replacing Scott Geisel as Writing Program Facilitator.

Both programs are fortunate in finding so highly qualified a replacement. As an undergraduate and graduate student at Wright State, Cynthia worked a total of five years in the Writing Center. After completing her M.A. in English here, she was the Reading and Writing Specialist at Miami University Middletown. In that position she hired and trained tutors in the Reading and Writing Lab, designing and implementing a full-scale training program for them. In addition, she taught composition classes and was instrumental in setting up a Communication Across the Curriculum program there.

Please join the Writing Center and WAC program in welcoming her back to Wright State in this new capacity.

There's more good news for the university: Scott is becoming an Instructor in the English department and will continue to make valuable contributions to Wright State in his new position.