Written Communication Jul 1999

“As You're Writing, You Have these Epiphanies”: What College Students Say about Writing and Learning in their Majors

THOMAS L. HILGERS ; EDNA LARDIZABAL HUSSEY ; MONICA STITT-BERGH

Abstract

This study draws on the perceptions and experiences of upper-division students enrolled in writing-intensive (WI) classes in their majors at a large state university. During extended interviews, students reported confidence in dealing with the writing requirements of their majors and predicted success in future job-related writing situations. The primary bases for this confidence are their experiences with a significant number of WI assignments and their ability to engage a variety of resources and use the knowledge thereby obtained. Students particularly valued research-related writing assignments in the major as opportunities for professional skills development and identity building. The authors discuss findings as they relate to the ideologies of writing across the curriculum and writing in the disciplines. The authors argue for greater attention to students' readiness to make connections across assignments, courses, and disciplines; they also suggest greater attention to a field's inquiry methods and strategies for solving problems.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
1999-07-01
DOI
10.1177/0741088399016003003
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Open Access
Closed
Topics
first-year composition writing pedagogy writing across the curriculum
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (7)

  1. Markey (2025)
    Presenting and Making Relevant: Analyzing Teaching Assistant Perceptions of Wri…
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  2. Stewart (2023)
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  3. Yancey et al. (2019)
    The Teaching for Transfer Curriculum: The Role of Concurrent Transfer and Insid…
    College Composition and Communication
  4. Eodice et al. (2019)
    The Power of Personal Connection for Undergraduate Student Writers
    Research in the Teaching of English
  5. Watts et al. (2012)
    Pairing Courses Across the Disciplines: Effects on Writing Performance
    Written Communication
Show all 7 →
  1. Slomp (2012)
    Challenges in assessing the development of writing ability: Theories, construct…
    Assessing Writing
  2. Carter et al. (2007)
    Writing to Learn by Learning to Write in the Disciplines
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication

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