A central aim of our work is to promote and facilitate the embedding of more effective writing practices within the academic curriculum.  This Writing in the Disciplines (WiD) approach considers that attention to writing should be integrated within students’ content-driven curriculum.  This approach resists seeing academic writing as a separate skill which students already possess when entering HE or which can be acquired in generic writing support classes.  It also builds on Academic Literacies theorists’ arguments (Lea and Street 1998, Lillis 2001, Wingate 2006) that students’ “problems” with writing academically are often a result of confusions concerning disciplinary and institutional epistemologies and praxis.  Opportunities to practise writing as part of their subject-based tuition help students to develop an understanding of what they are studying as well as an ability to adopt the writing conventions of their discipline. This embedded writing support also means that all students are given the opportunity to benefit, rather than just those who seek or are referred for additional support.
 
WiD initiatives involve subject lecturers and Writing Specialists working together to think about ways to improve student writing and to support lecturers to make changes to their assignments, modules and teaching designed to bring about a more effective learning and more engaging writing experience for students.  Write Now staff collaborate with lecturers to design and assist in the teaching of disciplinary modules, with the aim of embedding effective writing and assessment practices within the teaching curriculum. We have worked on numerous WiD projects, for example in the disciplines of business, computer science, design, education, film studies, psychology, religious studies, sports science and postgraduate skills training programmes.

This guide gives a brief overview of our experiences with and research on WiD projects at London Metropolitan and Liverpool Hope. We hope that it will be of interest to other universities which are looking for effective ways to improve their provision in writing instruction.

Click here to download a PDF of the Write Now CETL guide on 'Writing in the Disciplines'. [Guide will be added in March]