Helping Struggling Student Writers: Interactive Strategies to Improve Success

• In Event: New Perspectives and Practices on Student Writing

Abstract

Political science faculty, as most will vehemently tell you, are not trained to teach writing – nor is their job, according to some. Unfortunately, most students get their writing instruction (such as it is) from humanities-trained instructors, and at advanced substantive levels, some writing concepts are best conveyed by someone with both substantive knowledge and experience writing in our discipline. This compensates for crucial disciplinary differences in argument structure and articulation. Drawing on 8 years of coaching and editing as well as multiple years in the classroom, this work takes one common student struggle, outlining, and provides an easy, interactive exercise appropriate for office hours or class use to improve student skills in this area. The paper considers common causes of student difficulty, how they appear in writing for diagnosis, and strategies for response, including the activity mentioned above. The presentation will focus on implementation of the activity, with audience members trying the activity for themselves.

Author

• Leanne C. Powner, Leanne C Powner Coaching and Editing