Practical Writing Activities for Students & Others

Sandra Sinfield & Tom Burns Education/LDU/LearnHigher Sarah Johnson NTU

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What is Academic Writing?

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Developing writing

Students benefit from being given opportunities to:

• Practise writing in the discipline• Reflect on their writing and other aspects of

their learning• Reflect on feedback from their teachers

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To practise writing in the discipline

EXCELLENT site for linking phrases and for WRITING: http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/

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Freewriting• Peter Elbow (1998) argues that free-writing

encourages students to write at length without fear of censorship. Benefits include:

• Freedom to explore a topic• Demonstrates knowledge• Encourages understanding• Spelling & grammar (3 min):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlL5W2qA0EA

• On writing (9min):• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDUn1c4uxUE19/08/2009 5

Activities• The Path exercise follows: write for one minute

on each topic; review elements of story across group; discuss impact of writing in this way…

• Resources:• Stopwatch:

http://www.online-stopwatch.com/full-screen-stopwatch/

• Freewrite:http://www.cumquat.co.uk/freewrite/

• http://www.writethink.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/fwt/Free_Write01.html

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The Path

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Path Tree Key

WaterHouse

Academic freewritingUse for:• Writing at length• Writing in discipline• Structure• Proof-reading• Editing• Reflecting

What will you do with this information? How will it effect you as a student?

Can you use this in your work setting? How?

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Freewriting & study:

• Generic freewriting:• Freewrite for 5 minutes on previous

experiences that will be useful to you on this course

• Freewrite for 5 minutes on today’s class• Freewrite a definition of a term in 1 minute

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To reflect on writing and other aspects of learning

See alsohttp://www.arts.ac.uk/cetl/visual-directions/

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Reflective learning journal

• Have you used a reflective learning journal?• Like the CLiP CETL one?• Use your journal as a space to reflect

on your progress … &• Develop aspects of your

thinking/writing.19/08/2009 11

Suggested entries• Reflections on study sessions: what, why,

reaction, learned, new goals …• Notes on readings• Questions relating to readings• Freewriting on a topic• Glossary of terms• Planning and drafting• Notes from the press…

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Development of the reflective learning journal

• Supports student reflection on learning/reading• Promotes critical analysis• Encourages deep understanding

through questioning• Can be creative & appealing

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Reflecting on THIS session• What have we done?• What activities have we undertaken?• What resources have we used?• Are these activities/resources which you

would use?• Have you any further suggestions?• Make notes for yourself – and don’t

forget to follow up good ideas.

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Writing resources• Organise your DESK and your READING:• http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/TLTC/learnhigher/desk/desk.html • Check out these writing resources:• http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/TLTC/connorj/WritingGroups/ • Essay writing animation – Portsmouth:• http://ondemand.port.ac.uk/central/One_way_to_write_an_essay.wmv

• Essay/report quiz:http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/LMBS/study/reports_essays/

• EXCELLENT site for linking phrases and for WRITING:

http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/ • Our Preventing Plagiarism course – in WebLearn:• http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/TLTC/learnhigher/Plagiarism/

References• Calvin and Hobbes cartoon found at:

http://www.benpfeiffer.net/blog/2008/04/calvin-hobbes.html [accessed 21/08/2009]

• Thaiss C. and Zawacki T. M., 2006. Engaged Writers and Dynamic Disciplines: Research on the Academic Writing Life. Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook.

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