Rob: talk to Daryl Caswell ([log in to unmask]) if you haven't already done so. He has been spearheading an innovative engineering course in design and communication that sounds similar in many ways to what you are doing. It's a first year course that seeks to get engineers out of the typical linear-sequential mode before they have a chance to get into it. Doug [log in to unmask] wrote: >Bonnie and others: > >When I floated the idea a few years ago about WI courses in engineering with a >course cap of 30, I was more or less laughed out of the room. Our classes are, >as is typical in Engineering, more like 100 (or up to 400 in some cases). We >have an innovative new course coming onstream next year which combines small >group seminars (25 students) with a larger lecturer and a design lab. It will >combine communication and design. It will involve significant writing >instruction, but the model is very different than WI courses as I've seen them >conceived. > >Rob > >Quoting Bonnie Waterstone <[log in to unmask]>: > > > >>Rob, >>As one of the faculty -- or rather a sessional instructor -- teaching a >>class of 30 (Education 100: Selected questions and issues in education) >>as a pilot writing intensive last semester as SFU, I can tell you that >>I think the class size needs to be examined, and/or teaching assistants >>considered. However, there are ways to use writing activities in class >>and ways to avoid lots of marking. CWIL staff at SFU are really >>helpful in thinking about this. But, there are only 3 of them, and a >>big program to implement. >>Bonnie >>(jumping in for the first time to this list serv) >>On Thursday, May 20, 2004, at 10:56 AM, [log in to unmask] wrote: >> >> >> >>>Kathryn: >>> >>>I didn't see mention of class-size restrictions in your W courses. >>>Traditional >>>WI course structures limit class size in order to facilitate the >>>teaching of >>>writing and revision. It was this factor that killed off the idea in >>>Engineering at U of Toronto. Are your numbers restricted? If not, how >>>do/will >>>the faculty cope? >>> >>>Rob Irish >>> >>> >>>Quoting Kathryn Alexander <[log in to unmask]>: >>> >>> >>> >>>>At 01:14 PM 5/19/2004 -0600, you wrote: >>>> >>>>Hello all - as you might know from Wendy Strachan and my >>>>presentation >>>>at INKSHED - SFU has now passed in Senate as of last monday the "W" >>>>requirement for writing-intensive learning across the entire >>>>undergraduate >>>>curriculum. >>>> >>>>I can pass along our web-site for the Centre for Writing Intensive >>>>Learning (CWIL) and links to faculty resources that have a list of >>>>pilot courses and some assignments and syllabi. >>>> >>>>These are the criteria that new "W" courses will be expected to >>>>integrate >>>>into their existing curricula and they define what SFU means by a "W" >>>>course. I have posted them below. >>>> >>>>I have also provided a link to the Centre for Writing Intensive >>>>Learning >>>>web-site where you can find these guidelines >>>> >>>>http://www.sfu.ca/cwil/facrespg/wguidelines.html >>>> >>>>and also discipline specific resources that have been developed in >>>>pilot >>>>courses since the FALL 2002 semester. >>>> >>>>http://www.sfu.ca/cwil/facrespg/wil_courses.html Here you can look at >>>>syllabi and some assignments from pilot courses that have already >>>>begun to >>>>integrate w criteria. >>>> >>>>The general rule of thumb will be that as of Sept. 2006 new >>>>students >>>>will be required to take 6 credits ( 2 courses) of w courses in >>>>total, one at lower division and one at upper division. >>>> >>>>This is a work in progress ( as is the web-site) - but after two >>>>years of >>>>really hard work - the criteria and the infrastructure is in place. >>>> Let >>>>the games begin! >>>> >>>>cheers >>>> >>>>kathryn >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>>I'm putting together a workshop on the state of WAC and I want to >>>>>update >>>>>myself on what other people are doing. I'm especially interested in >>>>>which universities use a writing-intensive course model. I'd be even >>>>>more grateful for specific resources such as the criteria used for WI >>>>>courses, how many of them must be taken, how this is enforced -- the >>>>>logistical nitty gritty. >>>>> >>>>>If everyone is willing, I'd suggest replying to the list rather than >>>>>to >>>>>me personally -- there have been a number of such discussions that >>>>>started on CASLL and then moved off-list, and I for one would have >>>>>liked >>>>>to follow the conversation; I'm sure many others will be interested >>>>>too. Nice break from viagra ads. >>>>> >>>>>Thanks, all! >>>>> >>>>>Doug >>>>>-- >>>>>Dr. Doug Brent >>>>>Associate Dean (Academic) >>>>>Faculty of Communication and Culture, University of Calgary >>>>>2500 University Drive N.W. >>>>>Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4 >>>>>Voice: (403) 220-5458 Fax: (403) 282-6716 >>>>>http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dabrent >>>>> >>>>> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >>>>> To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to >>>>> [log in to unmask] or, if you experience difficulties, >>>>> write to Russ Hunt at [log in to unmask] >>>>> >>>>>For the list archives and information about the organization, >>>>> its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to >>>>> http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/ >>>>> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >>>>> >>>>> >>>>"A Writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for >>>>other people." Thomas Mann >>>>_________________________________________ >>>> >>>>Kathryn Alexander, Ph.D., >>>>Centre for Writing Intensive Learning (CWIL), >>>>Simon Fraser University, >>>>Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6 >>>>Office: AQ 6207 >>>>Tel: (604) 268 - 6799 Fax: (604) 268 - 6915 >>>>email: [log in to unmask] >>>> >>>> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >>>> To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to >>>> [log in to unmask] or, if you experience difficulties, >>>> write to Russ Hunt at [log in to unmask] >>>> >>>>For the list archives and information about the organization, >>>> its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to >>>> http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/ >>>> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >>> To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to >>> [log in to unmask] or, if you experience difficulties, >>> write to Russ Hunt at [log in to unmask] >>> >>>For the list archives and information about the organization, >>> its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to >>> http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/ >>> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >>> >>> >>> >>> >>Bonnie L. Waterstone, Ph.D. >>Faculty of Education >>Simon Fraser University >>Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 >> >>phone: 604 886-3227 (h) >> >> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >> To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to >> [log in to unmask] or, if you experience difficulties, >> write to Russ Hunt at [log in to unmask] >> >>For the list archives and information about the organization, >> its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to >> http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/ >> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >> >> >> > > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- > To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to > [log in to unmask] or, if you experience difficulties, > write to Russ Hunt at [log in to unmask] > >For the list archives and information about the organization, > its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to > http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/ > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- > > -- Dr. Doug Brent Associate Dean (Academic) Faculty of Communication and Culture, University of Calgary 2500 University Drive N.W. Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4 Voice: (403) 220-5458 Fax: (403) 282-6716 http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dabrent -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to [log in to unmask] or, if you experience difficulties, write to Russ Hunt at [log in to unmask] For the list archives and information about the organization, its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-