Writing in the Disciplines

Now, onto the sister pedagogy to Writing across the Curriculum, Writing in the Disciplines.

In many ways these two pedagogies complement each other, and the terminology (WAC and WID) is used somewhat interchangeably. That said, there are some key differences as well. WAC implies that there are multiple teachers across many fields working together to instruct students and increasing their writing skills as a whole and within a particular discipline; WID is more concerned with the distinct disciplines themselves, how they communicate, and what genres of writing works best within a particular discipline. However, it is more concerned with disciplinary knowledge, as evoked in the name, and uses Writing to Communicate as its main pedagogical approach. Remember, though, that these approaches are complementary, not antagonistic.

Writing to Communicate emphasizes just that--communicating content to an audience outside of the self and for a formal purpose. Part of the pedagogy involves receiving and applying feedback, especially peers and experts in the discipline, and using that feedback to improve upon the writing itself. It is all about learning the methods of communication within a discipline and applying them--through analyzing published documents as well as working documents within the discipline. As is also represented in the name of the pedagogy, communication is key; social interaction defines this pedagogy, both within the classroom and in how to teach students how to write, for example, a history paper, a case study, a critical theatrical review, etc. Using this pedagogy requires instructors to talk to each other about how to teach writing and content; it also requires discussions about who is best suited to teach how to write these particular examples and, sometimes, it might not be the composition teacher.

This does not mean composition teachers cannot offer their expertise, serve as team teachers who help students structure their writing, or any additional roles. It just means that, perhaps, there is a need to rethink our approaches and purposes. It's a little scary, though, in the end. More on this later.

So what do you think about these approaches? Are they feasible? Or just a bunch of pipe dreams? Comment below!