Utilizing Writing Across the Curriculum to Enhance LearningDiana Macri RDH, BSDH, MS.Ed.

Eugenio Maria de Hostos Community College

Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC)• Writing should be utilized across the disciplines and

throughout a student's undergraduate education• More writing=more learning• High Impact Practice

Writing-Intensive CoursesThese courses emphasize writing at all levels of instruction and acrossthe curriculum, including final-year projects. Students are encouragedto produce and revise various forms of writing for different audiences

in different disciplines. The effectiveness of this repeated practice“across the curriculum” has led to parallel efforts in such areas as

quantitative reasoning, oral communication, information literacy, and,on some campuses, ethical inquiry

DEN 223 Ethics, Jurisprudence and Practice Management

• 2nd year (senior) dental hygiene students• Required course at Hostos• CODA standards:2-19 Graduates must be competent in the application of the principles of ethical reasoning, ethical decision making and professional responsibility as they pertain to the academic environment, research, patient care and practice management.2-20 Graduates must be competent in applying legal and regulatory concepts to

the provision and/or support of oral health care services. 2-21 Graduates must be competent in the application of self-assessment skills to

prepare them for life-long learning.

Aligning objectives with the assignments

ADEA Compendium Writing Intensive Assignments

Describe worldview and discuss how every individual’s worldview is unique.

Reflect on individual worldview and the role it plays in how other people and circumstances are interpreted.

Acknowledge that everyone has a view of the world based on a variety of experiences and sources and thus views the world differently, and that all worldviews embody some truths and have roots in reality.

Communicate one’s own worldview regarding basic questions that all worldviews answer.

Describe the role of the dental hygienist in health care and the impact that respect for people has on that role.

Mission Statement

Ethical decision-making framework. Essay Exam- 1st essay Defining ethical dilemmas. Define the terms autonomy, confidentiality, societal trust,

nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, social justice, veracity, fidelity.

Essay- How to Die in Oregon

Writing Intensive Survey

This course helped my writing by improving how I….

• Understand the topics and concepts in this course- 100% agree/strongly agree

• Organize my ideas and plan my paper before I begin writing- 100% agree/strongly agree

• State the main idea, argument or thesis clearly- 100% agree/strongly agree

This course improved my writing overall-100% agree/strongly agree

Tell us about a meaningful assignment that most benefitted you.

• Informal assignments: writing a journal in every class helped to develop good writing skills and it also helped me to develop critical thinking skills.

• One very meaningful assignment was the mission statement essay because it allowed me to be examine myself as well as my goals for the future.

• We wrote a mission statement… a personal mission statement where we detailed all our objectives and goals in life. It was really interesting.

My testimony….• LOTS of work• LOTS of time• Offer LOTS of support/encouragement to students• Worth the effort • Rubrics are VERY important• Journal/informal writing should be on topics covered in class

that day• Grading writing is easier on hard copy as opposed to digital• Strong background in writing/grammar necessary