New York College Learning Skills Association

RTDE Issue Contents

Research and Teaching
in Developmental Education

Volume 16, Issue 2, Spring 2000

Writing to Learn in Anatomy and Physiology
By Kimberly J. Wilcox and Murray S. Jensen, University of Minnesota

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of two writing-to-learn formats in helping developmental students master biological information and in decreasing writing anxiety. Participants were 243 students who took an introductory anatomy and physiology course during the 1994-1995 academic year. Students wrote either one long paper (a 3-6 page library research paper on a course-related topic chosen by the student) or a series of eight to ten short (200-400 word) papers (in which the students responded to prompts assigned by the instructor). Objective measures showed a small but significant (p=.015) decrease in writing anxiety over the quarter but no interaction with writing format. Writing format also had little effect on content knowledge, based on responses to test questions. Student comments regarding their writing experiences on end-of-quarter questionnaires were quite positive, however, especially regarding the short papers.