Oral and Written Communication
in the Disciplines
The UD Task Force on Oral and Written Communication Skills supports departments as they
integrate various communication activities into classrooms. Our goal is to collaborate with your
department and with individual faculty to implement some combination of the goals or activities
suggested below. We are working to integrate communication into the disciplines while reducing
reliance on required seat time in service courses.
During their undergraduate experience, students should improve not only upon their ability to
communicate in general, but also upon their ability to communicate as professionals within a
particular discipline. Students best learn to communicate as their work within the major becomes
increasingly specialized and complex. Not surprisingly, faculty play a particularly important role
in promoting strong communication skills within the disciplines.
We envision a general model of curricular change:
Goal Definition
Curriculum
Development
Outcomes
Assessment
Implementation
A department can break into this circle at any point. Some departments might already be doing a
lot of communication in their classes, but may want help assessing whether students are attaining
desired skills. Other departments may want to establish consensus on goals or desired outcomes.
Some faculty may want help in figuring out the best ways to integrate communication instruction
into their particular classes. Other departments or faculty may know what they want to do but
seek consultation on implementation.
We expect different departments to be in different situations. We expect the best solutions to
grow from faculty goal setting, involvement, implementation, and assessment. We encourage a
model that sets local standards, at the department level, reflecting faculty expertise and calling
upon the energy of those faculty most closely involved with students in the major.
Contacts:
Dee Baer, Senior Consultant, UD Writing Center
(x1168) dbaer@udel.edu
Dorry Ross, Senior Consultant, UD Writing Center
(x1168) dross@udel.edu
Stephen A. Bernhardt, Kirkpatrick Chair in Writing
(x3351) sab@udel.edu
For Task Force information, visit www.udel.edu/it-us/woctf
Implementing Writing in the Disciplines at UD
October 2003
Potential Activities
Defining goals and assessing outcomes

Establishing shared disciplinary standards for effective communication

Surveying faculty and/or students to describe current practices or needs

Developing portfolios or other means to evaluate skills of majors
Implementation

Co-developing instructional improvement grants to integrate skills (CTE, the
Present, and external funding agencies)

Leveraging successful programs (PBL, internships and co-ops, student research,
service learning, first-year experience, capstone)

Working with the Writing Center, Writing Fellows, and other campus resources

Training TAs and faculty in effective oral and written communication practices

Establishing a satellite writing center

Providing access to resources for students and faculty, including one-on-one
consultation with faculty
Faculty development activities

Designing and sequencing assignments:
o Writing-to-learn: journals, reading logs, learning logs, micro-themes, exploratory
writing, high-leverage assignments (i.e., a lot of thinking plus some writing or
discussion)
o Teaching research skills, critical reading, critical thinking, and problem solving
o Using web projects and portfolios
o Finding alternatives to traditional essay exams and research papers
o Planning unusual assignments (e.g., poems, dialogs, creative work)
o Working with the special challenges of large sections

Responding to and assessing student writing and speaking: grading shortcuts,
feedback, conferencing, working with grammar and punctuation

Teamwork: collaboration, interpersonal and group communication

Using technology to support writing and speaking (i.e., WebCT, Calibrated Peer
Review, chat, bulletin boards)
Implementing Writing in the Disciplines at UD
October 2003