Collaborative Instruction by Writing and Library Faculty: A Two-Tiered Approach to the Teaching of Scientific Writing

We describe the results of six years of experimentation with the collaborative teaching of scientific writing to college undergraduates at both beginning and advanced levels. Our goal was to devise a two-course sequence for students interested in health and natural sciences, with emphasis on inform...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Deborah Huerta, Victoria E. McMillan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Alberta Library 2000-11-01
Series:Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship
Online Access:https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/istl/index.php/istl/article/view/1822
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849421251211165696
author Deborah Huerta
Victoria E. McMillan
author_facet Deborah Huerta
Victoria E. McMillan
author_sort Deborah Huerta
collection DOAJ
description We describe the results of six years of experimentation with the collaborative teaching of scientific writing to college undergraduates at both beginning and advanced levels. Our goal was to devise a two-course sequence for students interested in health and natural sciences, with emphasis on information literacy and analysis, effective reading, drafting and revising strategies. Beginning science students need help with many basic aspects of college-level writing and information-seeking skills, as well as an introduction to the most common types of writing assigned in introductory science courses -- the lab report and the short review paper. Advanced students are ready to learn sophisticated approaches to scientific information retrieval as well as the style and format of professional journal articles. They are also in a position to appreciate the ways in which scientific writing is molded and constrained by the scientific method, by the diversity of ways in which scientists communicate both formally and informally, and by the impact of the digital revolution on scholarly communication. Both courses are organized around peer review of student work-in-progress, with the submission of a portfolio of writing twice during the semester. We employ information technology as appropriate. Together we plan and teach all aspects of both courses in order to model the interrelated nature of research and writing. This collaboration by science and library faculty, we feel, holds exciting prospects for the future.
format Article
id doaj-art-beb54f360dee4a18a8612d4a5b605c11
institution Kabale University
issn 1092-1206
language English
publishDate 2000-11-01
publisher University of Alberta Library
record_format Article
series Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship
spelling doaj-art-beb54f360dee4a18a8612d4a5b605c112025-08-20T03:31:30ZengUniversity of Alberta LibraryIssues in Science and Technology Librarianship1092-12062000-11-012810.29173/istl1822Collaborative Instruction by Writing and Library Faculty: A Two-Tiered Approach to the Teaching of Scientific WritingDeborah Huerta0Victoria E. McMillan1Colgate UniversityColgate University We describe the results of six years of experimentation with the collaborative teaching of scientific writing to college undergraduates at both beginning and advanced levels. Our goal was to devise a two-course sequence for students interested in health and natural sciences, with emphasis on information literacy and analysis, effective reading, drafting and revising strategies. Beginning science students need help with many basic aspects of college-level writing and information-seeking skills, as well as an introduction to the most common types of writing assigned in introductory science courses -- the lab report and the short review paper. Advanced students are ready to learn sophisticated approaches to scientific information retrieval as well as the style and format of professional journal articles. They are also in a position to appreciate the ways in which scientific writing is molded and constrained by the scientific method, by the diversity of ways in which scientists communicate both formally and informally, and by the impact of the digital revolution on scholarly communication. Both courses are organized around peer review of student work-in-progress, with the submission of a portfolio of writing twice during the semester. We employ information technology as appropriate. Together we plan and teach all aspects of both courses in order to model the interrelated nature of research and writing. This collaboration by science and library faculty, we feel, holds exciting prospects for the future. https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/istl/index.php/istl/article/view/1822
spellingShingle Deborah Huerta
Victoria E. McMillan
Collaborative Instruction by Writing and Library Faculty: A Two-Tiered Approach to the Teaching of Scientific Writing
Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship
title Collaborative Instruction by Writing and Library Faculty: A Two-Tiered Approach to the Teaching of Scientific Writing
title_full Collaborative Instruction by Writing and Library Faculty: A Two-Tiered Approach to the Teaching of Scientific Writing
title_fullStr Collaborative Instruction by Writing and Library Faculty: A Two-Tiered Approach to the Teaching of Scientific Writing
title_full_unstemmed Collaborative Instruction by Writing and Library Faculty: A Two-Tiered Approach to the Teaching of Scientific Writing
title_short Collaborative Instruction by Writing and Library Faculty: A Two-Tiered Approach to the Teaching of Scientific Writing
title_sort collaborative instruction by writing and library faculty a two tiered approach to the teaching of scientific writing
url https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/istl/index.php/istl/article/view/1822
work_keys_str_mv AT deborahhuerta collaborativeinstructionbywritingandlibraryfacultyatwotieredapproachtotheteachingofscientificwriting
AT victoriaemcmillan collaborativeinstructionbywritingandlibraryfacultyatwotieredapproachtotheteachingofscientificwriting