Transformative Writing: Using Real-Life Experiences to Teach Writing Margot KinbergNational University

Clute Institute International Education ConferenceLas Vegas, NV 11-14 October 2015

Transformative Writing: Using Real-Life Experiences to Teach Writing • Why do students need to learn writing skills?

• What do students generally write about? What’s the problem with that?

• Why should students write from real-life experience?

• How can real-life writing be integrated into the curriculum?

Why Do Students Need to Learn Writing Skills? • Writing is an important communication skill.

• Effective writing is connected with professional success

What Do Students Generally Write About? What’s the Problem With That?

• Decontextualized Writing Tasks

• Impact on Meaning-Making

Why Should Students Write From Real Life Experiences? • Students choose to be more motivated when they are writing

about personally meaningful topics (e.g. Powell, 2015).

• Students learn more from texts when they access prior content knowledge and prior metacognitive knowledge (Kostons & Werf, 2015).

How Can Real-Life Writing Be Integrated Into the Curriculum?• Program Information

• How real-life writing has been integrated

Observations

Lesson Plans and Reflections

Course Reflections

• Has it been successful?

Background Information• Three different courses: Course A (24 students); Course B:

(21 students); Course C (20 students)

• Anonymous student evaluations

• Focus on self-perception of writing skills

Does Real-Life Writing Transform Writing Skills?

Course A Course B Course C0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

6 6

5

18

15 15

Writing Skills Improvement

Writing Not Improved Writing Improved

Can Real-Life Writing Be Integrated Into Other Content Areas? • Reflections and Journal Entries

• Interviews

• Field Notes

• Internship and Other Employment Experiences

Let’s Stay in Contact! Margot Kinberg

National University

• http://margotkinberg.wordpress.com

• margotkinberg@gmail.com