Technical writing in the undergraduate curriculum

Abstract

One of the major problems with traditional undergraduate instruction in chemistry is that students can successfully complete the curriculum and not know how to write a technical paper or report. A major complaint from industry is that the novice chemist is unable to write clearly and precisely. This is unfortunate because professional chemists at all levels, both in and out of industry, are required to write all the time. The need to write research reports, technical articles, proposals, dissertations, procedures, and memos requires that the aspiring chemist be an effective writer.

Undergraduate Science Education: A Review of Research

“…Rather, the term seemed intended to denote a form of meta-learning, an attempt to foster the desire to pursue a science education actively, not simply to be subjected to it. By contrast, Burkett and Dunkle (1983) commented that technical writing ought to be taught at undergraduate level, so that students knew what was expected of them when writing laboratory reports. Hestenes (1992) has maintained that physics students benefit from being encouraged right from the outset to consider modelling as 'the name of the game' of science and from being instructed by means of a course which employs a system of explicit modelling principles and techniques.…”

Using Writing Assignments as an Intervention to Strengthen Acid–Base Skills

“…21 For our experiment, we used Calibrated Peer Review 22 to implement short writing assignments because the software provides assessment and feedback using student review of peer writing. 23 To ensure reliable peer feedback is provided, all peer reviewers first grade a panel of "calibration" essays of known quality using a predesigned rubric. The calibration score is calculated by comparing reviewers' responses with expected responses using the same rubric.…”

A writing‐intensive, methods‐based laboratory course for undergraduates

“…Professional scientists would readily acknowledge that analyzing, understanding, and writing scientific literature is just as inseparable from the process of doing original research as is the mastery of basic experimental technique. The value of original research in the undergraduate science curriculum is undisputed, and although many have argued that scientific literacy is a necessary part of the undergraduate curriculum [15][16][17], the practical connection between scientific reading, writing, and undergraduate research remains somewhat less explored. Future scientists are instructed at length on the process of writing about science in texts such as ''Writing in the Biological Sciences'' or ''A Short Guide to Writing about Chemistry.''…”