Case Study

As writing program administrators, Alysa and Robert developed and implemented a three-course, scaffolded writing sequence designed to systematically build students’ academic writing skills and bridge the gap between secondary and post-secondary writing expectations.

Course 1 examines the university and education more broadly, helping students understand how institutional histories, discourses, and rhetorics shape the writing process. Course 2 extends this work by engaging students in assignments that explore how social, cultural, and economic dynamics influence communication practices across contexts. Course 3: Writing in the Disciplines shifts the focus to academic and professional discourse communities, where students identify field-specific writing expectations and contribute to ongoing discipline-based research.

Across all three courses, we scaffold instruction to move students from foundational composition skills to critical literacy and finally to discipline-specific communication, creating a structured pathway that supports a successful transition from secondary education to college-level writing demands and professionalization. This sequence is designed as both a horizontal and vertical curriculum, built in collaboration with faculty through shared assignments, assessments, and grading practices to ensure alignment, consistency, and progression within and across courses.