What Does It Mean to Teach a Comm-B Course?

Teaching with writing in a Communications-B course means helping students understand how writing works in a specific field or discipline. In doing so, you invite students to learn and to practice the writing and communication conventions of that discipline. Depending on the particular field of study, Comm-B students will learn different kinds of writing and communication skills. Students in a Comm-B biology course, for example, might learn to write up research findings in a formal laboratory report; students in a history Comm-B might learn to compare historical sources in a written review; and students in a business Comm-B might learn to write business memos to hypothetical clients. The writing assignments will differ from course to course, but all Comm-B instructors should:

1. When possible, spend class time teaching and reinforcing the writing and communication skills that students will need to complete assignments in your course. Share models with students and talk with them about why the models are successful examples of the writing you want them to do.

2. Teach writing as a process that involves revision. Students should have the opportunity to draft a writing (or speaking/presentation) assignment, receive feedback from you or peers, and revise based on that feedback. Let students know that successful writers take time to review and revise their work and often share their writing with friends, reviewers, and editors.

3. Plan to hold at least one conference of at least 15 minutes with each student to discuss writing or a presentation in progress. In the conference, praise what’s working well in the writing or the presentation, offer specific suggestions for improvement, and help the student set some larger goals as a writer/speaker.

4. Practice inclusive and accessible teaching and assessment. Apply the principles of Universal Design for Learning.