Using Excelsior's OER OWL to Promote Writing in the Disciplines

Abstract

This project will create a SUNY-wide Writing in the Disciplines (WID) training initiative delivered by the openly licensed Excelsior Online Writing Lab (OWL). The project will demonstrate the efficacy of this approach by building a community of practice across departments and campuses through faculty training and shared best practices. Faculty from Rockland, Monroe, and Clinton Community Colleges will work with the director of the Excelsior OWL to develop the project. Each participating campus will develop training sessions to help faculty embed intensive writing into their course curricula. Webinars will be taped and made available in the OWL, along with samples of effective WID course design, exemplars of OER models of discipline-specific writing assignments, effective scaffolding approaches, and exemplars of substantive and meaningful feedback. The WID consortium will work closely with SUNY OER Services to share best practices and encourage other colleges to use OWL resources to build effective WID efforts.