What is Writing to Learn?

Generally, writing-to-learn activities are short, impromptu or otherwise informal writing tasks that help students think through key concepts or ideas presented in a course. Often, these writing tasks are limited to less than five minutes of class time or are assigned as brief, out-of-class assignments.

Because writing-to-learn activities are crucial to many WAC programs (because they best meet teaching goals through writing), this guide presents a great deal of information on writing to learn (WTL), including a detailed rationale, examples, and logistical tips.

• A fuller definition of writing to learn
• Examples of WTL activities
• Using computers with WTL activities
• Alternatives for evaluating WTL writing
• Teacher commentary
• Selected print resources
• Related Web Sites