The committee recommended creating a program in which all MPH students could seek feedback from trained writing coaches who understood the stylistic norms expected by public health readers. The committee found that most classes were writing intensive, and members were familiar with frequent faculty concerns about student writing. Our decision in 2010 to create a peer writing coach program in the BUSPH emerged from an ad hoc faculty committee tasked with documenting the types of writing assigned in MPH courses and reviewing options for providing writing support. The Peer Writing Coach Program seeks to (1) nurture an understanding that the best writing goes through multiple iterations, (2) create an environment in which students turn to peers for encouragement and support, (3) provide students with writing assistance directly relevant to their public health classes, and (4) make the service accessible by locating it in the BUSPH. 5, 18, 19 This relationship between student authors and coaches is often referred to in composition scholarship as “collaborative learning.” 18 - 20 In doing so, they help authors transition from writing for themselves to writing for an audience. They ask them to explain muddled points and encourage them to simplify. They help students see sentences that are unclear. Our peer writing coaches function as conversation partners who remind authors that their writing will be read by someone who expects to understand the message. 10, 11, 13 This description of the writing process is as true for accomplished writers as it is for novices. 15 - 17 The writing process is messy, time-consuming, and recursive. 10, 16īut decades of composition scholarship argue that this model is too simple and linear. Rewriting: reworking the draft in response to feedback into a polished final product. 9 - 15 The term “writing process” is commonly used to describe the stages of composition as a discrete 3-step progression: 5 - 8 The Peer Writing Coach Program is anchored in this tradition of writing in the disciplines and writing process theory.Ĭomposition is a cognitive learning process tied to language acquisition and collaborative revision. But they also exist in discipline-specific programs where tutors are familiar with the content of student papers, disciplinary conventions, and audience expectations. 5 University writing centers are frequently found in undergraduate English and writing-across-the-curriculum programs. We opted to call it a coaching program to appeal to students at all skill levels. 3 - 6 All students enrolled in classes in the BUSPH can schedule appointments with peer coaches. The Peer Writing Coach Program is similar to a writing center where students sign up for one-on-one appointments to get feedback on a draft. 1, 2 To help master of public health (MPH) students adapt their writing skills to these specialized demands, Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) launched the Peer Writing Coach Program in 2010. Public health instructors must, therefore, be prepared to guide students as they learn new terminology and types of professional and technical writing. Their academic training varies across multiple disciplines, as do their writing skills and styles. 1 Some are mid-career professionals, but many arrive directly from undergraduate programs. Students enrolled in public health graduate programs often have little experience writing policy briefs, research protocols, scientific abstracts, and other types of documents typical to the profession. For the 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019 academic years, 1128 (74%) of 1530 appointment requests asked for assistance “writing clearly and concisely,” 886 (58%) for assistance “organizing and synthesizing main points of argument,” and 529 (35%) for assistance “tailoring writing for a specific audience.” This case study describes the rationale for creating the program, outlines the chronology of its development since 2010, and provides an overview of peer coach training, student use, and lessons learned as we addressed logistical challenges. Student use increased from 55 appointments in academic year 2010-2011 (the first year of the program) to 767 appointments in academic year 2017-2018. They can schedule up to 2 appointments per assignment for both individual and team papers. The service is open to all students enrolled in public health classes. To help master of public health (MPH) students adapt their writing skills to these specialized demands, Boston University School of Public Health launched the Peer Writing Coach Program in 2010 staffed by MPH students. The ability to convey information in a concise, engaging, and insightful manner influences stakeholder engagement and is the backbone of program and policy development, organization, and implementation. Clear writing is a critical component of public health research and practice.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |