Benefits of writing with Students

Abstract In this paper, we discuss our positive experiences from co-authoring with undergraduate students. Student and faculty are addressed. Introduction College and university instructors are facing increased demands conduct and research in the current publish or perish academic environment. Being a professor is much more than publishing, however. It also entails teaching, doing research, and working with students both in and out of the classroom. The challenge that arises is balancing the ideals of teaching, research, and writing. One strategy we have found be useful in balancing these ideals is through collaborative research projects with our students. We have conducted a number of collaborative research projects with our students through their coursework or independent studies. These studies range from surveys of strippers by graduating seniors research on honors students by introductory freshmen. In this paper, we address the benefits students and faculty members enjoy from collaborative projects. Student Benefits One of the most obvious benefits for students is that students are able learn and hone their research skills through collaborative projects (Ostrower 1998). Among other things, these skills include problem formulation, critical thinking, writing, survey development, data gathering, data analysis, and program evaluation. While students can gain these skills working on projects independently, we believe they are getting more valuable feedback when working directly with their professors. Rather than evaluating the project in the end, the faculty member works with students from the very beginning and guides the process so that it is more useful for students. Students will also learn how painstaking the task of writing can be when they serve as co-authors with faculty members. Often times, we have students turn in papers, and we grade and return them. Their writing process basically ended when they received their grades. When we include students as co-authors, and our aim is an eventual publication, we are better able show students how early drafts eventually change into paper submissions. Students then learn that their submissions are going change as well. As one author says, students need learn Write, rewrite, and rewrite again (Berg 2002). Students also learn that writing does not end when the paper is turned in the professor; rather their writing ends when the paper is accepted for publication or put rest by the faculty member. In effect, co-authoring with students helps to enrich the experiences and productivity of learners, thereby enabling them produce powerful compositions (Condon and Clyde 1996). In addition enhancing writing and research skills, students will further their knowledge about a particular topic when they write with their faculty members. They always pick subjects related their prior coursework. Among other things, our students have studied attitudes about the death penalty, theoretical explanations for stripping, helping behavior, and reasons individuals with high IQs commit crimes. Students routinely comment that they better understood these topics after having conducted research studies about the topics. Students also benefit from co-authoring with faculty members because they are given the opportunity forge close relationships with fellow students. When we work with undergraduate co-authors, we have always made sure that there were at least two students working on the project. Our groups have ranged from a low of two students a high of six students. Because they are working closely together on the project with us, they are usually able become quite familiar with one another. As one might expect, there have been instances where our student co-authors did not get along well. However, we see this as another benefit of involving multiple students as co-authors. …