Debbie HuertaAssociate Professor in the University Libraries

Science Librariandhuerta@mail.colgate.edu

Vicky McMillanResearch Associate in Biology

Associate Professor of Scientific Writingvmcmillan@mail.colgate.edu

Collaborative Teaching at Colgate University

Science & Technology Section Association of College & Research Libraries

American Library Association Annual Conference, 2004

Collaborative instruction

• information literacy

• scientific writing

Two-tiered course instruction

• introductory

• advanced

• entry-level students

• undergraduate research and writing

• fulfillment of writing requirement

FSEM/COMP 130Introduction to Writing in the Natural Sciences

BIOL/COMP 453 Writing in the Natural Sciences

• juniors and seniors

• advanced level

• preparation for professional and graduate schools

Our expectations

• scientific conventions

• process and product

• audience

• self-awareness as writers

Commonalities between courses

• topic selection

• scientific review paper

• search strategies, scholarly databases

• popular science magazine article

• scientific documentation

• grammar, diction, wordiness

• writing workshops

• portfolio and final self-assessment

Differences

• writer’s profile

• how to read a journal article

• summarizing, paraphrasing, plagiarism

• paragraphing and transitions

Introductory course

Advanced course

• annotated bibliography

• real-life writing experiences

• choice among assignments

Differences

Problems

• inappropriate topic selection

• avoidance of primary sources

• “googling”

• procrastination

• limited vocabulary

• sloppy documentation

• minimal revision and proofreading

• plagiarism

Solutions

• individualized attention

• conferences

• writing workshops

• active learning and group work

• structured assignments

• self-assessment

• collaborative instruction