When taught properly and encouraged by instructors, college writing is a skill from which all students of higher learning can reap benefit. Research demonstrates that the activity of writing analytical essays and research papers, while also engaging in pre-writing exercises, submitting multiple drafts, and diligently self-editing, has been shown to strengthen a student’s overall cognitive synthesis. Students who write many papers develop an approach to learning that is on a deeper level, tending to show a greater appreciation for intense, academic inquiry. Students who are required to write an abundance of college papers express increased interest in divergent points of view, which in turn permits a better understanding of complex issues. In this manner, college writing is a discipline that, in and of itself, can heighten a student’s capacity for an enhanced and more worthwhile learning experience. Education Survey Results The above hypothesis is supported through the results of a student survey intended to assess effective practices and standards in higher education. The National Survey of Student Engagement, 2008, based its findings on data accumulated from three major studies: a national survey of more than 380,000 freshmen and seniors enrolled in 722 four year campuses, another survey of over 20,000 students within 82 of those colleges and universities, and an additional survey of approximately 23,000 faculty members on 160 college campuses. Some key information from the survey, relative to the impact of college writing, is as follows: College writing contributes to progressively deeper levels of learning and enhanced interaction and collaboration between students and faculty. Over 90% of all college writing assignments require in-depth analysis and evaluation. When instructors offer clearly defined and intellectually stimulating writing assignments, students are more likely to engage in deeper synthesis and analysis of complex ideas, thereby building upon their learning and academic development. Multiple drafts and re-writes play an encouraging role in fostering a more profound orientation towards studies and learning. The more a student writes in college, the more likely that student is to achieve positive gains in intellectual development, and avoid making uninformed judgments. Faculty Requirements and Student Achievement The survey also demonstrates how the actual amount of student writing, on the whole, is contingent on the specific standards and individual expectations of the college instructor assigning the work. For instance, over 50% of surveyed faculty assign a larger proportion of writing projects in senior classes, whereas less than 50% of lower division course instructors reported they require students to write multiple drafts of a single paper. The study also highlights the degree to which students who engage in intensive writing in their studies achieve a unique appreciation for self-examination and analysis. This is where writing separates higher achieving students from those students who do not write as many papers. The study also highlights the differences for students who are not required to assess their learning, or to evaluate points of view through their writing. The cumulative results of the data from NSSE seem to suggest that all academic disciplines, not just the humanities, but also the sciences, would do well to encourage more writing from college students. The survey confirms that there is a plus side to giving out more writing assignments, encouraging students to think, and prodding them to evaluate, explore, and examine their thoughts through objective evidence and various sources. More curriculum-based writing can only result in greater personal, and intellectual, development for all students in the increasingly complex global environment of the 21st century.
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