Institution/Partners: Bowling Green State University, Owens Community College, Lourdes College, University of Findlay, University of Toledo

Facilitator: Barb Toth, Assistant Director, Academic Enhancement

Core Members:

Jeremy Schneider, General Studies Writing Coach, BGSU

Catherine Reichert, Director/WIN Center, Lourdes College

Lynda Hoffman, Writing Center Manager, Owens Community College

Nicole Diederich, Writing Center Director, University of Findlay

Barbara Schneider, Writing Center Director, University of Toledo

Abstract: Graduating student writers, who are prepared to address various audiences in relation to varying purposes and genres and within increasingly complex writing contexts, remains a challenge.  Participants of this project, specifically Writing Center staff from Bowling Green State University, Lourdes College, Owens Community College, The University of Findlay, and The University of Toledo, seek to address this challenge in Northwest Ohio through a collaborative podcasting effort believing that a concerted effort will yield greater results.  Participants will oversee the production and publication of a series of shared podcasts constructed and recorded by writing consultants at the respective institutions on strategically sequenced and contextualized topics designed to improve the competence and confidence of student writers.  Topics will address both global and sentence-level concerns.  Participants expect to construct a growing and continually revised series of podcasts, approximately twenty-five uploaded onto designated sites accessible to student writers, during the first six months.  Participants expect student writers to find podcasts easy to use and useful in learning about and gaining experience with global and local aspects of writing in addition to getting feedback about how to overcome writing challenges.  We also expect that a portion of the users will prefer podcasts as a learning tool, either separately or in combination with other learning methods, and will learn writing strategies that they would not otherwise learn, or that they may not learn as well, without this e-learning tool.  Participants will continually assess the expected results from the perspective of student writers, writing consultants, and faculty as well as tabulate the number of podcasts downloaded.

Created Resources:

Fall Kick-Off Presentation

Portrait of Practice Part I

Portrait of Practice Part II