Some types of instructions for creativity tasks (such as explicitly telling people to be creative) can boost performance. Showing people examples or telling them ways of approaching the problem before they begin a creativity task can help, but results are mixed about whether it is better to emphasize positive examples/approaches that can be…

Often, classroom teachers are asked to teach lessons and internalize them. But the real problem is if teachers do not know why they are teaching a lesson, or where the lesson originated, they cannot pivot, adapt, or tweak the lesson to meet the in-the-moment needs of the students in front of them. So, if younger and even experienced generations of…

This article presents a challenge to notions of clarity--and its relation to understanding--within the college composition classroom by relying on Lacanian pedagogical theory. While the field of composition has issued criticisms against clarity in student writing, there has been less emphasis on interrogating clarity in instruction. By delineating…

There are multi-faceted, invisible layers within a writer that impact the writer's processes. Since these layers are not necessarily brought to conscious awareness or made visible, however, the writing process contains unintentional influencers. I forward these notions to argue for intentional pedagogical practices that not only consider ideas of…

Background: Because plagiarism is such a common form of academic dishonesty, many instructors are seeking ways to effectively teach students to avoid plagiarism. Objective: The current study tested the effectiveness of a 3-pronged intervention to teach students in an upper-level psychology course to better understand plagiarism. Method: The…

Mainstream writing instruction risks marginalising non-dominant voices if not consciously adapted using critical multicultural frameworks. This study analyses Mary Lynn Rampolla's widely used "A Pocket Guide to Writing" in History through a Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) lens, taking notes on voice, power dynamics, and…

Teaching writing is complex and research related to approaches that support students' understanding and outcomes in written assessment is prolific. Written aspects including text structure, purpose, and language conventions appear to be explicit elements teachers know how to teach. However, more qualitative and nuanced elements of writing such as…

The science of reading movement has done much to improve instruction in foundational skills. But that hard-won progress may be reversed unless we also help children acquire the knowledge and vocabulary they need to understand complex text. At the same time, the science of learning movement has introduced many educators to evidence-based teaching…

This article reviews and responds to recent (re)turns to and reconceptualizations of contract grading in the teaching of writing. I reflect on my own experience using contract grading in a variety of pedagogical contexts, and how this experience complicates scholarship on contract grading (now rebranded as labor-based grading and engagement-based…

This discussion introduces a heuristic to guide writing instruction with adolescents and young adults. Our framework, called "Open World Writing," consists of six writing territories (vision, material, design, voice, flow, polish) that provide focus and clarity for writing and educators working across academic and creative writing…

In 2018, we received state funding for 'curriculum reform' to design an academic literacy course that would orient students to legitimate ways of reading and writing in the academy while fostering critical citizenship. Thus, drawing on the view of literacy as a social practice, the course design was shaped around relatable content, in this case,…

This study examines the linguistic proficiency of the Philippines alternative learning system (ALS) learners, focusing on their writing skills. ALS offers flexible education through school-based and community-based modalities, using standard modules across various subjects. An assessment titled "The students' greatest responsibility"…

This study explores student engagements with hybrid writing courses, revealing their experiences and perceptions of a modality that blends in-person and online instruction. Hybrid learning as a format is often overshadowed by its association with fully online instruction. After a number of writing courses on our campus were redesigned for hybrid…

The experience of joy and shared joyful moments benefits children's learning, development and wellbeing. The arts engage the senses, imagination and creativity in meaning making and expression of ideas. Learning through the arts is often collaborative and embodied. This paper reports on a study which explored the use of arts-based practices in…

In this article, the author reflected on the challenges and opportunities that emerged as they introduced climate fiction, or cli-fi reading and writing into the curriculum, including the author's attempts to navigate the politics of the genre, activate the students' imagination and interest, and invite the students to become creators as well as…