Integrating Writing into a Liberal Arts Mathematics Class

Joseph Kirtland, Marist College

Most students who take a liberal arts mathematics class do so only because it is part of a core graduation requirement. Their motivation wavers even more when informed that writing will be an integral part of their experience. However, a classroom structure can be established so that writing is a natural outcome of a mathematical investigation and a positive educational experience for the student.

Many times when writing assignments are given, they are done so at discrete moments within the timeframe of the course. To be a useful learning tool, writing needs to be integrated into all aspects of the courses and formal papers need to be the end result of a series of smaller assignments. While this can be done in a variety of ways, the following is one example of what can be done to make writing an enjoyable process and a learning experience for the student.

To integrate writing into a mathematical investigation, each main topic in the course can be addressed in the following manner:

Pre-Class Mathematical Activities: Students investigate a new topic armed only with minimal knowledge of that new topic.

Pre-Class Writing Activities: Students write a few paragraphs summing up the results of the pre-class mathematical activity.

Beginning of Class Activities (Pre-Lecture): Students refine work done in the pre-class mathematical and writing activities.

Class or Lecture: Mathematical material is formally presented/investigated.

Follow-Up Activities:

· Students explore mathematical theory in groups or individually, a process that ends with a written description of the results obtained.

· Using all initial writing assignments as a platform and equipped with the knowledge gained from all previous activities, students write a formal paper.

Through this process, students use writing to become better mathematicians. However, the formal papers can be crafted so that mathematics is used to improve writing ability. The formal writing assignments can be designed so that specific rhetorical modes (writing styles) are employed when writing the papers. For example, one paper can focus on serializing, another on comparing, and so on.