Teaching Scientific Writing

Picture credit JEPS Bulletin

In second year organic chemistry lab I, we started to teach our students scientific writing. It is challenging historically since there is barely any exposure or practice in the past at all for students to know "what real scientific writing looks like".

Here is what I found practically helpful this year
- Simplify the language in guidelines: try use the plainest possible language in the instruction to teach scientific writing. Avoid using obscure words "big words". You want the students to truly understand what your expectation is.
- Provide the most relevant examples
- Offer help before and after the students submit the assignment: this may be a little risky and could only apply to small class teaching however it doesn't matter whether or not the students decide seeking for help, the availability itself will psychologically ease off the stress of the students. The writing assignment is due on Mon night, so I let the students know if they can have a draft version on Friday noon, I'll be happy to give them some revising advice. Also I let them know it is possible to rewrite after the submission and earn some of the lost points back.
- Recognize students' efforts, and the difficulty of the writing assignment. Scientific writing is a long term battle. It is normal that most of the students receive low grade in their first trial. This year, we mentioned it in the very first class, so they are very mentally prepared at least.

Ideas/Improvement for next year
- Provide student's examples and clearly mark and comment on the document (where they did well/where they didn't; how each section fits into the grading rubric requirement)
- Start the writing assignment from the most straight forward one. This year, the order is Introduction - Discussion - Experimental - Tables. However the table appears to be the most straightforward one while the introduction is truly difficult for second year students.
- Introduce literature research method before Introduction writing assignment. SciFinder/Chem Draw lab should be scheduled right before Introduction writing assignment. First of all, students have additional opportunity to practice SciFinder, secondly, they'll be able to locate more accurate & relevant historical literature