Quality Academic Writing Is a Process

Thinking back on your experience learning to write in elementary and secondary school, what kinds of tasks and activities did you do? Did you learn about different steps in the writing process? Did you do things like outlining and visual brainstorming? Did you analyze writing models and talk about what was considered a “good” or “bad” approach? How much of learning about writing was focused on reading? What did you learn about where the main point or argument of the draft should be located within the draft? 

As an English as a Second Language researcher and teacher who has taught in diverse institutions, I know there is much variation in educational approaches, curriculum, and norms for writing genres like academic writing. I also know that how you learned to write and what kinds of educational approaches you experienced probably had a lot to do with where you grew up, and they may influence how you approach the writing process as a Walden student.

The U.S. K-12 school system offers considerable variety in educational approaches and curriculum, yet one characteristic that is seen rather consistently across the system is the approach to writing as a process. This means that writing is often taught as a task that requires planning and that has distinct prewriting, writing, and revising steps. For example, in the younger years of a child’s education, teachers may guide students through the process of brainstorming, outlining, writing a “sloppy copy,” getting some feedback, and then making revisions or edits. Completing one writing assignment may happen over a period of days or weeks.

As students progress through their educational careers, the specific strategies for each step may change, but there is still an emphasis on the prewriting, writing, and revising steps of the process. In high school or college, the writing process may look more like this:

1. 1. Read and take notes
2. 2. Brainstorm
3. 3. Outline
4. 4. Read more and take notes
5. 5. Write first draft
6. 6. Get feedback from faculty or a writing instructor
7. 7. Revise
8. 8. Read more and add ideas to underdeveloped paragraphs
9. 9. Proofread

The approach to writing as a process can be juxtaposed with the approach of writing as a product, meaning that the purpose of the writing is to accomplish a goal or task with the writing in a one-time sitting. The product approach aligns with situations in which grades and assessment may be heavily reliant on high-stakes, essay-style testing (e.g. placement tests, precollege testing, essay-style final exams). In this approach to writing, the goal may be to conform to some type of structure while also communicating as much content as possible in a short period of time. Opportunities for content revisions are less frequent under this approach, but there may be a strong emphasis on how the final product looks at the surface level, including mechanics of writing and the overall form that the writing takes (i.e., standard essay format). While this approach may enable the writer to communicate ideas, it may not leave the time and space for revision and refining that could improve clarity and flow for the reader. The product approach also does not allow time and space for important deep critical thinking and reflection on the topic, which is valued in the process approach.

While both approaches have their places in U.S. academic settings, the process approach tends to be favored and promoted from the early years through higher education and is the ideal approach for most Walden writing assignments because of the greater opportunity for critical thinking and reflection, which can enhance the idea development and overall argument of the paper. Students coming from educational and cultural settings in which the product approach is common may benefit from familiarizing themselves with and practicing some strategies for the prewriting and revision steps, as high quality academic writing is, indeed, a process.

Amy Bakke is a senior writing instructor and multilingual writing specialist at the Walden Writing Center. She enjoys researching cultural differences in education and considering how people with different perspectives and histories experience education at Walden. She also enjoys learning about child development as a student in Walden's M.S. in Early Childhood Studies Tempo program. 

Never miss a new post; Opt-out at any time