Large lecture writing success: How low-stakes practice helped students build confidence

When teaching writing to 195 first-year students, traditional approaches hit scaling limits—but innovative low-stakes exercises and strategic group work proved that quality writing instruction can thrive in large lecture formats.

The Project

Jennesia Pedri's CMNS120W course redesigned writing instruction for large enrollment through low-stakes, in-class writing exercises that scaffolded major assignments, regular learning reflections developing self-assessment skills, and strategic use of discussion boards for manageable feedback provision.

Based on student feedback requesting more collaboration and feedback opportunities, the course evolved to include group-based writing exercises where students work in teams of three or pairs, with optional discussion board submissions receiving instructor feedback—creating community while making personalized feedback feasible.

Project Highlights

Low-stakes writing exercises significantly enhanced student engagement and learning preparation. Students consistently reported that brief, ungraded writing activities helped them engage with course material and prepare for major assignments, serving as bridges between lecture content and formal writing tasks.

Strategic group work addressed multiple learning needs simultaneously. Combining student requests for feedback and collaboration led to innovative group-based exercises that made feedback provision manageable while creating unexpected community-building opportunities among first-year students.

The approach influenced broader adoption across the School of Communication. One colleague adopted similar in-class writing exercises to increase student engagement and attendance in non-writing courses, demonstrating transferable applications beyond writing-intensive contexts.

Looking Ahead

Findings were presented at the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Conference (2024), contributing to Pedri receiving a Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology Early Career Teaching Award. Future plans include journal publication and interactive data visualization for broader dissemination.

The research challenges assumptions about large-course limitations, demonstrating that innovative pedagogical approaches can maintain quality writing education while serving substantially more students.