Improving writing across the curriculum: lessons from OWLs

Abstract

Recent learning theories advocate writing as a process of discovery and collaboration. Writing is no longer seen as a solitary task where the writer struggles to complete his work all by himself. This view of writing has prompted the establishment of writing centres or labs in institutions of higher learning in technologically advanced countries. Such writing centres have been set up with the aim of providing one-to-one consultation to beginning writers across the curriculum in a myriad of writing tasks and at various stages of their writing. The paper aims to discuss practices of OWLs in general, and to highlight various aspects writing practitioners can gain from a commendable OWL in particular. Since the early 90s, with the advancement in computer and telecommunication technologies, many of such OWLs have extended their services online via a computer network. Such online services differ in the extent, from the most sophisticated full-fledged OWLs that offer services completely online to pseudo OWLs that use the WWW to merely advertise their physical presence. With the birth of OWLs, students have the option to submit their writing drafts online usually via e-mail, ask questions online, or access the online resources or links on various writing helps.