Strategies for Teaching Undergraduate Writing Intensive Courses

Abstract

Writing-intensive courses have become part of parks and recreation undergraduate curriculum across the United States. Writing is an important skill for future parks and recreation professionals as it is an essential skill needed to develop programs and staff training, marketing and fundraising campaigns, and to conduct and disseminate research effectively. This learning activity article provides an overview of writing-intensive assignments and activities used in a Public Relations course. The purpose of these activities is to enhance students’ critical thinking skills, strategies to expand students’ opportunities, and explore the use of rubrics as an efficient teaching and learning tool for both students and instructors. While the activities described in this article a specific to this course, they can be adapted to fit a variety of other courses in parks and recreation undergraduate curriculum.

Keywords:

• Writing-intensive
• critical thinking
• rubrics
• undergraduate education