“WAC”ked: A Case Study Incorporating a Writ- ing Process into an IS Class

This paper describes a pilot study designed to examine the effect of “Writing Across the Curriculum” on students’ writing in the Information Systems discipline. Students enrolled in an introductory Computer Information Systems course in a large urban university in the southeastern United States were provided with a set of materials (Grading Rubric, Paper Format, Writer Review, Writing Rules, and Writing Example) to assist them in their writing of their research papers. Each student’s research paper was assessed by three instructors (coders) independently using the same rubric to ensure consistent scoring. The initial results of this study indicate a 1⁄2 letter grade improvement in student’s writing when using a re-write method over a single submission method. Assessment of student work showed as much as a full letter grade difference between the control and test groups by the end of the semester.