Writing Attitudes: Determining the Effect of a Community of Learners Project on the Attitudes of Composition Students

Abstract

A 55-item survey was administered to 71 undergraduate students enrolled in DHM 2003, "Creative Problem Solving in Design," a course in the College of Human Environmental Sciences. Of 71 subjects, 18 were concurrently enrolled in one section of ENGL 1213, Composition II. These 18 subjects were the experimental group, and the 53 remaining subjects were the control group. Eight of the ten statements with significant differences in response rates indicated the experimental group employed a more positive writing attitude. Determining causation for this attitude may be impossible, as separating the influence of their writing topics in class from the value of the group dynamic they experienced in their writing class is also impossible. With this caveat acknowledged, it seemed safe to say that the Community of Learners project was a successful one; as a result of involvement in the program, the experimental group demonstrated a more positive attitude towards writing.