Over the last seven years of my teaching experience, I have found that essay composition continues to be a significant challenge for many students. I use several methods to address this area of academic development. However, the main method I use is the inclusion in the course syllabus of an essay outline along with suggested resources. For both 1A06 and 3B03 classes in Gerontology, I include an outline for the required essay in the syllabus. T.A. The students use the guidelines found in the outline as they are drafting the essay.
Some guidelines follow graduates to the workplace and continue to serve as resources.
In addition to the outline, I include a list of available resources in the syllabus, i.e. specific library or bookstore essay guides, pamphlets or counselling services available in Hamilton Hall, exemplary essays on reserve in the library, as well as office hours for the professor and T.A.s. Also, several professors of Gerontology, Social Work and Kinesiology have provided me with input to enhance the outline's usage. By including the outline and list of resources in the syllabus, I have found that students are clear from the beginning what is expected of them when writing an essay and the quality of their efforts improves dramatically over the term. The tips were written by instructors at McMaster in response to some of the more common and difficult problems reported in a recent survey of instructors. We'll try to include it in a later issue.