This offers a definition but does not provide the educational rationale behind requiring INTG courses to be writing intensive. To find that, we look to the literature of Writing Across the Curriculum, where it is argued that writing and thinking are closely related and that writing makes visible the thinking process. Integration of Knowledge courses are based on the assumption that students who develop their thinking skills are on the way to becoming the educated person as defined by the faculty of Bucks County Community College. . . . By valuing the ability to analyze and make reasoned judgments, we may gain insights into ourselves and our world and a greater understanding of the interdependency of all things. . . Exploration of themes from multiple disciplines begins the process.
Writing makes visible the students thinking as it develops.
This visible representation of thinking provides a vehicle for analyzing an argument or for revising a position based on differing perspectives or assumptions. Writing can take many forms. INTG writing assignments are not limited to traditional term papers. Online discussion lists offer and alternate communication vehicle for students who are willing to share their ideas, but are reluctant to speak in a large class. Journals and reflective writing offer students opportunities to explore thinking about old concepts in new ways, while taking advantage of what they have learned from personal life experiences.