This course explores theories and central issues surrounding the performance and teaching of writing. Studens examine connections among composition theories, practices in teaching writing, and the role of personal experience in writing. The emphasis is on developing a theoretical understanding of how people write, but pragmatic issues also receive attention. The course addresses the following questions: Why do we write? How do we learn to write? What writing processes do we or could we use? What theories or values are embedded in our conceptualizations of how people learn to write and in our definitions of the writing process? What kinds of environments foster the learning writing?

Prerequisite: 60 credits