斯坦福大学写作课的教育理念、课程设置及质量保障

PWR(Program in Writing and Rhetoric)in Stanford University:Educational Philosophy,Curriculum Design and Quality Assurance

写作能力是专业写作和专业成功的核心能力。作为具备卓越工科实力的综合性大学,斯坦福大学的写作与修辞课程致力于培养学生的口头报告能力、多媒体展示能力和专业领域的写作能力。斯坦福大学写作课程有三方面的成功经验,教学理念实用而明晰:学会写作、以写促学、以写促研。课程设置分为三个层次,循序渐进地培养学生的写作能力。质量保障措施得力,促进课程管理规范化、师资队伍优质化、培训平台实效化。这为我国在"新工科"建设背景下开设写作课提供了良好的示范和借鉴思路,充分发掘写作课在工程教育中的意义:有利于革新工程教育理念,提升工科参与社会决策能力;改变工科人才培养现状,提高工科实践能力;打破学科壁垒,促进工科与其他学科交流。

The ability to communicate effectively is a cornerstone of university education.As a world-class university known for its focus and strength in STEM fields,Stanford University also attaches great importance to developing students’communication skills via esp.courses in PWR(Program in Writing and Rhetoric).To be more specific,the Stanford PWR requirement includes courses at three levels:PWR 1 focuses on written elements of academic analysis and research-based argument;PWR 2 continues PWR 1’s foci while adding a focus on oral and multimedia communication;WIM(Writing in the Major)courses provide students with opportunities to develop writing skills in the context of their major fields.PWR in Stanford University has proven fairly successful and gained wide recognition,due to the following three reasons:1)the program has specific guidelines and practical goals;2)courses are well coordinated to help students develop communication skills in progressively more specific disciplinary contexts;3)the Governance Board oversees the coherence of the three levels of the program and reviews all course proposals so as to ensure adherence to the guidelines.The lessons drawn from PWR in Stanford University have direct implications for China,which is in urgent need of cultivating innovative talents in STEM,and initiated the“new engineering research and practice project”in 2017 to improve the quality of its engineering education.