Learn how Arts instructors hosted a panel event to showcase how alumni are applying their academic writing and research skills in their professional careers.
WRDS 150: Writing and Research in the Disciplines introduces students to various styles and genres of research writing. In addition to preparing them to engage with research within their area of focus throughout their degree, this course seeks to provide hands-on experience in producing research and communicating that research to audiences through distinct scholarly genres.
Recognizing that not every student will go on to become a researcher within the academy, Dr. Jonathan Otto and Dr. Katja Thieme collaborated with the Arts Alumni Engagement Office & Arts ISIT to host a live-streamed panel event with 3 alumni who could speak to how they use skills developed in this course (or similar) in their current professions. Alumni on the panel represented 3 perspectives: government, non-profit, and private consulting.
Dr. Jonathan Otto (Lecturer, School of Journalism, Writing, and Media) and Dr. Katja Thieme (Associate Professor of Teaching, School of Journalism, Writing, and Media; Department of English Language and Literatures)
“This experience helped animate our imaginations about how these types of collaborations can take shape to support students and our broader initiatives.”
The panel aimed to showcase alumni narratives connecting the approaches to writing that WRDS 150 develops to professional contexts outside academia.
The clear examples shared by the panelists sought to provide current students with a tangible sense of how their academic work lays a foundation for their future careers. This connection not only reinforced the value of their undergraduate education, but it also inspired confidence in their ability to navigate research writing beyond graduation.
- Demonstrate a comprehensive overview of how research & writing are used in various career paths
- Highlight direct connections between coursework and students’ future academic and professional endeavours
Learning Activities
Delivery
Small lecture
Method
Building on consistent course messaging around the relevance of research and writing development, students observed the alumni panel and were given the opportunity to submit questions for panelists in real time. The alumni panel was hosted by Dr. Jonathan Otto and was live-streamed for 3 sections of WRDS 150 and recorded for future use by other instructors.
What motivated you to incorporate this type of activity into your course?
As practicing academics, we recognized the limitations of our frame of reference and sought to bring additional perspectives on research methodologies, communication, and technical writing in other industries which may be of interest to our students.
We also hoped that having recent alumni speak to the importance of the approaches to writing we aim for students to develop in the course might resonate with students on a different level than we can offer as instructors.
What are some changes or improvements you want to make in the future?
In future iterations of the alumni panel, we would consider adding some pre-work or a follow-up activity to further engage students in the event and to consolidate their learning. Additionally, the panel could be strategically scheduled close to existing career events on campus such as the UBC Career Fair.
Do you have any suggestions for other instructors who are considering practical learning for their course?
Even if you aren’t sure how to incorporate practical learning into your courses, it’s worth it to reach out to the Practical Learning team. As an instructor, you can describe the course to the staff who will provide tailored recommendations of practical learning opportunities for your consideration. We really enjoyed working with the Practical Learning team to put this event together.
Level of Difficulty: Low
Course: WRDS 150
Number of Students:90
Delivery: Livestream across 3 sections
Time: 1-hour panel
