Inquiry and Genre Writing to Learn in College

Inquiry and Genre: Writing to Learn in College gives substance and structure to the phrase "writing to learn." This text encourages students to see writing as a method of learning about the challenging subjects and issues that comprise a college education. Central to this book is the "Inquiry Contract," which provides a unique, easy-to-follow structure showing students how to use writing to learn and enabling them to develop their own inquiry and research programs in all their courses. With Inquiry and Genre as the basis for its pedagogy, a college writing course can become one of the most intellectually challenging, richest parts of a student's liberal education. Moreover, this book teaches students about different kinds of writing they can produce as students and professionals beyond the academy, and it shows them how writing in different genres leads them to learn and to teach their readers in different ways.

The "Inquiry Contract" allows students to generate and complete a sequenced series of writing projects that will help them to learn about important issues while they are learning about writing. Inquiry and Genre encourages students to write in a variety of genres, covering not only the theme and essay but also public genres like editorial columns, letters, and brochures. Through the "Inquiry Contract's" sequence of five writing projects, each one leading to the next, this book guides students to develop their ideas and knowledge and produce thorough, complete documents.