Getting Started

Here you will find ten characteristics of inclusive writing instruction that are the foundation of this project and website.

The ten characteristics of inclusive writing instruction were developed by the project team and have shaped the direction of the project and the design of this website. They have guided our piloting of classroom activities and assessments, our compiling of resources, and our gathering of student and faculty experiences of inclusive writing instruction. For more on the history of this project and the characteristics go to Project. 

We suggest that you begin with Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Compassion, and Critical Engagement to situate yourself in place (both your social and physical location), orient yourself to a compassionate approach to the teaching of writing (both for yourself and the students), and critically evaluate collective assumptions about writing and university students.  

You are welcome to adapt any of the suggested applications and use cases according to your specific context.

10 characteristics of inclusive writing instruction

These ten characteristics are intended to guide your processes of teaching and learning in the application of inclusive writing instruction within your own particular contexts.

We understand these characteristics to be separate but interconnected threads that weave together with Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Compassion and Critical Engagement at their core. Although we might focus on one characteristic at a time, our adoption of that characteristic necessarily carries within it the shared purpose of all ten.  

At the heart of this website are the students who inspire us to engage in this work and who have contributed substantially to the project’s design, content, and assessment. You will find the voices of students throughout the website providing their experiences of writing instruction in a range of classroom contexts. 

The home page of the website includes navigation tabs that will take you to the website’s key sections: Home, About, Key Characteristics, Use Cases, Annotated Bibliography, Additional Resources

Characteristics are accessed by selecting their icons on the home page or in the drop-down menu.  

Characteristic pages include student experiences, scholarly understandings, as well as applications, and suggested activities. 

Use cases and annotated bibliography entries are accessed directly through the home page navigation or through the characteristic description page.  

Use cases include activities, assessments, and approaches piloted in classrooms across UBC. 
The annotated bibliography includes summaries of key texts included in the characteristic definitions.  

Use cases and annotated bibliography entries are organized as blog posts and linked to related characteristics. When you select the characteristic tab provided on the use case and annotated bibliography pages, all posts relevant to that characteristic will become available. 

We are eager to hear about your experiences with the website and/or the application of inclusive writing instruction in your classrooms. We would be interested in adding these to the use cases and resources.  

In addition, we can tailor workshops on the inclusive teaching of writing for your department or unit. 
Please use this contact form to reach out to us for any of the above.