Using Online Studio Groups to Improve Writing Competency: A Pilot Study in a Quality Improvement Methods Course

Communication skills are a significant contributor to an individual's success in the work-place. Unfortunately, students often have trouble expressing their ideas in written form and the poor quality of students' written work often impedes the learning process. This pilot study investigates the use of online writing studios within a quality improvement methods course and the impact of this intervention on students' writing competency and perceptions about the writing process. The impact of this approach on student performance is evaluated within and across semesters using comparative statistical analyses. Results show that students who participated in online writing studios performed better (i.e., at least one rubric level higher) on their final written assignments for the course compared to students who did not, and that this approach is associated with improved students' perceptions about the writing process. This research suggests that the use of online writing studios within a content-specific course can incrementally improve students' writing competency over the course of one semester, and can positively affect the learning of written communication skills and change students' perceptions about various aspects of the writing process.