Simulated Conference submissions: A technique to improve student attitudes about writing

While many models have been suggested for improving the writing skills of students in technical fields, we contend that improving attitudes about writing is equally important. We present an approach that seeks to improve both skills and attitudes through the use of simulated conference submissions. In this model, students are asked to write and present as if they are submitting to a technical research conference, complete with a review panel. By giving students this audience, we aim to focus their efforts on communication, rather than simply completing assignment requirements. In this paper, we present our results after having implemented this approach twice. The results show that student skills and appreciation of those skills both improve. In particular, student appreciation of the value of a literature review increases over the course of a term.