Instructors expect that by the time students enroll in 4000/6000 level science courses, they will have experience in scientific writing. As a result, assignments in upper-level science courses may focus on high-stakes written products without determining whether students have the skills needed to successfully complete the assignments. We studied students enrolled in a 4000/6000 level Ecology course to assess the skills that students have upon entering the class (i.e., previously learned skills), the effectiveness of low-stakes course activities in increasing student preparedness for and success in completing summative assignments, and student perceptions of the effectiveness of course activities in preparing them for success on assignments. Understanding how prior student learning experiences do or do not match instructor perceptions of student preparedness for different types of assignments will help maximize student engagement and success in writing in higher-level science courses.
