Written expression for creativity and critical thinking development in University

Abstract

The discovery of writing has freed the thought from the context and has made it capable of interpreting the linguistic messages starting only from the word and their logical connections, more systematic categorizations and more precise codifications. Writing promotes the acquisition of cognitive schemes, promotes planning skills and the organization of one’s ideas and it improves formal expressive abilities. The essays were corrected using Calonghi and Boncori’s
“Guide to Correction of Themes” (2006). The correction of the essays revealed the most frequent difficulties encountered by the Sicilian students involved in the research. Detailed data was collected on the cognitive processes to be activated and on the errors to avoid in order to define the path and the actions efficiently. The subsequent training program allowed the 236 students involved to enhance their writing skills, creativity and critical skills. The experiment was carried out with an almost experimental single-group plan, combining quantitative
and qualitative methods. The didactic effectiveness of the experiment was measured through 17 criteria concerning the evaluation of written compositions. Data analysis reveals that after three months, there has been an overall improvement in the students which can also positively affect the training intervention.