Published March 10, 2022
University of Louisiana Monroe English students experienced the world of freelance
writing in a class project where they researched and contributed articles for an international
publication.
In the fall 2021 Writing in the Sciences course taught by Patrick Morgan, Ph.D., Assistant
Professor of English in the College of Arts, Education and Sciences, the students
wrote for Outsmart Insight, a London-based intelligence company which tracks emerging
technologies.
ULM students participating in the project included Joey Bounds, Canen Braxton, Alivia
Busch, Eli Fitzgerald, Ashley Grant, Kaylee Sadler, Gabe Wright, Dawson Jacobs, Jacob
Lewis, Cade Robinson, Paurava Thakore, Bryonna LeBaron, and Melissa Jackson.
Each student was given a freelance assignment to read recent scientific articles about
new technologies developing in labs worldwide. The students then translated the science
into 250-word articles for the company’s magazine.
“The students did a remarkable job,” said Morgan. “They acted like professionals throughout
the entire process, coming together to help each other improve as writers, revising
multiple times, and submitting quality writing.”
“My favorite part about this assignment was that it didn’t feel like an assignment,”
said Grant. “By that, I mean there was no rubric or concrete guidelines. This was
challenging at first, but it led to this feeling more like an experience, and not
just schoolwork. I felt like a writer, not just a student trying to get a grade.”
The company reached out to Morgan to freelance for them; instead, he suggested the
students draft the articles. The company agreed, even providing editorial feedback
alongside the edited, finalized versions based on the students’ original submissions.
“The students in the course are now published writers and can list their publications
on their résumés,” said Morgan. “But the truly valuable thing is that they see themselves
differently. They appreciate the heft of language, the impact of a well-turned phrase,
and they view their own education with new eyes. Over the course of the project, they
transformed into writers.”
For further information, contact Morgan at pmorgan@ulm.edu.
