Writing and Information Literacy (WIL1)

Courses that fulfill the WIL1 requirement include assignments and activities that develop the four Foundational Writing and Information Literacy learning goals: rhetorical discernment, information literacy, critical reading, and substantive revision. Rhetorical discernment is the ability to write appropriately for different audiences, contexts, and purposes. Information literacy is the ability to pose appropriate questions and find reliable, relevant, and useful information to answer them. Information literacy also includes the ability to integrate sources into writing and to document sources correctly. Critical reading is the ability to identify, understand, and communicate the main ideas of a text and evaluate the evidence or strategies used to support those ideas. Substantive revision requires approaching writing as a process that includes rethinking ideas and organization, not merely copyediting and correcting mistakes. 

Students are required to take 1 WIL1 course, preferably during their first year at UVM.