The Writing Center in the Teaching of Professional Genres

Abstract

This article describes an innovative collaborative experience between the Writing Center, a teacher, and the Special Collections Library at Tecnológico de Monterrey. As part of the 70th anniversary of the Cervantes Library, students studying Communication, Journalism, and Hispanic Literature participated in writing informative texts for a commemorative book. The experience included exploring various discursive genres; the instructional design was based on an adaptation of Pintrich’s (2000) self-regulation model and used peer review as a learning strategy. Participants faced challenges such as the perception of self- efficacy in writing and adapting to the absence of direct theoretical references, which were overcome through tutorial support and interaction with specialists from the Library. The results showed improvements in the students’ communication skills, who developed their authorial voice and generated content that met professional standards. In addition, the Library decided to continue with this dynamic due to its positive impact on the dissemination of the heritage collection. For its part, the Writing Center consolidated its role as a space for training and academic dialogue. This experience demonstrates the value of experiential learning and interdisciplinary collaboration in the teaching of professional writing.