By Jessi Eaton

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are not usually thought of as spaces for writing development, yet they may serve as unexpected workshops for authentic writing. Using examples from Purdue Global’s co-curricular PLC initiative, this post explores how voluntary, interest-driven communities create opportunities for students to communicate with real audiences about topics that matter to them. In the process, students practice sophisticated writing behaviors that are valued by employers and are increasingly important in a world shaped by AI. This post encourages readers to broaden their understanding of where writing development happens and to recognize authentic communication spaces as places where writers grow. 

When we talk about developing writers, we usually imagine assignments, rubrics, and instructor feedback. We do not often picture an asynchronous book club, a discussion about a YouTube video, or students sharing job opportunities on LinkedIn. Maybe we should.

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are not typically intended to be writing interventions. In fact, nobody joins a PLC thinking, “I can’t wait to practice my writing skills today.” Yet, like hiding broccoli in a child’s macaroni and cheese, writing skill development sneaks into the co-curricular space.

Professional Learning Communities at Purdue Global (PG) bring together faculty, staff, alumni, and students in online communities organized by disciplines and professional interests. Unlike a traditional course, there are no assigned discussion prompts and no grades for participation. Members share articles and resources, ask questions, discuss issues in their fields, and build professional relationships. Participation is voluntary, topics emerge organically, and conversations are driven by members’ interests and needs.

As educators, we sometimes overlook these interactions as writing experiences because they do not resemble traditional academic assignments. However, communication in these communities requires students to engage in many of the same rhetorical practices emphasized in writing instruction. Students summarize articles, synthesize ideas from multiple sources, ask questions, provide context, explain concepts, respond to others’ perspectives, and adapt their communication to different audiences and purposes. They write because they have something meaningful and authentic to say to real people: their peers, their instructors, and professionals in the field. This distinction matters.

Maybe one of our challenges in writing education is that we do not always recognize authentic writing when it occurs outside traditional assignments. Employers consistently report that graduates need strong communication skills and often struggle to distinguish between formal business writing and more informal professional communication (Linville, 2021). Today’s workplaces require employees to move fluidly among emails, reports, collaborative platforms, messaging applications, and social networking spaces. Effective communication is no longer confined to a single format or style.

Adult learners recognize this reality. Many understand that refining academic writing skills can improve their communication in professional settings (Hutchinson, 2020). At the same time, adult students may perceive academic writing as daunting or outside their skill set, particularly when concerns about writing mechanics, research techniques, and citations create barriers to engagement (Kahu et al., 2015; Rahimi & Zhang, 2021). Writing development is the broccoli: it’s invaluable, but due to past bad experiences or unfamiliarity, it can be hard to swallow.

PLCs offer something different. They occupy a unique space between classroom assignments and workplace communication. Because participation is voluntary and topics emerge naturally from members’ interests, students write with greater autonomy and authenticity. Writing becomes less about completing an assignment and more about participating in a professional community. It feels more organic and is reminiscent of more comfortable social media spaces. In short, PLCs are the mac and cheese. They feel familiar and unthreatening, and those senses of familiarity and safety build confidence and willingness to share.

The PLC initiative at PG is still relatively young, but preliminary engagement already demonstrates the kinds of communication students will encounter in their professional lives. In one community, members have participated asynchronously in an online book club and a discussion surrounding a YouTube playlist. In others, particularly on LinkedIn, members have shared articles of interest, discussed emerging issues in their fields, and posted employment opportunities.

These activities may appear informal, but they represent sophisticated communication practices. Students are learning to explain ideas to others, communicate with authentic audiences, provide and receive feedback, and use writing as a tool for problem-solving and professional participation. In an online environment similar to the PG PLCs, Obionwu et al. (2022) found that 92% of students believed their writing skills had improved and that a majority believed participation helped them better understand their field. 

There may also be implications for a future increasingly shaped by generative artificial intelligence. Effective AI use depends on many of the same competencies that underlie strong writing: communicating purpose, providing context, identifying audience needs, organizing information clearly, and refining language iteratively. Hwang et al. (2023) describe these abilities as components of prompt literacy, a developing form of communication literacy that supports productive interaction with AI tools. Rather than diminishing the importance of writing, the emergence of AI may make these communication skills even more valuable.

Perhaps most importantly, PLCs create conditions that support broader student success. Students value opportunities for autonomy and choice in writing (Aitken & Graham, 2023). Supportive environments that foster connectedness and engagement are associated with positive academic outcomes, including persistence and achievement (Moubayed et al., 2020; Strayhorn, 2019). Students who feel connected to a learning community are more likely to participate, seek support, and remain engaged in challenging tasks.

PLCs do not explicitly teach writing, but they do something equally important: They invite students into meaningful conversations where writing has purpose, audience, and consequence. In these communities, students are not just completing assignments. They are practicing the kinds of communication that matter in professional life and, in the process, becoming writers–whether they realize it or not.

References

Aitken, A., & Graham, S. (2023). Perceptions of choice in writing of university students. Journal of Writing Research, 15(2), 225–254. https://doi.org/10.17239/jowr-2023.15.02.03

Hutchinson, V. (2020). Adults’ perceptions of their writing practices and development as writers [Doctoral dissertation, University College London]. UCL Discovery. https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10099593/1/EdD%20thesis_VH_for%20library.pdf

Hwang, Y., Lee, J.H., & Shin, D. (2023). What is prompt literacy? An exploratory study of language learners’ development of new literacy skill using generative AI. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2311.05373

Kahu, E., Stephens, C., Leach, L., & Zepke, N. (2015). Linking academic emotions and student engagement: Mature-aged distance students’ transition to university. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 39(4), 481-497. https://mro.massey.ac.nz/server/api/core/bitstreams/72052e7f-b3ec-4d13-936c-55de21a2854d/content

Linville, C. (2021). Real world writing: What employers expect. California State University Sacramento. https://webpages.csus.edu/~sac16141/RealWorldWriting.pdf

Moubayad, A., Injadat, M., Shami, A., & Lutfiyya, H. (2020). Student engagement level in an e-learning environment: Clustering using K-means. American Journal of Distance Education, 34(2), 137–156. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2020.1696140

Obionwu, V., Broneske, D., & Sakke, G. (2022). Microblogs–A means for simulating informal learning beyond classrooms. In ICETC ’22: Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Education Technology and Computers (pp. 219–225).  Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/3572549.3572585

Rahimi, M., & Zhang, L.J. (2021). Effects of an engaging process-genre approach on student engagement and writing achievement. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 38(5), 487–503. https://doi.org/10.1080/10573569.2021.1982431

Strayhorn, T.L. (2019). College students’ sense of belonging: A key to educational success for all students (2nd ed.). Routledge.

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About the Author

Jessi Eaton is the Manager of Student Life at Purdue University Global and holds an MSEd in higher education leadership from Capella University. She is also an EdD candidate at Purdue Global, where her research focuses on developing a sense of belonging among adult online students.