Writing at Doane College:Writing at Doane College:a Workshopa Workshop

David SmitDavid Smit

Department of EnglishDepartment of English

Kansas State UniversityKansas State University

Topics of the Sessions:Topics of the Sessions:

What Doane students should be able toWhat Doane students should be able to

do as writersdo as writers

How writing can or should be taughtHow writing can or should be taught

What writing pedagogies/ curricula mightWhat writing pedagogies/ curricula might

be most appropriate for Doane College be most appropriate for Doane College

Session One Session One

What Doane Students Should What Doane Students Should Be Able to Do as WritersBe Able to Do as Writers

Traditional Goals/ ObjectivesTraditional Goals/ Objectivesfor Writing Instructionfor Writing Instruction

Abstract skills that can be manifested inAbstract skills that can be manifested in

many different ways:many different ways:

Thoughts clearly organizedThoughts clearly organized

Assertions clearly supportedAssertions clearly supported

Sufficient and appropriate evidenceSufficient and appropriate evidence

Written GenresWritten Genres

Diary Entries Memos Diary Entries Memos

News Stories Memoirs News Stories Memoirs

Thank You Notes Business Letters Thank You Notes Business Letters

Movie Reviews AbstractsMovie Reviews Abstracts

Cook Books Cook Books Lab Reports Lab Reports

HistoriesHistories Essays Essays

Academic ArticlesAcademic Articles Meeting Minutes Meeting Minutes

New Rule #1New Rule #1

There is no such thing as “writing.”There is no such thing as “writing.”

There are only pieces of writing usingThere are only pieces of writing using

the conventions of a particular genre.the conventions of a particular genre.

New Rule #2New Rule #2

You get what you teach for. You get what you teach for.

The Issue of TransferThe Issue of Transfer

Students do not necessarily transfer what Students do not necessarily transfer what

they learn in one writing class to other they learn in one writing class to other classes or to writing outside of school. classes or to writing outside of school.

Written LiteracyWritten Literacy

The ability to write a range of discourse forThe ability to write a range of discourse for

a variety of “discourse communities”a variety of “discourse communities”

There is no common set of genres that There is no common set of genres that

defines literacy for everyone.defines literacy for everyone.

Discourse TypesDiscourse Types

Expressive: Focused on the writerExpressive: Focused on the writer

Referential/Informative: Focused on Referential/Informative: Focused on “reality,” the outside world“reality,” the outside world

Persuasive: Focused on the audiencePersuasive: Focused on the audience

Literary: Focused on the Text Literary: Focused on the Text

Expressive WritingExpressive Writing

EssaysEssays

MemoirsMemoirs

AutobiographiesAutobiographies

ReflectionsReflections

CreedsCreeds

ManifestosManifestos

Referential WritingReferential Writing

Scientific WritingScientific Writing

Research ReportsResearch Reports

Philosophical AnalysisPhilosophical Analysis

Informative WritingInformative Writing

News StoriesNews Stories

Encyclopedia entriesEncyclopedia entries

Exploratory Writing Exploratory Writing

Persuasive WritingPersuasive Writing

EditorialsEditorials

ProposalsProposals

AppealsAppeals

PetitionsPetitions

Broadsides/ TractsBroadsides/ Tracts

AdvertisementsAdvertisements

National Assessment of Educational ProgressNational Assessment of Educational Progress

Percentage of Students Writing at the Level of Percentage of Students Writing at the Level of Adequate or BetterAdequate or Better

Personal Informative Persuasive Personal Informative Persuasive Narrative Analysis WritingNarrative Analysis Writing

Grade 8 37.9 40.3/ 15.7 31.3/ 19.3 Grade 8 37.9 40.3/ 15.7 31.3/ 19.3

Grade 12Grade 12 54.5 44.6/ 27.2 27.3/ 23.6 54.5 44.6/ 27.2 27.3/ 23.6

Arthur Applebee and Others. Arthur Applebee and Others. LearningLearning to Write in Our Nation’s Schoolsto Write in Our Nation’s Schools. . Princeton, NJ: NAEP, 1990.Princeton, NJ: NAEP, 1990.

Some Principles for a New Way Some Principles for a New Way of Thinking about Writingof Thinking about Writing

We write top down, not bottom up.We write top down, not bottom up.

Writing is always rhetorical:Writing is always rhetorical:

It is written in a particular context. It is written in a particular context.

It is written in a recognizable genre.It is written in a recognizable genre.

It is written for a specific audience. It is written for a specific audience.

ImplicationsImplications

Students need instruction in those aspects Students need instruction in those aspects of writing most likely to transfer to writing of writing most likely to transfer to writing outside of school:outside of school:

Adapting genre conventions Adapting genre conventions

to context and audienceto context and audience

More ImplicationsMore Implications

School assignments need to be modeled School assignments need to be modeled after writing outside of school. after writing outside of school.

Students need practice in thinking aboutStudents need practice in thinking about

how to adapt writing to particular contexts.how to adapt writing to particular contexts.

The Bottom LineThe Bottom Line

• Students should not write to the instructor.Students should not write to the instructor.

• The instructor should be a coach, helping The instructor should be a coach, helping students to write particular genres to a students to write particular genres to a “third-person” audience.“third-person” audience.

• Instructors should emphasize how writing Instructors should emphasize how writing changes from context to context.changes from context to context.

New Goals and Objectives for New Goals and Objectives for Writing InstructionWriting Instruction

What types of discourse or specific genres What types of discourse or specific genres should students be able to write after four should students be able to write after four years at Doane College?years at Doane College?

Where should they be taught how to write Where should they be taught how to write each type of discourse or genre?each type of discourse or genre?

Session TwoSession Two

How Writing Can or Should be Taught How Writing Can or Should be Taught

at Doane Collegeat Doane College

Some ConsiderationsSome Considerations

#1:#1:

Requiring writing is not teaching writing.Requiring writing is not teaching writing.

#2:#2:

Commenting on and grading writing isCommenting on and grading writing is

not teaching writing.not teaching writing.

Modes of Teaching WritingModes of Teaching Writing

PresentationalPresentational

Natural ProcessNatural Process

Environmental: Teaching to Specific GoalsEnvironmental: Teaching to Specific Goals

Individualized: Tutorials, Programmed Individualized: Tutorials, Programmed MaterialsMaterials

Comparative EffectivenessComparative Effectivenessof Instructional Modesof Instructional Modes

The Environmental Mode or StructuredThe Environmental Mode or Structured

Learning is THREE times more effectiveLearning is THREE times more effective

than the other modes.than the other modes.

The Environmental ModeThe Environmental Mode

Clear objectivesClear objectives

Materials and problems that engage Materials and problems that engage students in specifiable processes students in specifiable processes important to writingimportant to writing

Activities with peer interaction, focused on Activities with peer interaction, focused on those specifiable processesthose specifiable processes

ApplicationApplication

Choose a genre and rhetorical situation Choose a genre and rhetorical situation relative to your course.relative to your course.

Give students practice in using the Give students practice in using the conventions of the genre or in presenting conventions of the genre or in presenting the material to a particular audience.the material to a particular audience.

Workshop drafts.Workshop drafts.

Comment on a later draft.Comment on a later draft.

Insist on revision if necessary.Insist on revision if necessary.

Session ThreeSession Three

Planning a Writing Curriculum Planning a Writing Curriculum

at Doane Collegeat Doane College

The IssuesThe Issues

#1#1

At the completion of their college careers, At the completion of their college careers, what should Doane students be able to what should Doane students be able to

DO in writing?DO in writing?

#2:#2:

What would a reasonable person What would a reasonable person

accept as evidence that Doaneaccept as evidence that Doane

students can write certain types ofstudents can write certain types of

discourse or certain genres well?discourse or certain genres well?

#3:#3:

How can Doane insure a common standardHow can Doane insure a common standard

of writing from one course to another?of writing from one course to another?

The Diederich ExperimentThe Diederich Experiment

THE SAMPLE: 300 essays written by high schoolTHE SAMPLE: 300 essays written by high school students students

THE READERS: 53 people from six different fieldsTHE READERS: 53 people from six different fields Teachers of English, social science, and naturalTeachers of English, social science, and natural science science Professional editors, lawyers, and businessProfessional editors, lawyers, and business executivesexecutives

THE TASK: Readers were to rate the essays on a scaleTHE TASK: Readers were to rate the essays on a scale of 1 to 9 using their own sense of “general merit.” of 1 to 9 using their own sense of “general merit.”

The ResultsThe Results

101 essays received every score from 1 to 101 essays received every score from 1 to 9.9.

94 percent of the essays received 7, 8, or 94 percent of the essays received 7, 8, or 9 different grades.9 different grades.

Paul Diederich. Paul Diederich. Measuring Growth in Measuring Growth in English. English. Urbana, IL: NCTE, 1974Urbana, IL: NCTE, 1974

#4:#4:

How can Doane “teach to the transfer” How can Doane “teach to the transfer”

of writing abilities from one context toof writing abilities from one context to

another?another?

Teaching to the TransferTeaching to the Transfer

Developing in students a “meta-cognitive”Developing in students a “meta-cognitive”

sense of how writing varies from contextsense of how writing varies from context

to context.to context.

To Teach to the Transfer:To Teach to the Transfer:

Point out often how any given example of Point out often how any given example of writing differs from other samples in the writing differs from other samples in the same genre.same genre.

Point out often how genres differ from Point out often how genres differ from context to context according to purpose, context to context according to purpose, audience, and genre conventions.audience, and genre conventions.

The ImplicationThe Implication

Instructors need to know:Instructors need to know:

What their students write in other What their students write in other

coursescourses

How their assignments are related toHow their assignments are related to

writing done outside of schoolwriting done outside of school

Common Writing CurriculumsCommon Writing Curriculums

Requiring students to take a number of Requiring students to take a number of writing intensive courseswriting intensive courses

Requiring students to take a capstone Requiring students to take a capstone coursecourse

Requiring students to submit a portfolio of Requiring students to submit a portfolio of their worktheir work

Requiring students to take an exit examRequiring students to take an exit exam

Writing Intensive CoursesWriting Intensive Courses

AdvantagesAdvantages

Students get practice throughout theirStudents get practice throughout their

college career.college career.

The task of teaching writing is shared byThe task of teaching writing is shared by

all faculty, not just faculty in English.all faculty, not just faculty in English.

Students may be exposed to a widerStudents may be exposed to a wider range of writing than they may get in range of writing than they may get in

English classes.English classes.

Writing Intensive CoursesWriting Intensive Courses

DisadvantagesDisadvantages

Difficulty in maintaining a commonDifficulty in maintaining a common

standard from course to coursestandard from course to course

Difficulty in organizing a curriculumDifficulty in organizing a curriculum

Difficulty in “teaching to the transfer”Difficulty in “teaching to the transfer”

Writing Intensive CoursesWriting Intensive Courses

Overcoming disadvantagesOvercoming disadvantages

Course descriptions that list:Course descriptions that list:

The type of discourse or genres taughtThe type of discourse or genres taught

The audience/context for the writingThe audience/context for the writing

Regular meetings of faculty to shareRegular meetings of faculty to share

assignments and grade papersassignments and grade papers

Outside readersOutside readers

Capstone CoursesCapstone Courses

AdvantagesAdvantages

Students receive intensive practiceStudents receive intensive practice

writing the genres of their major or writing the genres of their major or

discipline.discipline.

Students can practice all they have Students can practice all they have

learned earlier.learned earlier.

Capstone courses may involve fewer Capstone courses may involve fewer

courses than a writing intensive system.courses than a writing intensive system.

Capstone CoursesCapstone Courses

DisadvantagesDisadvantages

Difficulties in offering capstone coursesDifficulties in offering capstone courses

across the curriculumacross the curriculum

Practice in a limited range of writingPractice in a limited range of writing

PortfoliosPortfolios

AdvantagesAdvantages

Students have two or three years ofStudents have two or three years of

practice to assemble their best work.practice to assemble their best work.

Portfolio requirements can insure thatPortfolio requirements can insure that

students get practice in a range of students get practice in a range of

writing.writing.

Grading portfolios can rigorously maintainGrading portfolios can rigorously maintain

common standards.common standards.

PortfoliosPortfolios

DisadvantagesDisadvantages

Difficulties in organizing an evaluationDifficulties in organizing an evaluation

system outside the curriculumsystem outside the curriculum

Difficulties in training readers to evaluateDifficulties in training readers to evaluate

portfolios according to a common portfolios according to a common

standardstandard

Achieving Common StandardsAchieving Common Standards

Course descriptions that list:Course descriptions that list:

The type of discourse or genres taughtThe type of discourse or genres taught

The audience/context for the writingThe audience/context for the writing

Regular meetings of faculty to shareRegular meetings of faculty to share

assignments and grade papersassignments and grade papers

Outside readersOutside readers