Teaching Writing in a Discipline Writing Enriched and Writing in the Discipline Courses UNC-Pembroke February 23-24, 2010 Mike Carter NC State University

Teaching Writing in a Discipline Writing Enriched and Writing in the Discipline Courses UNC-Pembroke February 23-24, 2010 Mike Carter NC State University

How Do We Understand Disciplines? Disciplines = Domains of knowledge Declarative or conceptual knowledge

How Do We Understand Disciplines? Disciplines = Domains of knowledge Declarative or conceptual knowledge Disciplines = Ways of knowing Procedural or process knowledge

What is the place of writing in the disciplines? Disciplines = Domains of knowledge Writing is general across disciplines and is therefore outside each discipline

What is the place of writing in the disciplines? Disciplines = Domains of knowledge Writing is general across disciplines and is therefore outside each discipline Disciplines = Ways of knowing Writing is specific to disciplines and is therefore fully integrated in every discipline

How do we connect ways of knowing and ways of writing? Ways of knowing Ways of writing

How do we connect ways of knowing and ways of writing? Ways of knowing Ways of writing Ways of doing

How do we connect ways of knowing and ways of writing? Way of knowing: science Writing a lab report Doing a lab

How do we connect ways of knowing and ways of writing? Way of knowing: literature Writing a critical analysis Reading a poem

How do we connect ways of knowing and ways of writing? Way of knowing: marketing Writing a marketing plan Gathering and analyzing market data

Implications for understanding the disciplines In addition to being domains of knowledge, disciplines are characterized by particular ways of knowing, doing, and writing.

Implications for teaching If we conceive of disciplines as ways of knowing as well as domains of knowledge, then an important goal of teaching at any level is to engage students in the ways of knowing that define a discipline.

Structure of Workshop  Part 1: Identifying Ways of Knowing and Writing in a Discipline  Part 2: Teaching Ways of Knowing and Writing in a Discipline

IDENTIFYING WAYS OF KNOWING AND WRITING IN A DISCIPLINE Part 1:

Learning Outcomes for Part 1 Participants will be able to: 1.describe ways of knowing that define their disciplines 2.identify ways of writing that embody the ways of knowing in their disciplines 3.create learning outcomes, what students should be able to do to demonstrate mastery of the ways of knowing and writing in a discipline

Learning Outcomes for Part 1 Participants will be able to: 1.describe ways of knowing that define their disciplines 2.identify ways of writing that embody the ways of knowing in their disciplines 3.create learning outcomes, what students should be able to do to demonstrate mastery of the ways of knowing and writing in a discipline

Describing disciplinary ways of knowing Ways of knowing Ways of writing Ways of doing

Example 1: A disciplinary way of knowing a. identify important research questions b. identify an existing theory appropriate to the investigation c. create hypotheses d. test hypotheses using rigorous empiricism e. apply appropriate methodologies to collected data f. explain acquired information in the context of existing knowledge in the field

Example 2: A disciplinary way of knowing a. Define a problem : establish a problem or need, identify customer and project requirements, perform market and technical analyses b. Generate concepts: convert customer and project requirements to product specifications, generate multiple product options c. Select a concept: compare product options to product specifications, select optimal product option(s) d. Refine a concept: create and test prototypes or models; analyze technical, economic, and environmental viability of design based on prototype or model; sell the product

Example 3: A disciplinary way of knowing a. pose an interesting research question about the discipline. b. locate relevant primary and secondary sources for investigating a research question. c. critically evaluate primary and secondary sources in terms of credibility, authenticity, interpretive stance, audience, potential biases, and value for answering the research question. d. marshall the evidence to support a disciplinary argument for an answer to a research question.

Exercise 1 1.Identify a key way of knowing that defines your discipline. One way of thinking about this is to identify what scholars or, in the case of applied disciplines, professionals in the field do in their primary forms of writing. 2.Frame your way of knowing as a set of steps, each one beginning with a verb. If there are other participants in your field present, you can work with them.

Learning Outcomes for Part 1 Participants will be able to: 1.describe ways of knowing that define their disciplines 2.identify ways of writing that embody the ways of knowing in their disciplines 3.create learning outcomes, what students should be able to do to demonstrate mastery of the ways of knowing and writing in a discipline

Identifying disciplinary ways of writing Ways of knowing Ways of writing Ways of doing

Example: Textiles Engineering a. Define a problem : establish a problem or need, identify customer and project requirements, perform market and technical analyses b. Generate concepts: convert customer and project requirements to product specifications, generate multiple product options c. Select a concept: compare product options to product specifications, select optimal product option(s) d. Refine a concept: create and test prototypes or models; analyze technical, economic, and environmental viability of design based on prototype or model; sell the product Ways of writing: Technical reports, technical memoranda, project proposals, interim project reports, feasibility studies

Apprenticeship vs. Common Genres  Apprenticeship genres embody a way of knowing that characterizes a discipline  Common genres are common across disciplines, e.g., literature review, annotated bibliography, journal entry  Though common genres may be useful in certain circumstances, apprenticeship genres are foundational to writing in the disciplines

Exercise 2 1.Identify possible ways of writing (you can also include other modes, oral and visual) you could ask students to do to give them the experience of learning your disciplinary way of knowing. 2.When you have a list, join two other participants. 3.Each of you read your lists and then describe how one or two of the ways of writing embodies the way of knowing in your field.

Learning Outcomes for Part 1 Participants will be able to: 1.describe ways of knowing that define their disciplines 2.identify ways of writing that embody the ways of knowing in their disciplines 3.create learning outcomes, what students should be able to do to demonstrate mastery of the ways of knowing and writing in a discipline

Learning Outcomes  What you expect students to learn in a course, what they should be able to do  Typically included on the syllabus to inform students of your expectations for them  For courses that include expectations of disciplinary writing, outcomes detail disciplinary ways of knowing  Usually preceded by “Students should be able to”

Learning Outcomes: Political Science Students should be able to: a. identify important research questions b. identify an existing theory appropriate to the investigation c. create hypotheses d. test hypotheses using rigorous empiricism e. apply appropriate methodologies to collected data f. explain acquired information in the context of existing knowledge in the field Ways of writing: research reports, posters, proposals, proposal abstracts

Learning Outcomes: Textiles Engineering Students should be able to: a. Define a problem : establish a problem or need, identify customer and project requirements, perform market and technical analyses b. Generate concepts: convert customer and project requirements to product specifications, generate multiple product options c. Select a concept: compare product options to product specifications, select optimal product option(s) d. Refine a concept: create and test prototypes or models; analyze technical, economic, and environmental viability of design based on prototype or model; sell the product Ways of writing: Technical reports, technical memoranda, project proposals, interim project reports, feasibility studies

Exercise 3 1.Return to your list of ways of knowing in your discipline 2.Turn that list into learning outcomes for your class what students should be able to do, beginning with “Students should be able to….” 3.If necessary revise the language of the ways of knowing so that it is accessible to students as outcomes

TEACHING WAYS OF KNOWING AND WRITING IN A DISCIPLINE Part 2:

Teaching Writing vs. Using Writing to Teach What distinguishes a course that uses writing chiefly to help students learn a discipline from a course on writing in a discipline? In the former, writing is a tool to learn a subject; in the latter, writing is the subject. It focuses on writing and developing students as writers in the discipline.

Learning Goals for Part 2 Participants will become familiar with: 1.Assignment sheets as guidance for students to meet your expectations for ways of knowing and writing 2.Evaluation rubrics as tools for teaching writing 3.Writing instruction as a process that allows for development, feedback, and reflection 4.Principles of growth for structuring a course in disciplinary ways of writing and knowing

Learning Goals for Part 2 Participants will become familiar with: 1.Assignment sheets as guidance for students to meet your expectations for ways of knowing and writing 2.Evaluation rubrics as tools for teaching writing 3.Writing instruction as a process that allows for development, feedback, and reflection 4.Principles of growth for structuring a course in disciplinary ways of writing and knowing

Creating assignments that link discipl. ways of doing and writing with knowing Ways of knowing Ways of writing Ways of doing

Creating a writing assignment  Target a disciplinary way of knowing  Choose a disciplinary way of writing appropriate to the level of the students  Provide sufficient detail of your expectations for the assignment  Describe the written product in a way that reflects the targeted disciplinary way of knowing

Example Outcomes: From Analyzing Style Students should be able to:  Analyze a text by breaking it into stylistic elements appropriate to the genre and examining the text through each element  Come to a critical judgment of meaning based on the analysis  To make a persuasive argument for a claim of meaning supported by evidence from the analysis

Example Assignment Sheet: From Analyzing Style Choose a prose passage and write a critical analysis of it. A critical analysis is a argument for a particular reading or meaning of the passage. The introduction should provide a background for understanding the passage, establish the question of meaning, and state a claim for a meaning. The body of the analysis should address all the pertinent analytical elements, discuss for each element its effect on the meaning, make explicit links between the effect and your claim, and provide enough evidence to be convincing. The conclusion should connect all the evidence to your claim and make a final case for supporting the claim.

Making an Assignment Sheet 1.For student outcomes (disciplinary way of knowing), choose a way of writing and doing as a basis for a writing assignment 2.Identify the expectations for student performance inherent in the outcome 3.Create the assignment sheet. Spell out clearly what you expect students to do and how they are to shape their writing to reflect the targeted way of knowing

Criteria for a Good Assignment  It clearly incorporates the targeted disciplinary way of knowing  It provides sufficiently detailed description of the particular genre (way of writing) so that students can apply it and thus engage effectively in the disciplinary way of knowing

Learning Goals for Part 2 Participants will become familiar with: 1.Assignment sheets as guidance for students to meet your expectations for ways of knowing and writing 2.Evaluation rubrics as tools for teaching writing 3.Writing instruction as a process that allows for development, feedback, and reflection 4.Principles of growth for structuring a course in disciplinary ways of writing and knowing

Evaluation Rubric  The evaluation rubric is an assessment guide incorporating a teacher’s expectations for a way of knowing and way of writing as criteria  It allows the teacher to provide feedback specific to the way of knowing and writing in the assignment  It can be also be used to prepare students for writing: give it out ahead of time, let students use it to evaluate a sample assignment and then each other’s drafts

Making a Rubric 1.Use the assignment sheet as your guide; identify explicit and implicit criteria (items appropriate to ways of knowing and items appropriate to the genre) 2.Arrange criteria in the order in which you expect to find them in the final draft (for guiding students and ease of evaluating) 3.Add more criteria as needed: overall evaluations, grammar, style, etc.

Learning Goals for Part 2 Participants will become familiar with: 1.Assignment sheets as guidance for students to meet your expectations for ways of knowing and writing 2.Evaluation rubrics as tools for teaching writing 3.Writing instruction as a process that allows for development, feedback, and reflection 4.Principles of growth for structuring a course in disciplinary ways of writing and knowing

A Guided Writing Process  For most students, the writing process is abbreviated: start at the beginning, write to the end, turn in with minimal if any revision  Writing benefits from time and attention; teaching writing should give students both  A guided process structures time for developing ideas and learning ways of knowing through feedback and reflection  It can also substantially reduces plagiarism

Feedback during the Process Generally, there are 2 sources for feedback  Other students: in pairs or groups (of 3-4, no more), typically in class but they could trade work or meet outside class  Teacher: the most valuable feedback is during the process when students can make changes; feedback on final draft is less helpful unless students are asked to revise the drafts

Time for Development of Writing  The classic way of creating time for development is to ask students to do individual elements of the process and arrange for feedback on each element. There are two ways of dividing elements: 1.By major parts of a paper, often aligned with ways of knowing 2.By different genres related to the primary genre of the assignment

Division by Parts: Critical Analysis MBring prose piece to be analyzed and explanation of why it was chosen; feedback by group and teacher; in-class work on analysis WIn-class work on analysis, in groups FBring the full analysis; feedback by group and teacher; discussion of argument for meaning

Division by Parts: Critical Analysis MBring outline of argument for meaning, claim and supporting evidence; feedback by group and teacher WIn-class work on introduction and conclusion FBring draft; feedback from group and teacher MIn-class revisions WBring final draft

Division by Genres: Research Paper  Proposal abstract with research question  Bibliography of possible sources  Annotated bibliography: annotation + relevance for answering research question  Full proposal with claim, evidence, and an overview of the structure of the paper  Draft of research paper  Final draft of research paper

Learning Goals for Part 2 Participants will become familiar with: 1.Assignment sheets as guidance for students to meet your expectations for ways of knowing and writing 2.Evaluation rubrics as tools for teaching writing 3.Writing instruction as a process that allows for development, feedback, and reflection 4.Principles of growth for structuring a course in disciplinary ways of writing and knowing

Growth in Writing over a Semester  Learning ways of knowing and writing is a developmental, organic process  First, determine your goals, what way(s) of knowing and kinds of writing students should learn  Second, choose a principle of growth that is appropriate to your goals  Create a syllabus according to the principle of growth

Principle #1: Growth by Genre Typically from less to more challenging genres that embody way of knowing 1.Proposal abstract 2.Proposal 3.Article for popular audience 4.Oral presentation 5.Poster 6.Research article

Principle #2: Growth by Elements of a Way of Knowing (History) Structure the course by the process implied by the way of knowing and use genres that emerge from them 1.Pose an interesting research question-proposal abst. 2.Locate relevant primary and secondary sources for investigating research question-bibliography;proposal 3.critically evaluate primary and secondary sources in terms of credibility, authenticity, interpretive stance, audience, potential biases, and value for answering research question-anno. bib; crit. analysis of sources 4.Marshall evidence to support a disciplinary argument for an answer to a research question-article; wr/oral

Principle #3: Growth by Elements of Major Genre This approach may be used in fields with clearly delineated parts of genres 1.Introduction 2.Introduction, Methods 3.Introduction, Methods, Results 4.Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion 5.Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Abstract

Principle #4: Growth by Mode of Engagement with Text This approach defines growth from analysis to translation to production of text 1.Analysis: Students learn way of knowing by analyzing articles in the field 2.Translation: Students learn ways of writing by using material from articles to write different genres: proposal abstract, proposals, posters, articles for general readers, etc. 3.Production: Students learn ways of knowing and writing by producing their own texts

A Course that Focuses on Writing  Incorporates assignment sheets that guide students in ways of knowing and writing  Uses rubrics as teaching tools to enhance students awareness of writing as writing  Structures the writing process of individual assignments to allow for development, feedback, reflections  Is organized to create growth in writing

Structure of Workshop  Part 1: Identifying Ways of Knowing and Writing in a Discipline  Part 2: Teaching Ways of Knowing and Writing in a Discipline

Disciplines as ways of knowing, doing, and writing Ways of knowing Ways of writing Ways of doing

Learning Outcomes for Part 1 Participants will be able to: 1.describe ways of knowing that define their disciplines 2.identify ways of writing that embody the ways of knowing in their disciplines 3.create learning outcomes, what students should be able to do to demonstrate mastery of the ways of knowing and writing in a discipline

Learning Goals for Part 2 Participants will become familiar with: 1.Assignment sheets as guidance for students to meet your expectations for ways of knowing and writing 2.Evaluation rubrics as tools for teaching writing 3.Writing instruction as a process that allows for development, feedback, and reflection 4.Principles of growth for structuring a course in disciplinary ways of writing and knowing