The More Things Change (III)

During the past few years many of our staff have become concerned about the quality of written and spoken English of our students. This concern is, in a large part, the outgrowth of our graduate program and the realization that advanced students lack, not merely good writing technique, but even an appreciation of the necessity for expressing themselves clearly. They feel that if writing doesn't come easy--and few of us of whom this is true--that it is impossible. They don't see the need for rewriting and polishing.

Professor Wilbur L. Bullock, Acting Chairman of the Department of Zoology (UNH), as qtd. in the Annual Report of the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts (UNH), 6/30/1952

The More Things Change (II)

The overwhelming majority of our students come to us seeking, primarily, material success. They seek preparation for a particular job and they are impatient with any courses or requirements which do not, in their judgment, advance them toward their materialistic goals. These students have been encouraged in their goals by their parents and friends. Their interest in the college diploma as a meal ticket reflects the perennial national quest for material security.

Annual Report of the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts (UNH), 6/30/1952

The More Things Change (I)

It is important that each member of the faculty, not the college alone but of the University as a whole, understand that he shares responsibility for the success of the student in acquiring an ability to express himself orally and to write with clarity and effectiveness. For whatever reason, young people entering college in these days are handicapped by lack of background; background that in the past was obtained through reading. Currently, most young people, unless they make an effort, acquire their background from the radio and the so-called "funny books", a combination which makes a far from dependable foundation for college work.

excerpted from the UNH "Annual Report of the College of Liberal Arts," 1946-47

Students' Research Processes

How the Writing Context Shapes College Students' Strategies for Writing from Sources. Technical Report No. 16

"This Was an Easy Assignment" Examining How Students Interpret Academic Writing Tasks. Technical Report No. 43 /

Constructing a Research Paper A Study of Students' Goals and Approaches. Technical Report No. 59 /

How Does Writing Emerge from the Classroom Context? (A Naturalistic Study of the Writing of Eighteen-Year-Olds in Biology, English, Geography, History, History of Art, and Sociology) /

UCF's WAC Fellows Program

Cool stuff...WAC Fellows.

For Fall 2013

379 for fall:

Unit 1: Intro to Rhetoric (OWL)
Unit 2: Genre Theory
Unit 3: Genre Analysis

Notes During Chris' 2013 Talk

The problem is that we are fixing the problem after the fact...faculty spend years assigning and grading writing, having been given very little instruction, if any, in this. Where do they look for models--they look to what they experienced. Was what they experienced pedagogically effective? Maybe.

So, we are trying to change someone's practice...not give them a practice. Much easier to give them this stuff when they are just starting out. Much less to let go of.

What is the process of change? Letting go...? We spend a good deal of time and energy trying to let people to let go of things...then we can give them something new or to replace that thing.

Research on how long people can listen to a lecture?

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