Using Research on Student Learning as a Framework for Curricular Redesign Joanne Baird Giordano University of Wisconsin Colleges

Institutional Context: University of Wisconsin Colleges 13-campus, statewide institution Two-year Part of the University of Wisconsin System UW transfer general education curriculum Open admissions (HS equivalency degree) Wide range of learners About 140 instructors (very few with formal training in teaching composition)

UW System Student Populations (Fall 2012) UW Colleges 14.1% of UWS First-Year 20.6 Average ACT 60.3% First Generation 49.6% Top Half of HS Class 17.2% Bottom Quartile 15.4% Age 20 or Older 96.6% Wisconsin Residents UW Madison 20.9% of UWS First-Year 28.3 Average ACT 16.5% First Generation 99.8% Top Half of HS Class 0.0% Bottom Quartile 1.1% Age 20 or Older 56.0% Wisconsin Residents

Core Writing Requirement Completion (2010 to 2013) Students completing writing program within two years of admission: Core Composition Placement (ENG 102): 82% Credit-Bearing Placement (ENG 101): 56% Developmental Placement (ENG 098): 31%

Hassel-Giordano Grant Projects (University of Wisconsin Marathon County) Research on students’ transitions to college-level critical reading and academic writing: 1.English 101 to English Multilingual Hmong writers 3.Multiple measures placement assessment 4.Students with low standardized test scores or from nontraditional educational backgrounds Funded by the University of Wisconsin System Office of Professional and Instructional Development (OPID)

Data Collection Academic success outcomes for 911 students based on placement Placement files for more than 100 students Analysis of reflective and formal academic writing from 137 students Multiple pieces of writing collected across more than one semester for most students Additional institutional data

Placement Project Analysis (2010 to 2012) 54 students From all campus placement groups 359 pieces of student writing Average of 6.2 texts for each student Multiple courses across two years

Rhetorical Knowledge To make appropriate choices based on audience and purpose; write for a particular rhetorical purpose; understand basic rhetorical features of different types of texts; use appropriate tone and diction for the writer's purpose Placement (54 Total Students) Area of Needed Development Developmental Writing84% Credit-Bearing ENG 10176% Core Transfer ENG 10240%

Producing Error-Free Prose To follow conventions of standard written English typical for academic writing Placement Area of Needed Development Developmental Writing42% Credit-Bearing ENG 10128% Core Transfer ENG 10210%

Experience with Academic Writing To follow conventions of college-level academic writing (for example, using signal phrases and directly stating a main idea) and to do source-based writing in a variety of genres Placement Area of Needed Development Developmental Writing79% Credit-Bearing ENG 10172% Core Transfer ENG 10210%

Critical Reading To analyze implicit and explicit meaning; understand, evaluate, and analyze arguments in a text; synthesize scholarly sources and other texts that make complex arguments; identify issues in a text that warrant inquiry *Most of the remaining 44% of English 101 students did not do assignments that required critical reading or writing from sources. Placement Area of Needed Development Developmental Writing100% Credit-Bearing ENG 10156%* Core Transfer ENG %

Core Research Course Writing about research Taking a position on complex issues Analyzing (rather than reporting on) sources Using scholarly databases to independently locate research sources Following a documentation system (MLA)

Problematic Assignments (Based on All Four Research Projects) Summary without analysis Broad assignments not connected to texts Narrowly focused prompts Single paragraph assignments Narrative writing with no clear rhetorical purpose Literary analysis Theme-based courses disconnected from texts or students’ experiences Similar kinds of assignments in the same course

Examples of Course Design Strategies Asking students to write for multiple rhetorical purposes in the same course Designing assignments and activities to support reading comprehension and analysis Having students identify issues in texts that warrant exploration Creating opportunities for independently engaging in the writing process

Model Assignments: English 098 (Developmental Writing) 1)Reflective essay on college preparation 2)Essay exploring an issue from a course text 3)Essay taking a position on an issue from course texts 4)Essay synthesizing ideas from 2 course texts 5)Additional reflective writing 6)Midterm and final portfolio

Model Assignments: English 101 (1 st Semester Composition) 1)Reflective essay based on a course text 2)Essay taking a position on an issue from multiple course texts 3)Essay analyzing a course text 4)Essay analyzing and synthesizing ideas from multiple texts 5)Basic research-based position essay with limited sources 6)Midterm and final portfolio with reflective writing

Model Assignments: English 102 (Core Transfer Course) 1)Reflective essay based on a complex text 2)Formal research proposal 3)Rhetorical analysis of a research source 4)Annotated bibliography 5)Research review 6)Research-based argument essay 7)Midterm and final portfolio with reflective writing

Professional Development Work Two-Year Grant Project Website with instructional resources Online workshops for each comp course Additional online workshops on teaching reading, teaching online, placement, and mentoring Face-to-face seminars Curricular redesign stipends UW System workshop (2015) Assessment and research