CHOOSING TOPICS FOR ESSAYS

SUMMARY Original goal: include writing assignments in FYS to first assess students’ writing skills and then assist with improvement Hoped-for (and achieved) outcome: improving writing skills Unexpected outcomes: Provided self-affirming activity for students Valuable information that enabled me to teach more effectively and provide better advise to students

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS Essays “My Values” “My Strengths and Weaknesses” Informal Assignments Time inventory and analysis Goals for next 5 years Research project Topic Thesis statement and “Works Consulted” Outline with revised thesis and “Works Consulted” Draft Final Paper Opportunity to revise to improve grade

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS Essays “My Values” “My Strengths and Weaknesses” Informal Assignments Time inventory and analysis Goals for next 5 years Research project Topic Thesis statement and “Works Consulted” Outline with revised thesis and “Works Consulted” Draft Final Paper These choices made based on research on self-affirming essays

RESEARCH ON SELF-AFFIRMATION Theory Postulated for threatening situations including “stereotype- threatened individuals” Self-affirming activity reestablishes a perception of personal integrity provides internal resources for coping effectively Research in academic setting have been on based on gender, and ethnic and racial minorities Evidence supports hypothesis that self-affirming essays will result in higher grades Essays are on non-course content Example: write about personally important value Brief (15 minutes), several times over term Results appear to be lasting

MY EXPERIENCE WITH ESSAYS AND INFORMAL ASSIGNMENTS Writing improved significant in short time My belief: having series of assignments, with opportunity for revision and with intensive one-on-one feedback, helped Students’ candor was surprising I was not expecting that actual content of essays would be helpful to me

BENEFITS OF THEIR SHARING PERSONAL INFORMATION Enabled me to make Bill of Rights material more relevant Assisted with my establishing rapport with students on individual level Made one-on-one feedback conversations more tailored, productive “I remember you said you had a problem with…Let’s brainstorm about that.” Most importantly, gave me the information and opportunity to refer students to UNLV and community resources that will probably be key in both academic success and life in general

CAVEATS Privacy has to be kept in mind at all times No way to know if “self-affirming” part of this worked But suspect that it did

REFERENCES “Reducing the Gender Achievement Gap in College Science: A Classroom Study of Values Affirmation” Akira Miyake, Lauren Kost-Smith, et. al. Science, vol. 330, Nov. 26, 2010 “Reducing the Racial Achievement Gap: A Social- Psychological Intervention” Geoffrey Cohen, Julio Garcai, Nancy Apfel, Allison Master Science, vol. 313, Sept 1, 2006 Both articles are available in Academic Search Premier on UNLV Library website.