WAC Institute for Community College Faculty Writing Across the Curriculum Program Appalachian State University Georgia Rhoades Sherry Alusow Hart Dennis Bohr C.C. Hendricks

Topics to Include in an Introduction to WAC class Rhetorical Analysis of texts in different disciplines Writing in different formats for different purposes Essay Sciences report format Abstract Digital Media/ Alternative Media Annotated Bibliography MLA and APA documentation with general information about other styles

Intro to WAC Assignments Literacy Narrative Sciences Report (Primary & Secondary Research) Rhetorical Analysis Digital Media/ Alternative Media Ethnography (with Annotated Bibliography) Reflective Letter/ Essay

 Primary Research  interviews  observations  surveys  Secondary Research  Report Format Headings  Introduction  Methods  Results  Interpretations/ Conclusions  APA Documentation Sciences Report Format

Who Writes What: Assignments by Disciplines

Rhetorical Analysis “An examination of how well the components of an argument work together to persuade or move an audience” (Lunsford and Ruszkiewicz, Everything’s an Argument, 1045). Speaker/Writer Credibility, Authority, Correctness, Appearance Message/Subject Information, Argument, Reasons, Evidence, Data, Structure Audience Beliefs, Values, Knowledge, Experience Exigence: an issue, problem, or situation that causes or prompts someone to write or speak; the occasion or demand for writing

Logos—Rational Appeal -How does the text appeal to the reader’s or viewer’s reasoning? -i.e. statistics, facts, figures, case studies, analogies, anecdotes, stories, specific examples, etc. Ethos—Appeal to Trust/Credibility -How competent/noteworthy/authoritative is the text, author, or artist? -i.e. trustworthiness, fairness, reliability of sources, etc. Pathos—Emotional Appeal -How does the text or writer appeal to the reader’s or viewer’s emotions or passions? -i.e. emotions, feelings, beliefs, love, sadness, etc. The Three Rhetorical Appeals Discourse Community: “The term discourse community identifies a grouping of people who share common language norms, characteristics, patterns, or practices as a consequence of their ongoing communications and identification with each other. With respect to writing, the term has been used to point out that different academic collectives write in characteristic registers and genres” (NCTE).

org/category/pub lic- affairs/page/3/

Ethnography Study of the Major Guiding students to finding their own bliss

Preparation: Discovery Step 1: Design a research strategy Set up interviews with a professor, a senior or graduate student in the major, and a professional working in the field Select initial print or online sources of information for a background of the field Collect names, events, and discoveries of ground- breaking people and work in the field Develop questions to ask or find out in your research

Step 2: Conduct research Read references for general background information Identify what training and certification (if any) are required Find out the professional organizations, journals, and conferences in the field Note the names of current presidents and other officers of the organizations Summarize the goals and statements of ethics of the chief organization (if any)

Explore communication genres Examine current journal articles and book-length studies published in the field Note stylistic characteristics, such as documentation, voice, verb tense, and other specifics Identify differing formats for different purposes

Recognize leaders in the field Identify achievements each one has made Find the report, article, invention, or accomplishments from each Read or investigate each to determine which represent the most influential landmarks in the field

Step 3: Creating the Report—Part 1 Select ten landmark texts in the field (“Texts” may mean paintings, musical scores, plays, mathematical proofs, scientific discoveries, inventions, and so on) Summarize each, including a brief biography of the author or discoverer, the significance to the field, and why this one was included Document each text with a full bibliographic entry in the style of the field Arrange the texts alphabetically, with each summary or annotation following each bibliographic entry

Step 3: Creating the Report—Part 2 Gather information about the culture of the field, based on the interviews, background research, and landmark texts Identify and describe three forms of writing particular to the field, with examples to illustrate Explain why the field beckons and how you would fit into this field

Creating a rubric Key Points for Each Assignment:  Start with the learning outcomes for the assignment (Criteria-based). (For example, "Uses MLA documentation correctly: parenthetical citation format, works cited format, punctuation, accuracy, integration.") Keep the number of outcomes addressed to three or four.  Create a rubric or scoring guide to outline your expectations (Value- based). (This may be numerical—1-10—or descriptive—excellent, good, fair, poor.) Keep the number of levels to three or four.  Provide students with a check sheet for each stage of the writing process based on the rubric, using samples to show what the rubric highlights and to have students use the rubric on each others' drafts.  Evaluate drafts with the same rubric, on a score sheet that includes a place for comments.  Keep the scores for each draft of an assignment by each student on a spreadsheet or form to see progress and help to determine final grades. Give your students the same score sheet for them to keep track as well.

Scoring Guide Basics  Criteria-based  Value-based  Customized for each assignment  Sampled with students  Used to evaluate drafts