English 6901 Survey Diagnosing Written Communication: Cross-Campus Composition Compendium Methods of Composition Research

Writing defined campus wide is like viewing fine art Its meaning & value Open to interpretation

Survey every faculty member on campus Determine range of writing processes & products as well as kinds of writing instruction across the disciplines at YSU. Gain an overall picture of the role of writing at YSU. Conduct interviews with interested faculty in each department to identify problems and record solutions. Ultimately, we hope that a more comprehensive overview of how students engage in writing at YSU will allow us to pinpoint areas of the curriculum that need improvement thereby providing students the tools necessary to put them in the driver’s seat as they earn their degree. Goals & Objectives

Categories Prewriting / Brainstorming Multiple drafts of essays Revision Editing and Proofreading Note-taking Research Writing Bibliography / Citations Essay Exam Technical Writing

Survey of Writing Instruction at YSU Using the scale below, please indicate the importance of each writing element in your undergraduate courses. We realize you may teach numerous undergraduate courses. In general, how important do you consider the following for your undergraduate students? Place an “X” next to the appropriate number indicating the importance of each writing element in your undergraduate courses 1 = Very Important 2 = Somewhat Important 3 = Somewhat Unimportant 4 = Not Important 5 = Not Applicable

How important are the following writing processes for writing required in your courses? Prewriting / Brainstorming Multiple drafts of essays Revision Editing and Proofreading

How important are the following types of writing for your courses? Note-taking Research Writing Bibliography / Citations Essay Exams Technical Writing

Questions 1. What - if any - other steps in the writing process do you require from your students? 2. What specific types of in-class writing do you require most frequently? 3. What specific types of out-of-class writing do you require most frequently? 4. What kinds of writing models or examples do you provide for your students? 5. How prepared are your students to do the writing required in your classes? What suggestions do you have for preparing them as writers in your discipline?

Results of Research

Art Math History Physics Nursing Psychology Human Ecology Electrical Engineering Health Care Professions Mechanical Engineering Technology Civil & Chemical Engineering Human Performance and Exercise Science Communications and Theatre Dana School of Music Biological Sciences College of Business Foreign Languages Political Science Military Science Criminology Social Work Geography Economics Departments Surveyed

All Departments Very Important Somewhat Important Somewhat Unimportant Not ImportantNot Applicable Prewriting/ Brainstorming Multiple Essay Drafts Revision Editing and Proofreading Note-Taking Research Writing Bibliography/ Citations Essay Exams Technical Writing

Style Guides MLA APA Chicago

American Medical Association citation style CBE (Council of Biology Editors) used by Human Performance and Exercise Science Turabin used by History, Religion & Philosophy Departments Physical Review Style Guide used by Physics Department The Political Science Student Writer’s Manual Internet Citation Book Footnotes/end notes No Preference- just effective writing and an appropriate referencing and bibliographic approach APSA (American Political Science Association)

Problems with student’s writing abilities identified as: I.Grammar & Spelling II.Original thought III.Editing & Organization IV.Revisions & Integration V.Inadequate preparation “I feel there is a major problem with the freshman and sophomore years in that writing skills are not reinforced at these levels due to the restrictions from high enrollment classes” “Students don't utilize opportunities to improve their writing skills once they leave classroom requirements behind” “Writing proficiency is not helped by the sloppy techniques employed by the general population in their internet communications” “Not prepared after , which may hinder them because of a completely different approach, poorly prepared, No background in tech writing”

They need to write ‘scientifically’ and not how they would speak on a daily basis—too much slang in papers They need to learn how to use superscript, etc, on the computer Too accustomed to using first person and contractions Sentence fragments & run-ons No set skill level among students Not prepared for technical writing, need to develop clear and concise thought process and transfer to paper They need to learn to proofread They need to review their papers and not solely rely on spell check Not prepared to write in discipline Fault lies with High School Lack general writing skills

Solutions Writing project stage development Discipline-related use of the library Continued exposure to college writing, and writing in classrooms will improve their work Use of headings to organize writing Substitute 1550 or 1551 with a technical writing class as a GER Take a technical / professional writing course Stronger writing requirements for all classes across the curriculum

Ana_Wetzl Josh_Mays Chad_Ries Angel_Chan Paul_Mauch John_Hazen Diana_Jones Ronald_Gura Mindi_Kirchner Amelia_Sanker Stephanie_Moore Deborah_Watkins Alyson_Eggleston Melodie_A_Provencher Dr_Kevin_Ball_Instructor English 6901 Survey Conducted by the Following Individuals The End