Introduction to Academic Writing

Welcome to the class! What is “academic writing”? Course & Assignment Design

What is “Academic Writing”? There are a lot of ways to teach writing. – Grammar, Style-Focused Approach – Expressivist, Workshop Approach – Skills-based, Recursive Writing Approach How to teach writing is itself the subject of academic inquiry.

What is “College Writing”? 2003: “Writing at the UW: The First Year” by Catharine H. Beyer, Gerald Gillmore, Matthew Baranowski, Naomi Panganiban “…aims to shed light on the writing experience of undergraduates as they move through the writing required in their first year at the UW” and to make “broad recommendations” about writing instruction (Beyer 2).

What is “College Writing”? 2003: “Writing at the UW: The First Year” by Catharine H. Beyer, Gerald Gillmore, Matthew Baranowski, Naomi Panganiban “Particularly challenging for undergraduates is that they must learn “what counts” as good writing in each discipline at the same time that they are applying those discoveries in papers that may constitute a major portion of their final grades in their classes” (Beyer 2).

What is “College Writing”? 2003: “Writing at the UW: The First Year” by Catharine H. Beyer, Gerald Gillmore, Matthew Baranowski, Naomi Panganiban “what counts” as “good” academic writing? “Objective” work? “Fact/not opinion”? “my own ideas”? “What the teacher wants me to say”? Participates in disciplinary conversations and operates within their rules for “what counts”

What is “College Writing”? 2003: “Writing at the UW: The First Year” by Catharine H. Beyer, Gerald Gillmore, Matthew Baranowski, Naomi Panganiban According to the report, college writing is… – Disciplinary Defines diverse “rules” and conventions for reading and writing Work produced by specialists with their own definitions of “critical thinking,” “effective writing,” and “analysis” – Inquiry-Based/Argumentative Organized as a series of disciplinary conversations and shared lines of inquiry Disciplines and inquiries have their own histories, which are often a part of what students engage in learning a field

Course Design Essential Skills: Conversation: contributing to ongoing inquiries within disciplines with specific rules, histories, and stakes Argumentation: building, supporting, executing academic arguments as a part of a larger inquiry

Course Design Context: To make appropriate writing choices based upon a critical understanding of rhetorical situation. Argument: To produce complex and persuasive claims that matter in an academic context. Analysis: To build and support your argument through a purposeful analysis of evidence and assumptions. Conversation: To use research and analysis to situate your argument in relation to a larger academic conversation. Organization: To organize your analysis logically using a strategic line of inquiry and effective transitions. Revision: To develop strategies for identifying substantial issues in your writing and revising in order to strengthen the overall argument.

“SHORT PAPER” assignments (2-3 pages) target specific course goals, organized into two sequences. SEQUENCE 1 Short Paper 1.1 Short Paper 1.2 Short Paper 1.3 Short Paper 1.4 SEQUENCE 2 Short Paper 2.1 Short Paper 2.2 Short Paper 2.3 Portfolio

“SHORT PAPER” assignments (2-3 pages) target specific course goals, organized into two sequences. Each sequence culminates in a “MAJOR PAPER” Assignment (5-6 pages). SEQUENCE 1 Short Paper 1.1 Short Paper 1.2 Short Paper 1.3 Short Paper 1.4 SEQUENCE 2 Short Paper 2.1 Short Paper 2.2 Short Paper 2.3 MAJOR PAPER 1 MAJOR PAPER 2 Portfolio

NO LETTER GRADING! Comments from instructor, targeted to course goals SEQUENCE 1 Short Paper 1.1 Short Paper 1.2 Short Paper 1.3 Short Paper 1.4 SEQUENCE 2 Short Paper 2.1 Short Paper 2.2 Short Paper 2.3 MAJOR PAPER 1 MAJOR PAPER 2 Portfolio

PORTFOLIO At the end of the quarter, you will chose three short papers and one of your major papers to revise. SEQUENCE 1 Short Paper 1.1 Short Paper 1.2 Short Paper 1.3 Short Paper 1.4 SEQUENCE 2 Short Paper 2.1 Short Paper 2.2 Short Paper 2.3 MAJOR PAPER 1 MAJOR PAPER 2 Portfolio

PORTFOLIO Your revisions will be accompanied by a COVER LETTER, which explains how these papers meet the course goals. PORTFOLIO Revised Short Paper 1.2 Revised Short Paper 1.3 Revised Short Paper 2.3 Revised MAJOR PAPER 2 Portfolio

PORTFOLIO Your revisions will be accompanied by a COVER LETTER, which explains how these papers meet the course goals. PORTFOLIO Revised Short Paper 1.2 Revised Short Paper 1.3 Revised Short Paper 2.3 Revised MAJOR PAPER 2 COVER LETTER Portfolio

PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT: 60 % of grade – Papers as demonstration of writing skills (goals) – Cover Letter as demonstration of understanding of academic context. Portfolio Revised Short Paper 1.2 Revised Short Paper 1.3 Revised Short Paper 2.3 Revised MAJOR PAPER 2 COVER LETTER Portfolio

SUCCEEDING IN THE COURSE! Learn the course goals – Understand them as a “language” – Apply that language to your own writing Process, Process, Process – Start early! Plan for multiple drafts, edits, and revisions – “Growth mindset” Learn to be effective in an academic context – Make use of your peers and share your ideas with them – Peer Review, discussions, etc are also opportunities to practice being a scholar