Problem- Solution Text The Swiss-Army Knife of Academic Writing Structures By Jennifer L. Greer University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) TESOL, March 30, 2012 Preparing for Excellence: Practical Strategies for Successful Graduate Writing

Narrative Structures in Academia Problem-Solution Text Situation Problem/Question Solution/Answer Evaluation Case Study Index Case Pathology Treatment Evaluation Conference Abstract Outline the field Justify the research/idea Summarize study Highlight implications Empirical Research Article Introduction Methods Results Discussion/Conclusion

Challenge for L2 Grad Writers Situation: Introductory graduate writing course; first writing assignment; confidence issues, writer’s block Problem: Need a genre that is short, structured, and not too complex; a topic that is familiar, low-risk Solution: 4-part Problem-Solution Text on a problem in home country or in graduate education Evaluation: Peer review, instructor feedback, and group publishing

*Problem-Solution Text For over 20 years now biologists have been alarmed that certain populations of amphibians (frogs, toads, and salamanders) have been declining. These declines have occurred both in areas populated by humans as well as areas seemingly undisturbed by people. However, offering clear proof of the declining numbers of amphibians has been difficult because in most cases there is no reliable data on past population sizes with which to compare recent numbers. Moreover, it is not entirely clear whether the declines are actually part of a natural fluctuation in populations arising from droughts or a scarcity of good. To address this problem biologists are changing the way that they observe amphibian populations. One good documentation method involves counting species over the course of several years and under a variety of climatic conditions. This method should yield reliable data that will help researchers understand the extend to which amphibian populations are in danger and begin to determine what can be done to stem the decline in population s. Excerpted from Academic Writing for Graduate Students (Swales and Feak, 2004) by the University of Michigan Press.

Activity: Writing & Publishing Home-work: Read “AU scientist helps clean water in India” from The Birmingham News In-class: Analyze, discuss, and outline “AU scientist” for P-S elements In-class: Group-write a P-S Text on “AU scientist” – 4 groups, each takes a different section; writes at desk, then adds to group-write on projected text Home-work: Outline own P-S Text on problem in home country In-class: Write all or part of P-S Text and peer review Home-work: Revise and submit to instructor for publication in newsletter

Student Comments Student 1: “It is important to make sure we can arrange our ideas, situation, or problem in sequence order [because] it will help us writer our solution in a better way...P-S text really gives us a clue.” Student 2: “Problem-solution text [is] important for solving a problem. We are thinking [in a] different way when we solve the problem.” Student 3: “Before this class I had some intution about this kind of organization, but I didn’t know the specific parts on these types of text… [it] helps me think in an organized manner [and] focus on a small part, rather than think in a chaotic way.”