Week 8

Yancy’s article notes how English departments are in decline. I would propose that students are continuing to learn how to read and writing at the college level, it just may be in a more discipline specific manner. It seems that the pace of education is faster and more rigorous than in the past and subsequently students are more interested in learning information pertinent to their specific discipline. For instance a biology major who is interested in becoming a scientist might be more interested in taking a class in science writing versus a course in general composition or classical literature. For the syllabus and this post I propose a science writing course that focuses on the contact zones of science and society. For on of the texts I propose the book Best American Science Writing. This book is a compellation of the best general/lay audience science and technology writing over the past year. The essays are long-form journalism by top authors in the discipline. This text would provide the students not only examples of content, but also great examples of writing style. 

One of the assignments for the proposed course would be a collaborative writing assignment of a current controversial science topic. Students would be asked to pair in groups of 3 to 5 and select a topic. Topic ideas could be found in the NY times, LA Times, Science, Nature, Slate, Salon, NPR or other news-outlet. Once a topic is selected by the group, each group member should research and examine a unique angle of the controversy. Each student will be responsible for writing a 2000 word essay on the specific angle of the controversy they have selected. Each essay should include a minimum of 2 figures that include graphics, as well as a figure legend. A reference list should follow each article. The audience for the essays is a diverse well-educated group unfamiliar with the topic. One article should provide background, describing the history and introducing key players to the controversy at hand. A well developed premise and argument should be provided for the selected position pieces on the controversial topic. While each essay will only cover one perspective, the group should be sure that the entire conversation and all perspectives are covered by their essays as a whole. Depending on the number of group members one essay could also cover future directions and/or next steps. 

Specifics to consider:

• When did the controversy arise and under what circumstances? What was the broader picture at the time…what other historical and social factors contributed to the controversy? 
• What groups or individuals are participating in the controversy and what is their agenda? Who are the experts? What are their credentials and experience? Do the experts agree?
• What experimental evidence is part of the conversation and how is it interpreted? Do opposing sides employ the same experimental data…if so how is it interpreted differently?
• What communications/media strategy and/or tools are being employed by each side? Does one side excel in a specific manner?
• Has the controversy ended? If so, how? 

Formatting

All essays should be compiled in one Word document. Arial 11 point font, double spaced lines and one inch margins should be used. A cover page including the title and group members names should be included, followed by a table of contents. An abstract of approximately 250 words should also be included. AMA style should be followed. Essays should be free of mechanical errors. 

Grading

A rubric on a scale from excellent, good, fair and poor will examine: 

1. Content
2. Organization
3. Audience
4. Style 
5. Mechanic

Week 7

What is Literacy?

Literacy is the ability to navigate, interpret, and contribute within a culture. Cultures could be social constructs or specific disciplines. For this post I will discuss scientific literacy.

from Discover magazine: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/2009/03/17/what-is-scientific-literacy/

Paul deHard first defined scientific literacy in 1958 as “the understanding of science in relation to our civic and social experiences, which is essential for participation in this science/technology-based democracy.”

According to the National Academies:

“Scientific literacy is the knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes required for personal decision making, participation in civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity. Scientific literacy means that a person can ask, find, or determine answers to questions derived from curiosity about everyday experiences. It means that a person has the ability to describe, explain, and predict natural phenomena. Scientific literacy entails being able to read with understanding articles about science in the popular press and to engage in social conversation about the validity of the conclusions. Scientific literacy implies that a person can identify scientific issues underlying national and local decisions and express positions that are scientifically and technologically informed. A literate citizen should be able to evaluate the quality of scientific information on the basis of its source and the methods used to generate it. Scientific literacy also implies the capacity to pose and evaluate arguments based on evidence and to apply conclusions from such arguments appropriately.”

Literacy of science as well as language, computers, finance and other disciplines is a key component of a functional productive society. 

Week 6

Review of Mackinzee Escamilla and Corey Duysen presentation on preventing plagiarism in first year composition courses.

Overall the prezi and the audio component of the presentation were very well done. The presentation focuses on prevention and detection of plagiarism in first year composition courses. By the end of the presentation I wondered who the intended audience of the presentation was? It is a great overview, but in my opinion not detailed enough for practitioners and I do not think students really care about the specifics.

The first line of defense against plagiarism according to Escamilla and Duysen is education. What does the literature say regarding motivations? Is it really ignorance or is it laziness or a shift in the culture of attribution (thinking of mashable)? The presenter specifically details the education that students should receive on using others’ work properly: summarizing, paraphrasing, quoting, crediting sources and citing sources. Guided practice in these skills is crucial for proper implementation by students in their own work.

The presentation then transitioned to focus on the role of ethics and integrity in preventing plagiarism. While the presentation discusses completely valid ethical reasons to not plagiarize, I wonder if emphasis should also be placed on disciplinary consequences of plagiarism because they are more tangible.

The presentation concludes with a discussion on plagiarism detection software, specifically turn it in. The presenter describes how turn it in is integrated into many learning management systems and how many students often do not realize that their documents are going to this plagiarism detection database. To me this raises serious questions regarding privacy and copyrights? I also wonder if savvy students utilize turn it in or the like to ‘check’ their work for detection prior to submitting their assignments.  

Week 5

MOO vs. Skype in online classes about writing, and how it relates to this business of dogs

I must say the MOO reminds me of my first experiences in internet chat-rooms in high school in like 1998.  While poking around MOO I saw that it was founded on May 9, 2000, which seems about right. It is amazing to me how far digital interactively has come in only a decade. There are currently so many robust technologies to stay in touch with friends, family and coworkers that provide an environment that rivals face-to-face interaction. 

Skype and FaceTime have revolutionized remote interactions on personal and professional levels, as have webinar technologies for remote presentations. Technologies that integrate multiple sensory platforms are more likely to appeal to and reach a wider audience of learners.

My last TTU writing class employed audio skype and freescreensharing.com for visuals.  The combination of these two free technologies is a very similar experience to Citrix Go to Webinar, where all participants can speak and share their screens. This was my first course at TTU and I was very pleased with the platform and how it facilitated the learning environment. While the focus of this course and the last course is composition, by in large I find verbal interaction most effective to improve composition. I think it is widely acknowledged that misunderstand more often occurs when communication is pared down, as in email. Composition is communication and the more sensory modes that are integrated into the learning process lead to a richer and more effective environment.

I have also taken asynchronous writing courses at Austin Community College, where there was no interaction with classmates or the instructor. These courses were focused on grammar and editing and the asynchronous format was acceptable because the materials were rules based rote learning, therefore a self-paced non-collaborative class format fit the subject matter. 

I also have extensive experience with Citrix Go to Webinar as part of American Medical Writers Association. I am president of the Southwest Chapter, which encompasses Texas and the states that touch it. The large geographic area makes it difficult to include all members at a meeting at any specific location. Moving our meetings to dual in-person and webcast has greatly increased participation in chapter events by allowing non-locals to attend meetings in real time, as well as those who are busy with other obligations during the event, but would like to view the event at a later time.

While many of my classmates indicated that they like the MOO format, for various reasons such as: not getting dressed, interruptions, I find it detached, truncated and discursive. These feelings could also be partially due to unfamiliarity with the subject matter and format – both of which may grow on me with time. Or they could be due to a familiarity and expectation of other richer more interactive formats available. Only time will tell.

How this relates to anonymity and abnormal discourse…. Personally I dislike anonymity – don’t see the point of hiding yourself or your views in a country that supports and grows from free speech. Abnormal discourse is necessary because it allows the challenge of authority and of knowledge or practices that may be unproductive.

My dogs only have one business and that is sleeping.