Transcript Comp 4.0 Developmental Writing paired with English 1303

Comp 4.0
Developmental Writing paired with English 1301
Piloted Fall 2007
Patti Dungan and Stacey Stover
Austin Community College
March 17, 2008
Original Course
Redesigned Course
48 hours of instruction
16 hours of instruction
 3 LEH for DEVW 1413
 3 LEH for ENGL 1301
 1 LEH for Basic Study Skills
-------------------------------7 LEH Total
Two 16-week courses
and one 8-week course.
*LEH = lecture equivalent hours.
 1 LEH for DEVW 1411
 3 LEH for ENGL 1301
-------------------------------4 LEH Total
One 8-week course and
one 16-week course.
Our Students:
• Writing Skills II (WSII) is the exit-level developmental
writing course. We recruit the highest-performing WSII
students for this paired course.
• These students have passed the state reading test.
• They have passed Writing Skills I with an A or B or
almost passed the state-mandated writing test.
How did we get to 4 LEH?
1. We brainstormed a list of essential writing skills.
Proofreading Skills
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Proofreading strategies
Comma splices
Fused sentences
Fragments
Apostrophes
Commas
Pronouns
Consistent tense and person
Parallelism
Quotation marks
Commonly confused words
Sentence combining
Essay Skills
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Writing process
Document design
Paragraphing
Hook-lead
Thesis statement
Topic sentence
Development
Showing vs. telling
Concrete details
Unity & Coherence
Audience & Purpose
Outlining practice
Essential Skills
Computer Skills
Research Skills
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Narrowing a topic
Conducting research
Evaluating resources
Managing the information
Avoiding plagiarism
Knowing when to quote
Writing signal phrases
Using parenthetical citations
Writing a works cited page
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Saving to a flash drive
Saving files as RTF
Using icons for formatting
Using Blackboard
Using MyCompLab
Sending attachments
Exit Testing
• Writing in a timed environment
• Writing a persuasive essay
• Writing an analysis essay for
purpose and pattern
How did we get to 4 LEH?
2. We brainstormed a list of student roadblocks.
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Our students juggle work, family, and school; struggle with personal
issues: eviction, violence, health issues; and rely on unreliable
transportation.
*Can we be more flexible with attendance and deadlines?
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Our students often define themselves as non-readers.
*Can we compile readings they would find beneficial?
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Our students often take a passive approach to their studies.
*What can we do to make them more independent learners?
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Our students often have negative educational experiences which
result in a fixed mindset (Dr. Carol Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of
Success, Ballantine Books 2007).
*What can we do to persuade students that they can learn the material?
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Our students fear MLA and developing proofreading skills.
*What can we do to alleviate this fear?
How did we get to 4 LEH?
3. We researched ways to address our issues.
1. Can we be more flexible with attendance and deadlines?
2. Can we compile readings they would find beneficial?
3. What can we do to make them more independent learners?
4. What can we do to persuade students that they can learn the
material?
5. What can we do to alleviate fear of MLA and developing
proofreading skills?
What’s redesigned?
Technology, Classroom Environment, Instruction, Curriculum
• Course offering
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Grammar & mechanics
Classroom
Tracking
Readings
MLA
Curriculum
Purposes & Patterns
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Original------Redesign
16 wk dev 8 wk dev. writing
study skills Removed
Lecture
Individualized
Desks
Computer Lab
File folder Blackboard
Traditional Custom reader
Lecture
Interactive
Instructor
Uniform
Lecture
Website &
online, computer-graded,
low-stakes tests
What do we do?
1. During the first week of class, students write an in-class persuasive
essay.
2. The instructor develops an individualized skill list for each student.
3. Students are given a variety of options for mastering the skills on
their plan: MyCompLab, SkillsTutor, ACC tutoring lab, textbook
chapters and exercises, instructor handouts, and online resources.
The instructor is available to answer any questions.
4. Students are required to demonstrate mastery of their top 5
assigned skills: instructor test, MyCompLab, or in their essays.
Essay Prompt
Write a multiple-paragraph essay on the topic below. Read the assignment carefully before you begin to write, and
think about how you will organize what you plan to write. Please write legibly. You may use a dictionary but not any
other reference materials. Remember to review what you have written and make any changes that will improve your
essay . Your essay should be your original work written in your own words. Though you can use the
information in the topic below, put the ideas in your own words; don’t copy word for word from the topic
information below.
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All parents have thought of it and many have done it: spy on their children. In an effort to know what their
children are doing and to protect them, many parents search their children’s bedrooms and closets, read their
diaries or journals, and log on to their children’s computer files and email. Some have even hired private
detectives to follow their children. But is this behavior acceptable?
Those in favor of parents spying on their children say that it is a justified violation of a child’s privacy as
the parents have their children’s best interests in mind. They also point out that life is more dangerous with drugs,
sex, and violence a larger part of children’s lives now than in the past. Proponents point out that many teens lie to
their parents about what they are doing so parents are forced to spy. They argue that families are not democratic
institutions, and parents have the right to make important decisions to protect their children.
Those opposed to parents spying on their children say spying can cause children to mistrust their parents.
They point out that there are better ways for parents to know what their children are doing. Opponents also
mention that spying may have the unintended result of children spying on their parents. Finally, they point out that
even children have a right to their privacy.
So what do you think? Is it right for parents to spy on their children? In an essay to be read by a classroom
instructor, take a position for or against this issue. Your purpose is to persuade your reader to accept your
position. Support your position with logical arguments and appropriate examples.
COMPOSITION PROFILE
Introduction
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Body ¶ One
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Body ¶ Two
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Body ¶ Three
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___Lead-in effective/needs development/needs better flow/missing
___Thesis clearly stated/unclear/missing
___Essay map provided: Yes or No
___Topic sentence is clearly related to the thesis: Yes or No
___Topic sentence is clearly stated/unclear/implied
___Development is effective/adequate/needs work
___Unity: all sentences clearly develop the topic sentence/paragraph lacks unity
___Coherence: all sentences flow together smoothly/reader has to fill in some blanks for content to make sense
___Transitional devices are effective/need work/missing
___Topic sentence is clearly related to the thesis: Yes or No
___Topic sentence is clearly stated/unclear/implied
___Development is effective/adequate/needs work
___Unity: all sentences clearly develop the topic sentence/paragraph lacks unity
___Coherence: all sentences flow together smoothly/reader has to fill in some blanks for content to make sense
___Transitional devices are effective/need work/missing
___Topic sentence is clearly related to the thesis: Yes or No
___Topic sentence is clearly stated/unclear/implied
___Development is effective/adequate/needs work
___Unity: all sentences clearly develop the topic sentence/paragraph lacks unity
___Coherence: all sentences flow together smoothly/reader has to fill in some blanks for content to make sense
___Transitional devices are effective/need work/missing
___Effective/needs development/missing
Conclusion
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Language
Skills
Major Errors
___comma splices
___fused sentences
___fragments
___subject-verb agreement
expression
___verb tense consistency
___sentence sense—has all of the elements of a
sentence but doesn’t make sense.
Minor Errors
___commonly confused words/spelling
___apostrophe usage: possessive and contractions
___comma usage (items in a series, coordination, introductory
clause or phrase, coordinate adjective, transitional
___pronoun case/agreement/reference
___missing words or word endings: -ed, -s, -ing, ly
___capitalization
___ESL issues: articles/prepositions/awkward wording
Our Final Challenge
• To ensure that students enrolled our redesigned
1 LEH Writing Skills II (WSII) course are equally
or better prepared as students enrolled in the
traditional 3 LEH WSII course.
• All WSII students are mandated to write a timed
essay to exit the developmental writing program.
Students are given three hours to write a
persuasive essay.
Grading Session
• Essays are graded by two faculty members, but
faculty members do not grade their own
students’ essays.
• We calibrate three times each semester to
ensure accuracy.
• Because this pilot started fall 2007, we do not
have comparison data but preliminary numbers
are promising.
Pass/Fail Scale
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Introduction (2 points)
_______ Hook-lead (A few sentences that introduce the topic and lead to thesis)
_______ Thesis statement, with or without essay map, clearly addresses the prompt.
Body Paragraphs (12 points)
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Par1
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Par 2
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Par 3
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Topic sentence states one main idea which clearly contributes to the thesis. (3 points)
Main idea is supported with explanation & at least one relevant example and/or other relevant elaboration. (3 points)
Sentences are logically connected. (3 points)
Main idea is further supported with (an) additional relevant example(s) and or other relevant elaboration. (3 points)
Conclusion (2 points)
_______ A developed paragraph that sums up the argument.
Language (9 points))
_____Three or fewer major errors (4 pts); four major errors (3 pts); five major errors (2 pts); six to seven major errors (1 pt); more than seven major errors (0 pts)
_____Five or fewer minor errors (4 pts); six or seven minor errors (3 pts); eight minor errors (2 pts); nine to ten minor errors (1 pts); more than 10 minor errors (0 pts).
_____Writer effectively constructs a variety of sentence types (1 pt).
Error Checklist
Major Errors (mark one hash per error)
Minor Errors (mark one hash per type of error)
_____comma splices
____commonly confused words on list (30)
_____fused sentences (run ons)
_____apostrophe usage: possessives/contractions (2)
_____fragments
____comma usage: items in a series, coordination, introductory
_____subject-verb agreement
clause or phrase, coordinate adjectives, transitional expressions (5)
_____verb tense consistency
_____misuse/abuse of commas (1)
_____ sentence sense—has all of
_____pronoun case/agreement/reference (3)
the elements of a sentence
____capitalization (1)
but doesn’t make sense
_____ missing words or word endings: -ed, -s, -ing, ly (4)
_____ parallelism
_____ESL issues: articles/prepositions/awkward wording (3)
_____other
Instructor’s initials _____
Results Achieved
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Cost $avings:
a. one professor reassigned
b. elimination of study skills: 1 LEH
c. students pay for 1 LEH vs. 3 LEH for DEVW course
d. more effective use of instructor & student time
e. classroom space saved
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Standardized Curriculum
a. eliminates course drift
b. quality increased
c. less grading allows for better use of time
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Student-centered Curriculum
a. individual needs are addressed
b. students are more involved—ownership
c. access to materials 24/7
“The hallmark of successful
individuals is that they love
learning, they seek
challenges, they value effort,
and they persist in the face of
obstacles.” —Carol Dweck
Self-Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and
Development
Questions?
Austin Community College
• Patti Dungan
[email protected]
• Stacey Stover
[email protected]