SAM HOUSTONSAM HOUSTONSTATE UNIVERSITYSTATE UNIVERSITY

December 1997 Volume 17

A Member of The Texas State University System

COCURRICULAR WRITING-LEARNINGOPPORTUNITIES

Dr. John DelaneyAssociate Vice President for Student Services

For educators who work with students primarilyoutside the formal classroom setting, interactions withstudents on writing projects are most often veryfocused and clearly defined. Rather than evaluatingthe finished piece for the purpose of assigning agrade, cocurricular writing assignments typically arecommunication vehicles with a stated emphasis andgoal. A student can learn much from this one-on-onemodel of tutoring, and communication skills can bepolished through the process of gaining experiencewith cocurricular writing assignments. Examples ofsuch writing projects include program proposals forfunding and/or requests to host a particular event,letters of invitation to speakers or guests for afunction, thank you letters to those who participatedin hosting a program, and a myriad of letters tovendors, students, and others involved. This lengthylist of “real” forms of communication demands certainstyles from the writer.

In addition to the overall planning which must

accompany this package of communication, basicelements of good writing such as correct spelling,noun-tense agreement, and sentence structure formthe foundation upon which a well-crafted letter isconstructed. By focusing on the distinct ideas of thedocument (purpose, audience, details, and so forth),the student can write with clarity, succinctness, and adirectness which is all too often lacking in formalclassroom papers.

Helping the writer understand the clear distinctionsbetween a formal letter of invitation and a fundingproposal also provides the student with an invaluablehands-on learning experience; every type ofcommunication must possess the style and structureappropriate for its specific intent, and these skills can belearned. Once a student grasps this basic concept,much of the “mystery” surrounding the art of writing canbe reduced or eliminated, even for those students whoshake at the thought of putting pen to paper (or fingersto keyboard).

By assisting students to develop a cogent, correct,and articulate style of communication through theircocurricular writing experiences, we can greatlyenhance their academic performances across thecurriculum, and, just as importantly, help themcommunicate with clarity and style as they move onto graduate or professional schools or begin theirrespective career paths.

CONTENTSFeatures 1

Techno-Writing 3

Idea Exchange 5

Student Writing 12

DECEMBER

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Have you noticed that the average students in your class grumble and scowl when reading the syllabus anddiscovering that a required research paper represents a substantial portion of the course grade? As facultymembers, we are afforded several options. First, we can take the course of least resistance and tell thestudents that the research paper is required and there is no alternative. Second, we can sympathize with thestudents which provides temporary relief. However, it is my firm belief that the third option is the best and onlyoption to pursue—telling students that the employment opportunities for college graduates are greatlyenhanced by possessing good communication skills.

Having seen this issue from both the educator’s and the employer’s perspective, I have a greater appreciationfor written and oral communication skills. While serving as a bank president, I found that the most criticalelement in the hiring process was the ability of college graduates to sell themselves through oral and writtencommunication. They had to explain what contributions they could make to the organization that would justifyour placing confidence in them. If the potential employees were successful in convincing the managers thatthey could make valuable contributions, we hired them. Communication played a major role in determininghow successful these college graduates became.

In most organizations, communication skills play a major role in helping individuals advance to positions ofgreater responsibility. They will be asked to do the following:* Write business proposals and make oral presentations.* Write position papers and make oral presentations.* Respond in writing and in person to customer requests.* Evaluate products and services both in writing and orally.* Write technical papers and make oral presentations within the industry.

Most people do not realize how much excellent staff work tends to accelerate advancement opportunities andcompleted staff study is valued. This type of study includes evaluation of data and recommendations ofpossible courses of action to management. The difference between success and failure will often bedetermined by the preparer’s ability to communicate ideas effectively in writing and orally.

Next time your students appear to be indifferent about writing research papers, answering essay examinations,or making oral presentations, remind them that they are “writing for dollars” and “speaking for dollars.”

THE STUDENT WRITING INCENTIVE:BETTER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Dr. James B. BexleyChair

Smith-Hutson Endowed Chair of BankingCollege of Business Administration

Cost ofGoods Sold

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DISTANT DISCUSSIONS IN THEHIGH-TECH CLASSROOM

Dr. Steven CuvelierAssociate Professor

College of Criminal Justice

Computer competency is rapidly increasing amongour students, but a wide range of skill levels stillexists. A learning-centered course format is often aneffective method of addressing diverse competencylevels, but with independent study comes the risk ofisolation and the lost value of a shared learningexperience. A lack oftechnical skills amongstudents can further add tothe sense of frustration andalienation whether thecourse is conducted in atraditional, distant, or virtualclassroom.

The need to be separatebut together underscoresthe irony of today’s“reinvented” government,or “reengineered”corporation. People areexpected to workindependently but function as a team; teams focus onspecific tasks but must cooperate to support thegoals of the larger organization.

One communication link for the high-tech classroomis a discussion group created on the World WideWeb. This group reinforces a sense of community byproviding a forum for students to ask questions,supply answers, and announce interestingdiscoveries made during their learning experiences.All messages are available to all students, who inturn have the ability to post replies to specificmessages or start new lines of discussion known as

“threads.” Breaking the habit of silence among studentsin the virtual classroom has not been easy, but I findthese groups generate more participation from morestudents than traditional face-to-face class discussions,especially when credit is assigned.

I base class participation credit on the number ofpostings and number of words. One point is assignedfor each message posted, and an additional point isassigned for each fifty words written. Averaging sixtywords per message, a student who contributed threetimes per week (about forty-five messages during thesemester), would score ninety-nine class participation

points. A letter grade iscomputed as a percentage ofthe maximum of one hundredpoints for the course. Forexample, a student postingforty messages (40 points)averaging sixty words(1.2 points each), wouldscore 40 + (40 x 1.2) oreighty-eight points.Eighty-eight points translateinto eighty-eight percent ofone hundred points, a high B.

Counting entries and wordsneed not be tedious.

Technology enables most assessment processesto be automated. The Microsoft FrontPage software,for example, saves entries in a single text file. Theinstructor can download the file from the server andimport it into a data manager, such as MicrosoftAccess, where the writer’s name, the message, andtime/date stamp can be captured in appropriate fields.With a little programming, duplicate entries can beeliminated, and the number of entries and wordscounted. A quick scan of a writer’s contributions canusually screen messages inconsistent with courseobjectives so relatively little time is required to assessthis material. Grading may be further simplified by not

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distinguishing among questions, answers, orobservations. Questions tend to be shorter thaneither answers or observations, so responding to aquestion or making an observation has a built-inbonus.

This assignment has certain advantages inencouraging students to get involved. We ofteninclude class participation as part of the coursegrade; however, students may not know exactlyhow much they must contribute to score well. Theexplicit nature of the course credit accumulatedfrom discussion lists brings a tangible reality toclass participation. Even the more timid studentsfeel compelled to participate when they know theymust earn course credit. Students can get hookedon the interactive element of Web communication,frequently moving far beyond course requirements.One student stated, “Start for the credit; stay for thefun.”

While time for discussions on the Web is limitless,class time is not. Not all students may have theopportunity to participate in class, but not so on theWeb. Also, many students report feeling lessself-conscious “speaking” on the Web, so voiceswe may not hear in class may be “heard” throughthis technique.

Web discussions are not a panacea, however,as they address only one mode of writtencommunication and tend to lapse intoshort bursts of non-edited, poorly composed,chatty, write-as-you-talk expressions. Instructorsneed to be quite explicit as to what is expected inan acceptable message. Establishing a rubric thatis simple, clear, and easily applied by students aswell as the instructor will help maintain acceptablecourse standards. Grading Web entries canbecome an overwhelming task if there is too muchdetail or complexity in the evaluation system.

When properly structured, Web discussions canprovide an inviting writing experience for studentswhile maintaining a manageable workload forinstructors. Students can keep writing, thinking,and forming communal bonds, whether they are oncampus or around the world.

The Department of Library ScienceSam Houston State University

16th AnnualChildren’s Literature Festivalfor Librarians and Educators

Saturday, March 14, 19988:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Attend activities such as workshops on avariety of topics, autographing sessions,and book exhibits, as well as hear theseauthors speak:

Berthe AmossTony JohnstonSteven Kellogg

Peggy Rathmann

The cost is $60. For additional informationand registration forms contact:

Dr. Mary Berry Festival Coordinator

Department of Library ScienceSam Houston State University

PO Box 2236Huntsville, Texas 77341-2236

phone (409) 294-1150fax (409) 294-1153

GIVING THE GIFT OFWRITING:

A STICKY SUBJECT

Dr. James W. GibsonStudents’ Legal Advisor

Adjunct Professor of Law

Do your holiday shopping earlyand give the gift of writing to yourstudents. There is no better gift fortheir future. President Marks wasasked in an interview for theHoustonian on June 23, 1997 whathe felt was the most valuable traitan individual could possess. Hisanswer was not surprising. Hesaid, “If I had to pick one singletrait, probably good communicationskills because if you are not goodat communicating verbally and inwritten form, it will certainly holdyou back professionally. If youcan’t communicate well, and I am

talking about both the sending andreceiving end . . . it lowers yourquality of life.” The ability tocommunicate in the written form isa gift which will increase astudent’s self-esteem, enhance thequality of all our lives, and livespast a lifetime. Encouragingstudents to write in our classes isplanting the seed for their future

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prosperity. An awareness of one’sability to capture ideas andconcepts, shape these into wordsand phrases, then see the resultson paper is awesome to students.Usually such awareness willconquer a student’s fear of writing.However, students need our helpand encouragement along with awritten assignment.

Many of my students initially enterclass with tremendous fears abouttheir writing ability. I feel this isharbored and perpetuated by alack of knowledge concerningsome simple writing tools or

mechanics. In addition, studentsare embarrassed to admit thesefears, and will hide their inabilityat all costs. The most seriouslong-term cost is electing not totake a writing-enhanced course.In my view, we must resolve thisproblem or at a minimum we musttry. Our main job as educators isto prepare students for success inan ever-increasing, fast-paced,new information age. A premiumwill be paid for the assembly anddistribution of information which isput together in new ways. We doour job well when we allowstudents the opportunity to think,process, and form ideas into

concepts. No longer can we waituntil the masters level to begin thisprocess in earnest.

In order to accomplish our task, wemust make a conscious effort toshift out of the “scantronization”paradigm and into what I call the“stickynization” paradigm. Making

this shift is not as hard as it mayappear at first glance. The moderntechnology which brought usscantrons also brought us stickypads. This marvelous, accidentalinvention can be the key toactivating student writing andlearning. Simply ask students tosummarize what they read in aparagraph on a sticky pad andstick it on the paragraph. Thisexercise helps students focus onactually reading, analyzing, andunderstanding instead of justassuming that they havecomprehended the paragraph’sessence. This technique can be aform of behavior modification too.Writing on the sticky pad initiatesthe new action to be taken, andattaching the sticky pad to the textprovides instant feedback forsuccess. These new actions alsodemand that the student activelyparticipate in learning. Soonstudents are transferring

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PEOPLE BUILDERSEXTRAORDINAIRE

Dr. Art HughesAssociate Professor

Department of Curriculumand Instruction

We seekto embolden,yes, empower,dynamic,quest enticingteacherstalented withconsecrated insightand eloquenceto makeeach availablemomentof every dayexciting,alive, and fruitfulfor each studentin their charge.

Truly,we striveto bepeople builders‘extraordinaire.’

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information from their brain to the sticky pads. Once the sticky pads are completed, they can be organized intoa logical order for class or the first draft of a written assignment. Sticky pad notes can also be placed alongsideclass notes and integrated for exam purposes.

The beauty of using the sticky pads is getting back to the “old days” when students only had 3x5 cards to use intheir research and writing. However, the sticky pads have an advantage because they are already color codedand come in various sizes which better fit textbooks, periodicals, or other reading materials. Students find the“stickynization” method a novel and interesting way to write papers or prepare essay tests. Additionally, itsaves students time and effort because they do not need to refer back to highlighted text material. I suggestthis method to all my students, and I find the majority feel relieved to know this simple tool for making writingeasier. Most of us have used a similar procedure for years, but we might think it is too simplistic for ourstudents. On the contrary, the KISS method, or “Keep It Simple for Students” method, is a real winner. Give alasting gift to students. Give them sticky pads and you will be giving them a true tool for writing. They will thankyou for years to come, or until they accidentally come up with a better tool.

CHOOSING THE BEST:WAC IN THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

Dr. Frieda KoeningerAssistant Professor

Department of English and Foreign Languages

During the twentieth century, faculty members who teach foreignlanguages have adopted various innovative methodologies. Eachstrategy has advantages and drawbacks, and teachers must choose,analyzing the insights of others and adapting techniques for theirparticular classrooms. As a “chooser,” I enjoy learning about creativepedagogical approaches and incorporating them into my methodsrepertoire for the Spanish classroom. Therefore, I have gleaned manyuseful approaches from our Across-the-University Writing Programworkshops and retreats.

Angela Williams and Barbara Walvoord, retreat speakers, have urgedparticipants to involve students in the learning process. Writing is auseful tool to promote involvement because it uses eye, mind and hand,and both the right and left sides of the brain. With this in mind, I usewriting in the beginning course to make learning more active, to allowstudents to apply what they have learned after they have practiced orally.Also, I evaluate their progress. For instance, students might complete asimple writing exercise about a concept that I have just begun to explain.

As they progress, I use more open-ended written exercises. In mybasic classes, major evaluations always included a writing component.I usually base questions on a drawing which creates a context andencourages the student to use the language for a certain function.Plus, I alternate written and oral communication activities by using a

77

pair arrangement. Oral practice helps studentsdevelop confidence and fluidity. The drawback isthat it is not always possible or desirable to correcttheir errors while they are speaking because it canbe intimidating and frustrating. Writing is useful atall stages to monitor students’ progress closely. Forexample, I have students write down answers thatthey have just practiced orally with a partner andhave them check each others’ written version todetect misunderstanding before errors are“fossilized.”

In my more advanced courses, I strive for a balancebetween written and oral exercises. In order tostimulate discussion in conversation classes orabout readings in the literature classes, I askstudents to write their thoughts first. Next, theyread each others’ comments, trying to grasp themain ideas without correcting any mistakes. Finallythe discussion begins. I find that this method helpsinvolve people who would otherwise not dare tospeak.

Within the Spanish composition classes, I usespeaking activities that parallel the variouscompositions that we are developing. Forexample, in class a student practices telling severalclassmates about an incident from last summer, andlistens to the versions of others. Each pair spendsabout five minutes together. Then everyone beginswriting a rough draft of the narration while still inclass. Outside the classroom, they elaborate moreon the chosen incident. We begin by working onstimulation of ideas and general organization. Inlater drafts, we focus on details, detecting specificareas that need to be studied and relearned in orderto enhance accuracy in the language.

With more advanced students, I try to stimulate theuse of more sophisticated vocabulary andgrammatical constructions. I often marvel at mystudents’ papers and attribute much of theiraccomplishments to my improvement in designingwriting assignments because of the writingworkshops. I hope that my students will realizefrom their experience in my Spanish classroom thatwriting is an important and interesting part of theirlives, not just a subject taught in English classes.

THE “IS RUSH RIGHT”HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

Dr. Frank FairProfessor

Department of Psychology and Philosophy

I teach Philosophy 262, Critical Thinking, a coursedesigned to encourage critical thinking in a variety ofareas, including analyzing the media. In thisconnection, I have had fun with a homeworkassignment involving that “round mound ofconservative sound,” Rush Limbaugh. Theassignment was prompted by my receiving a copy ofThe Way Things Aren’t: Rush Limbaugh’s Reign ofError, from a group called Fairness and Accuracy inReporting (FAIR). The critics from FAIR contrastedRush’s version of the truth point-by-point with“reality”—or at least their version of it. I wondered if Icould devise an assignment for reading the bookwhich would encourage a critical attitude both towardthe deliverances of media personalities and alsotoward their critics.

The way I structure homework assignments is toreward consistent, good faith effort. Each assignmentdone on time earns two points credit, and an equalnumber of points is subtracted for late orunacceptable assignments. During the semester,there will be between fifteen to twenty-fiveassignments, so the credit can become a significantpart of the student’s final grade—even though any oneassignment does not count that much. However,because the Rush Limbaugh assignment would take

more time and effort, it had to be worth more and thestudents had to have a long lead time for it.

Therefore, I explained the assignment the first classday and gave students the following instructions:a) Read the Rendall et al. book, The Way ThingsAren’t: Rush Limbaugh’s Reign of Error.b) Pick one of Limbaugh’s assertions and thecorresponding critique as the focus of your work. Youwill be critically evaluating both the assertion and thecritique.c) Before beginning the body of the assignment, tellme which assertion you have selected since I wish toavoid overlap among the class members’assignments.d) Check the quotation’s accuracy—did Limbaughreally say it and mean it seriously—and check thecritique’s accuracy. Describe the process you used tocheck both in enough detail so that someone elsecould do the same.

e) Assuming that the authors are correct about thebulk of the inaccuracies they cite and taking accountof what you have found from other sources you wishto consult, write two arguments: one which concludesthat Limbaugh’s inaccuracies are a serious matter andanother which concludes that they are not serious.Make these arguments strong, while not departingfrom the facts as you understand them. You do nothave to believe either of these arguments yourself.The point is to explore whether there might be twosides to this question.f) Finally, make your own argument about Limbaugh’saccuracy and its importance or unimportance. Notethat you could argue for example 1) that he isgenerally accurate and that his being so is important,

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2) that he is generally accurate, but his being so is notimportant, 3) that he has promulgated a large numberof inaccuracies and that this is serious, or 4) that hehas promulgated some inaccuracies, but it is not aserious matter.g) The point of this assignment is to evaluate criticallyan influential media source and his critics. There is nopredetermined outcome to this inquiry; the focus is onthe process of checking for accuracy and evaluatingthe relative importance of the assertions in a largerscheme.

The assignment results were better than I hadexpected. The majority of the students took itseriously, and some made strenuous efforts to verifythe Limbaugh quote and to find out what “reality” was.They also thoughtfully explained their stance onwhether the inaccuracies they confirmed wereimportant or trivial. Some students noted that Rushhad a considerable influence on their family members;others were happy to have “ammunition” to reply to“ditto heads” of their acquaintance. While mostcriticized Limbaugh’s cavalier treatment of facts,several defended him as an entertainer for whom toerr is, after all, only part of show business.

I liked this assignment because of the critical thinkingtasks it presented and for the attitude that itencouraged. Fact checking, presenting pro and conarguments, and, in general, actively evaluating aninformation source are tasks which are obviouslyrelevant to critical thinking. The fact that the studentswere to scrutinize the critic’s comments, as well asLimbaugh’s, helped encourage the attitude thatanyone can be mistaken and all sources need to beevaluated.

This assignment can be adapted for use in any areawhere there are controversies—at least when thosecontroversies are based in part on some differencesof opinion about what the facts are. Students canidentify a “factual” claim about which the two partiesdisagree, describe their research which corroboratesor challenges the claim, and argue about howsignificant the claim’s accuracy is in relation to thecontroversy. Give students enough incentive andenough lead time, and my experience shows that youare likely to be pleased with the results.

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99

COOPERATIVE LEARNINGGROUPS: HOW DO YOU

USE THEM?

Ms. Vickie MitchellLecturer

Department of Language,Literacy, and Special

Populations

Cooperative groups enhancelearning through the interactiveparticipation of students. Thegroups are utilized to introducecontent material, critique writtenand oral work, and assist informative and summativeevaluations. Each student hasthe responsibility to learn theinformation and to support otherteam members’ learning. Thatfact, alone, empowers the studentto take more responsibility infacilitating learning in theclassroom and changing thetraditional role of the “collegelecturer.”

To incorporate grouping forinstruction, the first decision tomake concerns the size andmakeup of the group. According toJohnson and Johnson (1994),groups can be organized accordingto size, mixed abilities, age,experience, and student needs.The older and more mature thegroup of students, the moremembers the group may have.

Typically, groups range in sizefrom two to six students, commonlyreferred to as teams. Althoughteams should not keep the samemembership indefinitely,cooperative learning expertsrecommend a minimum of twoto three weeks so that teammembers learn to work togethereffectively. College instructors maywant to use designated examperiods within the semester aschange points.

One weakness of using learninggroups is the failure to providestudents with a structure of how tooperate effectively and efficiently.Johnson and Johnson (1994) andSlavin (1994) recommend teamroles. The “leader” gets the teamstarted and facilitates the progress.The “recorder” writes the minutesof the meetings, while the “monitor”watches the clock, and the“encourager” makes sure everyoneparticipates. It is useful to haveteam members rotate roles in orderto utilize the strengths of the team.Grading time can be reduced byquizzing members during theprocess or upon completion of thework. The minutes of the“recorder” can be used as thegroup report, and the teams canscore each other by using a rubricwith grading criteria.

If you would like more informationabout using groups as a learningtool, see the research of Johnsonand Johnson and Slavin oncooperative learning. ImprovingStudent Writing: A Guidebook forFaculty in All Disciplines, byAndrew Moss and Carol Holder,provides tips on the use of groupwork with writing assignments.

Johnson, D. W. and R. T. Johnson. Learning Together and Alone. 4th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1994.

Moss, Andrew and Carol Holder. Improving Student Writing: A Guidebook for Faculty in All Disciplines. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt, 1988.

Slavin, R. E. Cooperative Learning. 2d ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1994.

Fiction Writers, Poets,Playwrights, Essayists,

Students, Faculty, HuntsvilleCommunity Members

The Sam Houston State UniversityWriters’ Forum Invites Your

Participation!

The Writers’ Forum discusses,engages, and celebrates all forms ofwriting. In weekly workshop sessions,authors of fiction, poetry, drama, andessays can share finished pieces andworks-in-progress with other writersand exchange constructive criticism,encouragement, and suggestions aboutpublication possibilities.

The group also features lectures,readings, and an annual review, ThirdStory Presents.

For further information, contact:

Megan Thompson at 295-5694or Dr. Paul Child at 294-1412.

RESEARCH PROJECT: WRITING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM IN AGRICULTURE

Dr. Barbara J. Ward and Dr. Sudeep VyapariAssistant Professors

Department of Agricultural Sciences

In fall 1997, we proposed a research study to evaluate and chronicle student and faculty attitudes regarding writingacross the curriculum (WAC) in agriculture. Thirteen faculty members in the Sam Houston State Department ofAgricultural Sciences instruct our five hundred majors in the following areas: animal science, agricultural business,horticulture and crop science, general agriculture, and agricultural mechanization. Due to the diversity in emphasisareas, the faculty use a variety of practical writing assignments that bridge the gap between academic experiencesand the outside world. We prepare our students for highly diverse career opportunities in teaching, industry,university extension, business management, entrepreneurship, and production agriculture. To meet the challenges ofthe twenty-first century, our graduates need to communicate effectively to laypersons and agricultural professionalsalike. These two audiences require very different writing styles and we, as faculty, are challenged to provideappropriate training for our students.

To develop an effective WAC program in agricultural-based curricula, many researchers believe that greater emphasisshould be placed on expressive writing rather than formal, transactional writing (Britton, 1975, 11-18). Expressivewriting is defined as “thinking on paper” as opposed to the “reader-based” transactional writing which is intended forpeers and colleagues. Unlike the standard, formal English of transactional writing that often follows a specific format,expressive writing is “workday” writing. Examples of this type of informal and conventional writing include journals,diaries, drafts, newsletters, and letters (Tchudi, 1986).

The objectives of our study are to conduct attitudinal surveys of students and faculty regarding writing assignmentsand to assess the current skills of our agriculture majors by evaluating their writing samples. The first objective will beaccomplished through conducting both student and faculty attitudinal surveys in fall 1997 and again at the end of thespring 1998 semester. Survey responses will be recorded on a Likert-type scale. In addition to questionnaires, arandom sample of students and faculty will be selected for personal interviews to provide detailed responses and toanswer open-ended questions. Responses will help measure perceptions of changes in behavior, aspirations toimprove writing ability, and attitudes about the techniques used in their courses.

A volunteer faculty team will holistically evaluate the students’ writing samples. Data to be correlated with surveyresults will include pre and post-test scores, type of writing assignments completed in a semester, and courseenrollment data. Level of improvement will be quantified and related to type and intensity of writing assignmentscompleted during the testing period. Type of assignments and intensity will be identified through faculty interviewsand course syllabi.

Based on the data obtained in this study, guidelines for writing assignments that improve students’ abilities can bemade to all agriculture programs. We, in the Department of Agricultural Sciences, are interested in assuming anactive role in improving our students’ writing skills and their comprehension of agricultural subject matter. As amember of the Agricultural Consortium of Texas, our department will serve as a role model for agricultural programsacross the state. In addition, we will aid other Sam Houston State departments interested in incorporating writingskills.

Britton, J. The Development of Writing Abilities. London: Macmillian Education Press, 1975.Tchudi, S. Teaching Writing in the Content Areas: College Level. Washington D.C.: National Education Association, 1986.

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FACULTY RESEARCH INITIATIVES

Patricia WilliamsDirector

Across-the-University Writing Program

Are you interested in conducting research in yourclasses? Do you want to know more about yourstudents’ writing abilities and assignments that work?Are you seeking avenues for publishing andpresenting your research? If so, you might want tojoin the Assessment Strategies Committee, aninformal group open to all faculty. The Across-the-University Writing Program Committee and othercolleagues in the four colleges have had monthlymeetings to discuss research issues. Anyoneinterested in giving and receiving feedback concerningprojects may join. We intend to publish our findings ina monograph which will be sent to the Sam HoustonState University faculty and writing center directorsacross the nation. In addition, we hope to presentpapers at the Fourth Writing Across the CurriculumConference to be held at Cornell University onJune 2-5, 1999.

Various colleagues have already written proposals,and several studies will begin this semester. Forinstance, Dr. Barbara Ward and Dr. Sudeep Vyapariwill distribute an attitudinal survey and collect writingsamples from students who are majoring inagriculture. They will then have colleagues analyzethe samples to ascertain whether or not students’writing has improved. Vickie Mitchell will sendquestionnaires to practitioners in the special educationfield to discover the types of writing these individualsdo on a daily basis. Afterwards, she will comparethese results with the types of assignments thatstudents complete. And, Dr. Art Hughes will inviteprincipals and personnel directors to evaluateportfolios created in teacher education classes. Hewants to know what potential employers expect inthese documents. Other valuable projects includeDr. Steven Cuvelier’s study concerning writing,distance learning, and criminal justice classes andDr. Diane Dowdey’s questionnaire about the types ofwriting that are occurring in SHSU classes.

If you are interested in joining this committee, please

contact Patricia Williams at (409) 294-1143. Our nextmeeting will be held in the Teacher Education Center,room 319L, at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 29.

ASSESSMENT STRATEGIESCOMMITTEE

WHO: Open to all interested faculty, graduatestudents, and community members

WHAT: Informal meetings to discuss researchprojects dealing with writingGroup members give and receivefeedback about research projects,proposals, and plans.

WHEN: Monthly, one-hour meetingsThe next meeting is scheduled forThursday, January 29, at 3:00 p.m.

WHERE: Teacher Education Center, room 319L

WHY: To develop worthwhile researchprojects that help us assess ourclasses and the Across-the-UniversityWriting Program

For more information, please contact:

Patricia WilliamsDirector

Across-the-University Writing ProgramFrels, Room 213

Sam Houston State UniversityHuntsville, Texas 77341

(409) 294-1143

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EFFECTIVE ASSIGNMENTSAND EVALUATION

TECHNIQUES

Hunter HaukHonors Program Student

Journalism Major

When students begin taking corecurriculum courses, certain skillsbecome important in determiningtheir level of success. The ability towrite effectively is at the top of thatlist, and it is just as much theresponsibility of the professor as thestudents to make sure that studentsbecome proficient writers. Aprofessor can help students grow intheir writing skills through the typesof assignments and feedback given.During a recent Across-the-University Writing Programworkshop, a panel of honorsstudents met with faculty membersto discuss assignments that havebeen most helpful.

Eve Stephens, a senior criminaljustice major, addressed the subjectof research papers and projects.She stated that most studentsdread working on research papersbecause there are so many strictrequirements. To eliminate thisproblem, Stephens recommended astep-by-step strategy for assigningand grading research projects sothat students are not sooverwhelmed.

Her steps to making an assignment

effective are as follows:• Once the paper is

assigned, schedule a time to talkwith individuals. Students findverbal communication helpful, andthis discussion often leads to abrainstorming session about moreideas to incorporate. It also givesthe teacher an understanding ofwhat the student is focusing on inthe paper.

The professor might then givesuggestions for reorganizing orthinking about a subject in adifferent way.

• Always have studentswrite rough drafts and turn them inbefore the final is due. Then,review the papers and makewritten comments. To avoidgeneral or broad comments thattell students nothing, typecomments as you read through thedraft and number the comments to

correspond with numbers that youwrite in the paper. This waystudents can actually read eachsection and turn to the commentpage to see how to improve.

• After giving students timeto revise the drafts, collect the finalpapers, and grade them based onrequirements explained at thebeginning of the process. Makesure that students know thedifference in an “A” and a “B”paper, based on the assignment’scriteria. When studentsunderstand the grading system,they will accept their grades.

Stephens added that her bestresearch projects have been insmaller classes where professorshave met with her periodically andfollowed her through the writingprocess. Junior journalism majorHunter Hauk added that thebiggest problem most studentsface in writing research papers isnot having enough guidance.

Hauk then expressed ideas tomake writing more fun and lessstressful. For instance, hecommented that a series of formalessays can help students developwriting skills as much as any oneresearch paper. To aid students,he suggested that professorsrequire students to write three-to-four page essays related to classdiscussions. Inviting students toresearch the topic, form their ownopinions, and use real-lifeexamples makes theseassignments interesting. With

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each essay, professors can give detailed commentsas to how students can better state and supportpoints. With this method, professors will see students‘writing improve with each assignment. The primarygoal is for students to learn more, so having a seriesof assignments rather than just one large one workswell.

Along with formal essays, Hauk encouraged usingjournals to help students gain confidence and receiveconstant feedback. Entries can be one-to-two pagesand due frequently, such as onceevery week. At the end of eachclass, teachers can brieflydiscuss the next journalassignment. An exampleof a worthwhile journalassignment might be topretend to be acharacter in any storythe class has read,and explain howyour presence wouldchange the outcome.These assignments helpstudents be creative andenjoy writing.

Next, Hauk emphasized that studentscan turn in assignments by electronic mail.He noted that a large number of studentscannot and do not use computer technology.To introduce this communication form, he statedthat professors might require students to doe-mail and Internet searches in completing journalentries or formal essays. Hauk ended by stating thata student can produce a much better research paperby combining formal and informal essays that werewritten on a particular topic.

Sophomore academic studies major Constance Plantintroduced the idea of using group writingassignments. She said that often students becomeconfident about their skills when they divide the workand plan together. Also, she mentioned gradingsuggestions that a professor may consider whenevaluating a student’s performance.

• The grade should be written on the final

page of the paper or project. Many students will thenread the comments first, so that they have anunderstanding of how the professor determined theparticular point value. Along with the grade, Plantrecommended that a few final comments be madeabout the overall paper. A breakdown of the grade ishelpful to indicate where points were lost. If studentsonly receive a number at the top of the page, they donot know how to interpret the evaluation.

• Comments at the end of papers may consistof thoughts about progress, praise for improving the

consecutive drafts, and ways to enhancespecific areas in the future. She noted, and the other panelist

agreed, that students want to hear what they did right, as well as suggestions concerning how to change their work.

Near the end of the panel presentation, Plant discussed how tests can be generated bycombining multiple choice,

fill-in-the-blank, and essays to make them more balanced for

different learning styles. The audience asked many questions and

stated that the points provided insight intostudent wants and needs. Professors need feedbackas much as students do, particularly in the way theygive assignments. They can help students hone theirskills and make writing assignments worthwhilelearning experiences.

(Hunter Hauk, a junior journalism major, EveStephens, a senior criminal justice major, andConstance Plant, a sophomore academic studiesmajor, are members of the Sam Houston StateUniversity Honors Program and Orange Keys, theofficial hosts and hostesses for the school. Hunter isalso the former editor of the Houstonian, and he haswritten numerous articles for the newspaper thissemester. The Across-the-University Writing ProgramCommittee sponsored the November 12 paneldiscussion.)

Patricia WilliamsNewsletter EditorAcross-the-University Writing ProgramBox 2119Sam Houston State UniversityHuntsville, Texas 77341

The Across-the-University Writing Program Newsletter, an official publication of SamHouston State University, is addressed to faculty members and administrators. Pleasesend articles concerning successful writing assignments or evaluation/responsetechniques to the following:Patricia Williams, Newsletter Editor, SHSU, Box 2119, Huntsville, Texas 77341.Phone (409) 294-1143 Fax (409) 294-1056 E-mail edu_paw@shsu.edu

Design & Production Editor: Robert GarrettAssistant Editor: Christie Adelman

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