What is Focused Inquiry

1
What is Focused Inquiry?

• From VCUs course description site
• Utilizes contemporary themes to give students
  opportunities and practice in writing, critical
  thinking, oral presentation, collaborative
  learning, information retrieval and evaluation,
  and social and civic responsibilities.
  Incorporates common reading materials and course
  activities across all sections.

2
From vcu.edu

• The Focused Inquiry courses target a small
  number of specific skill areas. Sections of the
  courses are intentionally kept small to allow
  students to get to know each other and learn in a
  small setting. Each semester, the courses are
  themed, encouraging student engagement in a broad
  spectrum of disciplines.

3
Why is Focused Inquiry?

• Focused Inquiry was created as an alternative to
  English 101. It deviates from the traditional
  methods of teaching English, and focuses more on
  skills, as for jobs.
• From a Washington Post article
• Complaints about student writing are not new,
  but they are growing louder. College professors
  are surprised at the lack of writing ability that
  students display. At the same time, employers are
  screaming for workers who are better trained in
  problem solving, collaboration and communication.

4
What comes after Fake English 101?

• In addition to scrapping English 101, VCU is
  probably going to ditch English 200 in a year or
  two.
• A word from the faculty
• Dr. Marolla said the decision to phase out the
  course is part of the new core curriculum plan to
  make the responsibility for writing proficiency a
  University problem instead of an English
  department problem.
• Also, VCU cant get anyone
• to teach the course anymore.

5
Is only VCU against English classes?

• I asked some friends from other colleges.
• JMUs English 101 is called GWRIT, and focuses on
  writing about life experiences.
• St. Louis University has such a strange name for
  the class that my friend could not recall it.
  Its focused on readings from a textbook and
  writing skills.
• University of Texass class is called Rhetoric
  306, which my friend just said was quite painful
  for anyone with half a brain.
• North Carolina States class focuses on academic
  writing. The teachers outline the students
  papers for them, so all the students have to do
  is flesh them out.
• GMU Intro to Research. Lots of incredibly short
  papers. No books are read in it. Supposedly it
  taught us how to properly do research. No one
  enjoyed it.

No. This anti-English class attitude seems to be
present everywhere. Conspiracy!
6
Are students happy with this?

• Maybe some are, if only because English
  alternative classes are easier than old-fashioned
  English classes.
• But minimal thinking does not make a class good.
  From what Ive gathered from people who quite
  enjoyed high school English, college English is a
  big disappointment.
• Freshmen wish reading good literature was still
  a part of the curriculum, and miss good book
  discussions, intensive writing, and involved
  peer-editing sessions.

7
Teens Need English Classes Now More Than Ever

• There are no pros to phasing out English
  classes. Teens of today are already worse at
  writing than ever, thanks to internet jargon.
• And have you ever noticed how eerily close
  netspeak is to newspeak? You know, from 1984?
  Except netspeak is worse.
• English Wow, thats so amazing!
• netspeak gr8
• newspeak doubleplusgood
• As English classes devolve, writing and reading
  abilities will also. People will become unable to
  express themselves, to record history Youve
  read the story. (Then again, maybe not.)

8

Bring back English 101!