Message, Method, and Medium Approach to Advanced Expository Writing

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Message, Method, and Medium Approach to Advanced
Expository Writing

• Web-based Assignments in Advanced Expository
  Writing

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Introduction
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The Setting

• Web-based classes are highly valued at UCF,
  especially by upper-level students who have other
  responsibilities and obligations in addition to
  their educational pursuits.
• Advanced Expository Writing is composed of
  English majors and non-majors who want to
  challenge their own writing styles and examine
  how language functions in text.

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Learning Problems and Goals

• Problems
• Students may feel intimidated by technology
  demands.
• Students may not have a strong background in
  critical thinking and writing skills
• Students may not understand the definition of
  expository writing.
• Students may feel that writing can only be taught
  in a face-to-face environment.
• Goals
• Make technology a seamless component of the class
  
• Design modules to gradually introduce WebCT tools
  and to provide reward system
• Incorporate online communication strategies to
  promote a better quality of writing
• Establish a learning community in a supportive
  environment to decrease student paranoia
• Use diverse teaching strategies and assignments
  to engage students
• Provide clear models and analysis of expository
  writing

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Creating the Learning Environment

• Instead of relying on printed essays in
  traditional textbooks as the only interpretation
  of text, the idea will expand to include
  photographs, art, poems, stories, magazines,
  comic strips, and advertisements.
• Group presentations and discussions will be used
  using WebCT tools.
• Students will search, analyze, and evaluate
  different variations of texts within the same
  theme.
• Students will rely on interactive technology for
  personal interactions in order to create a
  learning environment.

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Outcomes

• Using self-reflection and relevant texts,
  students will produce
• four essays (self-reflection, comparison,
  definition, argument)
• final project using evidence from their own
  personal lives
• sophisticated writing samples

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Outcomes - Projected

• Students will be able to
• broaden their definition of text
• consider the rhetorical situation of a text in
  its evaluation
• effectively apply the writing process (drafting,
  revising, polishing) in the development of the
  essay
• work collaboratively as well as individually
• analyze their own and others writing styles and
  rhetorical preferences
• demonstrate vocabulary growth and concept
  awareness through application in written works
• provide relevant assignments that connect their
  personal lives

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Outcomes - Actual

• Outcomes will be demonstrated through four types
  of essays
• Self-reflection After you have explored the self
  and place through different mediums (photos,
  essays, and poems), use the narrative method to
  write a personal, self-portrait of you and your
  relationship with place.
• Comparison After you have explored family and
  community through different mediums (photographic
  essays, commentaries, and advertisements), use
  the comparison method to write about your own
  family or community using a controlling metaphor
  to integrate your audience from what is know to
  what is not known about you subject.

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Outcomes - Actual cont

• Definition After you have explored
  language/writing through different mediums
  (reviews/editorials, interviews, and speeches),
  use the definitional method to write about how
  language/writing defines who you are as a writer.
• Argument Pick any of the themes used throughout
  the semester (place, family/community,
  language/writing), pick the best three mediums
  that represents this theme, rank them, and defend
  your answer with evidence.

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Implementation

• Coming soon!

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Implementation - Projected

• Resources needed
• WebCT website
• online texts
• tutorials/orientation
• Current difficulties
• time
• development of rubrics
• finding appropriate online texts
• strategies for group work
• students varying technology skills and resources

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Implementation - Actual

• Coming soon!

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Conclusion

• Advance Expository Writing invites students, who
  already have a fair mastery
• of the basic conventions of the written word,
  including grammar and
• punctuation, to reconsider their ideas about what
  a "text" is and to give
• consideration to how and why a "text" is
  constructed. Students will either
• choose a particular theme for the semester (based
  on their own interests) or
• use the themes of place, family/community,
  language/writing, and writer as
• witness. Using four different modes of writing
  (self portrait, comparison,
• definition, and argument) and examining examples
  of each mode by looking at
• the message, method, and medium of texts,
  students will demonstrate mastery
• by writing their own example of each writing
  mode, ending with an argument
• that takes a position of which medium works best
  for a specific theme.
• Students should be prepared to commit lots of
  time to reading, writing, and
• revising.

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Attachments, links, etc.