Description: With the ongoing development of university-wide writing programs and the continued growth of WAC and WID comes an increased need for research into how FYC responds to entering students' abilities and matriculated students' needs. In his proposal for a “R/Evolutionary” writing program and curriculum, David Smit identifies “transferability” as a primary consideration, concentrating on related factors of instructional focus (what is taught), genre (what students write), and context (the numerous situations in which students write).
This roundtable brings together faculty and graduate student co-researchers from four interconnected studies undertaken recently at two different public research universities. The studies include two cross-institutional inquiries into college students' transfer of prior genre knowledge into FYC; a two-year investigation into FYC students' transfer of rhetorical knowledge across academic writing situations and media; and a survey-based study of how students perceive the transferability of FYC research skills. In a structured, three-part conversation, researchers will offer a comparative analysis of their research findings, and they will reflect on their research practices, addressing in particular questions about effective study design and effective strategies for collaboration between faculty and students and between colleagues at different institutions.
• Part I will focus on the collective conclusions researchers draw from interlocking studies of first- and second-year students' transfer of genre, rhetorical, and research knowledge across mediums, assignments, and writing situations.
• During part II, speakers will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of their studies' designs, interview and survey protocols, and strategies for working with undergraduate research participants.
Downloads:
SBPart1.doc (48KB)
(Part 1: Study Results)
SBPart2.doc (32KB)
(Part 2: Overview of Methods)
SBUT-UWstudy.ppt (172KB)
(Part I Powerpoint slides)
SBUT-UWstudyPart2.ppt (87KB)
(Part II Powerpoint slides)
