Theory and Practice of Writing Across the Curriculum

English 6760

 

Catalog description for this course: 

• Pedagogies incorporating writing throughout the disciplines
• writing problems encountered by native and non-native English speakers
• strategies for responding to student writing
• technologies helpful for student writers
• methods for working with students individually and in groups

 

Helping your students' research

 

• Contact your liaison for a one-time class session
• Direct students to the basic resources wiki page - http://libresos.pbwiki.com/Basics
• Encourage students to contact your liaison for an individual session
• There is also a Research 911 session offered through SCAA.  This is currently co-taught by Sarah Nielsen and me.  I have a wiki page for that, too, at http://libresos.pbwiki.com/Research911.  This site offers the same structure as the "Basics" page, but goes into more depth in certain areas.

 

Topics covered in the "Basics" wiki page

http://libresos.pbwiki.com/Basics

 

• Academic Integrity  (NOTE:  There will be an Academic Integrity and Ethics Week on campus Jan. 28 - Feb. 1, including a speech from the founder or CEO of Pixar)

             See also http://libresos.pbwiki.com/academic-integrity-and-conventions for information and tutorials about Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

 

• Search Strategy:   Think, Plan, Find, Evaluate, Cite
• Each of the Strategies
• Where to get Help

 

Key Points

 

• Many of you will deal with student assignments that ask them to write on topics unrelated to English.  If they are in English classes (e.g. Eng 800/900/1000), students can have difficulty understanding that the topic is what drives where they should search, not the title of their class.
• Keep it simple, especially if you teach 800 or 900 series classes.  If they consult 1-2 general sources and learn to cite them, that will be progress.  If you are working with Upper Division students, you will need to assess what is reasonable in terms of numbers of sources and depth of inquiry.
• They can get help 24/7 - in some form.  We offer reference via chat (24/7), email, in person at the reference desk or with a liaison, by IM and by telephone.  See the chart at http://www.library.csueastbay.edu/staff/ask_main.htm.
• Some of your students will have taken LIBY 1210, Fundamentals of Information Literacy; some will not.  There have been occasions when I've gone into an English class to teach a one-time session and encountered one or more of my students or former students.  For some, it's a refresher; for others, it's frustrating. 
• Shortly, we will launch a new library web page.  As part of that, over the next few months, especially the sumer, I expect to revamp the subject page for English, expanding it and providing a lot more information.  I also plan to consult English faculty about sub-topics, e.g., TESOL, Creative Writing, Writing Across the Curriculum, and so on and figure out how to cross-link with the English page.  If you have ideas about any of these, please send them to me as I am starting a file of things to include.
• As part of our move to the online world, we are also creating modules to put our LIBY 1210 class online.  This is our Fundamentals of Information Literacy class that is required of all incoming first year students.  As these modules are developed over the next few months, I expect that we'll also make them available generally, with a view to serving those students who are not required to take LIBY 1210, e.g. transfer students.  As they become generally available, they will also be available for your students' to take or to use as review, if they've already taken LIBY 1210.

 

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For pedagogy, strategies, or methods, consider consulting Education sources, e.g.

• ERIC
• Education Abstracts

 

Another possibility might be Psychology, Sociology, or Social Work sources, e.g.

• PsycIinfo
• Sociological Abstracts
• Social Services Abstracts

 

For writing problems among native and non-native speakers, your best option is

• MLA International Bibliography

 

For technologies helpful for student writers, try

• MLA International Bibliography
• Web 2.0

 

Don't be afraid to experiment!  

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My contact information

 

Aline Soules

aline.soules@csueastbay.edu

510-885-4596

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copyright Aline Soules 2007

under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/