DE Oracle @ UMUC

The Fifth Annual UMUC July Writing Conference

Linda Smelser

Instructional Support Specialist

Non UMUC

Published: September-October 2008

Category: » University-showcase » Papers-studies

Introduction 

I had the good fortune to attend the Fifth Annual UMUC July Writing Conference on July 25 and 26, 2008. As an adjunct faculty for EDCP 100 and an instructional support specialist in the Center for Support of Instruction, I found the conference sessions both practical and informative. The conference took place at the Inn and Conference Center and was hosted by the Department of Communication, Arts, and Humanities and The Writing Program at UMUC. The conference planning committee decided that this year's conference would include presentations targeted for—and presented by—faculty from across the disciplines. This was a bonus for me as an instructor who does not teach writing or English but is expected to provide effective feedback to students on their academic writing.

The two-day conference offered three plenary sessions—two of which were panel discussions—and 18 presentations. I found it difficult to choose which presentations to attend as they all sounded like just what I needed to learn! A refreshment room was also set aside with publishers' exhibits available for review. The committee did a wonderful job of providing a variety of sessions and presentations that were thought provoking, insightful, and of particular interest to the UMUC community.

Plenary Sessions 

The plenary session on the first day was presented by Dr. Jeanne Fahnestock, a professor in the Department of English at University of Maryland College Park. She is the author of Rhetorical Figures in Science (1999/2002) and co-author of A Rhetoric of Argument (3rd edition, 2004), serves on the Board of Directors of the Rhetoric Society of America, and directs the Professional Writing Program at College Park. Her presentation, Cueing Coherence, provided the audience with an awareness of the patterns and signals to improve students' overall rhetoric skills.

The second day began with a panel session entitled Teaching and Learning Content Through Writing: Students and Professors Share Their Perspectives on Writing Assignments in UMUC Classes. The panel was facilitated by Linda Di Desidero and Lisa Zimmerelli. It included four professors—Sabrina Fu, ENMT 305; Diane Finley, PSYC 305; Lucia Worthington, BMGT 364; and Betty Ring, IFSM 300—as well as four of their students: Kevin Davis, Peter Hamm, Jamine Martin, and Nerrissa Ali-Aziz. The panelists were asked a series of questions concerning the management and influence of their instructors' feedback on their writing. Learning how these professors view their role for providing feedback and how students respond to it provided listeners with good insights.  

The last session of the conference kept audience members engaged and on the edge of their seats with a provocative discussion about The Changing Nature of Text and Rhetoric: Web 2.0 and Its Potential Impact on Online Education. Panelists Theo Stone, Kimberly Bonner, Mark Parker, Deloris James, and James Robertson and facilitators Andy Cavanaugh and Beth Mulherrin talked about the impact of interactive Web 2.0 technologies and how they have changed and will continue to change the way students view text, authorship of documents, and interactivity on the Web. Also discussed by both the panel and audience members were the legal, ethical, and pedagogical issues concerning the way interactive technologies impact the institution, our faculty, and our global student population.

Presentations 

The presentations were geared for faculty across the disciplines and provided much practical assistance, covering a variety of ways to provide effective feedback on writing as well as strategies for being an overall effective instructor. A number of speakers discussed the importance of being a mentor and encourager by not only assisting students with their writing skills but also making sure that they understand the content of the discipline. Overwhelming students with too much feedback about their writing can sometimes be a detriment to their understanding of concepts related to the discipline. One presenter explained that it is important to focus on grammar and style as well as to encourage and acknowledge when students show that they understand the content. It is a balancing act—an art, really—to be able to provide the kind of feedback that deals with all aspects of the students' intent and how they are able to communicate it through writing. The presentation titles and brief descriptions are listed below:

Day One Presentations

Enhancing Writing Skills and Scaffolding Difficult Texts for Adult Learners, by Cynthia Davis, examined Judith Langer's model of “envisionment building” and its four-step approach to help students engage the text, relate the text to their experiences, construct meaning, and critique the text.

Second Life: Should It Be Your First Choice?, by David Taylor, discussed the use of Second Life (SL) by universities in the United States and around the world. David examined the basic operations of SL as well as some of its advantages and disadvantages.

Teaching Grammar and Style without Teaching Grammar and Style, by Stan Dambrowski, noted that grammar and style are among the toughest areas to address effectively. Stan explained how his approach facilitates a focus on communication without needing to present a large amount of grammatical terminology.

Use of Animations and Virtual Laboratories for Enhancing Information Literacy as a Prelude to Writing about Science, by Frank Portugal, discussed how students in the real world are increasingly engaged in visual rather than written formats, how visualization appeals to certain student learning styles, and the downsides of adding visual sites to enhance information literacy.

Writing Center Belles Letters: Asynchronous E-Tutoring as a New Model of Dialogue, by Lisa Zimmerelli and John Whitcraft, discussed asynchronous online tutoring and teaching as a model of dialogue operating within a new paradigm of writing center theory and pedagogy.  

Assessing and Grading Students on Their Writing, by Emily Richardson, provided practical tips on essay exams, review questions, requirements for written responses, and offering students information on writing the research paper early in the semester.

Responding Effectively to Student Papers Across the Disciplines, by Linda Di Desidero, encouraged instructors to develop comments that are user-centered: usable, accessible, and effective for students. Linda discussed practical ways to have students be reflective about their writing decisions and how to communicate these decisions to their instructors.

The Web and the Rock: How Cognitive Theory on Writing Applies in the Online Classroom, by Jim Booth, discussed connections that students explore between two cognitive experiences in the online writing classroom, including gaining understanding of—and skill with—the writing process and how to apply this understanding to the online classroom.

Resume Rules Changes Teachers Should Know, by Ed Sapp, summarized the changes to resume writing not recognized by current textbooks. Among other items discussed, resumes need to show results and how potential employees are able to resolve problems.

Bringing Students Beyond LIBS 150 and WRTG 101, by Beth Mulherrin and Andy Cavanaugh, reviewed the skills and strategies that students are taught and expected to achieve from these two courses and how instructors can follow up with their students based on what they have learned.

Addressing Student Readiness when Assigning Writing: "The Discovery Assignment," by Natalie Kimbrough, showed how instructors can provide their students with an assignment that addresses integrating the components of an academic paper while not taking on the role of an English composition or grammar instructor.

Teaching Reading and Writing Contexts in Relation to Critical Thinking, by Chris Nank, demonstrated some of Chris's own techniques for teaching context to first-year writing students and how the techniques relate to fostering critical-thinking abilities.

Facilitating Productive Interaction in the Online Context, by David Ramsey, showed how the online classroom provides a learning community through encouraging substantial and productive student-student interaction.

Day Two Presentations 

Integrating Surface-Feature Strategies into Writing across Disciplines, by Margo Coleman and David Ramsey, introduced faculty in disciplines other than English to strategies and methods for improving students' cognizance of surface-feature concerns, allowing them to edit their own compositions.

Making the Most of the Marvelous Macro, by Catherine Flynn, provided step-by-step instructions on how to use Microsoft Word to build macros for use in reviewing student writing. The presentation also provided feedback examples.

Essay Responses to Test Questions: Uses and Abuses, by Judith Vandegriff, analyzed the types of sentences found in a short essay, elements of a long essay, and key words to look for as a guide to developing feedback.

How to Make Make Welcome Videos for Your WebTycho Classroom, by David Taylor, showed participants how to record audio and video using Audacity and CamStudio, both freeware tools.

A Plethora of Plagiarism—What Can We Do About It?, by Patricia Harden, explored the importance of integrity, respect, and responsibility of academic writing as well as strategies for dealing with plagiarism when it occurs in group assignments.

Conference Planning Committee 

The conference planning committee—Andy Cavanagh, Cynthia Davis, Linda Di Desidero, Liz Enriquez, Beth Mulherrin, Matthew Prineas, Sharon Rice, Lisa Zimmerelli, and Terry Zukowski—did a wonderful job of providing a variety of topics that met the needs of the audience. The participants came away with a binder full of new and thought-provoking ways to communicate with their students. If participants utilize even just a few of the recommendations that were presented at the conference, they will increase the effectiveness of their student-instructor communications. For more information on the 2008 Writing Conference, please visit the Writing Conference Web site.