Writing Program Overview and Lexicon

Azusa Pacific University

WRITING PROGRAM

overview

and

lexicon

WRITING at APU Q: Where does writing happen at APU?

ACROSS THE CURRICULUM Azusa Pacific University’s undergraduate writing program is built on three courses— Writing 1, 2, and 3—but writing instruction is by no means limited to their bounds.

Students continually improve their writing by working with faculty who are experts at writing in their fields, engaging with academic texts, assessing multiple genres, and practicing writing as often as possible.

Students at APU use writing to discover, develop, and demonstrate learning throughout their coursework. Students learn to write and write to learn.

IN THE WRITING PROGRAM FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR

THE ART AND CRAFT OF WRITING*

One goal for First-Year Seminar (FYS) is for

Writing 1 introduces students to the field

students to articulate ideas through written

of writing studies, which treats writing as a

communication. Beyond this, FYS classrooms

historically-based, culturally-influenced phe-

are an opportunity for students to step into

nomenon worthy of research and academic

the world of academic writing, develop a

engagement. In this course, students im-

writing identity, and understand that at Azusa Pacific Uni-

FYS 2

versity students learn to write and write to learn.

prove their writing skills and

WRITIN G

1

rhetorical acumen while engaging the content of writing studies.

FIRST YEAR 2

AT THE WRITING CENTER The Writing Center helps APU students become better writers.

resources appointments workshops

In one-on-one appointments, the Writing Center’s multidisciplinary staff serves by assisting writers first in strengthening the global aspects of writing such as

;

in-person

&

online

brainstorming, organization, assignment fulfillment, and integration of sources, and

free

second in sentence-level elements such as style and usage.

1-on-1

Writing Coaches engage writers of all levels in

conversation about how to clearly and effectively

any

communicate their thoughts in a manner appropriate to their audience.

Please visit apu.edu/writingcenter/resources for more

{

coaching student project stage

information on the lexicon and other writing elements.

GENRE, EVIDENCE, & PERSUASION*

WRITING IN THE DISCIPLINES*

Writing 2 moves students into a wider

In Writing 3, students begin to participate in

field in which they plan to study. The

the discourse community of their major by

course is structured around several es-

assessing the rhetorical situations they will

sential questions: What kinds of writing

encounter when they enter their academic

are done to create knowledge in this

field or profession. Students also create documents in multiple genres,

field? What arguments have

WRITIN G

2

led to knowledge creation? What is seen as persuasive?

SOPHOMORE

WRITIN G

3

implementing the techniques they have developed in Writing 1 & 2.

JUNIOR *beginning fall 2016

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OVERVIEW of COURSES

FYS

FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR First-Year Seminar introduces students to academic success strategies and fosters a sense of belonging at APU through engagement in the curricular and co-curricular life on campus.

These small, seminar-style classes form around a broad, interdisciplinary topic or question and are taught by experienced faculty focused on students’ critical thinking, written communication skills, information literacy, spiritual formation, diversity competency, and wellness. Using campus resources, the course helps students clarify their purpose, meaning, and direction.

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WRITING 1 THE ART & CRAFT

OF

WRITING

Writing is a skill that can be practiced and improved. In Writing 1, writing is the subject and the practiced skill. Students engage with comparison techniques, literacies, and genres by reading and writing about research and arguments dealing with all aspects of writing. Students will also craft arguments of their own based on their research on the art and craft of writing. Writing 1 classes are limited to 16 students.

PURPOSES OF WRITING 1: ESTABLISH familiarity with writing process theory and development of improved writing processes ENGAGE with complex arguments and research in order to improve critical thinking skills LEARN to recognize rhetorical elements such as audience, message, purpose, and medium TRANSITION from high school to college writing expectations LEARN a lexicon of writing and rhetoric terms

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OVERVIEW of COURSES WRITING 2 GENRE, EVIDENCE, & PERSUASION Writing 2 centers around the critical thinking and writing of a field of study. Students in Writing 2 critically assess the writing styles, questions, and arguments of their broader field in order to understand what is considered persuasive and what kinds of evidence are valued. For example, Writing 2: Scientific Writing compares arguments and evidence from the perspectives of physics, chemistry, and biology. Writing 2 courses are also available in humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, theology, and other fields. Writing 2 classes are limited to 22 students.

PURPOSES OF WRITING 2: ENGAGE with a range of complex writing and research within an area of study in order to encourage critical thinking skills ASSESS the questions being asked in related fields and how researchers and scholars attempt to answer those questions BUILD upon the writing and rhetoric skills gained in Writing 1 ESTABLISH familiarity with the academic writing styles of student’s fields

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WRITING 3 WRITING

IN THE

DISCIPLINES

Writing 3 focuses on writing proficiently in students’ specific majors and anticipates writing tasks in their professions. Proficient writers adapt to a variety of rhetorical contexts, balancing the needs and expectations of their audience, the conventions of their genre, and their own goals as authors. They produce clear and engaging text that uses appropriate support to develop a central thesis. They craft highly literate prose or poetry with fluent use of grammar, syntax, and diction. While composing, they seek out feedback and incorporate suggestions to improve their writing in multiple drafts.

Writing 3 classes are limited to 22 students.

Most Writing 3 courses are required for specific majors and offered by departments.

PURPOSES OF WRITING 3: SYNTHESIZE the critical thinking and writing skills developed early in college careers ENGAGE in the discourse community of a discipline CONSTRUCT complex arguments within discipline conventions ADAPT writing skills to new genres and audiences USE sound writing processes to produce polished writing products

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PREPARE to transition from college writing to professional writing

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LEARNING to WRITE WRITING IN COMMUNITY While in college, students begin to understand and join the conversations of academic fields by reading texts and conducting research. Students also collaborate directly with their peers, writing

coaches, and professors. As students at APU move throughout their studies, they engage in writing communities early and often, and prepare to contribute to their fields and future professions.

AUTHORSHIP Students at APU write not only to communicate what they have learned but also as an act of learning; while communicating ideas, writers also develop new ideas, increase understanding of concepts, and secure knowledge in

their memories. While writing, students begin to establish their identities as writers and capable critical thinkers.

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WRITING to LEARN RHETORICAL SITUATIONS Not all writing is academic, but all writing has certain rhetorical elements in common—audience, message, purpose, tone, medium, genre, and context.

Students at APU learn to assess and understand these elements, implement them in various rhetorical situations, and thereby gain the tools necessary to transfer writing skills from one course to the next and into their future careers.

ACADEMIC WRITING In order to join and contribute to the conversations of any given field, students need to fully understand and engage in the information that is so readily at their fingertips. Students at APU use information literacy skills to access, assess, integrate, and appropriately document research, all while maintaining their own voices and demonstrating their own critical thought processes.

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RHETORICAL SITUATION The foundation of APU’s Writing Program is rhetoric. Every text, every act of communication, has a rhetorical situation. The movie theater below is a representation of the rhetorical situation of any kind of text—a student’s paper, for instance.

Here, the paper is represented by the movie itself; both have a genre (academic paper/action-adventure), message, purpose, and tone. Both also have a primary audience (Shakespeare scholars/ American young adults). They may also have a secondary audience (professor/film critic) who is not necessarily part of the primary audience but offers a critique or feedback. Finally, the paper and the movie both have cultural and historical context, which affects the audience’s reception of the text or film.

Students at APU learn to recognize and adapt to rhetorical elements such as audience, purpose, and medium, in order to effectively communicate in multiple contexts.

Cantor & Lang, 2015 10

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TEN WRITING PRIORITIES THESIS AUDIENCE G E N R E ORGANIZATION S U P P O R T S

Y

D

I

N C

T T

I

A

X

O

N

STANDARD USAGE SPEL LING/PUNCTUATION P R E S E N T A T I O N

The Ten Writing Priorities are a hierarchical list of writing elements that APU students and instructors often use to assess writing for feedback and revision.

In writing conferences, peer groups, and during individual revisions, the Ten Writing Priorities serve as a tool to focus attention first on global issues such as thesis (message), audience, and adherence to the conventions of the genre, and

second on sentence-level issues such as syntax and diction.

For more information, see the Writing Center’s “Ten Writing Priorities” handout.

Maimon et al. (1981) and Dr. Diana Glyer

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PROGRAM LEXICON By establishing a consistent vocabulary for APU faculty and students, the Writing Program Lexicon facilitates students’ smooth transitions between courses and encourages learning.

argument

A genre of writing in which the author makes a claim in the form of a thesis, backs up the thesis with reasons, and supports the reasons with evidence. The writer makes connections between reasons and analyzes the evidence in an attempt to persuade a specific audience.

audience

A specific person or group of people to whom a text is directed. Writers need to understand their audience’s expectations, familiarity with the subject, and level of sophistication in order to make appropriate choices about a text’s organization, support, syntax, diction, etc.

connotation

The meaning(s) connected to a word that go beyond the definition (the word’s denotation) and include associations, emotions, and implications. For example, cheap and frugal have essentially the same denotation, but cheap has a negative connotation and frugal has a positive connotation.

counterargument

The views that oppose a writer’s thesis. In order to remain persuasive, writers need to be aware of counterarguments and refute or concede all or particularly compelling aspects of those that may persuade their specific audiences.

diction

Word choice and phrasing. Writers need to consider what kind of diction—academic, colloquial, personal, literal, figurative, abstract, concrete, etc.—is the most appropriate for their rhetorical situation.

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discourse community

A group of people who share common communication practices including special terminology and knowledge.

For instance, most people within the APU discourse community understand the terms Cougar Walk and chapel. Similarly, within their majors, students are entering into specific academic discourse communities where people use terms and understand concepts that those outside of the community might not. Writers should consider the discourse community or communities to which an audience belongs.

drafting

The process of composing wherein writers put words on paper or screen. The drafting aspect of a student’s writing process may include several progressively improved drafts.

editing

The process of making sentence-level changes to a text in order to improve syntax, diction, and more.

evidence

Proof in the form of data, facts, anecdotes, expert testimony, examples, visuals, and more that a writer uses to support a reason.

genre

A recurring writing form that follows certain conventions such as form, organization, syntax, diction, and presentation. Examples include lab reports, cover letters, exegeses, reviews, research papers, and blog posts.

invention

The act of brainstorming in order to generate ideas.

Some brainstorming techniques include listing, clustering, and freewriting. While freewriting, for example, a writer generates ideas by writing continuously and as quickly as possible. The key to invention is avoiding self -censorship.

lexicon

The vocabulary of a particular person, group, or field.

This list, for instance, is the vocabulary of Azusa Pacific University’s writing programs and instruction.

literature

A compilation, summary, and evaluation of the research available on a clearly defined topic or issue. May exist as a stand-alone text or part of a larger work.

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organization

The arrangement of a text that creates coherence.

Texts may be organized in many different ways—in order of importance, from general to specific, spatially, chronologically, from abstract to concrete, etc.— but the organization should be logical and pertinent to the rhetorical situation.

paraphrase

A slightly condensed rewording of an original text that uses dissimilar words and sentence structure. Paraphrases require documentation.

persuasion

The art of causing an audience to believe something or act in some way. Writers persuade by appealing to audiences’ reason, emotions, and values.

plagiarism

Presenting someone else’s words, work, or ideas as one’s own, either intentionally or unintentionally, by neglecting to document appropriately.

process

Writing processes vary dramatically depending on the available time, the rhetorical situation, the writer’s preferences, and many other factors. A writing process may include some or all of the following: invention, gathering research and materials, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading. Writing processes are recursive, meaning writers may move back and forth among actions as necessary.

proofreading

The process of carefully checking and correcting a text for spelling, punctuation, documentation, and presentation.

purpose

A writer’s goal(s) for writing a specific text for a specific audience. The range of purposes is endless. Examples include to inform, to persuade, to entertain, to express, and to record.

reason

A statement offered to support a text’s central thesis.

Reasons need the support of analyzed evidence in order to persuade.

revision

The process of adding, moving, altering, and deleting substantial elements of a text in order to establish effective organization and support.

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rhetoric

The art of communicating effectively. Rhetoric approaches matters of language and communication by valuing the author’s purpose, impact on audience, and adaptation to the writing task.

rhetorical situation

The context of a given text or other act of communication. Several factors affect each rhetorical situation: the author, the audience, the text (including its genre, medium, message, and purpose), and the surrounding historical and cultural context.

rubric

A document designed to clearly communicate the expectations of an assignment to students, assist students in evaluating their own work, and more fairly assess and grade final products.

signal phrase

A phrase, clause, or sentence that explains the origin of a quote, paraphrase, or other material. “She writes,” and “According to APU President Jon Wallace,” are signal phrases.

standard usage

The customary manner in which words and phrases are used. Usage evolves over time.

summary

A condensed but comprehensive report of the main points of a text.

support

Reasons, evidence, and analysis included in order to persuade an audience of a text’s central message.

thesis

A claim that a writer sets out to prove to an audience, which often takes the form of a thesis statement.

tone

A writer’s attitude toward a subject, which can be described with adjectives such as objective, serious, sarcastic, patient, sympathetic, pedantic, jovial, etc.

transition

A word, phrase, or sentence used to clearly connect one idea to the next.

writing

A skill that can be learned and taught. Writing can be a process, a tool for thinking, and a means of communication. At Azusa Pacific University, students learn to write and write to learn.

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FURTHER RESOURCES Conference on College Composition and Communication position statements ncte.org/cccc/resources/positions National Council of Teachers of English position statements ncte.org/positions APU General Education Apu.edu/provost/generaleducation APU Writing Center apu.edu/writingcenter APU Libraries apu.edu/library

Rebecca Cantor, Ph.D., Executive Director of Writing Programs, in collaboration with the General Education Writing Committee

16 Updated: June 2015