Creating Authentic Experiences11az2

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Creating authentic experiences: UsingCreating authentic experiences: Usingcollaborative writing teams in a servicecollaborative writing teams in a service- -learning composition classroomlearning composition classroom

Adam Webb



Introduction

Two types of instruction in the

composition classroom:y Individual and textual y Collaborative and social



Traditional-textual instruction vs.transitional-social instruction

Traditional-textual instruction

Pedagogy: Cognitive-individualdevelopment

Expectation: Individual-textual proficiency

Outcome: ³Academic´ essay

Transitional-social instruction

Pedagogy: Constructionist-collaborativedevelopment

Expectation: Collaborative-multi-textual proficiency

Outcome: ³Academic/non-academic´ essay



Four instructional modelsThe four main instructional models in many compositionclassrooms that I will focus on in this action research studyare:y

Apprenticeship instructional model ( u sually l imited t o textual-d iscip l ine specific eng a g ement )y Activist instructional model ( u sually l imited t o textual-

pol it ical- social e ng a g ement )y

Student-learner instructional model ( u sually l imited t o textual- pol it ical- social e ng a g ement )y Participator instructional model ( textual a nd a ctual

eng a g ement in the pol it ical- social-d iscip l inary sphere s of d isco ur se)



What is service-learning?What is service-learning? Service-learning is a method thatconnects teaching and learning goals with communityservice, usually in the form of volunteering. Service-

learning helps students participate within localcommunities²promoting civic engagement andresponsibility²thus building important connections and agreater understanding of those communities¶ diverse needs.

The educational component of service-learning comes inthe form of having students reflect on their experiences.Service-learning¶s connection to freshmen composition isrelatively recent, starting in the mid-nineteen-eighties.



Sigmon¶s (1979 ) three principlesThe first step would be to list the important principles andfactors that go into incorporating service-learning into theclassroom. Robert Sigmon (1979 ) lists three principles for

service-learning:y ³Those being served control the service(s ) providedy Those being served become better able to serve and be

served by their own actionsy

Those who serve also are learners and have significantcontrol over what is expected to be learned´ ( Sigmon, p.10).



Herzberg¶s (2000 ) ³four possibilities´

While Sigmon establishes the foundational principles for using service-learning in the classroom, Bruce Herzberg(2000 ) claims that service-learning should be used within

the composition classroom because:y ³Current issues´ are more appealing to studentsy Issues and problems within the public community ³helps

students understand audience and genre constraints´y

Establishes a ³social consciousness´ that might ³tosocial action´y Encourages ³civic leadership´ ( Herzberg, pp. 467-68 )



Dubinsky¶s (2001 ) ³three factors´

Also building on Sigmon¶s three main principles, JamesM. Dubinsky (2001 ) lists three important factors inservice-learning:y

³ Lear ning (with clearly defined goals )y S erv ing (one¶s community )y R e f lect ing (on the service aspect )´ ( Dubinsky, p. 3 )y Sigmon, Herzberg, and Dubinsky provide theoretical

and pedagogical realms of consideration whenincorporating service-learning into the classroom.



Three approachesLinda Adler-Kassner (2000 ) suggests Thomas Deans¶ threeapproaches of how service-learning can be connected tothe teaching of composition:y

³Writing for community´ ± Students create documentsspecifically based on that community¶s needsy ³Writing ab out community´ ± Students reflect on their

experiences working within a certain communityy

³Writingw

ith community´ ± Students work morecollaboratively together with individuals in a certaincommunity in order to meet a need (Adler-Kassner, p.28)



Purpose of this study

The purpose of this action research is to determine if collaborative writing teams in a service-learning

composition classroom help students become better writers. The independent variables for thisstudy are the collaborative writing teams and thelocal non-profit organizations. The dependentvariables in the study are the students¶ writing andtheir overall sense of achievement.



Research questionsThe questions that I will answer with this action researchare:y Will the participator instructional model create more

opportunities for collaborative writing projects inservice-learning composition classrooms?

y What will the structure of a service-learningcomposition classroom look like?

y What types of activities and assignments will studentsengage in a service-learning composition classroom?

y How will student writing be assessed in a service-learning composition classroom?



ProcessSetting:

A university in South Texas (a Hispanic Serving Institution )

Investigators:Composition Instructor 1

Composition Instructor 2

Population:College level freshmen students in their second semester of English composition 1302

Instruments:Attendance rubricPortfolio-project rubricPresentation rubricSelf & peer evaluationsSurvey (one for subjects & one for all other students )



Goals for composition 1302Develop cross-cultural understanding andrespect

Use writing, reading, and academic inquiry tocritically engage increasingly complex open-ended questions and ill-defined problems

Write, read, and speak for a variety of real-world purposes and for various audiences(Writing Program¶s Staff Manual, Goals andObjectives 1302, 2009 )



Objectives for composition 1302Explore diverse perspectives on issuesLocate and evaluate appropriate primary and secondarysources in terms of credibility, context, author, purposeand audienceSynthesize appropriate primary and secondary sourcesConstruct arguments that are ethically responsible andrhetorically effectiveUse conventions (i.e. APA )Use computer technology to research, generate texts,

and communicate across disciplinary contextsGenerate a research portfolioSelf-assess research process and product (WritingProgram¶s Staff Manual, Goals and Objectives 1302,2009 )



The structure

Writing teams (WTs )

Collaborative research and writing

Local non-profit organizations

One large portfolio-project



Classroom description

y Composition Instructor 1 ± Threecomposition courses (25 students per course )

y Composition Instructor 2 ± Onecomposition course (27 students )

y Meeting time per week ± Tuesday andThursday, one hour and twenty minuteseach day



Local non-profit organizationsy Charlie¶s Place Rehabilitation Center, for substance

abuse, counseling, and recovery(http://charliesplaceonline.com/media/news.html )

y The Wenholz House, also for substance abuse,counseling, and recovery ( http://ccsafeplace.com/ )

y The Salvation Army of South Texasy The YWCA of South Texasy The Food Bank of Corpus Christi

(http://www.foodbankofcorpuschristi.org ) y P.A.L.s Animal Shelter ( http://www.palscc.org/ )



LNPO¶s continued«y Planned Parenthood of South Texasy USS Lexington, a retired aircraft carrier now a museum

on the bay ( http://www.usslexington.com/ ) y The Texas State Aquarium

(http://www.texasstateaquarium.org/ ) y Communities in Schools (C. I.S.), a public school

mentoring programy S pecial Olympics of South Texasy The Women¶s Shelter of South Texas

(http://www.thewomensshelter.org/ ) y Boys and Girls Club of Corpus Christi

(http://www.bgccorpuschristi.org/ )



The assignment sequenceInstruments to measure writing and collaboration:Attendance

First four weeks (two meetings times per week )

Five checkpoints (over two-and-a-half months )Portfolio-project1 collaborative document1 final reflection from each team member

PresentationCollaborative, formal, multimedia

Self and peer evaluations



Portfolio-projectDescription Part or section

Proposal (75-100 words ) (third part of the essay in the portfolio-project )

Abstract (25-50 words ) (third part of the essay in the portfolio-project )

Introduction & history of non-profit (first part of the essay in the portfolio-project )

State & federal laws of non-profit (second part of the essay in the portfolio-project )

Interviews & volunteering (second part of the essay in the portfolio-project )

Recommendations and conclusions (third part of the essay in the portfolio-project )

Sources (references « both primary and secondary )

Final document (parts one through three in one document )

Final presentation (formal, multimedia )

Final reflections from writing teams (one per group member )



Writing ab out and w ith«

The project document addresses two of Thomas Deans¶ (2000 ) approaches:

y Writing ab out communityy Writing w ith community



5 main objectives

Developing collaborative writing teams� Using PM Wiki to post their research and

writingDeveloping a portfolio based on a service-learning project

� Creating a formal multimedia presentation

� Conducting self and individual peer evaluations



Set of guidelines for WTsWriting teams will consist of three-five members. Students willcollaborate in their research, reading, and writing for the course of the semester

Writing teams will be decided at the beginning of the semester, butmay change after that. Once the research/writing for the portfolio-

project begins, the groups will remain the same, unless there areMAJOR differences among group members

In the instance of MAJOR differences, the writing team and I willdecide what needs to happen in order for all group members to behappy

Writing teams will decide on a socially acceptable group name

All researching, reading, and writing is shared equally among allwriting team members



Set of guidelines continued«There will be no ³dumping´ on one or two members because of laziness. There will also be no ³invisible´ team members who popin from time to time to lay a claim to all the hard work that their writing team is doing

Collaborative writing is a team effort and all responsibilities for the portfolio-project will be shared equally, creatively, and respectfully

The actual writing of the final paper may be the hardest part for your writing team; however, this is a challenge that you will have towork through together with your group members

During the course of the semester, I will check with each groupconstantly to see where your team is at and how things are going. If an individual in a writing team has a question or something todiscuss that they do not wish to share with their group members, wewill deal with this type of situation on a case-by-case basis



Selection of four writing teamsy All four writing teams volunteered at the

same LNPO (P.A.L. S Animal Shelter )y Shared experience with the same LNPOy Composition Instructor 1 had three

writing teamsy Composition Instructor 2 had one writing

team



Findings

Figure 1.1 Grades for writing team 1



Findings continued«




Survey questions1. Collaborative writing was very useful to me in this class

2. My writing team¶s non-profit organization was useful to our writing as a source of knowledge

3. My teammates contributed equally

4. This composition class was well-structured around our writing teams

5. My composition instructor's input was beneficial to the outcome of the entire portfolio project (Presentations, emails, interviews, volunteering, writing of the essay, etc. )

6. This composition class has provided the opportunity to look at writing and researchingfrom another perspective

7. I took advantage of the one-on-one workshops with my composition instructor throughoutthe semester

8. Please select which letter grade you think you have earned: A, B, C, D , & F



Survey findings

Figure 1.5 Survey findings



Times visited

Figure 1.7 Number of visits or times volunteered at P.A.L. S.



Overall survey findings

Figure 1.8 Survey findings for all other writing teams within the four composition classes



Survey findings continued«

Figure 1.9 Survey findings for all other writing teams within the four composition classes



Student response I really l ik ed the pur pose of the S erv ice lear ning pr oject, but I think th is pr oject w ould w or k a l ot better w ith stude nt s w ho are f urther on in the ir

edu cat ion. I think this becau se Fre shmen stude nt s are no t a s ser iou s a s a Ju nio r or a S enio r . I d id lear n how t o w or k w ith a g r ou p and corre spon d w ith someone a nd I actually lear ned h ow t o

volunteer a nd the pr oce ss , a nd I w ill mos t l ik ely give m y t ime t o ano ther or g anizat ion that I haveintere st in



Student responses continued«L ear n t o w or k w ith other people, w hich may sound ea s ybut tru st me, it is not al w ay s , w hat y ou th ink it w ill be

Tak e re sponsi bil ity for your a ct ions. Other people arecount ing on you

Be a leader . I f no one in your g r ou p is re sponsi bleenou g h t o share the w or k equally, fig ure out h ow t o mak e the m d o the w or k , or h ow t o mak e u p for the ir la ck of w or k

M ak e sure that y ou are commi tted t o the pr oject . This pr oject is hard, ta k e s a l ot of t ime a nd e ffort, a nd requ ire s a l ot of pla nning. I f you w ant a good g rade, y ouneed t o be able t o be on t op of things no matter w hat



Findings in the writing and learningy Difference between ³ str ong ́ and ³ w ea k ́

collaboration in WTs¶ final documents (Elbow,1999 )

y

Visible growth as learnersy Resistance existed between students not wanting

to work in groups ( no t in volunteer ing )y Challenges in w r it ing co llab orat ivelyy Students gave constructive and critical feedback

in their self and peer evaluations



Sample portfolio-project

This is a sample portfolio-project from thewriting team, ³The Chinchillas,´ fromComposition Instructor 1¶s class:

Sample portfolio-project

P.A.L. S Animal Shelter PowerPointPresentation



ConclusionsImproved grades

Differences between collaboration & cooperation

Develop roles earlier in the semester (i.e. researcher, organizer, planner, etc. )

Because of the dynamic nature of service-learning and writing, it isdifficult to create a classroom structure or assignments that ³fit´

goals and objectives of traditional curriculum (more than just acomponent in the classroom )



LimitationsScope of the study (only looks at 4 composition courses )

Time (duration of collecting and evaluating student writing for thisstudy )

Structure of classroom and grading rubrics (first time used )

Shared survey between instructors (different teaching styles )

Learning community atmosphere±had other assignments and test preparations



Further research

Using service-learning in multiplecomposition classrooms

Keep using service-learning as more than just a ³component´ in the classroom(different methods & approaches )

Continuing the conversation incomposition and writing research

Creating Authentic Experiences11az2

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