Assignment
#2 Part 2:
Describing and Assessing a Writing Program
(Group paper—2+ pages)
To complete this assignment you will need to read each other's papers. You'll probably want to help each other as you read those—noting places where the writer needs more information, needs to focus, or needs to further develop good ideas. But AFTER you do that, you'll want to come together to write one paper (2+ pages) that pulls together the central issues you find running through all of your individual papers: what are the similarities among the programs you looked at? What are the differences?
Format:
This is not a formal
comp paper. It functions as sort on an executive summary: a cover document
summarizing and the central messages of the documents that follow. You
will want to make this visually accessible, which probably means using
headers, numbered or bulleted lists, and chunking information. This will
look best in a single-spaced format with plenty of white space at the
margins (at least 1") and between paragraphs (a full line). Check on line:
http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndsu/birmingh/teaching/320/320%20lecture%20Notes/pagedesign.htm
for some basics of document design if you'd like more information on this.
Try to make the document pleasing and easy for your reader to follow. Sections like the following should help you organize the information and divide it up visually:
Introduction—a brief introduction to the assignment and the programs you examined
Program Descriptions— one or two sentences summarizing each of the programs
Program similarities—the central similarities you discovered
Program differences—the things that seemed different or were new to members of your group
Interest group's reaction—the features were most interesting and warrant further research by your interest group
Conclusions—What needed more exploration, how will you do this, what was interesting or at least useful?
Planning and Drafting:
1. Read each other's papers
and comment on the strengths and weaknesses you find there.
2. Using the above categories (or others that make sense to you), organize
your information.
3. Make each person summarize
their own program description (for part 2).
4. Discuss the similarities
and differences you found. Some could be big, others will be quite small.
Decide which to include in your paper. Write up in two developed paragraphs,
at least, one similarities, one differences.
5. Discuss what these
issues mean to your interest group and which programs seem most workable
in terms of your interest group. Write up in a developed paragraph—use
specific evidence.
6. Come to conclusions—write
those up—they are often questions for further research.
7. Design the document to be
reader-friendly. This assignment sheet, with a set-apart title, bolded
headers, and numbered or bulleted lists would be an example of a format
that could work for you (and one you know your audience likes, right?)
8. Turn in your group's work
together with the individual papers.
Criteria:
• shows attention to the needs of your audience—is visually well-organized for accessibility of information, is clearly and concisely written so meaning and conclusions are clear.
• directs the reader to the important information in the individual papers.
• demonstrates an understanding of the central issues faced by your interest group in terms of writing programs.
Note:
I don't expect you to have
all the answers yet, but I do want you to be able to point to where you
need undertake further research, to show me you know where your research
is too thin, what info you need to find, and where you will go to get
this information.
Back to Assignment #2—individual description
of a program
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