A Four Credit Writing-Research Based Course
How about this for an instruction recipe? Take a 3 credit writing class and combine it with a 1 credit library research course. Mix in collaboration between three librarians and five writing instructors until you have a four credit writing/research course.
This phantasmagoric idea was presented at the *2009 Writing Administrators Conference by Dr. Heidi Estrem--Director of First Year Writing at Boise State University.
All Boise State University students must take English 102 (research writing class). Students may take Univ 106 as an elective online library skills course.
In the PoWer (Project Writing and Research) program coordinated by Dr. Tom Peele, Associate Director of First-Year Writing, and librarian Sara Seely, Instruction and Outreach Coordinator, one section of English 102 is combined with Univ 106 to create a four credit research-based writing class.
This was piloted with three sections in the Fall of2008 and four in Spring of 2009.
I have to admit I was just so unbelievably happy to see a program like this being done. Every librarian knows we need to find more ways of presenting instruction beyond the 50 minute one shot instruction that most students get in a Comp I or Comp II class. (These aren’t really meaningful instructions and end up being just enough information for students to write their papers without providing any lasting research instruction). I applaud any university library that can get a 1 credit course on the books as this is a difficult sell to the faculty and administration. However, because these 1 credit courses are often not part of a research based class, they do not produce lasting or meaningful connections for the students (akin to learning all the skills needed to ride a horse but not having the horse).
Combining library instruction with research based courses is where the future of library should be headed. Boise State University is showing us one excellent way this can be done.
The PoWer program is also significant in that it can provide librarians an example course collaboration between librarians and faculty beyond the simple stand alone library skills class.
My own utopian version of this is to have 3 credits of library instruction embedded in the curriculum (one credit each with sequenced writing courses (Comp I /Comp II) and one credit attached to a third year level course in the students field of study.
At Western Oregon University we are only in the beginning stages of thinking about such a program, but seeing the PoWer program at Boise State University only bolsters my belief that this is indeed the right path to pursue.
Notes ---
* This was part of the panel discussion: Research Program Administrators: Convergences and Collisions Among Writing Programs and Libraries
IN TWO WEEKS (August 14th): Outreach to High School English Faculty/Librarians
This phantasmagoric idea was presented at the *2009 Writing Administrators Conference by Dr. Heidi Estrem--Director of First Year Writing at Boise State University.
All Boise State University students must take English 102 (research writing class). Students may take Univ 106 as an elective online library skills course.
In the PoWer (Project Writing and Research) program coordinated by Dr. Tom Peele, Associate Director of First-Year Writing, and librarian Sara Seely, Instruction and Outreach Coordinator, one section of English 102 is combined with Univ 106 to create a four credit research-based writing class.
This was piloted with three sections in the Fall of2008 and four in Spring of 2009.
I have to admit I was just so unbelievably happy to see a program like this being done. Every librarian knows we need to find more ways of presenting instruction beyond the 50 minute one shot instruction that most students get in a Comp I or Comp II class. (These aren’t really meaningful instructions and end up being just enough information for students to write their papers without providing any lasting research instruction). I applaud any university library that can get a 1 credit course on the books as this is a difficult sell to the faculty and administration. However, because these 1 credit courses are often not part of a research based class, they do not produce lasting or meaningful connections for the students (akin to learning all the skills needed to ride a horse but not having the horse).
Combining library instruction with research based courses is where the future of library should be headed. Boise State University is showing us one excellent way this can be done.
The PoWer program is also significant in that it can provide librarians an example course collaboration between librarians and faculty beyond the simple stand alone library skills class.
My own utopian version of this is to have 3 credits of library instruction embedded in the curriculum (one credit each with sequenced writing courses (Comp I /Comp II) and one credit attached to a third year level course in the students field of study.
At Western Oregon University we are only in the beginning stages of thinking about such a program, but seeing the PoWer program at Boise State University only bolsters my belief that this is indeed the right path to pursue.
Notes ---
* This was part of the panel discussion: Research Program Administrators: Convergences and Collisions Among Writing Programs and Libraries
IN TWO WEEKS (August 14th): Outreach to High School English Faculty/Librarians
Labels: Comp I, Curriculum, library instruction
posted by Robert Monge at
3:28 PM
2 Comments:
Thanks for the write-up, Robert. We've had a great time working on this program.
Many institutions limit access to their online information. Making this information available will be an asset to all.
Writing a Research Paper
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