Description:
Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) and Writing in the Disciplines (WID)
Our goal in this course will
be to equip all participants with a thorough understanding of writing across
the curriculum/writing in the disciplines (WAC/WID), including the histories
and theories of these two closely intertwined practices. We’ll read some foundational
texts such as James Britton et al.’s
pioneering work in Great Britain and analyses of initial programs in the U.S.
at places such as Carleton College and Brown University. From there we will
expand to the many areas of inquiry that the WAC movement has spawned or
informed in the past, including writing fellows programs, classroom-based
tutoring, teaching of disciplinary conventions, writing-to-learn pedagogy, WAC
and 2L writers, writing expertise transfer, and others. In addition to reading
key texts, methods of inquiry will include regular postings to Laulima to inscribe
your interpretations of readings and to engage with others and their
interpretations. You will also do some experimental writing, e.g., converting
assignments elaborated from a perspective of literary analysis or creative
writing into forms that reflect a strong WAC/WID orientation. Too often,
Composition 1 is treated like a prelude to English studies or a basic course in
argument, when in fact only a small percentage of students in this course will
major in English, and many will write in disciplines for which argument is not
a primary mode of discursive engagement. How can we tap WAC/WID principles to
(re)conceptualize Composition 1 to align with learners’ needs?
In addition to meeting the
PhD learning outcome of understanding the relationship of English to other
disciplines as implied above, this course will strongly target the MA and PhD
learning outcome of understanding advanced research methods. All students will
complete a research project, and course participants may be able to join a research
project in progress that inspects place-based teaching and learning of writing across
twenty disciplines at UH Mānoa. Participants will learn techniques for
conducting qualitative research making use of interviews, artifacts, and
organizational analysis to analyze forms that emerge when a WAC/WID program
“speciates” (Brady, 2012) according to local circumstances. Students
may also choose to conduct archival research or other empirical research,
singly or in collaboration, on another WAC/WID topic of their choice.
Some salient questions: How
have the histories of WAC and WID depended upon and emerged from specific
theoretical movements and principles? How might WAC/WID practices evolve as
other theories informing them assume prominence or reveal specific kinds of
relevance? What effects will new media have on WAC/WID? How can WAC/WID
practices articulate to workforce preparation? How can students develop a
familiarity with WAC practices to support applications to teach in community
college or university contexts? Can WAC/WID tenets inform a professional career
in writing outside of the Academy?
Required
Texts
We will make ample use
of the many publications available free of charge via the WAC Clearinghouse at
Colorado State University. Please acquire the two books below through your
preferred source.
Britton, James, et al. The Development of Writing Abilities (11-18). London: Schools
Council Publications, 1975.
Zawacki, Terry Myers, and
Paul M. Rogers. Writing Across the
Curriculum: A Critical Sourcebook. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012