Lessons Learned from Four Online Writing Courses in ...

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Canadian Association for the Study of Discourse and Writing (CASDW) on June 1, 2015. 1 ... How does Charles's proposal writing course work? Charles. Dept.
Lessons  Learned  from   Four  Online  Writing  Courses   in   Professional  and  Technical  Writing David  W.  Price Concordia  University [email protected] Delivered  at The  Seventh  Annual  Conference  of  the   Canadian  Association  for  the  Study  of  Discourse  and  Writing  ( CASDW) on  June   1,  2015 1

How  do  we  explore  online  writing  courses? • • • • •

Google  searches  for  professional  writing  degrees   Recruit  4  courses  based  on  availability  and  consent Semi-­‐structured  interviews Walkthroughs  of  each  course Multiple  case  study  analysis  using  Activity  Theory

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Who  prompted  development  of  online  writing   courses? • Administrators  made  all  requests: – 1996  supplement  limited  classroom  space – 2008  add  to  a  portfolio  of  online  offerings – 2012  provide  a  regular  teaching  assignment

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What  shapes  the  development  of  online  writing   courses? • • • •

People Using  mental  (and  other)  tools Within  a  changing  community   To  achieve  a  motivation

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Who  created  the  online  writing  courses?

Albert

Robert  

Lawrence

Charles

Dept

English

Legal  Studies

Education

Writing   &  Rhetoric

Writing

Technical

Legal

Educational

Proposals

Teaching

13  years

18  years

14  years

15  years

Online   experience

No

Yes,  from   a  prior   university

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How  does  Albert’s  technical  writing  course  work? Albert Dept

English

Writing

Technical

Size

30  undergrads

Prof  bulletins   &  debriefs

Physical   textbook

10  quizzes,   5  posts   and   responses

Individual   writing  in  MS   Word  x  3

Prof  grades   against  rubric   (30%)

Prof  grades   once  against   rubric  (70%)

Prof  offers   one  personal   conference 6

How  does  Robert’s  legal  writing  course  work? Robert   Dept

Legal  Studies

Writing

Legal

Size

1-­‐2  lawyers

Coordinator   assigns   contractor

Contractor   sends   welcome   email

PDF  readings   online

20  Ungraded   exercises   online

Individual   writing  in  MS   Word  x  5

Contractor   sends   email   prompt  if  no   work

Contractor   grades  once   against  rubric   (100%)

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How  does  Lawrence’s  educational  writing  course   work? Lawrence Dept

Education

Writing

Educational

Size

30  undergrads

Prof  sends   welcome  and   general  tips

Lecture   videos  and   PDF  readings   online

Ungraded   exercises   online

Reading   comp   questions  x  8

Discussion   posts  (non-­‐ interactive)

Individual   writing  in  MS   Word  x  4

In  person   Final  Exam

Contractor   grades  4  out   of  8  sets (12.5%)

Contractor   completion   (7.5%)

Contractor   grades  once   against  rubric   (40%)

Contractor   grades  once   against  rubric   (40%) 8

How  does  Charles’s  proposal  writing  course  work? Charles Dept

Writing   &   Rhetoric

Writing

Proposals

Size

13  graduates

Prof  intro  to   clients

Prof  bulletins   &  debriefs

Physical   textbook

Discussion   posts,   responses, Peer  review

Prof  grades   against  rubric   (40%)

Collaborative  writing  in  Google   Docs  – pieces  result  in  funding   proposal

Sent  to  client   for  comments

Prof  grades   formative  and   final  vs.  rubric   (60%)

Prof  offers   group  tele-­‐ conferences 9

What  kinds  of  tools  do  people  use  to  build   online  writing  courses? Tools

Robert  &  Lawrence Legal  &  Educational

Mental  Model Self-­‐study workbook

Albert Tech  writing

Charles Proposals

Social  interaction

Curriculum

Existing  course  materials

Existing  course

New  design

Pedagogy

Product

Product

Process

Software

MS  Word Moodle   or  Custom

MS  Word   Canvas  CMS

Google   Docs Canvas  CMS

Readings

Online PDFs,  videos

Physical  textbook

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How  do  tools  affect  design? Workbook-­‐style

Social-­‐interaction

Development

6-­‐8  months

40-­‐150  hours

Cost

$47k-­‐50k  plus  salary

Prof’s   salary

Grading

Contractors

Profs

Development Focus  

Developing   content

Scaffolding   interactions

Online  focus

Consuming   content Ungraded  exercises

Discussing   and  using   content

Writing  Focus

Individual   products,   one-­‐time  assessments

Either  individual   products   or Collaborative  process

Adaptability

Difficult   and  costly  to  change

Easy  to  change 11

What  influenced  changes  in  Albert’s  tech  writing   course?

Trigger

Change

Pre-­‐online   motivation

Access   motivation

Achievement   motivation

teach  technical   writing   to  tech   majors

growing   population   &   lack  of   classrooms

College  students   guaranteed   admission   to   N/A upper   year   courses

Create  online version

Reduce content   and  add  detailed   rubrics  to  help   “bottom  2/3”

campus   instruction

Community   motivation

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What  influenced  changes  in  Robert’s  legal   writing  course?

Trigger

Pre-­‐online   motivation

Access   motivation

Achievement   motivation

Community   motivation

teach  legal   drafting   to   Commonwealth   lawyers

Licensed  course   from  NGO  to   offer  as  a   diploma

NGO  wishes  to   broaden   usability

NGO  wishes  to   create  an  open   resource

Create  online version

Plain  language,   gender-­‐neutral   examples,  more   consistent   instructions,   fancier web   layout

Considering   open   access,   Wiki  style   community   input

Distance  course   Change (paper,   then   CDROM)

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What  influenced  changes  in  Lawrence’s   educational  writing  course?

Trigger

Change

Pre-­‐online   motivation

Access   motivation

Achievement   motivation

Community   motivation

Teach   educational   writing   as   undergrad elective

Add   a  writing   course  to  online   portfolio

TA  shifts  from   catching  to   preventing   problems  

New instructor   shifts  from   handholding   to   interaction

Create  online version

New  form   Stopped   integrating   prompts,   self/TA   feedback  form checklists,  paste   Implemented in  assignment “peer  review”   using   discussion   Specific  tips   before/after   forum each  assignment

campus   instruction

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What  influenced  changes  in  Charles’  proposal   writing  course?

Trigger

Pre-­‐online   motivation

Access   motivation

Achievement   motivation

Community   motivation

teach  proposal   writing

By  2012  online   expected  by   working   professionals

N/A (offered   once)

Meet non-­‐profits   who  need  grant   funding

N/A   Change (from   scratch)

Create  online version

Create  client-­‐ based  service   learning   course

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Lesson:  mental  models  shape  format 1. Reason  for  going  online  was  linked  to  a   mental  model   – Padding  a  portfolio  resulted  in  workbooks – meeting  core  needs  resulted  in  social  interaction

1. Mental  models  shaped  development – Workbooks  slow,  expensive,  content-­‐focused – Social  interaction  fast,  adaptable,  pro-­‐active 16

Lesson:  people  (not  tech)  drive  change 3. Profs  addressed  problems  by  amplifying  vs.   changing  their  existing  philosophy  (eg.  more   handholding) 4. Innovations  were  triggered  by  newcomers  and   designing  from  scratch  (open  access,  peer  review,   client-­‐service) 5. Differences  in  philosophy  changed  how  the  same   tool  was  used  (using  collaborative  features,  force-­‐ fitting  peer  review  into  a  workbook) 17

Lesson:  motivation  shapes  (and  re-­‐shapes)  a   course  and  its  success 6. Community  changes  broadened  motivations   to  improve  access,  achievement,  community   integration 7. Due  to  low  course  evaluation  response  rates,   courses  considered  successful  if  meet  then-­‐ current  motivation

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