Classical rhetoric in a liberal arts and science undergraduate setting: Ancient tools for modern lea

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Classical rhetoric in a liberal arts and science
undergraduate setting Ancient tools for modern
learning

• Dr Michael Burke
• Roosevelt Academy (Utrecht University)
• Middelburg, The Netherlands

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Research question

• Can classical rhetoric successfully function in
  a modern university setting as a paradoxically
  innovative foundation course for undergraduate
  students in a liberal arts and sciences college
  setting.
• empower students with a range of strategies and
  heuristics to tackle and successfully negotiate
  their choice of major.

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1. The setting / pedagogical model
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The Liberal Arts Sciences educational system

• USA (e.g. Smith, Amherst, Swarthmore, etc, ).
• Broad/Preparatory.
• Often
• 600 students / 25 in one class.
• Bachelor-only (3-year).
• 4 departments (3 major / 1 foundation).

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The Liberal Arts and Sciences colleges model in
the Netherlands

• University College Utrecht (1998).
• Roosevelt Academy Middelburg (2004).
• University College Maastricht (2000).
• In pipeline
• Amsterdam University College (2009).
• Tilburg University College (2009).
• Leiden University College (2010).

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Roosevelt Academy, Middelburg
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The four main departments
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The Academic Core dept.
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The rhetoric and argumentation track
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Benjamin Bloom's Taxonomy

• Categorizing levels of abstraction in questions.
• Competencies demonstrated skills (from lowest
  to highest).

• 1. Knowledge
• 1. Comprehension
• 2. Application
• 2. Analysis
• 3. Synthesis
• 3. Evaluation

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2. The Acc120 Introduction to Rhetoric and
Argumentation course
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Acc120 Introduction to Rhetoric and
Argumentation course

• WHO?
• Compulsory (first-year arts humanities
  students/majors).
• Elective (second-year law political
  sciences students).

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Some course materials

• Aristotle The Art of Rhetoric.
• Corbett, E. and R. Connors, Classical Rhetoric
  for the Modern Student.
• Course Reader (includes chapters by Quintilian,
  Cicero, Hugh Blair, etc.).

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What is taught in the RA rhetoric and
argumentation course

• 15 weeks.
• 4 contact hours per week 10 hours per week
  study/preparation.
• GOAL to provide students with the tools to
  write academic papers and give presentations in
  other (major) disciplines (AH SSC).

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Weekly course structure

• 1-2 historical overview.
• 3-6 invention/discovery of arguments.
• 6-7 arrangement of arguments.
• 8-10 stylizing of arguments/language.
• 11-15 performance ( memory).

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The first canon of rhetoric The
invention/discovery of arguments

• Logos, Ethos, Pathos.
• Syllogisms, Enthymemes.
• The Topics (common special internal
  external).
• Avoiding fallacious argumentation, etc.

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The second canon of rhetoric The arrangement of
arguments

• Six part essay/speech structure
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Background
• 3. Division
• 4. Arguments/Proofs
• 5. Counter arguments
• 6. Conclusion

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The third canon of rhetoric The stylizing of
arguments

• 1. Grammatical competence syntax, lexis,
  vocabulary.
• 2. Imitation reading, copying, translating.
• 3. Style figures schemes, tropes, analyzing
  modern political speeches.

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The fourth fifth canons of rhetoric The
memorizing action of arguments

• In a debates b individual speeches
• Good/solid arguments?
• Well-ordered?
• Good use of style?
• Appropriate use of logos? ethos? pathos?
• Voice quality gesture?
• An awareness of the context/kairos?

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3. Course assessment methods
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Grading breakdown

• Attendance, participation, preparation
  (discussion, critical thinking, etc) (2 x 10
  20)
• Mid-term and end-of-term exams (20 each 40)
• Speeches (10) and debates (10) 20
• Assignments (5) 4 each 20

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Assignments analyzing old essays for

• 1. Quality of arguments sources
• 2. Appropriateness of structure
• 3. Use of style figures
• Student Learning Goals
• Reflect on past errors
• Suggest improvements
• Remember for future essays

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4. Preliminary testing
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Some initial data collection as a springboard to
a larger study (Autumn 08)

• Official course evaluations
• 44 students (22 in each group)
• Quantitative data (26 questions)
• 4.4 4.3 (out of 5.0)
• Qualitative data - Two basic questions
• What did you like most about this course?
• What improvements would you suggest?

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A random selection of three responses likes

• A. It is very practical and what I learned in
  the course I could use very well for my other
  courses
• B. I now know how to write an essay
• C. For the first time I really feel I have been
  able to apply what I have learnt. I am now
  consciously aware of fallacies being committed
  and I have learnt how to properly write an essay

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A random selection of three responses
improvements

• A. I am still sceptical on the major focus of
  this course has on the ethical appeal
• B. The assignments are useful, but constant, and
  is a lot of work for very few marks.
• C. Make manual more clear. We need a better
  distribution of reading assignments

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What next?

• I have designed a real questionnaire which I am
  now testing for its appropriateness
• 27 completed out of 44 (autumn 08)
• 10 completed out of 24 (spring 09)
• Look at data this summer / Change questions if
  necessary / Deploy the real test in 2009-10

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Hopes (long-term)

• Make rhetoric and argumentation mandatory for
• 1. All Roosevelt Academy first-year students
• 2. All Dutch LAS first-year students
• 3. Show UK academic institutions (especially
  English Law depts.) the pedagogical value of
  such a course

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The original question

• Can classical rhetoric successfully function in a
  modern university setting as a paradoxically
  innovative foundation course for undergraduate
  students in a liberal arts and sciences college
  setting?
• Formal data gathering procedure has started (more
  clarity in 1-2 years time)
• Informal signs appear to point in that general
  direction

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From Desiree XXXXXXSent Tue 12/16/2008
918To Michael BurkeSubject Acc120

• Dear Dr Burke,
• I have enjoyed your course very much and I
  would like to thank you for teaching me rhetoric
  this past semester. The classes were very
  informative and I have learned a great deal over
  the past months. And I promiss I will put my new
  skills to good use.
• Désirée

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Some references

• Aristotle. The Art of Rhetoric, trans. Hugh
  Lawson-Tancred. London Penguin edition, (1992)
• Benjamin S. Bloom. Taxonomy of Educational
  Objectives. Allyn and Bacon, Boston, MA. (1984)
  Pearson Education
• Burke, Michael. Persuading Through Language
  Rhetoric. Pedagogy and Modern English, London
  Palgrave (forthcoming 2011)
• Corbett, E. and R. Connors. Classical Rhetoric
  for the Modern Student. 4th ed. Oxford, OUP, 1999.