All These Voices: Informal Writing in the Online Classroom

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• All These Voices Informal Writing in the
  Online Classroom

Anne Marie Hubbell, Ph.D. 4th Annual UMUC Writing
Conference July 28th, 2007
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• According to Meyers and Jones (1993), We write
  to communicate to a reader, even if it is to
  ourselves, as in journal writing. The problem
  with most college writing assignments is that too
  often they call for students to merely rewrite
  what they have learned from lectures, or they ask
  for research papers that summarize the thoughts
  of others. The purpose of writing, as a form of
  active learning, however, is to help students
  explore their own thinking about concepts and
  issues, thereby expanding their mental
  structures.i
• i Meyers, C., Jones, T. B. (1993). Promoting
  Active Learning Strategies for the College
  Classroom. . San Francisco Jossey-Bass.

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Informal Writing
Immense Workloads
Horrifying Time Commitments
It Came From English Class!
Terrifying Busywork
Sloppy Writing
Starring Dr. Doom Phelps Niggly Sinistra Garp
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Informal Writing in the Online Classroom

• Common objections professors have to using
  informal writing and some solutions to the
  objections they raise,
• Benefits of informal writing for both student and
  professor,
• Practical applications for the classroom.

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Objections to Informal Writing

• Informal writing will generate too much work for
  both students and instructors
• It will create a time crunch for both students
  and instructors
• It is viewed as busywork by many students
• It promotes poor writing habits (Bean, 2001)

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Objection Informal writing generates too much
work for both students and instructors.

• Solutions
• Course Design
• Response Techniques
• Keep it short and sweet

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Objection Informal writing will create a time
crunch for both students and instructors.

• Solutions
• Use informal writing for brainstorming later
  formal essays and for generating questions and
  answers about the course materials.
• Read and respond to journals on a rotating basis.
  
• Present ways for students to provide each other
  comments on their informal writing.

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Objection Informal writing is viewed as busywork
by many students

• Solutions
• Enjoyment of writing assignments may be related
  to learning styles and grade orientation
• Explanation of why informal writing is important
• Include non-graded assessment

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Objection Informal writing promotes poor writing
habits

• Solution Perspective
• Developmental writing is practice. It is a
  necessary stage in student writing.
• Spontaneous writing is sometimes more vibrant
  and expressive than formal assignments.

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Benefits of informal writing for both student and
professor

• Informal writing--
• Unique view of online students and their work
• Promotes critical reflection about the course
  work and enhances learning.
• Encourages self-evaluation in both the student
  and the instructor.
• Helps to develop an atmosphere of trust between
  students and teacher.

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According to Berge (1995), learning involves two
types of interaction interaction with content
and interpersonal interaction, (i.e., interaction
with other people). Both are critical in many
types of learning. I think as an educator designs
a course that is to promote higher order
learning, such as analysis, synthesis, and
evaluation, rather than rote memorization, it
becomes important to provide an environment in
which both kinds of interaction can occur.
i i Berge, Z. (1995). Facilitating Computer
Conferencing Recommendations From the Field.
Educational Technology, 35(1), 22-30.
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Benefit 1 Unique View of Students

• Mary/Exploring her culture and finding a research
  topic (personal communication, April 2, 2007)
• Terry/Challenges to finishing the course and
  providing support (personal communication, July
  5, 2006)

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Benefit 2 Informal writing promotes critical
reflection and enhances learning

• How to assess if critical reflection is
  happening?
• According to Brookfield (1987), two activities
  that demonstrate critical thinking in adults are
  
• identifying and challenging assumptions
• exploring and imagining alternatives.

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1. Identifying and challenging assumptions

• Paula-Rethinks her reading skills (personal
  communication, Feb 10, 2007)
• Adrienne-Reassess the benefits of peer review
  (personal communication, June 5, 2006)
• Student from Anita Hodges course-Challenges his
  ideas of race/ethnicity

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2.Exploring and imagining alternatives

• LolaWho is my audience? (personal communication,
  January 27, 2007)
• KellyWhat are my communication skills? (personal
  communication, March 5, 2007)

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Benefit 3 Informal Writing encourages
self-evaluation in both the student and the
instructor

• Bert--On self-evaluation (personal communication,
  October 15, 2006)
• Jerry--A.M.s self-evaluation (personal
  communication, November 9, 2006)
• FranEvaluates her peer-to-peer communication
  with my feedback (personal communication, May 5,
  2007)
• The more i try to follow the writing and
  research guide the more complicated i find
  writing.

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Benefit 4 Informal writing helps to develop an
atmosphere of trust between student and teacher

• TeresaNo communication problems (personal
  communication, June 7, 2006)
• CaseyPrivate events fuel her research (personal
  communication, April 5, 2007)
• DanTells me how he feels about the workload
  (personal communication, Feb 5, 2007)

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Practical Applications

• Role Play
• Reader Responses
• Teacher
• Blogs/Wikis

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If I only had a blog
Thank you for listening.