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This presentation is available online at

http://www.tengrrl.com/cwpa16/

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Using the WPA Outcomes Statement to Support Innovation in Meeting Discourse Outcomes for a General Education Curriculum

Traci Gardner, Virginia Tech, tengrrl@vt.edu

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Or, How the WPA OS Supports �Digital Composing Projects in Gen Ed

Traci Gardner, Virginia Tech, tengrrl@vt.edu

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Overview

  • Gen Ed at Virginia Tech
  • How Gen Ed and WPA OS Supports the Course
  • The Course I am Creating:� Writing about Technology for a Lay Audience

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Current Gen Ed ProgramCurriculum for Liberal Education (CLE)

Area 1: Writing and Discourse

6 hours required

Satisfied by one of the following:

  • Communication Skills
  • First-Year Writing
  • Honors First-Year Writing

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New Program

Pathways to General Education, �beginning Fall 2018

Area 1: Discourse

9 hours required

Satisfied by:

  • 6 hours foundational writing and/or speaking courses, plus
  • 3 hours advanced/applied writing and/or speaking courses

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for a Lay Audience

  • Is a 2000-level writing course.
  • Fulfills the Discourse Core Learning Outcomes.
  • Builds on first-year composition.
  • Does not duplicate the content of the 3000-level business and technical writing courses.
  • Provides opportunity to focus on transfer.

Writing about Technology

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Audience & Course Purpose

  • Innovation minors and majors.
  • STEM majors/minors.
  • Professional & Technical Writing majors/minors.

These entrepreneurs need to be able to explain their ideas in nontechnical terms to

  • potential backers.
  • customers.
  • collaborators.
  • news media.

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WPA OS v3.0

  • Rhetorical Knowledge
  • Critical Thinking, Reading, and Composing
  • Processes
  • Knowledge of Conventions

WPA OS

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Pathways: Discourse Learning Indicators

Discover and comprehend information from a variety of written, oral, and visual sources.

Critical Thinking, Reading, & Composing

Analyze and evaluate the content and intent of information from diverse sources.

Critical Thinking, Reading, & Composing

Develop effective content that is appropriate to a specific context, audience, and/or purpose.

Rhetorical Knowledge; Processes

Exchange ideas effectively with an audience.

Rhetorical Knowledge; Processes

Assess the product/presentation, including feedback from readers or listeners.

Processes;�Conventions

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Tentative Key Concepts

  1. Audience
  2. Purpose
  3. Rhetorical Situation
  4. Context
  5. Genre
  6. Technology
  7. Design
  8. Reflection

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Explainer-Style Project

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Explainer-Style Project

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Digital Storytelling Project

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Website Project

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Ethical Reasoning

  • How do issues like copyright, Open Source, and Open Access affect the distribution of content and knowledge?
  • How can writers balance personal privacy concerns with the need for public disclosure?
  • What strategies can help writers determine how the use of plain language relates to the need for ethical communication?

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Opportunities

  • To work within the WPA OS v3.0.
  • To meet the Learning Indicators of the new Gen Ed program.
  • To build a course that focuses on Teaching for Transfer (TFT).

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Image Credits

Title Slides: Old by Alex Handy, on Flickr, under CC BY-SA 2.0 license.

Overview: Signal conditioner by Felix E. Guerrero, on Flickr, under CC BY-SA 2.0 license.

Current Program, top: Old processor's die by Ioan Sameli, on Flickr, under CC BY-SA 2.0 license.

Current Program, bottom: Museum of Communications by Adam Foster on Flickr, under CC BY 2.0 license.

New Program: BT Artbox - Mobile Phone by Karen Roe, on Flickr, under CC BY 2.0 license.

Writing About Technology, Top: User console by Gabriel Saldana, on Flickr, under CC BY 2.0 license.

Writing About Technology, Bottom: img_2064 by Gabriel Saldana, on Flickr, under CC BY 2.0 license.

Audience & Purpose: Google's first production server by Gabriel Saldana, on Flickr, under CC BY 2.0 license.

WPA OS, Top: Amstrad PCW 8512 keyboard close-up by Marcin Wichary, on Flickr, under CC BY 2.0 license.

WPA OS, Bottom: Punch Card Machine by profernity, on Flickr, under CC BY 2.0 license.

Pathways: Discourse Learning Indicators: no images.

Tentative Key Concepts, Top: 『If nothing happens — Check printer 』 by Daniel Rehn, on Flickr, under CC BY 2.0 license.

Tentative Key Concepts, Bottom: Babbage difference engine by Gordon Wrigley, on Flickr, under CC BY 2.0 license.

Explainer-Style Project: Open Access Explained by Piled Higher and Deeper (PHD Comics), on YouTube, under CC BY license.

Explainer-Style Project, 2: Computer, basic web form - Workflow 1 by Mike Seyfang, on Flickr, under CC BY 2.0 license.

Digital Storytelling Project: The Moment that Made Qualcomm, by Dr. Irwin Jacobs by Qualcomm, on YouTube, under Standard YouTube License.

Website Project: Screenshot from Kickstarter Website for the Fireflies Project, taken by Traci Gardner on July 13, 2016.

Ethical Reasoning: Basura Análoga by Rainier Ybarra, on Flickr, under CC BY-SA 2.0 license.

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This presentation is available online at

http://www.tengrrl.com/cwpa16/