Reinventing the Freshman Writing and Research Course: A Text for All Freshmen, Co-Requisite and Writing Across the Curriculum Courses

Designed to work with the required freshman writing and research course, its co-requisite course, and the Writing Across the Curriculum approach course for teaching both, Reinventing the Freshman Writing and Research Course is organized according to a fifteen-week semester comprised of five units:

• Entering the Academic World
• Finding a Research Topic and Question
• Finding and Assessing Existing Academic Dialogues
• Formalizing Our Contributions to the Dialogue
• Presenting Our Discoveries and Conclusions

Each of these units outlines its own objectives, but in general, the course objectives include leading students to demonstrate an understanding of writing as a multi-stage process; to produce texts that present ideas effectively and fluently; to use appropriate research methods; and to develop the foundations for creative, independent, and critical thinking that considers a multiplicity of perspectives and disciplines.

The predominant metaphor of the book emphasizes an academic dialogue – the conversation of students with peers (class dialogue and peer review), of students with professors (information and feedback), of students with and as scholars (research and talking back), and of students with themselves (reflection). In addition to explanations, examples, and models, the text offers features that envelop one or more of these types of dialogues, sometimes in writing and sometimes in speech, always scaffolded and encompassing a mixture of low-stakes and high-stakes work: In-Class Activities, Journal Entries, Assignments/Assessments, Readings and Resources, Targeted Grammar Skills, Co-Requisite Course Material, and WAC/WID (Writing Across the Curriculum/Writing in the Disciplines) Activities.

A complete semester plan in one volume, the text focuses on interaction and collaboration, writer in relation to others (as opposed to just the teacher), writing as opportunity for informed self-expression for specific audiences, and writing as self-directed learning.