WR120: Writing, Research & Inquiry with Oral/Signed Communication

The Best Four Years of Your Life? Issues Affecting Contemporary College Students

Instructor: Dr. Aleksandra Kasztalska (she/her) Course time & location:

Instructor email: alekasz@bu.edu
Office: YAW (100 Bay State Rd), 3rd floor, Rm
320
F2 MWF 1:25pm-2:15pm, YAW 440
G1 MWF 2:30pm-3:20pm, YAW 322
I3 MWF 4:40pm-5:30pm, KCB 104

Office hrs: Fridays 10am-1pm, & by appt. Credits: 4 credit hours + 3 HUB units
1. Writing, Research, and Inquiry
Zoom link for virtual conferences:
2. Research and Information Literacy
https://bostonu.zoom.us/my/alekasz
3. Oral/Signed Expression
Getting help from a BU Librarian:
https://askalibrarian.bu.edu/

Course Description
Although we are often encouraged to write what we know, the
best research writing is motivated by our interest in the
unknown: What do we want to discover, how can we discover
it, and what are the most effective ways to communicate our
discoveries? These questions will drive our work in WR 151.
Building on WR 120 or its equivalent, this class will help you
cultivate your writing and research skills through a range of
assignments, including a scholarly research essay in which
you will be responsible for identifying and refining a topic,
devising research questions, and answering those questions
by finding and using a range of scholarly and non-scholarly
sources. As a course with an emphasis on Oral/Signed
Expression, this class will also give you an opportunity to
analyze and practice oral/signed expression in order to
communicate your research to academic and non-academic
audiences. You will learn to infuse your writing with the
urgency of oral exchange and to develop an oral style that
reflects the rigor and precision of your writing. Through these
experiences, you will gain practice in and a better
understanding of the ways that different forms of information
are produced, disseminated, and used today.

The specific topic of this section is The Best Four Years of Your Life? Issues Affecting
Contemporary College Students. We will explore the lives of college students from diverse
perspectives. To begin, we will discuss why higher education is a big part of the American
Dream and why so many young adults choose to pursue college degrees. We will also critically
examine the myths surrounding college, such as the concept of a “traditional student.” To
understand the reality and diversity of contemporary college students, we will explore trends
and challenges faced by so many of them—including mental health struggles, financial inequity,
and homesickness—but also highlight issues facing international students specifically. In
discussing these topics, we will develop our written and oral communication skills, as well as
gain insight into academic literacy practices. Our readings will include texts by authors like
Rebekah Nathan, Anthony Abraham Jack, and Rainesford Stauffer, which we will supplement
with a variety of traditional and multimodal texts, such as news pieces, video essays, and slam
poetry.
 Course Objectives

You will develop your abilities to:

● strategically search for and select both scholarly and non-scholarly sources and
engage them with understanding, appreciation, and critical judgment
● express yourself orally and converse thoughtfully about complex ideas,
recognizing and cultivating the vital connections between oral and written
communication
● engage a range of sources in order to address research questions and to
communicate findings in the form of responsible, considered, and well-structured
written and oral arguments
● communicate clearly and coherently in a range of genres and styles, using different
media and modes of expression as appropriate
● plan, draft, rehearse, and revise efficiently and effectively, and help your peers do
the same by responding productively to their work
● reflect on how research, reading, oral/signed, writing, and editing practices differ for
varied audiences, genres, and purposes

Instructional Format, Course Pedagogy, and Approach to Learning

Although they differ in their subject content, all WR seminars share common goals and lead you
through a sequence of assignments that emphasize a process of planning, drafting, and revising
informed by feedback from your classmates and instructor. In WR 151, you will undertake an
extended research project related to our course topic. You will conduct individual and/or group
research, exploring new ways to find, evaluate, and engage with information from different
sources and in different formats, written and oral. You will become better able to select and use
information sources strategically to formulate and respond to research questions and to
participate in the scholarly conversation about your topic. Reflecting on your approach to writing,
speaking, and research will prepare you to adapt it to future occasions.

The focus of this section of WR 151 on oral/signed expression aims explicitly at making the
resources of writing available to speech/signing and vice versa: you will learn to infuse your
writing with the liveliness and urgency of oral exchange and to develop an oral style
commensurate with the thoughtfulness of their reading and writing. You will receive instruction
in and demonstrate proficiency in each of the following five areas:

Elocution: Students will demonstrate the skills needed to communicate effectively in a range
of contexts These skills include pacing, volume, enunciation, eye contact, and a varied vocal
and gestural delivery.
Extemporaneity: Students will be able to speak or sign well in unscripted situations. An
ability to improvise is essential in situations where one cannot anticipate a question or topic,
such as job interviews and oral defenses. Similarly, students must be able to engage in
sound debate, ask follow-up questions, and entertain opposing views without the advantage
of lengthy reflection or editing.
Leadership/Authority: Students will share the expertise they have gained from their research
projects in a variety of ways throughout the semester, including an assignment wherein
each student must lead a portion of class time on their own.
Retrieval: Students will accurately summarize or quote material without notes. This might
mean answering a teacher's questions, performing a recitation, or delivering a declamation.
 Metacognition: Students will regularly reflect on and evaluate their peers' and their own
performance on oral and signed tasks.

Books and Other Course Materials

You do not need to purchase any textbooks for this course. There is one required textbook,
listed below, for which a digital copy is available for free through BU Libraries. All other course
readings and materials will be made available on Blackboard.

Chodorow, Stanley. Writing a Successful Research Paper: A Simple Approach. Indianapolis, IN:
Hackett Publishing Company, 2011.

Courseware

Our class has a Blackboard site, where you will submit most of your assignments, as well as a
Google Drive folder that contains the syllabus, assignment sheets, and other course-related
materials. Please do NOT share the link to our Google Drive course folder with individuals
outside of this class.

Course Requirements and Assignments

● Assigned readings
● Frequent low-stakes writing exercises, including homework, in-class writing, and reflective
writing
● Contribution to and completion of WR cumulative portfolio
● Frequent and varied activities and assignments in oral/signed genres
● A semester-long research project culminating in a formal academic research paper of 8-10
pages
● A remediation of your research into an oral/signed genre
● Regular peer review
● Two (or more) instructor conferences
● Regular class attendance and active participation

Course Policies

Grading and Evaluation

Grades in this course will be distributed according to the table below. Completion grade means
that you will receive the full score for the assignment if it is submitted on time, if it meets all
assignment criteria, and if it demonstrates a good-faith effort on your paper. Self-evaluation
means that you will evaluate your own work and propose a grade based on assignment criteria
and/or a provided rubric.
 Assignment % of total Grading notes
grade

Research Project 40%

Milestone 1 (proposal) 5% Completion grade

Milestone 2 (background paragraph) 5% Completion grade

Milestone 3 (interview guide) 5% Completion grade

Milestone 4 (introduction & outline) 5% Completion grade

Research Paper first draft Not graded: The first draft will not be graded but it
IS required. Failure to submit the draft on time or
failure to meet draft requirements may lower your
final score on the Paper.

Research Paper revision 20% Graded: The final Paper will be graded using a
detailed rubric, which will be provided in class.

Writing In Your Discipline 5% Completion grade

Exercises 10% Completion grade: There are 12 Exercises in total,

each worth 1%. You are required to submit 10, but
for each additional Exercise you submit you will
receive 1% extra credit.

Reflections (4 in total) 10% Completion grade: There are 4 Reflections in

total, each worth 2.5%. All are required.

Oral Presentations 20%

Issue Spotlight 5% Self-evaluation

Lightning Talk 15% Self-evaluation

Digication Portfolio 5% Completion grade

Participation & Engagement 10% Graded: Your participation and engagement will
be graded using criteria outlined in class.

Final course grades will be calculated based on the points you have accumulated during the
semester. The percentages and corresponding letter grades are:

A = 92.5% and above B+ = 86.5% - 89.49% C+ = 76.5% - 79.49% D = 59.5% - 69.49%

A- = 89.5% - 92.49% B = 82.5% - 86.49% C = 72.5% - 76.49% F = 59.49% and below
B- = 79.5% - 82.49% C- = 69.5% - 72.49%

Instructor Feedback

I am committed to providing you with timely written or oral feedback on one draft of each major
assignment and written feedback on the final version of each major assignment. You can
generally expect my responses to your drafts within one week of your punctual submission of
them; I will do my best to return final versions within two weeks.
 Attendance

Since this course is a seminar, your regular attendance and active participation are essential
both to your own learning and to your classmates’ learning. Under ordinary circumstances,
missing more than one week of class may lower your final grade, and missing a
significant amount of class may lead to failing the course. If you become ill at any point
during the semester, do not come to class. If you have a special obligation that will require you
to miss classes (e.g., religious observances, family obligations), please talk with me at the
beginning of the semester. Refer to the chart below for an overview of the process for
addressing absences:

Number of 1-3 4-6 More than 6

absences*

Student Communicate with Make concrete Reach out to advising and/or AD for
action steps your instructor arrangements with your First-Year Success
instructor for completing
missed assignments
Stay up to date on Review deadlines for drop,
the syllabus and withdraw, etc. and make a plan in
course work Communicate with your conjunction with advising and
instructor about instructor
consequences to your
grade

Instructor Make course Communicate with student Contact CAS advising and/or
action steps materials available by email about absences student’s AD for First-Year Success
on Blackboard
Work with student to make Determine (in consultation with
a plan for moving forward advising and a WP director) the
best course of action and notify
student of deadlines (drop,
Consider contacting CAS
withdrawal)
advising and/or student’s
AD for First-Year Success

*Not including religious observances and athletes with travel letters

Late and Missed Assignments

Assignments should be submitted on time, but you have a time bank of 4 days, which you can
use to extend the deadline of major written assignments, including the Writing in Your Discipline
report, Research Milestones, and Research Paper first draft/revision. You can use the time bank
whenever you need a little extra time to finish an assignment, but please email me before the
deadline to let me know that you’re using your time bank. Note that the time bank does NOT
apply to Reflections, Exercises, or drafts that need to be submitted before class for the purpose
of workshops or peer review. If you submit any of these assignments late OR if you exceed your
time bank on the major assignments, the assignment will be penalized by one-third of a letter
grade for each day it is late. Finally, please note that this policy can be amended in cases of
illness, emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. Please contact me as soon as
possible to discuss your situation.
 Academic Integrity

In this class, we will discuss conventions for using and citing sources in academic papers and in
other genres we study. Cases of plagiarism will be handled in accordance with the disciplinary
procedures described in Boston University's Academic Conduct Code. All WR students are
subject to the CAS code, which can be read online at this link.

Writing Program AI Use Guidelines

At orientation, you learned that it is only allowable to use generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT)
to “generate ideas, words, designs, or any other type of work product” when the use of AI has
been authorized.

Please note that the following AI uses are authorized across all WR classes:
● Using AI tools to learn about or translate terms or vocabulary words (not translate entire
papers)
● Using AI tools to offer you feedback on whether your grammar and usage conform with
standard academic English. (Note: There may be times when the choice not to use
standard academic English in your writing is appropriate and/or effective.)

It is not necessary to cite the AI tool for these two Writing Program-authorized uses. If I
authorize additional uses of AI tools for particular assignments, I will do so in writing, and I will
offer guidance on if and how to cite the AI tool (MLA, APA, Chicago). Remember that ultimately
you are responsible for any work you submit, including any language, ideas, or information
that is introduced through your use of AI tools.

Contacting Your Instructor

When emailing me use professional email etiquette: Include an informative subject line, begin
with an appropriate greeting, use formal grammar and spelling, and sign with your full name,
class number/title, and class meeting time. Please allow me 24-48 hours to respond to emails
during the week. On most weekends, I will be unavailable, so you should plan in advance if
you have questions about or need help with assignments due on Sundays!

Use of Technology & Technical Difficulties

Cell phones, laptops, tablets, and other electronic devices should be used for class purposes
only. When class starts, put your phone in your backpack or face down on your desk. As a
general rule, when Dr. K or anyone else is speaking, you should give the speaker your full
attention. When submitting assignments to Blackboard, please always preview them to make
sure that they are uploaded successfully. And remember that broken computers, problems with
Internet connectivity, or other technical problems are not an excuse for late or missed work! You
should regularly back up all your work, e.g., to an online storage service.
 Inclusion in Our Community

Classroom Climate

In this class, we are committed to treating each other equitably and inclusively. We respect one
another’s dignity and privacy; treat one another fairly; and honor one another’s experiences,
beliefs, perspectives, abilities, and backgrounds, regardless of race, religion, language,
immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identification, disability status, socio-economic
status, national identity, or any other identity markers. We appreciate the language variation
within our community, and as we develop strategies to communicate effectively in college and
beyond, we recognize that the norms of academic writing, and of writing in general, are
constantly evolving. We value open-minded inquiry, and we critically engage with ideas in
diverse texts to learn about perspectives diverging from our own. We acknowledge that doing so
may be uncomfortable at times, although it should not make anyone feel unsafe. We seek to
challenge ourselves and help one another learn.

This commitment reflects values shared across the Writing Program and the University. If you
ever have any concerns about the classroom climate, you are welcome to reach out to me or, if
it is more comfortable for you, to the CAS D&I office and its Community Values & Resources
Team.

Name and Pronouns

I will ask that all students share their names and pronouns at the beginning of the semester.
Please feel free to use any name, given name, nickname, etc. that you wish: your name is not
“too hard,” and I will work to pronounce it correctly. If you have questions or concerns, or if you
need to make a change in your name and/or pronouns mid-semester, please do not hesitate to
contact me at any point. For further information on how to change your name at BU (and for
additional support related to gender diversity), please click here. You can also change your
name on Blackboard by editing your profile.
 Resources

Student Wellbeing

I know being a student can be hard. It’s a lot to manage academically, socially
and financially. Please know that there are many resources at BU that can be
helpful to you during your time here. You can visit and search a directory of
what BU has to offer to support your wellbeing.

Office of Disability and Access Services

I recognize that all of us learn in different ways. If there are circumstances that may affect your
performance in this class, please talk to me as soon as possible so that we can work together to
develop strategies for accommodations that will meet your learning needs and the requirements
of the course. Whether or not you have a documented disability, BU provides many support
services that are available to all students.

Disability & Access Services (https://www.bu.edu/disability/) is the office responsible for

assisting students with disabilities. If you have a disability that interferes with your learning
(whether visible or invisible, physical or mental), you are encouraged to register with this office.
Disability & Access Services will work with you to determine appropriate accommodations for
your courses, such as additional time on tests, staggered homework assignments, or note-
taking assistance. This office will give you a letter outlining the accommodations you need that
you can share with your teachers; specific information about your disability will remain private. If
you have any questions about accommodations or what constitutes a disability, I invite you to
speak with me or to Disability & Access Services.

CAS Writing Center

The CAS Writing Center offers free, one-on-one appointments with well-trained peer writing
consultants for students to discuss their work for WR courses. These writing consultations are
collaborative conversations in which you can expect to be actively involved. Our consultants will
not edit or correct your work for you, but they will ask you questions and offer suggestions to
help you do your own best work.

Consultants will work with you at any stage in the drafting or revision process, and on any type
of assignment for your WR course, including non-academic and creative writing assignments,
presentations, and multimedia projects. The Writing Center strives to be an inclusive space for
students of all identities and all linguistic and cultural backgrounds. We are particularly eager to
support multilingual students, first-generation college students, and anyone else who is hoping
to build their confidence and skill as a writer.

To ensure that we can offer support to as many students as possible, students can typically
book one 45-minute consultation each week. You can schedule an appointment by visiting our
website: http://www.bu.edu/writingprogram/the-writing-center/

Additional Resources

Additional student resources can be found at this link.

 WR151 Course Schedule

This schedule is intended to give you an overview of the course structure and major deadlines. Every week, Dr. K will
share a more detailed day-by-day schedule; it is YOUR responsibility to stay informed about all deadlines. The
schedule is subject to change, and any changes will be announced in class and on Blackboard.
Please note that all readings should be completed before the class when we discuss them.
The chapters from Chodorow's book can be accessed for free via the BU Libraries website at this link.

Wk Date Topics Readings & Viewings Homework

Module I: Course Foundations

In this unit, you will begin to explore the course topic and to learn how research works in this discipline or area of study, including
what is studied (in both written and oral/signed form) and how findings and ideas are communicated with others.

1 F Course introduction
1/19 HW for next class: Exercise 1

2 M Assigned: Portfolio & Literacy Narrative
1/22 Assigned: Issue Spotlight
What is college for?
Workshop: Issue Spotlight
Chodorow, “Ch. 2: Reading & Taking Exercise 1 (note taking)
Notes” (p. 32-45) due before class
Nathan, “Academically Speaking”
Also review full syllabus
and bring questions!

W History of higher education Stauffer, “The Best Four Years of Your Exercise 2 (informal
1/24 BEAM/BEAT framework Life?” survey) due before class
CityU Library, “The BEAM Method”
(video)
1/24 Last day to ADD a WR course
UWM Libraries, “Pottery Metaphor for
the BEAM Framework” (video)

F Assigned: Writing In Your Discipline Urban, “The Essential Function of Portfolio Set-up &
1/26 Introduction to genre, register, and Universities” (video) Literacy Narrative due
academic disciplines College Writing Handbook, “Exploring Sunday, 1/28 by 10pm
Email as a genre Academic Disciplines”

3 M Issue Spotlight 1: Mental health in Barnett, “ChatGPT Is Making

1/29 college Universities Rethink Plagiarism”
Wellbeing and mental health in college (alternate link)
AI and ethics of writing in college University of Arizona, “What is
ChatGPT and What Should Students
Know About AI Chatbots?”

W Issue Spotlight 2: Socializing while in Birkbeck, “What is University Exercise 3 (exhibit

1/31 college
Assigned: Research Proposal
Introduction to academic research
Research Project overview
Research...and Why Does It Matter?” source) due before class
(video)
Chodorow, “Introduction: Writing a
Research Paper” (p. 10-14)
 F Issue Spotlight 3: Nutrition and
2/2 wellbeing while in college
Introduction to research writing
Developing research questions
Analysis of Sample Research Proposal
University of Melbourne, “Developing a Exercise 4 (college
Research Question” (video) statistics) due before
Chodorow, “Ch. 3: “Formulating an class
Open-Ended Research Question” (p. 46-
57) Writing In Your
Sample Research Proposal Discipline due Sunday,
2/4 by 10pm

Module II: Research as Exploration

In this unit, you will conduct open-ended research to develop and shape a research question that will drive your project. You will
design and propose an executable research project, communicate research plans clearly in an audience-appropriate genre and
style, respond productively to peer work and peer feedback as you revise, and reflect on research questions, writing, and
practices in your own work and in work from assigned research genres.

4 M Issue Spotlight 4: Experiences of Hicks, “No, ChatGPT Can't Be Your Exercise 5 (background
2/5 students with disabilities New Research Assistant” data) due before class
Research in the age of AI UofL, “Google vs. the Library” (video)
Using BU Library research databases

W Issue Spotlight 5: Experiences of low-
2/7 income college students
Finding a scholarly gap & motivating
your research
Using AI research tools
Yonis, “5 Easy Ways To Find The Gap Exercise 6 (sources
in Literature” (video) search) due before class
Middlebury, “Gap Statements”
Science Grad School Coach, “Elicit AI
Research Assistant” (video)

F Issue Spotlight 6: Experiences of Draft of Research Proposal

2/9 international students due 2/9 before class
Narrowing down & refining your
research Research Milestone 1
Peer review: Research Proposal (Research Proposal) due
Sunday, 2/11 by 10pm

Weeks 5 & 6
Proposal conferences

5 M Assigned: Background paragraph University of York, “Reading Academic Reflection 1 due Monday,
2/12 Reading and annotating scholarly Articles” 2/12 by 10pm
articles LibNCSU, “How to Read a Scholarly
Guided reading activity Article” (video)
Dr Amina Yonis, “How I Read And
Understand Any Research Paper Using
AI…” (video; optional)

W Evaluating sources using the TRRAP
2/14 method
Analysis of background section in
Sample Paper
Workshop: Planning the background
section for your Paper
ANU Library, “Evaluating Information Exercise 7 (background
Sources” (video) sources) due before class
Sample Research Paper (read
background section)

F Review of APA citation guidelines PPCC Writing Center, “APA Style: Draft of background
2/16 Peer review: Background paragraph Quoting” (video) paragraph due 2/16 before
OWLPurdue: “APA 7th Edition: In-Text class
Citations” (video)
Research Milestone 2
(background paragraph)
 due Sunday, 2/18 by 10pm

6 M Presidents Day – NO CLASSES

2/19

W Assigned: Interview guide Armchair Academics, “Qualitative

2/21 Collecting your own data Interviews: A How-To Guide to
Interviewing in Social Science” (video)
Preparing for and conducting qualitative
interviews Harvard, “Strategies for Qualitative
Interviews”
Gibbs, “How to do a research interview”
2/21 Substitute a Monday schedule of
classes (video)

2/22 Last Day to DROP without a “W” grade

F Research ethics SciToons, “Research Ethics” (video) Draft of interview guide

2/23 Peer review: Interview guide University of Oxford CUREC, due 2/23 before class
“Conducting Research Interviews”
Research Milestone 3
(interview guide) due
Sunday, 2/25 by 10pm

Module III: Communicating Research to an Academic Audience

In this unit, you will apply the best practices of writing and oral/signed communication —planning, drafting, integrating feedback,
and revising—to communicate your research to an academic audience with authority and precision in a well-structured
argument. You’ll engage a range of sources, analyze evidence using discipline-specific methods, revise your project design in
response to feedback, and reflect on writing and researching for an academic audience.

7 M Assigned: Research Paper
2/26 Assigned: Introduction & outline
AI and the future of research
Arguments and counterarguments in
research writing
Chodorow, “Ch. 4, “Working Toward an Send out your interview
Answer to Your Question” (p. 58-61) invitations!
Big Brains, “How AI is transforming
scientific research, with Rebecca Willett” Reflection 2 due Monday,
(podcast) 2/26 by 10pm

W Developing a working thesis Chodorow, “Ch. 5, “Answering Your Exercise 8 (argument

2/28 Writing an introduction Question and Constructing Your sources) due before class
Argument” (p. 62-65 only)
Analysis of introduction in Sample
Research Paper Turabian, “Writing an Introduction”
Sample Research Paper (read
introduction)

F Organizing arguments & structuring your Chodorow, “Ch. 5, “Answering Your Research Milestone 4
3/1 Paper Question and Constructing Your (introduction & outline)
Analysis of structure in Sample Argument” (p. 66-76) due Sunday, 3/3 by 10pm
Research Paper Sample Research Paper (read/skim
paper, focusing on argument structure)

8 M Types of evidence Chodorow, “Ch. 6, “Using Evidence

3/4 Using and citing evidence in research Properly and Effectively” (p. 77-88)
writing Chodorow, “Ch. 7, “Using the Work of
Interview check-in Others: Crediting Your Sources” (p. 89-
96)

W Body paragraph structure Rablin, "How to Write a Body Paragraph Exercise 9 (body
3/6 Analysis of body paragraphs in Sample for a Research Paper" (video) paragraph) due before
Sample Research Paper (read ??? body class
 Research Paper paragraph)

F Peer review: Research Paper rough Rough draft of Research

3/8 draft Paper due 3/8 before class

Research Paper draft due

Sunday, 3/10 by 10pm

March 9 – March 17
Spring Recess

Weeks 10 & 11
Research Paper group conferences

10 M Review of APA citation PurdueOWL, “APA Reference List:

3/18 Creating a References page Basic Rules”

Also review again:

PPCC Writing Center, “APA Style:
Quoting” (video)
OWLPurdue: “APA 7th Edition: In-Text
Citations” (video)

W Strategies for cohesion in writing
3/20 Metacommentary & importance marking
Sentence structure & cohesion
AWUC, “An Introduction to Cohesion in Exercise 10 (cohesion
Academic Writing” (video) revision) due before class
University of Melbourne, "Analysing a
paragraph: Cohesion Importance
Marking” (video)
Carnegie Mellon University, “Making
Complex Writing Intelligible with the
Known-New Contract”

F Elements of academic style AWUC, “Hedging in Academic Writing” Exercise 11 (hedging

3/22 Hedging and uncertainty in research (video) revision) due before class
writing University of Bristol, “Hedging”

11 M Writing a conclusion USCLibraries, “Organizing Your Social Reflection 3 due Monday,

3/25 Extending your research beyond the Sciences Research Paper” 3/25 by 10pm
Paper
Writing an academic title

W Incorporating interview data into your UWM Writing Center, “Incorporating Exercise 12 (conclusion
3/27 paper Interview Data” draft) due before class

F Paper workshop Draft of Research Paper

3/29 Revision due 3/29 before
class
3/29 Last Day to DROP with a “W” grade

Research Paper revision

due Sunday, 3/31 by 10pm

Module IV: Remediation: Translating Your Research into Oral/Signed Genre

In this unit, you will further explore new genres and modes, highlighting how different contexts call for different kinds of research
and expression. You will continue to practice composition and research while working in different genres and modes, exploring
 the affordances and challenges of oral/signed expression

12 M Assigned: Lightning Talk Sutter, “Science Has a Communication

4/1 Science communication Problem – and a Connection Problem”
Introduction to Lightning Talks Woolston, “Lightning Talks: Science in
5 Minutes or Less”

W Writing a script for a Lightning Talk Homer, “How to Hack a (Lightning)

4/3 Telling the story of your research Talk!” (video)
University of Saskatchewan, “Speech
Structure”
Sonaike, “How to Structure Your Speech
to Make a Mighty Impression” (optional)

F Peer review: Lightning Talk script Draft of Lightning Talk

4/5 script due 4/5 before class

Lightning Talk script due

Sunday, 4/7 by 10pm

13 M Designing effective presentation slides Venngage, “How to design a

4/8 Accessibility in visual design presentation” (video)
Carnegie Mellon University, “Designing
Effective PowerPoint Presentations”
GCCCMU, “Designing Effective Slide
Presentations” (video; optional)

W Visualizing your data Visme, “Data Visualization in 2022”

4/10 (video)
4/10 Last Day to Officially Take a Leave of Dholakia, “A Guide To Getting Data
Absence or Withdraw from the University Visualization Right”

F Movie day!
4/12 “Eastern & Western Design: How
Culture Rewires The Brain”

14 M PATRIOT’S DAY—NO CLASSES

4/15

W Delivering an engaging presentation Anderson, “How to Give a Killer Reflection 4 due

4/17 Strategies for effective Lightning Talks Presentation” Wednesday, 4/17 by 10pm
NIU, “Delivering the Presentation”
EMBL, “How to Give a Flash Talk”
(video)

F Peer review: Lightning Talk slides Draft of Lightning Talk

4/19 slides due 4/19 before
class

15 M Lightning Talks
4/22

W Lightning Talks
4/24
 F Lightning Talks
4/26 Lightning Talks debriefing & reflection

Module V: Closing Reflection

In this unit, you will reflect on learning in different genres and modes for different audiences and purposes and you’ll consider
how you can transfer your new knowledge to other areas of your studies and your life.

16 M Assigned: Complete Portfolio & Final

4/29 Reflective Essay
Finalizing the Digication Portfolio

W Final reflections & goodbyes Complete Portfolio &

5/1 Final Reflective Essay
due Wednesday, 5/1 by
5/1 Last day of M/W/F classes
10pm