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Assignment 2: Inquiry-Based Research Essay

For Assignment 2, students conduct research on how writing is used in their discipline or intended major. They conduct primary research by interviewing a member of their discipline and composing field notes. Their secondary research focuses on both scholarly and popular sources. Students analyze their data and compose 7-10 page research papers, and this work is scaffolded through the completion of four short assignments: 

 

  1. Research Topic Reflection

  2. Research Proposal

  3. Report on Research In Progress

  4. Post-Essay Reflection 

The image above links to an ENC 1102 student's ePortfolio where she has posted all of the texts relating to her Assignment 2, including initial brainstorming, interview questions, progress journal, research paper, all four short assignments, and images she found relevant to her project. 

Individual Conferences

I hold individual conferences with each student after they complete their research proposal. These conferences are guided by the questions and concerns students bring to conferences. 

Teacher and Student Progress Journals

Peer review was guided by questions focused on three points: clear and concise summary of source texts, careful analysis of source texts, and reflective synthesis of tensions between source texts.

Peer Review

Peer review on first drafts is guided by questions about content: clearly identifiable purpose, use of textual support and analysis, consideration of audience's familiarity with terms and topics. 

Teacher Comments

My comments on students' "final" drafts are what Anson refers to as "reflective": I describe for students my experience as a particular reader, and I suggest multiple options for revision. 

Self-Review

Students review comments they received from their peers and me on earlier drafts, and they read through their third drafts with these types of comments in mind. Thus, they anticipate the kinds of responses they will receive and revise accordingly. 

Audio Commentary on Draft 2

I focus on the following points to structure my feedback:

  1. Successful completion of primary research,

  2. Careful analysis of source texts, 

  3. Distinguishing between primary and secondary source material, and 

  4. Taking up conventions appropriate to research paper genre, including maintaining a clear purpose, logically presenting ideas, referencing and analyzing source texts, and appropriate citation. 

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