Research in the news.

A new research study on composition reports

An analysis of research papers written in first-year composition courses at 15 colleges reveals that many students simply copy chunks of text from the sources they cite without truly grasping the underlying argument, quality or context...

The researchers analyzed the students' 1,832 research citations and assigned each of them to one of four categories:

• Exact copying -- a verbatim cut-and-paste, either with or without quotation marks.
• "Patchwriting" -- the copying of the original language with minimal alteration and with synonyms substituting for several original words (patchwriting is often a failed attempt to paraphrase, they said).
• Paraphrasing -- a restatement of a source's argument with mostly fresh language, and with some of the original language intact; it reflects comprehension of a small portion, perhaps a sentence, of the source material.
• Summary -- the desired form of citation because it demonstrates true understanding of a large portion, if not the entirety, of the original text; summarizing was identified by the researchers when student writers restated in their own terms the source material and compressed by at least 50 percent the main points of at least three consecutive sentences

The paper speculates that this indicates a lack of engagement: apathy. Students don't care. They provide an example and conculde

students tended to rely heavily on their sources -- so heavily, in fact, that students rarely seem to fully own the material and marshal it to form a novel argument, the researchers said.

“The compelling, unnerving issue is that the student has nothing to say,” said Howard of the piece that drew so heavily on WebMD. “How could she, since she's writing a research document from reference materials?”

This is the big question. Why do students seem to have nothing to say? Part of the problem may stem from deficits of reading comprehension. Many students don't seem to understand what they read and balk at, or shy away from, meaningful resources. They don't read, but is it right to assume they can't? Or are they accustomed to pretending to be ignorant to keep instructors' expectations low. I used to do that. It was a big mistake.

The article also speculates that most sources are merely the first hits from a google search. Do students understand how lame that sounds? Why or why not?

I'm seeing this on the iSearch, which necessarily is topic that students care about. Maybe the research only looked at early drafts. I do want to see the process, but on the final paper reference material won't cut it.

This relates as well to something I'm seeing in the Metaphor paper. What's up with people quoting the dictionary? That's common knowledge. By college - dictionary definitions are assumed to be common knowledge - In the past I've chalked this up to a lack of sophistication or understanding of rhetoric, but perhaps it is instead (or as well) a deficit in research skills.

Research is an active process. It is a hunt: an exploration; an adventure. At least it is when it's done right.

I need to make reading logs regular assignments - and we need to do more "think/pair/share" in the classroom.

Library Research Orientation

One point the librarian made that bears repeating - research takes time. I'm not talking about the reading of articles (that takes even more time) but finding good research is work. Students who got "A's" and "B's" last semester said they spent over 30 hours on research alone. That doesn't include the writing of the paper at all. This was easy for them because they picked topics they felt passionate about.

An idiom allegedly from Chinese goes, "if you give someone a fish, they eat for a day. If you teach them to fish they eat for a lifetime." Our goal in our class is teaching - and skills that transfer to a lifetime of use.

You have to hunt for research (hence the word "search" embedded in the term). CQ Researcher is like a barrel of fish for you to shoot at - I hope most of you don't need it - it doesn't impress me. It is not a database but an encyclopedia published in a journal format. Its primary virtue is ease of use. Sure, we may get more calories in you if we spoon-feed pre-digested information, but it isn't the calories that are important, but the ability to provide for ourselves. And CQ Research is processed. Sure a McDonald's Filet-o-fish will provide more fat and calories (not to mention salt) than a fish you catch and prepare for yourself - but is is far less healthy, and ultimately less satisfying. We only prefer the taste if we've been raised on a diet of deep-fried and slathered in fat.

To teach this subject better, in the future I should create a handout with links - that students can follow. I also need to clarify that students NEED time to work on their own research.
Databases I recommend:

• Academic OneFile link
• JStor
  
• ERIC
• Gale (3 different databases - I'm thinking Gale Virtual is the way to go first).
  
• PsycArticles
  

Resources I would use sparingly - no more than one source per paper.

• Wikipedia - not a bad place to start to learn language and to poach resources, but it's a lot like peeing in the shower: not something you need to brag about.
  
• CQ Researcher. It's research lite. It may be credible, but it doesn't impress anyone. In some ways it's inferior to wikipedia. The same scatological analogy applies.
  

Another thought on comments made regarding procrastination: computers changed the process and meaning of "writing a paper." 30 or 40 years ago research was done with bound indexes, card catalogs that took up enormous space, and rows and rows of physical books. Writers would copy from books by hand into notecards (or notebooks) then rearrange notes and recopy by hand into their notebook rough drafts - and repeat until the last minute and TYPING often happend the night before the paper was due.

Research today all happens at a computer/ word processor - so "writing" isn't divorced from research - but the two are connected throughout the process. Also, the myth of writing a paper the night before it's due in college and still getting an "A" is an college urban myth that ranks right up there with the one about people who only show up for tests and Ace classes - or that drinking bong water is an awesome psychedelic experience.

Why might fools or sociopaths repeat these college myths?

iSearch: advice

1. It's never been a good sign when a writer changes topics without including research from their initial idea. It generally indicates procrastination and lack of effort. Will have to rewrite prompt to control this. Either take one of my suggestions, or show research from initial topic and
   
2. 2 hours reading research is not a sincere effort. For a capstone project assigned the first day of class you should expect to spend at least 15 hours reading, and that doesn't include time spent looking for material. Heck, we spent 3-4 hours in class finding material this semester.
3. ALL work read should be included in your works consulted. Yes, I understand tutors may tell you that if you don't directly cite a source it doesn't go on your works page. That isn't exactly true - if information is not common knowledge the source deserves to be cited. The assignment prompt asks for ALL WORK READ on a "works consulted" page.
   
4. If information is common knowledge it shouldn't go in your "what I learned" page.
   
5. Citing an encyclopedia, dictionary, ehow, Wikipedia, about.com, or ask.com is like peeing in the shower. I don't care that you do it, but please don't talk about it. Quoting such sources makes you look bad.
   
6. 
   

On finals

Here is a link to the finals schedule for all classes at JCCC. Read it. I'm following the college determined final schedule.

I'm most of the way thru the iSearch papers. Next year we will make a bigger deal about the correct format for block quotes and works cited information. Other issues that have been covered in class but that I haven't successfully gotten across to a large enough majority of students are:

• why is the hanging indent so hard to grasp? is it because we have to unlearn the standard indent?
• And why do so many students quote sources that are NOT on the works cited page? Do students assume if they mention the author's name or the periodical then it doesn't need to be on the works page? Of course it does. That's where complete bibliographic info should be found. I blogged about this on March 3rd in response to the SRTOL papers. I mentioned it in class, and on every paper I saw it on.
  
• quote marks look like "this," not 'this.' (and notice periods and commas go inside quotes.
  
• any quote that appears on 4 lines should get block quotations treatment (also blogged on - issue addressed in class, etc.).
  
• Read the assignment prompt and follow directions. That's the criteria papers get graded by.

I'm not sure if these issues are pervasive - or if they irritate me so I dwell on them.

In our final you can summarize your iSearch in 2 minutes or less, then we'll open the floor to questions from the class. Very relaxed. No PowerPoint presentations.

doldrums and the kracken

It's that time. Students who can afford to relax - don't; some come to grips with academic and personal goals for the first time; and some need help getting out of bed at the crack of noon.

I feel it - but you can't step in the same river twice (Heraclitus), and the water's different for everyone.

Teachers hustle to keep up with grading - and judging/evaluating takes its toll - and can result in little patience for ... how do real people say insouciance? Where can we find motivation?

Needing empathy, I started my own iSearch. I forgot that databases tell you were to find info - but often don't have direct link/ download. It can make you feel like you're in over your head.

Check google scholar if your school library doesn't have a journal or source you need - and if that fails interlibrary loan is pretty quick - talk to a librarian. I should walk the class thru it. The process for tracking down sources changes every 6 months, but once you get the hang of it, you can figure it out and it can be fun.

The important thing: try something new. Look in new places. Have fun.

Perhaps we should collectively reassess our goals and objectives. Please check out the video. I especially noticed the phalanx at 2:30... the paramilitary utilitarian outfit and choreography had to influence Public Enemy. They make a statement on the paradox of fitting into a system that encourages uniform expression, while discovering one's own voice: intense emotional engagement while simultaneously detached and objective - or cold and mechanical.

It's performance art/punk rock at its finest; Devo flourished in the shadow of disco - and made a bigger impact in Europe and Japan than in the Midwest, tho they did help pioneer the music video. Mark Mothersbaugh - front man - you may know from The Rugrats, or any of a bunch of movie soundtracks. That dude can compose: visually, musically and lyrically.

Another of Devo's songs could sum up my andragogical theory, our course objectives, and the idea - or more accurately a reaction to an idea, that explains most decisions I made up until 2002. Haven't reassessed my life re: said song since. The message is in the vein of Lloyd's dinner party speech from Say Anything.

I'd probably get in trouble for showing you the music video in question - or even using it's name in print.

BTW anyone else want to read Punk Power in the First-Year Writing Classroom? It'd better live up...