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For this tech writing course, I picked out most of the projects, but left it
open for students who could arrange something suitable for themselves. For
convenience, I had most of the projects at the University, but working for
staff not faculty. The students had two months to sink into the projects,
most working in groups of 2 or 3, but three going solo for various reasons.
The well-researched projects had a definite impact; for example, the
Counselling Centre is going to purchase the recommended career-search
software. Similary, Residence seems likely to take the recommended
"disciplinary code." However, as in "real life," the three clients who
received poorly researched efforts expressed their disappointment--and I
gave clients plenty of opportunity to express their reaction because clients
awarded (holistically) a third of the mark along with a paragraph or two of
written feedback. I think that the students generally worked so hard at this
assignment because they could (usually) see that it could make a difference.
For example, when one client told his group that he had only $2,000 to spend
on system modifications, the group told me, "He's serious about this
project!"

For a later assignment, the 18 students individually critiqued the
University's Viewbook, using the rhetorical and the design principles they'd
learned in the course. The Senior Liaison Officer spoke to the class for 50
minutes, describing the target audiences, purposes, contexts of use, etc.,
and finishing with a request for feedback for next year's modification of
the Viewbook. Although the Viewbook was a pretty good product, the students'
4-page memos to the Liaison crew suggested an amazing number of
improvements. Some of the memos will go forward to the University's
Recruitment Committee. We'll see next year what the Viewbook looks like!

Jim Bell
University of Northern BC
3333 University Way
Prince George, BC  V2N 4Z9
Phone: 250-960-6365
Fax: 250-960-6330

> -----Original Message-----
> From: CASLL/Inkshed [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Brenton D. Faber
> Sent: Friday, March 31, 2000 12:31 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Novels
>
>
> Jim,
>
> This sounds like a great course, I'd love to hear
> more about it. How did you find your clients? Did you
> work out the projects ahead of time or did the students
> initiate them? What kind of influence has their work
> had on campus and on your department?
>
> Clive Muir at Morgan State University in
> Baltimore ([log in to unmask]) has been looking for
> innovative composition courses that include service-learning.
> I think he might be working on a collection of some
> sort. He might be interested in the work your students
> are doing.
>
> Brenton
>
> ------------------------------------------------------
>
> On Fri, 31 Mar 2000, Jim Bell wrote:
>
> > This semester, Brenton, my English 370 class has done reports
> recommending
> > career search software for the Counseling Centre, on-line
> writing lab set up
> > for the Learning Skills Centre, promotional strategies for the
> Health and
> > Wellness Centre, as well as critiqued the design and content of the
> > University's "Viewbook", and one group presented the radical idea to the
> > Ministry of Forests that Comandra stem rust be controlled by broadcast
> > burning. But the course I'm thinkiing of now is to be based on
> writing in
> > response to literature.
> >
> > Like any teaching suggestion, letting the students select their
> own novels
> > has some drawbacks. I wonder if asking students to chose among a limited
> > number of novels would kill the enthusiasm etc. that Jaime is trying to
> > create/tap?
> >
> > Jim Bell
> > University of Northern BC
> > 3333 University Way
> > Prince George, BC  V2N 4Z9
> > Phone: 250-960-6365
> > Fax: 250-960-6330
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: CASLL/Inkshed [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Brenton D. Faber
> > > Sent: Friday, March 31, 2000 12:00 PM
> > > To: [log in to unmask]
> > > Subject: Re: Novels
> > >
> > >
> > > Kudos to Jamie,
> > >
> > > In fact, why not choose a context (a non-profit organization
> > > or a department on campus that needs some help) and write
> > > for them?
> > >
> > > This term we are working with my school's English as a Second
> > > Language program. We are getting fantastic writing opportunities,
> > > plus international issues, educational issues, technology,
> > > politics, the works....
> > >
> > > ----------------------------------
> > >
> > >
> > > On Fri, 31 Mar 2000, Jamie MacKinnon wrote:
> > >
> > > > Radical idea Jim:  don't choose any novels for them.
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > Brenton D. Faber                          Faculty Advisor:
> > > Assistant Professor                   WTSC 91.1 Clarkson Radio
> > > Technical Communications
> > > Clarkson University             Society for Technical Communication
> > > Potsdam NY 13699                        Clarkson Student Chapter
> > >
> > > [log in to unmask]
> > > 315.268.6466
> > > http://www.clarkson.edu/~faber/
> > >
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>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Brenton D. Faber                          Faculty Advisor:
> Assistant Professor                   WTSC 91.1 Clarkson Radio
> Technical Communications
> Clarkson University             Society for Technical Communication
> Potsdam NY 13699                        Clarkson Student Chapter
>
> [log in to unmask]
> 315.268.6466
> http://www.clarkson.edu/~faber/
>
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>   To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
>    [log in to unmask] or, if you experience difficulties,
>        write to Russ Hunt at [log in to unmask]
>
>    For the list archives and information about the organization,
> the annual conference, and publications, go to the Inkshed Web site at
>          http://www.StThomasU.ca/inkshed/
>                  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
>

                -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
  To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
   [log in to unmask] or, if you experience difficulties,
       write to Russ Hunt at [log in to unmask]

   For the list archives and information about the organization,
the annual conference, and publications, go to the Inkshed Web site at
         http://www.StThomasU.ca/inkshed/
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