Writing for Success!

1. Writing for Success! Welcome to the School of Professional and continuing Studies’ Writing for Success Course Created by Christine Leake, M.S., M.B.A.

2. Writing for Success! “Practice, practice, practice writing. Writing is a craft that requires both talent and acquired skills. You learn by doing, by making mistakes and then seeing where you went wrong.” - Jeffrey A. Carver The objective of this course is to reacquaint new (SPCS) students with the formal writing process with the expectation that students will achieve the proficiency standard prior to enrolling in their undergraduate programs. Successful completion of this course will provide students with a foundation for the college level writing needed to successfully complete the undergraduate curriculum.

3. Not Employed = 1BBA Program = 15BPS Program, Communication & Media Studies = 6BPS Program, Organizational Leadership = 9BPS Program, Criminology = 3 *I do not have participant reported data on how many have English as their second language, but based on my observation, I would estimate:English as Primary Language = 27English as Second Language = 6 TIMELINE

4. TIMELINE

5. Front End AnalysisTeaching students how to write proficiently for undergraduate coursework Performance Analysis The original performance issue came into question when the Division Dean requested a formal writing evaluation method for incoming undergraduate students. The current method evaluates a student’s transcripts, work history, and writing sample. The writing sample collected is not graded according to a standard method or list of competency objectives. The Division Dean hopes to create a standard for writing proficiencies for all students in the SPCS. After the initial performance issue surfaced, an informal conversation took place with a class of undergraduate students currently enrolled in the undergraduate program in the SPCS. Of the 11 students (33 enrolled overall) asked, nine reported that writing skills were not consistently enforced in each class in the undergraduate program (one student was new to the SPCS). This Instructional Designer is also the facilitator of said courses (2 this semester) and can attest to the wide range of writing skills demonstrated by the students. Operationally, the SPCS would like to create a standard of writing competencies in which to measure student skills upon entry, in order to determine if a remedial course is warranted. Students who did not meet the entry-level requirements would be required to take this remedial writing course (Writing for Success!). As we become the leader in a global marketplace for “service” industries one can expect that all workers would need a basic level of communication and writing skills. As a college, it is understood that students who graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree would have mastered basic writing skills that include working knowledge of English grammar, organization, analysis, that is supported by outside sources and properly formatted. *Is there a performance problem that will be solved by instruction? Yes, often students learn writing proficiencies throughout their primary and secondary years. Many of our students are adults who either have been away from the learning environment for some time or have held jobs in which they were not practicing their writing skills. By refreshing or relearning writing skills, students are provided an acclimation period. This time period will enable students to be reacquainted to the learning environment while reinforcing a skill they have been introduced to before. These skills are necessary, in both the academic world as well as the business world for which students are hoping to apply advanced skills through a degree program. Without instruction in this area, new students who struggle with writing will experience low grades, motivational issues, and may not complete their undergraduate program.

6. Needs Assessment Need: Establish a basic level of writing proficiencies for students to successfully navigate the undergraduate program. Organizational Need: All students entering the SPCS will have to meet a basic score designated on the writing rubric that they are able to write a properly structured sentence, understand capitalization and punctuation rules, can organize an essay and support a thesis statement through careful analysis of a topic. If students are not able to meet this entry-level requirement they will be required to take the remedial course (Writing for Success!) before enrolling in the core requirements for the undergraduate degree. Instructor Need: Instructors for the SPCS need students to meet a standard level of writing skills in order to create realistic expectations for students and to ensure all enrolled students have the standard level of proficiencies to be successful in the course. Student Need: Students need to have confidence in their abilities. This confidence is both as a student and as an employee. Students do not want to be set up to fail, and providing them a foundational course in writing can elevate their self-esteem and vision for completing a degree program. These skills will transfer over to the workplace long before the student leaves the undergraduate program; therefore, they will be able to see the relevance directly after the 13 week course.

7. Clarifying Goals After discussing the outcomes with the Division Dean, we have decided we will have two separate rubrics; one to assess entry-level skills, and one to assess writing skills when determining the successful completion of the Writing for Success Course. The initial rubric will not include points for APA citation (* it will be included but not utilized), as some students entering, have no previous college credits or have been out of school for a long period of time. The Writing for Success Course will be split into three sections over the course of a semester (12 weeks). The first four weeks will focus on fundamentals, the second four weeks will incorporate fundamentals with content, structure, and critical thinking, and the last four weeks will incorporate the first two sections with citation (APA). All of the skills will reinforce one another as a student progresses through the course. Students will be assessed progressively (on fundamentals, then fundamentals and content, then fundamentals, content, analysis, and references). The Writing Rubric will be used as the standard measure for students entering the SPCS. Students scoring below the “proficiency” rating will be enrolled in the Writing for Success Course and will be required to score a proficiency rating before being placed in their undergraduate programs. A weekly “checklist” will be used to monitor progress with each class as it pertains to achieving the performance objectives and proficiency levels.

8. Instructional Goals Reference Dick, Walter, Carey, Lou, & Carey, James O. (2009). The systematic design of instruction. Upper Saddle River: Pearson

9. Description of Learners

10. Learner Analysis

11. Learner Analysis The information for the learner analysis was collected through data collection measures, observation, and interviews. • The prerequisites for entering the Writing for Success Course are a score of “novice” or below on the writing assessment. • Writing for Success is relevant to the students in all aspects of their lives as almost every occupation requires good communication skills (both verbal and written); further, the student’s goal of completing an undergraduate degree are dependent upon this skill. • Of the 9 students interviewed, all agreed that good writing skills are necessary for job success. Three of the students stated that they were fearful of writing courses because they felt as though they never mastered writing. • Students’ enrolled in the SPCS have been matriculated or will be matriculated in a degree program of their choice. In order to achieve their goal of completing a Bachelor’s Degree they will need sound language skills. Motivation is derived with this course as being “Step 2” in achieving their goal (Step 1 was being accepted). • Entering students are required to have earned a high school diploma or equivalency, have a job or work experience, and be able to read and write in English. • All learning preferences will be addressed in the instruction: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and combination. The environment will be conducive to learning as indicated by providing instruction in a well lit classroom which is equipped with all of the tools needed for learning. • Although students will enter into the Writing for Success Course because they did not meet the required score for entering into their undergraduate programs; they all come with varying skill sets and experiences. They are adult learners who all have something to contribute to the learning environment. 1. Prerequisite skills for the “Writing for Success Course” 2. Relevance 3. Attitudes 4. Motivation 5. Education 6. Learning preferences 7. Group Identity

12. Learning Context Site & Equipment: The College of Mount Saint Vincent will be used for the learning context. A typical classroom/lecture hall will be used to host most forms of instruction. Typical lecture halls are equipped with chalk/white boards, overhead projectors/screens, approximately 30 student desks, a podium, and a docking station for an instructor’s computer to allow projector, and internet access. • Tools needed: paper, pencil/pen, computer, data processing applications, internet connections, Dolphinet ID and Password • Observations: It is to be noted that not all classrooms are equipped with computers; therefore, the instructor will have to make use of the computer lab for data processing access. Typical handwriting can also be used within the classroom setting. It will be the instructor’s responsibility to ensure they possess the cables required to utilize the multimedia docking station. • Resources: The College of Mount Saint Vincent provides students with computer lab access, library, and online tools to assist with instruction. • Potential Constraints: The instructor will need to schedule the course in alignment with computer lab hours and availability (class size).

13. Learning Context (continued) Compatibility • Delivery: Considering this will be the first course for many entering the undergraduate program, this course will be delivered primarily face-to-face with some online integration. This allows the instructor to provide the needed support first hand, as students are acclimated to the integration of technology. The face-to-face will take place in a typical classroom and will include lecture, Power Point presentation, worksheets (grammar practice), and online (instructor designed, internet resource) at the computer lab on campus. This will be scheduled during the class time in order to scaffold the instruction and provide feedback. Difficulties may arise for students who are absent; therefore, the instructor will schedule a “make-up” session to accommodate need. • Time: Most courses in the SPCS are held at night (6:30 pm-9:30 pm) or on Saturdays (9 am-12 pm). This course will be offered in one of these time slots. These time slots have been established to accommodate the working adult’s instructional needs. • Personnel: The course will be facilitated by an instructor that is knowledgeable in delivering remedial instruction in English (for adult students). • Location: The college is easily accessible to students by using mass transit (24 hours) or personal vehicle. The college library has space available for individual and group meetings. There are several computer labs available in the Administration (classroom) building as well as the library. These facilities also provide access to food and drink through the use of vending machines , cafeteria, and café. All spaces are well lit, easily accessible by stair or elevator, welcoming, and conducive to learning. The spaces address all learning preferences (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and combination). • Characteristics: The remedial course will prompt students to produce documents that one would expect to see in their work place (business letters, newsletters, email, blogs, wiki spaces, etc.). This allows students to produce work in a supervised setting. The lecture hall environment is considered a “business” environment as students are expected to utilize business etiquette while in a class setting. There will be opportunities for social interactions as students will be provided with opportunities to work in groups. Data Source: observation, Division Dean interviews, and student feedback

14. Performance Context Performance Site Characteristics Adult students will attend class in a lecture hall and be provided with a desk in which to work (similar to a work setting). The facilitator will act as supervisor in that each session will provide task instruction, guided practice, independent production, and feedback. Students will keep their work in a “journal” in which to reference past experiences and feedback. The journal will act as the student’s record. The physical aspects of the college and lecture hall adhere to that of any large business. It is well lit, secure, accessible by mass transit and car, and is handicap accessible. The class times have been devised based upon the input of the work adult student. All SPCS courses are offered in the evenings and /or on Saturday mornings. The social aspects of this instruction provide multiple opportunities for group work and interaction within the lecture itself, and then will be followed up with group projects, and Q & A sessions. The social interaction component will be both supervised and unsupervised as students gather for groups in and outside of class. The nature of this course is to master the fundamentals of the written and spoken English language. Communication skills integrate with every other skill in the work place. The Department of Labor indicates that mastery of the English Language in both written and spoken form is a prerequisite for jobs in all of the degree areas we offer in the SPCS. This information demonstrates the relevance between this course and the work environment our students aspire to enter. Reference U.S. Department of Labor (2011). O*net online help. Retrieved from http://www.onetonline.org/

15. Correlations The DOL information correlates the idea that proficiency of the English Language is required for positions related to all of the SPCS degree programs, and thereby denoting the correlation of writing proficiency, degree completion, and employment.

16. Arrows denote integration Instructional Analysis

17. Integrated Goal Analysis Fundamentals, Content, Process, & Critical Thinking

18. Integrated Goal Analysis Fundamentals, Content, Process, Critical Thinking, and APA formatting

19. Performance Objectives PO. 1 Fundamentals: Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of fundamental writing skills as demonstrated by scoring at the proficiency level on the Writing Rubric. PO. 2 Content: Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of the writing process by scoring at the proficiency level for utilizing the writing process (prewriting, drafting, editing/proofreading, final copy), organizing, and structuring (introduction, thesis, body, & conclusion) their written work. PO. 3 Critical Thinking: Students will demonstrate critical thinking skills when their written work scores at the proficiency levels for comprehensively analyzing the subject matter or written prompt. Critical thinking will also be assessed when interacting with others and communicating in a professional demeanor. PO. 4 APA Formatting: Students will achieve success in APA formatting when they score at the proficiency levels for applying the correct formatting to in text citations and a properly formatted reference section. * Conditions: Students will attend each scheduled session of the course, participate /complete class activities, implement instruction by completing individual and group assignments, utilize feedback for corrective purposes, and interact with their classmates in order to assess performance outcomes. It is believed that the Performance Objectives will reach “Proficiency Levels “ (determined by the Writing Rubric guidelines) if these conditions are met.

20. Performance Conditions Checklist One –to-one Instructor/Student meeting Date: PO: Corrective feedback and plan of action: Signed: The criteria in the “conditions” checklist will be used to assess student performance during each class session. This will provide the instructor and student with a standard measure for performance with each class session. There will be a place for comments below the individual checklist for one-on-one counseling and goal setting (intervention).

21. For the initial assessment, do not include the APA indicators. The best score is 9/9 for initial assessment. With permission from Dr. D. Johnson (2011, SLU Instructor/Designer)

22. Instructional Strategies Sections Fundamentals Content Critical Thinking APA CLE “Constructivist Learning Environments” Consider - Environment The environment is designed to be a safe place for instruction, practice, and feedback. Where the student’s development and performance are at the center of all learning activities and interactions. Engagement The facilitator will gain the students’ attention by identifying the successful outcomes one can achieve with good writing skills, i.e. namely entry into their undergraduate programs (this also covers relevance). Guidance Continued practice will build confidence and satisfaction. Students will be provided continued practice throughout the 13 week course. Assessment Assessment of the student’s ability to put principle into practice will be the guiding philosophy of assessment. A standardized form of measurement will facilitate this philosophy and a writing rubric will be used to measure the student’s work. • Reference • Dick, Walter, Carey, Lou, & Carey, James O. (2009). The systematic design of instruction. Upper Saddle River: Pearson

23. Instructional Strategies for Content • Environment - Constructivist Goal: PO. 2 Content: Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of the writing process by scoring at the proficiency level for utilizing the writing process (prewriting, drafting, editing/proofreading, final copy), organizing, and structuring (introduction, thesis, body, & conclusion) their written work. Setting: classroom setting, individual and small groups Pedagogical model: Project Resources: Instructor created and internet based • Engagement: This section will be based upon Gagn`e’s “nine events of instruction” (get attention, state objective, activate prior learning, present new learning, application, feedback, assessment, and transfer). Engage - Quote: “Practice, practice, practice writing. Writing is a craft that requires both talent and acquired skills. You learn by doing, by making mistakes and then seeing where you went wrong.” - Jeffrey A. Carver Explore: Questioning will be used to explore students’ views on writing and prior writing experiences. The instructor will link experiences to the concepts of the quote and writing strategies (the writing process). Explain: The instructor will explain the writing process: prewriting, drafting, editing, revising, and final copy Elaborate: The instructor will use a writing packet created for this process. The packet is project based and cumulative. Evaluate: The packet results demonstrate the student can write based upon the writing process. Guided feedback is provided along the way and the final copy is assessed according to the Writing Rubric. • Guidance Scaffolding: graphic organizers, coaching, modeling, visual aids, guided feedback, and questioning • Assessment Performance evaluations: writing samples, • Reference • Dick, Walter, Carey, Lou, & Carey, James O. (2009). The systematic design of instruction. Upper Saddle River: Pearson

24. Class Structure(Example below is that of a class in the “Content” Week. All classes will follow the same structure indicated below.) Gagne’s “Nine Events of Instruction” • Get attention – Quote “Practice, practice, practice writing. Writing is a craft that requires both talent and acquired skills. You learn by doing, by making mistakes and then seeing where you went wrong.” - Jeffrey A. Carver • State objective – PO 2: Content: Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of the writing process by scoring at the proficiency level for utilizing the writing process (prewriting, drafting, editing/proofreading, final copy), organizing, and structuring (introduction, thesis, body, & conclusion) their written work. • Activate prior learning – Review “Fundamentals” (overview of first four weeks) • Present new learning – Introduce the 5 Part Writing Process (Prewriting, Drafting, Editing, Revising, & Publish or Final Copy); Present Course Materials; Show examples; Answer questions • Guided practice – Provide students with a writing packet (Slides 27-34). Guided practice includes Slides 27 -30 (Prewriting) • Application – Slide 31 - Drafting • Feedback – Slide 32 & 33 – Editing & Revisions • Assessment - Slide 34 – Final copy measured with Writing Rubric • Transfer – Use checklist to determine if PO 2 was met. Write detailed plan to reassess if necessary. • Reference • Dick, Walter, Carey, Lou, & Carey, James O. (2009). The systematic design of instruction. Upper Saddle River: Pearson

25. Course Materials (Content Plan) Pedagogical Model: Project based Prewriting (Brainstorming, Outlining (condensed and expanded) Drafting (use “prewriting” to draft) Editing (use “draft” to edit sentence structure, punctuation, etc.) Revising (use edits to revise) Final (use revisions to compose the final copy)

26. Prewriting Materials Instructions: Use the graphic organizer below to explore your topic through the use of collaborative brainstorming. Fill in each shape with the information you collect through brainstorming. Ask: What do I/classmates know about this topic? IV. Sub Topic II. Sub Topic I. Main Idea V. Sub Topic III. Sub Topic PO 2

27. Prewriting: OUTLINING Condensed Outline Instructions: take the information from the brainstorming session and organize it below in the condensed outline format. Be sure to put topics in an sequential order according to timeline. Your final paragraph will always be the conclusion. Please be as concise as possible when entering information in the condensed outline. CONDENSED OUTLINE Main Idea: Sub Topic No. 1: Sub Topic No. 2: Sub Topic No. 3: Sub Topic No. 4: Conclusion STOP FEEDBACK PO 2

28. Prewriting : EXPANDED OUTLINE Instructions: Here you will expand on the condensed outline by identifying a title for your work as well as a thesis statement for the paper. Under the “Sub Topics” you will create opening statements for each paragraph and ensure they link to the thesis statement and the order of the paper. Please give careful thought to your thesis and opening statements as they set the tone for what follows. Consider your audience, sentence structure, and punctuation. EXPANDED OUTLINE TITLE I. INTRODUCTION THESIS (an overall point you hope to argue or prove in this paper) II. BODY SUB TOPIC I – OPENING STATEMENT SUB TOPIC II – OPENING STATEMENT SUB TOPIC III – OPENING STATEMENT SUB TOPIC IV – OPENING STATEMENT III. CONCLUSION OPENING STATEMENT PO 2

29. EXPANDED OUTLINE CONTINUED TITLE I. INTRODUCTION (4-5 sentences) THESIS (an overall point you hope to argue or prove in this paper) II. BODY SUB TOPIC I – OPENING STATEMENT List 3 details to support the opening statement. SUB TOPIC II – OPENING STATEMENT List 3 details to support the opening statement. SUB TOPIC III – OPENING STATEMENT List 3 details to support the opening statement. SUB TOPIC IV – OPENING STATEMENT List 3 details to support the opening statement. III. CONCLUSION OPENING STATEMENT List 3 details to support the opening statement STOP FEEDBACK PO 2

30. II. Drafting Congratulations! You are now ready to begin your first draft of the composition. ROUGH DRAFT Instructions: Use the information from the previous page (EXPANDED OUTLINE) to write your first draft. On a separate piece of paper or using a word processing software program use your expanded outline to create your first draft. You will notice that the EXPANDED OUTLINE provides the structure for the paper. Feel free to be creative, humorous, insightful, and knowledgeable when creating the remainder of each paragraph. Consider your audience and the paper’s purpose to set the tone, engage readers, and keep their attention. Please begin your writing now. PO 2

31. III. Edit Your Work! When writing please consider these tips: 1. Think about whether your sentences “tell” (declarative), show emotion (exclamatory), “ask” (interrogatory), or “command” (imperative). Knowing this information will allow you to use proper punctuation. 2. Remember to capitalize the first letter of the first word in each sentence as well as all proper nouns. 3. Ensure your subject and verb are in agreement (consider singular/plural & tense: past, present, future) 4. Consider the words you are choosing, are they the best choice to convey meaning? 5. Check for spelling errors. If you’re not sure, look it up in the dictionary. 6. Re read your work. Ensure it is in the correct order of events and adheres to the grammatical guidelines we have discussed. PO 2

32. IV. REVISIONS, REVISIONS, REVISIONS.. Revisions may well be the most important part of the writing process. It is here that you will take your creativity and apply the rules of writing to develop a quality paper. Check these items in the order you have completed them. Keep your revisions handy as they will be your guide when writing the final copy. • REVISIONS CHECKLIST • Ask someone else to read your rough draft (after edits please). • Ask the reader to give you a summary of what they’ve read. • Ask yourself, did your writing convey the meaning you intended. • Ask the reader for feedback and write it down. • Thank the reader for their input. • Reconcile the reader’s input with your views on meaning, word usage, sentence structure, order of events, and edits. • REVISE, REVISE, REVISE • Get your instructor’s “OK” to begin the Final draft. PO 2

33. IV. FINAL COPY CONGRATULATIONS! If you are here it means you have completed all of the other steps in the content section correctly. You are now ready to write your final copy and prepare for “publishing” (publishing can also mean it’s ready for grading according to the Writing Rubric). Make sure you check your revisions page to ensure you have incorporated all of the changes before turning your work in. To complete the final copy, use your outline, draft, edits and revisions to rewrite your essay from beginning to end in a new document. You may begin! PO 2

34. Formative Evaluation One –to-one The students will be surveyed at the beginning and end of each Writing for Success Course to establish prerequisite skills and attitudes. Each student’s progress will continue to be examined by using the “Checklist” (each class session) to determine if the instructional strategies are relevant and yielding the desired performance levels. Each assessment will be based upon the performance objectives pertaining to that section of the course. The student’s ability to complete the (*content) section (section on display) successfully will serve as the formative evaluation for successful implementation of course (section) delivery and measurement. The final drafts submitted for grading will be measured against the Writing Rubric and Checklist to determine performance, progress, and to identify areas that require modification. Areas that require modification will be easily identifiable using the Checklist and Rubric as these assessments will enable the instructor to identify patterns, goals reached, and gain immediate feedback from the student (each class session). The instructor will use the Checklists to modify instructional strategies according to individual need based upon the One-to-one counseling sessions. This method provides both the instructor and the student with weekly performance reviews and weekly objectives to meet.

35. Survey 1. Do you believe good writing skills are necessary to complete your college education? Answer: Yes, because No, because 2. Do you believe that good writing skills are necessary to land your dream job? Answer: Yes, because No, because 3. Do you believe that your ability to write well impacts your self esteem? Answer: Yes, because No, because 4. Do you believe good writings skills impact the way you think? Answer: Yes, because No, because 5. Does the ability to write well impact your current job? Answer: Yes, because No, because

36. Summative Evaluation Expert Judgment Students will be assessed using the weekly Checklist and the Writing Rubric. These tools provide both instructor and students with weekly goals/objectives to strive for. The final evaluation will be based upon the student completing 6 final drafts earning the proficiency levels. This benchmark provides the student with 6 weeks of learning and application and 6 weeks in which to achieve the desired level and transfer skills for retention purposes. The final drafts will be reviewed by two staff members: the instructor and one outside source for the purpose of establishing and maintaining the writing standard. Students will be surveyed at the beginning of the course and at the end to determine attitudinal, motivational, and skill level changes. Weekly Checklist reviews provide the instructor and student with reinforcement as it pertains to motivation, instruction/lack of instruction, and transfer/lack of transfer. This information will be used to modify the course materials and delivery as necessary to meet the student’s learning needs. The weekly Checklists are for instructor/student use. This information will be used for tracking. Lastly, the SPCS will begin tracking students who enter the school and their coordinating scores on the entrance writing assessment/rubric. These scores will be used for informational purposes as well as for performance and quality management purposes. Subsequently, all students entering the Writing for Success course will have the progress tracked each week to ensure learning is taking place. This information will be recorded using the Writing Rubric and the data entered into the established database.

37. References Dick, W., Carey, L., & Carey, J. O. (2009). The systematic design of instruction(7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. U.S. Department of Labor (2011). O*net online help. Retrieved from http://www.onetonline.org/