For the next few weeks, we will be co-researchers on a project my Composition II students and I began last spring, along with Dr. Kami Day and her students.  We interviewed instructors in subject areas other than composition about how writing is used across the JCCC curriculum.  As groups, the students interviewed the instructors, asking them questions about what kinds of writing they require in their classes, why they ask their students to write, whether they feel their students are prepared for the kinds of writing they require, how they evaluate writing, etc.  Then, the groups wrote papers (some co-authored) in which they synthesized what they learned in the interviews, discussed what they learned in Composition II, and drew conclusions about whether Comp. II would prepare them to write in other classes and situations.

Assignment:

The next logical step seems to be to talk to former Composition II students to find out if what they learned in Composition II prepared them for the kinds of writing they’re doing in other classes, or did in other classes, or in other situations in their lives. 

So, Dr. Day and I are asking you to interview a former Composition II student who has gone on to take more classes at JCCC or at some other institution.  If you can’t find a student who has taken Comp. II here, but know one who took it elsewhere, that will work too. 

Schedule:

Here’s how the project is likely to go:

Wednesday, April 18/Friday, April 20

Establish context for the study; generate questions

Monday, April 23

Begin writing what you perceive is supposed to be learned in Comp II using books, department objectives, your experience and the WPA standards

Refine questions; match up names and addresses

Wednesday, April 25/Friday, April 27

Send questions; FL papers returned

Monday, April 30

Work with information; combine information; determine trends

Wednesday, May 2/Friday, May 4

Write

Monday, May 8

Papers in; report to class

Guidelines:

	Use the questions we develop in class, and any other questions you have, in an e-mail message (phone or personal interview) to a form Composition II student.  We’ll create a “common message” in class so that everyone will be certain to address the main concerns of the class in their message.
	Bring printouts of responses, or interview notes, to class with copies for anyone else you are working with.
	Make use of the course objectives, the textbook, and the WPA standards.
	You will need to exchange information with two others.  Composing your paper in pairs or as a three-person team is optional.  If you choose to do so, each person should be represented in the paper, but you will decide how you will divide up the composing process.

This is a chance for you to apply to some actual research the skills you have developed at writing a synthesis paper.  As I evaluate this 100-point project, I will look for

1. Your management of the resources available to you

2. The clarity and completeness of the paper (about 500 words)

3. The coherence of your 3-minute report back to the class on the final day of class