Using Sources EffectivelyHiram College WAC

Why do we ask students to use sources? Aristotelian idea of balanced argument:

Pathos – Emotional appealLogos – Facts and logical support to argumentEthos – Appeal to credibility

Make students understand an issue from a new viewpoint or a variety of viewpoints.

Make students look for new information on a topic—to pursue a research question.

Make students learn and understand an issue from a different perspective.

ChallengesStudents don’t understand what makes for a

good source:What is peer reviewed source? How do you

determine bias in a source?

Students don’t comprehend what they are reading:Ask students to take notes on their sourcesAsk students to connect key ideas and

passages in their source to their research focus or key ideas and themes in the class.

Understand Audience Remind students that part of the reason

they use sources is to increase their credibility.

How does this change how they should introduce a source?

Conversely, remind students that sources that readers are likely familiar with need not be introduced in the same way

How would you introduce a text used in class? A philosopher mentioned in class?

Level of Intellectual EngagementPatrick Slattery, “Argumentative, Multi-Source Paper”

Dogmatic: Dogmatic students tend to stick to one ideological viewpoint in the composition and revision of a paper. When these students use sources, they either look for sources that support their opinion, or they disregard or directly refute sources that don’t support their ideas.

In addressing “dogmatic” students, Slattery recommends asking students to examine their inherent positions and biases.

Level of Intellectual Engagement Noncommittal: Noncommittal students find

something of value in a variety of sources, but often have a hard time taking a stand or asserting their opinion. They may latch on to a particular piece of an argument that appeals to them and ignore the full context of the essay.

As noncommittal students are often cowed by authority, ask them to first define their own opinion on a subject in a draft or a free write.

Level of Intellectual EngagementAnalytical: Students who take an analytic

approach consciously or unconsciously set up criteria for their sources and evaluate each source based on those criteria. Analytical students base their conclusions on their summary, analysis and evaluation of each source. In effect, these students enter into

conversation with their sources; they are neither overawed like noncommittal students nor dismissive like dogmatic students.

References and Resources for Further Study: Ackerman, John M. “Reading, Writing, and Knowing: The Role of

Disciplinary Knowledge in Comprehension and Composing.” Research in the Teaching of English 25.1 (May 1991): 133-78. Web. 26 Feb. 2010.

Kennedy, Mary Lynch. "The Composing Process of College Students Writing from Sources." Written Communication 2.4 (October 1985): 434-56. Web. 10 Mar. 2010.

Many, Joyce E, et al. "Traversing the topical landscape: Exploring Student's Self-directed Reading-Writing-Research Processes." Reading Research Quarterly 31.1 (Winter 1996): 12-35. Web. 10 Mar. 2010.

Slattery, Patrick J. "The Argumentative , Multiple -Source Paper: College Students Reading, Thinking and Writing about Divergent Points of View." Teaching Argument in the Composition Course. Timothy Barnett, ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2002. 361-377. Print.

Spivey, Nancy Nelson and James R. King. "Readers as Writers Composing from Sources." Reading Research Quarterly 24.1 (Winter 1989): 7-26. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.

CommentWhen commenting on what the student has

done well, be specific as well: Instead of “Good!” try “Good transition

between these ideas” or “I like how you bridge the gap between

these points.”

Endnote Provide a quick summary of what you feel

the student is attempting to achieve in the essay, and then go on to discuss where they succeed and where they need work.

Try to limit yourself to no more than two compliments and two focal areas for improvement.

Make a “cut and paste” list of common responses to work students need to do for improvement.

Grammar Again, identify focal problems rather than

all of the problems in an essay. You can try color coding with highlighter

to identify recurring grammar problems, and have the students correct these errors. This must be accompanied by an explanation of how to fix the problem.

Better, have students write a short (1 page) response about their particular grammar foible (defining it), why it is incorrect, and how they can correct it.

Notes to Self: Improve the AssignmentWhat works about the assignment itself?

What doesn’t work? How did students match or not match your expectations?

As you grade, take notes on your assignment sheet and on the syllabus as to how to better approach the assignment next time. What would you change in the assignment? The activities that lead up to the assignment? How would you make those changes?

ReferencesDonald A. McAndrew and Thomas J. Reigstad.

Tutoring Writing: A Practical Guide for Conferences. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook, 2001. Print.

Erika Lindemann. A Rhetoric for Writing Teachers. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford UP, 1995. Print.