Exploring Genre: Information Creation as a Process and Scholarship as Conversation in First-Year Composition
1. TILC 2018
Nancy Taylor, English
Jennifer Resor-Whicker, McConnell Library
David Beach, English
with contributions from Candice Benjes-Small
formerly of McConnell Library
The Innovative Library Classroom, May 9, 2018
Exploring Genre: Information
Creation as a Process and
Scholarship as a Conversation in
First-Year Composition
2. TILC 2018
One Goal For Students:
Guided learning
(tell me what I need to know)
↓
Independent learning
(contribute to academic
conversation)
3. TILC 2018
The Big Leap…
To transition from exemplary student
to novice scholar,
students need to understand:
• How authority is constructed
• Research as inquiry and creation as a
process
• Scholarship as a conversation
4. Critical Questions to Answer
1. How do we talk about how authority
is constructed?
2. How do we teach the process of
information creation, research as
inquiry, and scholarship as a
conversation?
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5. Outcomes
§ Explore a two-step strategy for helping
honors students make a leap from
exemplary student to novice scholar in
a first year writing seminar.
§ Assess information literacy needs
§ Integrate information literacy into a
composition course.
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6. Outcomes (continued)
§ Focus on three information literacy
competencies:
§ how authority is constructed
§ research as inquiry
§ scholarship as conversation.
§ Move from theoretical ideals to a
practical, operational assignment.
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7. TILC 2018
Assignment: Part 1
INFORMATION CREATION AS A PROCESS
You will be introduced to the process of information
creation and the concept of “genre.” We’ll explore
some genres that are common to all disciplines to see
how information that has been created is delivered in
the field.
Objectives – to identify discipline specific:
• genres and styles
• types of research
• databases
• documentation systems
• professional writing
10. Learning about Genres
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§ Identify the Scene
§ Gather information on rhetorical situation
(where, when, who/m, how, why)
§ Analyze the Patterns
§ Typical content
§ Rhetorical strategies
§ Structure
§ Format
§ Style
§ Terminology
§ Interpret the Genre
11. TILC 2018
Assignment: Part 2
SCHOLARSHIP AS CONVERSATION
Scholarship does not exist in isolation; practice drives
theory which drives practice. Scholarship in a field is
the bridge to what you will use information literacy for
in your profession and how your work is foundational to
scholarship. In this assignment, you will examine in-
depth one genre typically used in your discipline and
analyze it in relation to their rhetorical situation
rather than as an isolated form. You will also interview
a professor or professional in the field about how
knowledge is constructed and presented.
12. What is an Honors Librarian?
• Started in 2013
• Assigned specifically
to the Honors College
as the main library
contact for honors
students
• Teaches all of the
honors library classes
• Attends honors
events
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13. Session with the Honors Librarian
This session explored
how authority is
contextual,
information creation
as a process, and
how scholarship is a
conversation.
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14. Genre: Chat Report
§ Statistics are gathered
monthly from our chat
client, LibraryH3lp.
Specifically, numbers of
chats and place of origin.
§ These statistics are used
at the end of the
academic year to write
the report. The report
includes the data, along
with analysis and what it
means for our staffing
going forward.
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15. Information Creation as a Process
“What makes a book a book and a newspaper article a
newspaper article has nothing to do with how one accesses it
(print/digital), but with the process that went into creating it.
Understanding this principle helps students navigate the
information they find online and evaluate it according to the
process underlying its creation...”
Hofer, A.R., Townsend, L. and & Brunetti, K. (2012). Threshold Concepts and Information
Literacy: Investigating Threshold Concepts for IL Instruction. Portal, 12(4), 387-405.
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(cc)image,https://flic.kr/p/7knU93
16. Scholarship as a Conversation
§ Researchers produce scholarly
articles and those don’t exist in
isolation; they become the
theory that drives the practice
and the practice drives the
theory.
§ Scholarship is a bridge that
shows the students how
scholarship is connected to their
career areas.
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(cc) image, https://flic.kr/p/5ZtFo3
17. Authority is Constructed and Contextual
The [genres or]
information resources
reflect their creators’
expertise and
credibility, and are
evaluated based on
the information need
and the context in
which the
information will be
used.
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19. TILC 2018
Sample Student Work
Madison
Effective communication in nursing is often a
matter of life and death. Radford University’s
library has access to a database called The
Patient Education Guide. This source contains
treatment plans and excellent information that
will help me in my nursing major and in my
clinical work, where I will mostly be writing
research papers or reports of my own findings.
20. TILC 2018
Sample Student Work
Nalani
Through my research and interview with Professor
Kieffer, I have come to understand writing in my
computer science major in a new light. The
technical writing proves beneficial in a number of
ways and is applicable in multiple situations. While
audiences and other factors influence the dynamic
of the text, the structure and function of the
writing itself is generally static. Overall, I’ve gained
a newfound appreciation for the importance of
writing in computer science and now understand the
skills needed to effectively communicate in this
discipline.
21. TILC 2018
Sample Student Work
Cameron
I never thought there would be so many genres involving a
degree in business marketing. I will continue to study each
genre because they will all be providing me with pointers in
succeeding in the degree of business marketing. I also
learned which certain genres the field of business marketing
uses the most which are advertisements, brochures, and
reports for example. It is significant for students to know
specific genres that relate to their degree in order for one to
understand the main goals and purposes ones’ job practices.
22. Conclusion
From Cameron:
When I chose to be a marketing/management major I
never pictured myself using writing in the future for
the type I am pursuing which is most likely a supplier
or government contractor. Then again, I was wrong.
This class has taught me the use of writing is very
important and will always be for as long as I will be
living.
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