RWS 200 AND THE LOWER DIVISION WRITING PROGRAM We ask students to interpret, analyze, evaluate

and produce written arguments because this is central to academic literacy, critical thinking, and civic life

- Lasch: “argument is the essence of education,” and “central to democratic culture”;

- Norgaard: Universities are “houses of argument.”

- Graff: “Argument literacy” is key to higher education.

RWS 200 AND THE LOWER DIVISION WRITING PROGRAM

We want students to be able to identify claims, evaluate evidence and reasons, locate assumptions, identify argumentative moves, pose critical questions, produce sophisticated arguments, etc.

We do this not only because it’s good for their souls, critical thinking, ability to reason, deliberate, be engaged citizens, etc. But also because it’s key to their professional futures – every gateway requires it.

WHY WE FIGHT! (4 YOUR RIGHT TO WRITE, ARGUE & ANALYZE WELL)

These skills are central to business,

law, professional life, and to

academic study (including graduate

school).

Students tested for these skills in the

WPA, the LSAT, GMAT, and GRE – all

the gateways to professional life.

Consider the LSAT…

SAMPLE LSAT QUESTION FIND THE MAIN CLAIM

Pediatrician: “Some parents have decided not to have their children receive the MMR vaccine because they fear that it may cause autism. They cite a study that found a possible link between the vaccine and the disease. However, two other much larger studies have found no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. These parents have, therefore, willfully put their own children and many others at risk of catching measles, mumps, and rubella, while failing to do anything to prevent their children from becoming autistic.” Which most accurately expresses the main claim of the pediatrician’s argument?

(A) Parents should not pay attention to medical studies because they can’t understand them; instead, they should get advice from their pediatricians.

(B) The study that found a link between autism and the MMR vaccine was unsound because the doctor who conducted it was being paid by a group of trial lawyers who wanted him to find a connection so they could carry out a lawsuit.

(C) Public health needs require that parents have their kids vaccinated regardless of their fears about the procedure.

(D) Parents’ refusal to have their kids take the vaccine is both medically unjustified and dangerous, because the vaccine has known disease-preventing benefits and refusing it will have no effect on whether their kids become autistic.

(E) Despite the results of the two large studies, there is still some possibility that the MMR vaccine might cause autism.

ANALYTICAL WRITING TASKS

Present Your Views on an Issue (45 minutes, choice of 2 topics)

Analyze an Argument (30 minutes)

Each essay is scored on a 0-6 scale using holistic scoring Two scores for each essay

GRE Website presents directions, actual topics, scoring guide, and sample essays for both the Issue and Argument tasks (www.gre.org/gentest.html)

Argumentation/Justification• In Wolfe’s 2010 study, assignments from a broad range of

disciplines were collected and examined. Results? Argumentation is valued across the curriculum. “Argument is the key word for good writing and the absence of argument constitutes the central problem in students’ written work” (Wolfe, p. 50).

• Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa’s Academically Adrift, a comprehensive review of undergraduate education – argument is key.

Argumentation/Justification

• The Common Core State Standards – argument and rhetorical analysis are key.

• The WPA exam students will take after RWS 200

• These aren’t so much “justifications” of our approach as points you may want to share with future employers, other people, teachers, friends, etc. who sometimes think writing = comma placement.

NO ASSIMILATION (MUCH)…

Writing programs often serve many masters, since general education programs are collaborative enterprises. Had we world enough and time (and money and control) I like the idea of a hybrid WID-based approach.

But even so, your experience in this program will be valuable as a) it’s an influential model, b) the trend is toward aligning k-12 and higher ed. around argument, and c) SDSU’s program is regionally influential.

Our program is fairly “mainstream.” Our mission statement and learning outcomes are similar to WPA and NCTE statements on teaching writing.

CSU-wide articulation efforts shaped by work at SDSU.

YOU WILL (NOT) BE ASSIMILATED…

STUDENT WRITING AS KEY TEXT• Student writing is a key text, and

learning how to read your own writing practices (reflexivity) is important

• “The ability to reflect on what is being written seems to be the essence of the difference between able and not so able writers from their initial writing experience onward”(Yancey 4)

100 AND 200

RWS 100: Rhetorical analysis of argument

RWS 200: Contextually-sensitive analysis, plus more attention to evaluation of strengths and weaknesses.

ASSIGNMENT SEQUENCE1. Construct an account of an argument, identify elements of

context embedded in it, and evaluate the text’s strengths and weaknesses (relative to audience/context) (Haydar/Abu-Lughod)

2. “Lens” assignment - use concepts and arguments from one text as a context for understanding and writing about another (LaPierre/Demagoguery)

3. Map (or synthesize) major points of similarity, difference, contrast and connection between texts that address an issue. (Digital citizenship and civility)

4. Synthesize and evaluate texts in order to “enter the conversation” and advance your own claims. (Digital citizenship and civility)