tentative syllabus ENGL406
Research in Writing & Writing Studies: Qualitative Research
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LEE TORDA 310 Tillinghast Hall Bridgewater State University 508.531.2436 [email protected] www.leetorda.com Fall 2020 Open Hours for students (office hours): M 12:30-2:00 W 10:00-11:00, 3:00-4:00 Th 10:00-11:00 and by appointment. |
NOTE: All classes, student meetings, and open hours (office hours) this Fall 2020 will be held virtually.
Links to Open Hour for Students Zoom sessions: For Monday Open Hours, click here. For Wednesday Open Hours @ 10:00, click here. For Wednesday Open Hours @3:00, click here. For Thursday Open Hours, click here. Need to make an during a time that is not an office hour? appointment? Let me know you want to meet by adding yourself to my google.doc appointment calendar here: https://goo.gl/3CqLf and I will send you a zoom link for the time you sign up for. |
- "Our class is a MW class that meets from 12:20 to 1:35.
- Our Monday class will be asynchronous—which means we do not need to be online together at that time. You’ll read and post materials to our Class Discussion Board. You will need to complete that work by midnight on Mondays.
- Our Wednesday class with be synchronous. We will meet at 12:20 and class will typically run until 1:35. See my guidelines for participation for a complete rundown of what I expect from you during our synchronous meet ups.
- To attend our Wednesday Class, click here.
A NOTE ABOUT Bhattacharya’s Fundamentals of Qualitative Research and the built in exercises in the book. There are a lot of exercises in her book—great exercises—that are both occasionally impossible to do online and sometimes not relevant to our work. We will sometimes do some of those exercises (modified for our needs) in our Wednesday synchronous class and very occasionally I will ask you to do an exercise and post about it as part of a Monday Discussion Board prompt. I will always tell you if you have to be prepared to do one of the exercises and if I don’t tell you directly that you should do it, you can skip them.
2 September 2020 (Week One)
W Introduction to the course. What is qualitative research? What is qualitative research in Writng Studies? What part do you want to study?
9 September 2020 (Week Two)
M No Classes. Labor Day.
NOTE: Thursday is a Monday schedule of classes to make up for the labor day holiday. However, I will not hold classes on Thursday. If they are going to give you a day off, you should not have to make up the day off. Particularly in a pandemic.
W Interviews as qualitative research. Partner Interview overview. Partnering up. Developing
14 September 2020 (Week Three)
M READ: Monday Update. Read also, in Bhattacharya, “Using This Book” and pages 1-11 of Unit One. POST: to our Class Discussion Board NOTE: make sure to read the discussion board prompt before posting for complete instructions.
W READ: pages 11-18 in Bhattacharya. POST: to our Class Discussion Board at least 15 minutes prior to our class meeting. Make sure to read the prompt carefully prior to posting. DUE: Workshop Draft of Partner Profile. Have a shareable link to a google.doc with your draft ready for class (make sure you copy the link made available from the “share” dialogue box, and make sure it is a link that says “anyone with this link can edit”. If you don’t know how to do this, ask me). IN-CLASS: workshop of Partner Profile.
21 September 2020 (Week Four)
M READ: Monday Update. Read also, in Bhattacharya, 18-35 (Unit Two). NOTE: In order to make time for folks to catch up with all the reading, there is one post due this week and it needs to be posted 15 minutes before class time on Wednesday. See the Class Discussion Board for complete details on what to post. DUE: Your Partner Profile. Email me the link to your google.doc—again, make sure you share a link where anyone can edit. See the assignment page for the Partner Profile for complete details on what and how to send it to me.
W READ: in Bhattacharya, pgs 92 up to “Research Design” on page 107. POST: to our Class Discussion Board your Reading Response, as always, make sure you read the prompt before posting. IN-CLASS: Discussion of Telling the Stories of Others Project. Discussion of Reading Responses and the Class Discussion Board.
28 September 2020 (Week Five)
M READ: Monday Update. Read, also " Globalism and Multimodality in a Digitized World" (Selfe, Hawisher, Kisa, Ahmed) and Marcus Laffey's "Cop Diary" available here.
| cop.diary.reading.pdf |
POST: to our Class Discussion Board your Reading Responses.
W READ: Read, in Bhattacharya, pgs 107, from “Research Design” through to page 125.IN-CLASS: Sign up for project conferences. Click here to sign up.
5 October 2020 (Week Six)
M READ: Monday Update. Twenty minute conferences with me. Be ready to talk about your proposed research project. Click here to sign up.
W READ: in Bhattacharya, pgs. 126-148. Read, also, in Bhattacharya, pgs 57-91. POST: to our Class Discussion Board your Reading Responses. DUE: Project Proposal for Telling the Stories of Others Project for workshopping in class.
12 October 2020 (Week Seven)
M Class Canceled for Indigenous People’s Day. READ: Monday Update.
W READ: This article and this article on ethical considerations in interviews for journalists. Read also, “American Hunger” available for download here.
W READ: Read, in Bhattacharya, pgs 107, from “Research Design” through to page 125.IN-CLASS: Sign up for project conferences. Click here to sign up.
5 October 2020 (Week Six)
M READ: Monday Update. Twenty minute conferences with me. Be ready to talk about your proposed research project. Click here to sign up.
W READ: in Bhattacharya, pgs. 126-148. Read, also, in Bhattacharya, pgs 57-91. POST: to our Class Discussion Board your Reading Responses. DUE: Project Proposal for Telling the Stories of Others Project for workshopping in class.
12 October 2020 (Week Seven)
M Class Canceled for Indigenous People’s Day. READ: Monday Update.
W READ: This article and this article on ethical considerations in interviews for journalists. Read also, “American Hunger” available for download here.
| american_hunger.pdf |
POST to our Class Discussion Board your Reading Responses. Sign up for one-on-one progress meetings for your Telling the Stories of Others project. Click here to sign up (note: link might not be live until this date). IN-CLASS: Discussion of midterm portfolio.
19 October 2020 (Week Eight)
M READ: Monday Update. No other reading this week. One-on-one progress meetings for your Telling the Stories of Others project. If you haven’t already signed up or need to change your time click here (note: link might not be live until this date).
W DUE: Workshop Draft of Telling the Stories of Others project. Create a google.doc of your draft and make sure you have a shareable link (not the link from the browser) that allows anyone with that link to “edit” ready at class time.
28 October 2020 (Week Nine)
M No new work to be completed. Work on draft of Telling the Stories of Others project. Pay attention to the complete requirements for the midterm portfolio.
W In-class workshop for Telling the Stories of Others project. Create a google.doc of your draft and make sure you have a shareable link (not the link from the browser) that allows anyone with that link to “edit” ready at class time. The midterm portfolio, that is mainly comprised of the Telling the Stories of Others project. Will be do by 5:00 on Monday, 2 November 2020.
19 October 2020 (Week Eight)
M READ: Monday Update. No other reading this week. One-on-one progress meetings for your Telling the Stories of Others project. If you haven’t already signed up or need to change your time click here (note: link might not be live until this date).
W DUE: Workshop Draft of Telling the Stories of Others project. Create a google.doc of your draft and make sure you have a shareable link (not the link from the browser) that allows anyone with that link to “edit” ready at class time.
28 October 2020 (Week Nine)
M No new work to be completed. Work on draft of Telling the Stories of Others project. Pay attention to the complete requirements for the midterm portfolio.
W In-class workshop for Telling the Stories of Others project. Create a google.doc of your draft and make sure you have a shareable link (not the link from the browser) that allows anyone with that link to “edit” ready at class time. The midterm portfolio, that is mainly comprised of the Telling the Stories of Others project. Will be do by 5:00 on Monday, 2 November 2020.
16 November 2020 (WEEK TWELVE)
M READ FOR WEDNESDAY’S CLASS: (again--because we didn’t discuss it in class) in Bhattacharya, pgs 57-91.
W Last Synchronous Class until the last day of classes. Overview of Final Project. Overview of Theory Presentation. POST IN-CLASS: to our Class Discussion Board your Reading Responses.
23 November 2020 (WEEK THIRTEEN)
M POST: to our Class Discussion Board, your working abstract for your final project and methodology. On-on-one Meetings with me to go over your abstract and develop a plan for completing your material. Sign up here.
W READ: “A Transit Worker’s Survival Story” from The New Yorker.
M READ FOR WEDNESDAY’S CLASS: (again--because we didn’t discuss it in class) in Bhattacharya, pgs 57-91.
W Last Synchronous Class until the last day of classes. Overview of Final Project. Overview of Theory Presentation. POST IN-CLASS: to our Class Discussion Board your Reading Responses.
23 November 2020 (WEEK THIRTEEN)
M POST: to our Class Discussion Board, your working abstract for your final project and methodology. On-on-one Meetings with me to go over your abstract and develop a plan for completing your material. Sign up here.
W READ: “A Transit Worker’s Survival Story” from The New Yorker.
| a_transit_worker’s_survival_story___the_new_yorker.pdf |
POST: to our Class Discussion Board. What kinds of qualitative research are in play in this essay? What supporting secondary sources support the qualitative research?
NOTE: No classes after 4:00 on Wednesday for the Thanksgiving holiday.
30 November 2020 (WEEK FOURTEEN)
M POST: to our Class Discussion Board, an overview of your secondary source research for your final project. One-on-One meeting with me to discuss your material and next steps. Sign up here.
W READ: “Fearing For His Life” in The Verge". POST: to our Class Discussion Board, identify the way this writer uses the interview, a form of qualitative research, to make her argument. How does the writer bring us into the world of the subject? ALSO: By Monday, email your draft of your Final Project to the entire class for our Wednesday, whole class workshop.
7 December 2020 (WEEK FIFTEEN)
M One-on-one conference on Final Project Draft. Sign up here.
W Last Day of Classes. MEET SYNCHRONOUSLY. Whole Class workshop. Read the drafts of your four classmates prior to coming to class.
FINAL EXAM WEDNESDAY, 16 DECEMBER 2020 DUE BY 5:00
As was the case at midterm, I will respond with a final grade letter detailing your work during the last part of the semester.
NOTE: No classes after 4:00 on Wednesday for the Thanksgiving holiday.
30 November 2020 (WEEK FOURTEEN)
M POST: to our Class Discussion Board, an overview of your secondary source research for your final project. One-on-One meeting with me to discuss your material and next steps. Sign up here.
W READ: “Fearing For His Life” in The Verge". POST: to our Class Discussion Board, identify the way this writer uses the interview, a form of qualitative research, to make her argument. How does the writer bring us into the world of the subject? ALSO: By Monday, email your draft of your Final Project to the entire class for our Wednesday, whole class workshop.
7 December 2020 (WEEK FIFTEEN)
M One-on-one conference on Final Project Draft. Sign up here.
W Last Day of Classes. MEET SYNCHRONOUSLY. Whole Class workshop. Read the drafts of your four classmates prior to coming to class.
FINAL EXAM WEDNESDAY, 16 DECEMBER 2020 DUE BY 5:00
- Submittted to me, your final project/final portfolio, email me a link to a google doc or a MSWord file with your complete materials
- Post, to our class discussion board, a link to your recorded powerpoint of your Theory presentation.
- Watch, your classmates theory presentations.
- Post, to our Class Discussion Board, two connections you can make to each of your four colleagues presentation--In what ways does your theory connect to theirs? In what particular ways does it diverge?
As was the case at midterm, I will respond with a final grade letter detailing your work during the last part of the semester.