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In This Chapter
For the first portion of our semester, our inquiry will be centered on Writing Studies, Composition, and Rhetoric. We’ll be examining the discipline of writing studies and the goal of First Year Composition (FYC) Courses as we practice our reading, analysis, synthesis, and argument skills. In the second half of the semester we will turn those skills towards original research.
What is Writing Studies?
You probably already know that there are professional researchers with PhDs who study biology, chemistry, sociology, physics, and other disciplines in order to discover new knowledge. You’ve probably heard of expert historians and anthropologists who discover new information for how we can understand our past. But did you know that there is a discipline called Writing Studies, where experts study how people acquire and develop writing skills?
Writing Studies (sometimes called Composition Studies) is an academic field that was established in the mid-twentieth century. Experts in this field research and study how people write. The field is broad and varied, but much of it focuses specifically on how college students learn to compose, improve their writing skills, and become stronger writers.
Researchers and scholars who specialize in Writing Studies, Rhetoric, and Composition are interested in the way writers learn and change. First Year Composition (FYC) Courses, like this one, use the research and findings from Writing Studies to teach beginning college students the conventions and skills needed in college-level writing.
This semester, you’ll be joining in and beginning your own study of writing and composition.
Our class’s design, content, activities, and requirements all come from research and current scholarship in this field. Understanding some of these basic concepts and ideas can help you better understand this course, its goals, and its outcomes.
What are Threshold Concepts
One portion of the field of Writing Studies has focused on something called Threshold Concepts. In 2016, Linda Adler-Kassner and Elizabeth Wardle published a book called Naming What We Know: Threshold Concepts of Writing Studies. In this book, they outlined the foundational ideas–the Threshold Concepts–for teaching and learning writing skills.
What are Threshold Concepts?
Threshold Concepts Are Transformative Learning
A ‘threshold concept’ is a concept that, once understood, changes the way that a person thinks about a topic.
“A threshold concept can be considered as akin to a portal, opening up a new and previously inaccessible way of thinking about something. It represents a transformed way of understanding, or interpreting, or viewing something without which the learner cannot progress.’ (Meyer and Land, 2003, p1)
A threshold concept is an idea that is essential for mastering the subject and for adopting a worldview that allows fluency, literacy, and expertise in a discipline.
The idea of Threshold Concepts was first identified in 2006 by researchers J.F. Meyer and Ray Land. They argued that learning certain types of concepts can be transformative. The learner doesn’t just see something new, but the learning actually changes something about the learner themself.
Think about learning to ride a bike or driving a car. Once you “get it,” there’s no going back. You have the skill and knowledge. It becomes part of you. You can’t unlearn balance or the precise amount of pressure you need on a gas pedal. You just have it.
Threshold Concepts are similar. They can be difficult to master at first, but once you have it, they change everything.
In Naming What We Know, Adler-Kassner and Wardel they outlined five (5) Threshold Concepts and even more subtopics about the threshold concepts that they identified for writers and writing.
For this class, we’re going to be focusing on a few of those concepts to guide our own learning.
Threshold Concepts for Writing
- Writing is a Process, and All Writers Have More to Learn
- Writing is Impacted by Identities and Prior Experiences
- “Good” Writing is Always Contextual
Concept 1: Writing is a Process, and All Writers Have More to Learn
Writing can be both a noun and a verb. But writing is best understood as something we do. The process of writing.
“Writing is a process of composing. It usually takes time and practice to compose an effective piece of writing. And when you write texts that are new to you, or longer texts, or write with new kinds of technology, you are likely to need more time and practice” (Wardle and Downs, 10).
There is no such thing as a perfect text or a perfect writer. Even professional writers have more to learn, and each new writing situation is a new opportunity to learn.
Many people think they are “bad writers” or “bad at English,” because writing doesn’t come easy for them. But research has shown that this is actually a false idea. Writing is a difficult activity–it’s a verb. Good writers are those who are willing to engage with the process and who are continually learning new things from the process of writing.
Concept 2: Writing is Impacted by Identities and Prior Experiences
People are not born writers. Your experiences with literacy (reading and writing) are part of who you are–your identity.
“Each writer is a combination of the collective set of different dimensions and traits and features that make us human” (Yancey, 52).
Our past experiences with writing and reading affects the way we think about writing and what we do as writers. But if we never stop to think about our experiences with literacy, we might not understand why we approach writing the way that we do.
Concept 3: “Good” Writing Is Always Contextual
There are no universal rules for good writing. All writing is dependent on context.
“Writing is rhetorical–it is always situated in a particular context and part of a communicative act” (Wardle and Downs, 14).
When we talk about effective writing–or being a “good” writer–we need to talk about the context we’re writing in. Writing is first and foremost a mode of communication. The only measure of “good” writing is whether it gets things done.
In this course, we’ll be studying college-level academic writing, but it will be important to understand that academic writing is not the only way to write.
Academic writing is a specific genre of writing, one based in the needs and requirements of the classroom.
It’s different from the writing you do when you text your friends or email your boss, but it’s often much more flexible than you might currently believe. That flexibility is always based in the idea that all writing is dependent upon its context.
Threshold Concepts and FYC
This semester, you’ll be learning more about Writing Studies and rhetoric as you develop your skills as a college writer. We’ll be using these three threshold concepts to anchor our class:
Writing Is a Process, and All Writers Have More to Learn
- Our class is structured through an understanding of process. Unit 1 and Unit 2 each have projects designed to help students progress through the steps of reading, analysis, synthesis, and argument. Students will start with single texts or questions and build arguments through inquiry.
- Our class depends upon the writing process. You’ll be required to “show your work” by submitting prewriting and drafts, as well as participating in Draft Workshopping Events.
- There’s no such thing as a “born” writer or a “bad” writer. There’s only those who are willing to learn, and those who aren’t. Anyone who is willing to put in the work can be successful in this course!
Writing Is Impacted by Identities and Prior Experiences
- We’ll reflect on our past writing experiences and our experiences as we progress through this class.
- Our class will examine ways that we can honor our individual languages and voices.
“Good” Writing Is Always Contextual
- Our class won’t be teaching any single formula for writing a “good” essay. Instead, we’ll be learning about the context of academic writing in general and finding ways to meet the specific contexts of future classes.
- We’ll talk about the five-paragraph essay structure and how that may or may not work in a college context.
- You’ll get tools for figuring out how to best meet the requirements of future writing assignments in any class.
Reflect on Your Reading
Answer one or more of the following questions:
- What did you expect from a Freshman Composition course before you read this chapter? How did the information in this chapter change your expectations?
- Think about your past experiences with writing, writing classes, or English classes. How did those experiences affect your expectations for this class?
- What are you most looking forward to learning this semester? What are you most dreading?
References:
Alder-Kassner, Linda and Elizabeth Wardle. Naming What We Know: Threshold Concepts of Writing Studies: Classroom Edition. Utah State University Press. 2016.
Wardel, Elizabeth and Doug Downs. Writing About Writing. 4th Edition. Bedford St. Martin’s. 202