Some instructors have students write a literature review rather than a comparative analysis paper. Should the textbook include material about how to write a literature review?
Some instructors have students write a literature review rather than a comparative analysis paper. Should the textbook include material about how to write a literature review?
I do not think that a literature review is needed for WRIT 1120. Many of the concepts and skills needed for the comparative analysis paper overlap with a literature review, and some students are weak enough in their ability to evaluate sources (and compare) that the current assignment is quite helpful. Students should be able to build off of those skills to do a literature review in future classes, and hopefully professors in their subject can lead them along those requirements for their respective subjects.
If nothing else, a literature review seems like it would be adding too much to WRIT 1120. We already have technology, research, critical thinking, and other aspects of writing to worry about. Adding this aspect seems like it would be overly burdensome to an already crowded class schedule, or so it seems to me. It also seems specific enough to a field of study that it is something more worth exploring later on in their major.
I could see a literature review tying in with the academic discourse thread we want to add to the textbook, but you can still do the same with the comparative analysis assignment as well. I'm not sure if it would be too difficult, but the book could possibly look at the skills needed for either, and we could leave it open to do whatever assignment the instructor would like to do. Though I don't know if we want to spread out the curriculum to much in the book, either.
I think that WRIT 1120 should teach students how to write a review of literature paper because many faculty throughout the university expect their sophomore/junior students to know how to write one. In fact, the current comparative analysis paper does equip students with some of the skills needed to create a review of lit., but most students do not know this. I think we need to be more explicit about how students will use the skills they learn from this assignment, and adapt it to make it more useful for their final research project. Right now, the comparative analysis does not allow students to better understand their the ways that sources agree or disagree about aspects of their topics; it simply gives them another chance to write a critical analysis.
In fact, for the past several years I have pushed students to turn their compare and contrast paper into a kind of review of literature, where they identify three "themes" or points covered by two sources, and then compare and contrast how the sources identify and analyze them. With this approach students do not support a critical analysis thesis, but they compose a descriptive thesis which encapsulates how the two sources overlap and diverge. Many students complain about how difficult it is to write this paper: it forces them to read and re-read their sources carefully. And many students have said this assignment was crucial in helping them to formulate an informed thesis for their big paper. Indeed, these comparison papers are often the most interesting papers they write all semester.
I'd be interested in seeing sample papers from those who assign a comparative lit review. One that is not so good, average and then well done would be very helpful. It seems the paper is very difficult for students to write, despite the approach that is used.
I'd be interested in seeing sample papers, too. I could create a dropbox folder and give folks access to it, or we could just email some around. What do you think?
I've been intrigued by the lit review idea. I haven't tried it, but it seems like a way to get students really reading the articles they turn up earlier in the semester. If part of the point is to weigh in on something people are debating, you need to know what the debate is. I've had mixed experiences with the comparative analysis. Many students just write two critical analyses and then squish that into a c and c format, so the exercise doesn't wind up building that much on the critical analysis or push them toward the final research paper as much as I'd like.
Philosophically, too, I have questions about the comparative analysis paper. It seems based in an idea of teaching "modes." When I've seen it in textbooks, it's typically been in books that teach a series of types of papers such as "narrative" and "descriptive." It seems to me most of the 1120 curriculum rejects that approach.
On the other hand, maybe we need to prepare students to write comparisons in other classes. Are they going to be asked to write comparison/contrast essays on exams? If so, it seems worth retaining at least some kind of exercise on point by point and block by block structures. And many students tell me writing that outline helped them write the c and c paper, so it seems to help sell them on the idea of outlining before you write.
Perhaps one approach for the textbook would be to include material on writing comparisons and material on writing lit reviews and let instructors choose what to assign, as Neal suggests.
I think a lot of the issues Avesa noted have more to do with how the comparative analysis is taught, rather than a need for a literature review (though I can see how a literature review could be helpful for these issues). Taught correctly, either assignment is going to help students be more critical readers, analyze sources better, and make use of research more effectively.
It still seems to me that a lit review is something that will be more useful to students to encounter in their own field of study (with its requisite quirks), having their experience with our own comparative analysis to build off of. Though this whole discussion does make me wish we had two semesters for this writing class: many colleges do.
But I would also like to look at some paper samples, if they are about.
Neal, do you have examples of successful c and c papers you'd be willing to share?
Maybe there's a "philosophy of textbook design" question that I can ask here.
Must the textbook include only chapters taught in all sections?
That is, could there be both a chapter (a) on the lit review and a chapter (b) on the C&C paper, with the presumption that some teachers might elect (a) and other teachers might elect (b)? Whichever is chosen, the teacher is working with standard, textbook-approved materials.
There are positives and negatives to both approaches to textbook design. Which are governing this revision?
David, I don't think that textbook design question ever got kicked around, specifically, in our group meetings, but there did seem to be a sense that the textbook should be kept short. One objection people had to some of the other textbooks we looked at was that they were long. We'd only assign some of the material, and students would resent having to buy a fat book and read only some parts.
Still, I think we could likely get away with one optional chapter.
I lean toward trying to combine lit review and comparison-contrast under a chapter focused on synthesizing material from multiple sources.
Dear Colleagues,
I'm joining this conversation late. I'm one of those instructors who teaches the comparative analysis as a mini-literature review. I've experimented with different approaches to the assignment, and after teaching it most confidently last fall (2010) I noticed an improvement in student outlines and the final research papers. My students seemed more prepared to write their own arguments. Assigning this quasi/limited literature review, I believe, engages students in the kind of slow, careful writing process they need to end up with a more persuasive final product.
In teaching the assignment as a literature review, it felt like there was more meaningful continuity/building/scaffolding from research proposal to final paper. I should say that I also emphasize analysis of content in the critical analysis, asking students to really engage with the source's argument in addition to evaluating the credibility of the source. Along with emphasizing critical reading strategies throughout the semester, critically reading multiple sources (for the mini-lit review) makes for a natural transition... as students analyze the content of multiple sources in an effort to observe patterns across, and the subtle differences, from source to source.
How many of us have heard "but my sources all say the same thing!" And then the student chooses the most bland evidence or paraphrases evidence down to its most reductive/generic sound bite.
Writing a mini-literature review encourages students to map out the patterns, the subtleties, the complexity of their topic/argument. If that makes sense.
It's the "They Say" before the "I Say" (Gerald Graff). And yes, much of the material from the mini-lit review can be used in the final article, but it must be adapted for a new audience and purpose. And it must be revised. Great! Additionally, I've found that students are able to sift out more nuanced claims related to their topics through this exercise. They begin to really notice what their sources are saying rather than just pull stuff out that supports their argument (as they tend to do when writing the outline without every having synthesized their sources previous to this assignment).
To make the assignment feasible, it can be kept "mini"/"limited"/"quasi". I didn't feel overwhelmed when teaching this to my students. And if my students felt overwhelmed, it soon subsided when they realized the reward of their discomfort... as they faced writing their final papers with more expertise and awareness.
Regarding the Chapter.... I think that all of the skills could be covered in 1 chapter. First, we discuss what it means to evaluate the differences between 2 kinds of sources (author/publication/date/audience/type of evidence, etc.) and Second, we discuss what it means to begin looking for how these sources "talk" to one another (similar/different definitions, arguments, evidence, claims, attitudes, etc.). Then, the instructor could decide the approach that he or she is most comfortable with.
I don't have it all figured out. Definitely not. But I was encouraged.
I'd be happy to share samples, assignments, etc. But please remember... it's a work-in-progress.
Catherine, I could probably find a decent one around somewhere, though the Comparison Contrast is one of my papers that I have been trying to get a better sample to share with my students. But I could try and look through some of the ePortfolios from the past year to see if I could track one down.
As for what to put in the book, I don't think there should be any real issue with including the skills needed for both assignments. And even if you do one assignment or the other, I would think the info needed for both would be helpful in a chapter or two discussing critical thinking, reading, and research.
Well stated, Brandy. When I have used the lit review approach students commented on how it forced them to dig deeper into their sources and gave them more confidence to write the final paper. That said, I am still tweaking the assignment to make it more straight forward. I ditched it last semester and resorted to the old c/c assignment, so I'll have to dig a little for samples. Where should I post them?
Brandy, would you be willing to share your assignment sheet? I apologize for responding to another thread here, but I think a Wiki for instructors to share assignments is a great idea!
I could build a non-course Moodle site for assignment example sharing, etc., if that would help. I have several non-course Moodle sites already; it would be easy to do. Someone say "the word."
I was thinking of just creating a dropbox folder for examples, but a Moodle site would work better for sharing comments. It's a great idea and I hadn't thought of it.
CW, I just placed a request and listed you and me and Jill as teacher. Once the request comes through, I will populate it with the participants on this blog (including me) as students, then remove myself as teacher.