[Englecturers] RE: Ben's Discussing Writing on Demand

[englecturers at lists.ucr.edu]

Ben and John,

You are both divine dancers!

Devon
>===== Original Message From englecturers at lists.ucr.edu =====
>Hi Everyone,
>
>First of all, I'm very gratified that we have a discussion on our discussion 
list.  We as a program have 
been under tremendous stress, such that I feared we had lost energy to think 
about what it is we do 
(and should do).
>
>I have to admit that I'm confused about the definition of "writing on 
demand."  I had assumed that it 
meant writing by hand, in class, on paper, with a very short time limit.  This 
email might be a version of 
writing on demand in that I'll write one draft, fix the errors I find, and 
then perhaps change some 
wording, all within 30 minutes or so.  On the other hand, I'll also use the 
earthlink spell checking 
program to catch my common mistakes, and I have the option of opening a new 
window and 
researching the topic.
>
>John's idea about corporate writing on demand is different.  He mentions 
proposal and report 
deadlines.  In that case, not only were my written PhD exams writing on 
demand, but so was my 
dissertation (except that I successfully ignored the demand for about six 
years).  It is likely that my slow 
progress has hurt my academic career, but I had access to spell checking 
programs, helpful readers, 
and the ability to write about 10 drafts (in various forms).
>
>I never considered a one-week take-home project, whether it is a paper, a 
take-home final, or a 
research proposal, to be on-demand writing.   Assuming that employees have two 
to three days to 
write up proposals, any of our papers is likely to mimic that demand.  Perhaps 
one of my students will 
actually follow a several-week process of researching and writing, but the 
actual writing is likely to take 
place over a period of 24 hours--the 12 hours before the rough draft is due 
and the 12 hours before 
the final draft is due.  That is on-demand writing, but of a different kind 
than the in-class final my 
students will write.
>
>This next paragraph is informed by a one-hour conversation I just had 
(interrupting my writing) with 
Dean:
>I think now that if we teach students to write through a process, they will 
be able to adapt that 
process to the types of writing they actually do, even to timed writing 
situations.  On the other hand, if 
we only teach them to write in timed situations, they will be unlikely to 
learn how to write through a 
complete process.  In that case, process trumps on-demand tests.  However, 
timed writings might be 
like weight training in athletics (to go with the sports metaphors)--no one 
really uses weights in 
competition, but lifting weights helps in the actual task.
>
>I propose we treat in-class, timed writings that include no revision as 
weight training--as a secondary 
training method, not as an intrinsically important skill.  Oh, and with 
interruptions and further 
discussion with others, this email took me two and a half hours to finish.
>
>
>
>
>
>Benjamin Harder
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