27th Annual Student Research Conference
Effects of Modeling on Student Composition
Angela E. Johnson♦
Dr. Barbara Price and Dr. Rebecca Dierking, Faculty Mentors
English students are commonly taught formulaic writing for a variety of audiences and purposes. Because writing beyond highly-structured texts assumes multiple forms, students should frequently encounter models of less formulaic writing. If students must produce non-formulaic expository writing, how does modeling affect students use of stylistic and rhetorical tools in their own expositions? This study examines the effects of modeling non-formulaic persuasive texts. In a class of 45 seniors in a suburban, Midwestern high school, students were engaged in a college composition unit on rhetorical devices and evidence used in speeches. This study examines the influence of using models of this type of writing on students own writing. Types of data collected include writing pre-assessments, peer evaluations, conferences with students, reflections on the writing process, and the final written assignment, a speech. The data demonstrates the extent to which students understand the non-formulaic writing process and effectively use modeled tools.
Keywords: Modeling, Composition, Expository , Rhetoric
Topic(s):English MAE Intern
English
Education
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 202-1
Location: VH 1236
Time: 9:30