Key Features of PWR Courses
PWR offers teachers and students a wide range of choice in
terms of course themes, allowing teachers to teach to their interests
and strengths and students to elect course themes of greatest
interest to them. To achieve programmatic coherence, PWR balances
this wide range of choices with several elements that are standard
across all sections:
The PWR 1 assignment sequence begins with rhetorical analysis
and moves to an intensive research-based argument. In PWR 2,
the assignment sequence begins with a Research Proposal, followed
by a substantial piece of research-based writing which students
then “translate” into another medium for delivery.
PWR 2 thus allows students to analyze the difference that the
choice of medium makes, and the course ends with a research-based
presentation featuring a rich variety of genre and media forms.
- These assignment sequences assure a commensurate student
workload across sections. In PWR 1, three major assignments
result in roughly 25-30 pages of polished, revised written
work. In PWR 2, students deliver 16-20 minutes of rehearsed
and revised oral presentations and 18-25 pages of writing
(8-10 pages in print form to be read, and 10-15 in script
form to be presented to an audience).
- Instructors provide prompt, detailed written responses
to rough drafts of every major assignment and sufficient
time for students to revise.
- Instructors meet with each student for a minimum of three
30-minute conferences during the term.
- Systematic peer review allows students to get perspectives
on their writing and oral performances from multiple sources.
- Most instructors prepare a CourseWork or Website that
details all class sessions and assignments.
