writing response
Your final writing reflection is something that you probably have thought about, at least implicitly, but most likely never put down into words. In fact, you’re regularly pushed to emulate styles of argumentation without a full justification on the logics underlying the logics or purpose.
In approximately two to three pages:
For your final writing reflection, I want you to turn the tables, so to speak, in a two-part process of writing reflection. I want you to address the following prompts in a thorough manner. Note that there is obviously not a “right” answer to these, as they are personal opinion, but this does not absolve you from due diligence in terms of thoughtful, engaged, and thorough responses.
For the first portion of your final writing reflection, I want you to spend some time thinking about the good and bad of academic writing: reflect upon the writings that you’re tasked with reading in this and other courses.
Academic writings are regularly tasked with collapsing a lot of information into a little space. (Yes, a 30-page paper can definitely be a little space.) I want to you reflect upon and consider the importance of this model.
Academics are expected to write in very technical language as means of highlighting subject matter mastery. I want you to consider how this creates difficulties for students in learning materials.
Academic writings are explicitly not written for the lay reader. I want you to consider how this creates a barrier between the knowledge created in the academy and those beyond the academy.
In this second portion, I want you to consider your own writing in relation to academic writing.
Have you attempted to emulate the stylistics of the peer-reviewed articles you are tasked with reading? How did that go?
How have you seen your own writing improve over the course of college?
Finally, how might academic writing become better for both students and the public?
Don’t just say, “Write more clearly” as that is quite limited in actionable ideas. Try and think more deeply about this point.
