College Students’ Ways of Knowing: Developing an Academic Voice
During your time at Duke, many professors will tell you that they want to hear “your voice” in your papers and in class discussions. But what is your voice? And where does it come from? When you speak, are the words, the ideas, yours? The notion of voice is central to the concepts of students’ ways of knowing, learning, and academic writing. We will use the field of educational psychology, which studies how people learn and develop in educational settings, to enhance our understanding of the learning, knowing, change, and growth which take place during the college years. Our writing will focus on revealing students’ beliefs about the role of the instructor, the learner, the subject matter, peers, and evaluation, as well as gender and cultural influences.
By using a variety of texts, videos, observations and interviews about college student learning and knowing, we will engage with the work of others, learn to articulate a position, and situate our writing within specific contexts. To begin, we will write weekly short (2-3 page) reflective and critical responses to theories about college student learning, knowing, and development. Informed by these theories, we will engage in case study research by observing and interviewing students and faculty. First, you will examine your own learning and ways of knowing a particular subject matter and write a case study (7-10 pages) of your findings. Then, you will write a more in-depth case study (10-15 pages) of another student’s (not in our class) learning and ways of knowing, and incorporate the ways of knowing supported, encouraged, and rewarded by the professor. Throughout the course, we will write self and peer evaluations of our academic writing, and thus collaboratively strengthen our ability to improve our works in progress.
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