higher education

Chatting with ChatGPT

/ Katie Winkler / 2 Comments
Photo by Andrew Neel on Pexels.com

I had a chat with ChatGPT today. It was very interesting and actually quite encouraging. I know that a great many educators are extremely worried about what AI will do to the teaching of composition, and I have my concerns as well, even after my “interview” with Chatty (my pet name for it), but just as I said in a meeting with English faculty and administrators when ChatGPT was breaking in the news earlier this year, I think we should embrace AI and move to change the way we teach and assess research skills and writing. 

So, here are some excerpts from my little talk with Chatty: Note: Together the two of us generated 2, 749 words in about 15 minutes. It took me longer to type my questions than it did for ChatGpt to answer in most cases.

Q 1–(truncated) How can English composition instructors combat students cheating with AI?

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

A 1–To combat students cheating with AI in English composition classes, instructors can employ several strategies:

1. Clear Academic Integrity Policies: Establish and communicate a comprehensive academic integrity policy that clearly defines what constitutes cheating and the consequences for such behavior. Make sure students are aware of the ethical implications and the importance of original work.

3. Assign Original and Personalized Topics: Design writing assignments that require students to express their own thoughts, opinions, and analysis. Select topics that prompt critical thinking and reflection, making it difficult for AI tools to generate suitable responses. (I have long been a proponent of this technique. It has helped reduce plagiarism in my classroom) 

4. Promote Authentic Assessment: Incorporate assessment methods that emphasize originality and creativity. Encourage students to engage in class discussions, presentations, and debates that showcase their unique perspectives. Use open-ended questions and prompts that elicit thoughtful responses. (Ditto on this technique)

5. Frequent Progress Checks: Break down assignments into multiple stages, such as topic selection, thesis statement, outline, rough draft, and final submission. Require students to submit their work at each stage, ensuring progress and monitoring the writing process. (And this one–problem is that even using a checklist or rubric, the grading load can be brutal if the instructor has to teach 16 weeks of material in 8 weeks) 

8. Personalized Feedback and Revision: Provide individualized feedback on writing assignments, highlighting areas of improvement and offering suggestions for further development. Emphasize the value of the writing process and the importance of revisions. (Also can be brutal with a heavy teaching load, but I asked Chatty about that. See below)

9. Foster a Supportive Classroom Environment: Encourage open communication and foster a classroom culture that values originality and academic integrity. Engage students in discussions about the ethical implications of cheating and the benefits of personal growth through authentic learning. (Difficult when teaching online. It can be done, but it requires a great deal of work that overloaded instructors often don’t have.)

By implementing these strategies, English composition instructors can actively discourage and prevent students from cheating with AI while promoting the development of essential writing skills and fostering a culture of integrity.

Q2–What if I have over 100 students’ papers to grade? How can English instructors do the things you suggest when they have so much grading to do?

Photo by fauxels on Pexels.com

A2–Grading a large number of student papers can be time-consuming and challenging. However, here are some suggestions to manage the grading process effectively while still implementing the strategies mentioned earlier:

1. Set Clear Expectations: Clearly communicate your grading criteria, expectations, and the reasoning behind them to students at the beginning of the course. This will help students understand the parameters within which they should work and reduce the likelihood of cheating.

2. Use Rubrics: Develop a comprehensive rubric that outlines the key components you will assess in students’ papers. This will provide a structured approach to grading and ensure consistency across multiple papers.

3. Prioritize Key Assignments: Consider selecting a few key assignments that require more in-depth analysis and focus your efforts on providing detailed feedback on those. For less critical assignments, you can use more streamlined feedback methods, such as highlighting common errors or providing general comments.

5. Implement Efficient Grading Techniques: Explore strategies to streamline the grading process. For example, you can set a specific time limit for grading each paper to maintain consistency and prevent burnout. Additionally, consider using abbreviations or standardized comments to provide feedback efficiently.

7. Consider Sampling: Instead of grading every paper in its entirety, you can employ sampling techniques. Randomly select a subset of papers to grade comprehensively, while giving the others a lighter evaluation, focusing on key areas or specific aspects you want to assess.

Remember, it’s important to strike a balance between providing valuable feedback and managing your workload efficiently. By implementing these strategies, you can effectively grade a large number of papers while still incorporating the suggested methods to combat cheating with AI.

Q3–How can I incorporate AI into the English composition classroom? Can you give me a sample assignment?

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com

A3–Incorporating AI into the English composition classroom can offer various opportunities for engaging and innovative assignments. Here’s a sample assignment that integrates AI technology:

Assignment: Exploring AI in Writing Analysis

Objective: To critically analyze the impact of AI on writing and language usage.

Instructions:

1. Research: Begin by conducting research on the applications of AI in the field of writing and language analysis. Explore topics such as automated grading systems, AI-powered writing assistants, and language generation algorithms.

2. Case Studies: Select at least two case studies or examples where AI has been utilized in the context of writing analysis. These could include plagiarism detection tools, grammar and style checkers, or content summarization algorithms.

3. Comparative Analysis: Compare and contrast the strengths, limitations, and ethical implications of each AI tool or system you have chosen. Consider factors such as accuracy, bias, privacy concerns, and the impact on creativity and originality in writing.

4. Critical Reflection: Write a reflective essay that addresses the following points:

   a. Describe your experience using AI writing tools, if applicable. How did they impact your writing process and outcomes?

   b. Evaluate the effectiveness of AI tools in detecting plagiarism, improving grammar, or enhancing writing style. Reflect on their strengths and weaknesses.

   c. Discuss the ethical considerations associated with AI use in writing analysis. Explore concerns related to authenticity, privacy, and the potential suppression of unique voices.

5. Recommendations: Based on your analysis and reflection, provide recommendations for students, instructors, and policymakers on how to navigate the use of AI tools effectively and ethically in writing contexts.

6. Class Discussion: Engage in a class discussion where students share their findings, insights, and recommendations. Facilitate a dialogue on the benefits and challenges of integrating AI into the writing process, while considering the broader implications for education and society.

By assigning this project, students can deepen their understanding of AI’s impact on writing, critically evaluate its benefits and limitations, and develop informed perspectives on the responsible use of AI tools. Additionally, class discussions allow students to engage in collaborative learning, exchanging ideas, and exploring diverse viewpoints.

(I love these ideas. I am not going to teach much longer, so I won’t have a chance to try them out in the classroom; I retire on July 28, but I certainly will encourage faculty to use some of these techniques through this blog and in my upcoming book about teaching. I hope to have it finished by the end of the year.)

Q4–I feel that educators are going to end up using computers to grade computer-generated material produced by students. Any suggestions on how to prevent this from happening? 

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

A4–(truncated) If you have concerns about the potential over-reliance on computer grading systems, here are some suggestions to prevent or mitigate the exclusive use of such systems:

1. Emphasize the Value of Human Evaluation: Educators can highlight the importance of human evaluation and the unique insights and perspectives that human graders bring to the assessment process. Promote the understanding that human evaluation encompasses qualities that automated systems cannot fully capture, such as creativity, critical thinking, and context-based analysis.

2. Educate Stakeholders: Engage in conversations with administrators, fellow educators, and policymakers about the limitations of computer grading systems. Share research and evidence that supports the benefits of human grading in assessing complex skills, such as writing, where context, nuance, and originality play crucial roles.

8. Involve Students in the Discussion: Foster open dialogues with students about the value of human evaluation and its impact on their learning experience. Encourage their active participation in the assessment process and seek their feedback on the benefits and limitations of different grading methods.

By actively promoting the importance of human evaluation, engaging in advocacy efforts, and encouraging a balanced approach to assessment, educators can help prevent an overreliance on computer grading systems and ensure that the value of human assessment is recognized and upheld in the educational setting.

Q5 omitted 

Q6–Write a paragraph about how a college can improve its online teaching using at least one academic source cited in MLA 9 format

Photo by Christina Morillo on Pexels.com

A6–Improving online teaching in colleges requires a comprehensive approach that considers pedagogical strategies, technological infrastructure, and student engagement. According to Smith (2020), incorporating active learning techniques in virtual classrooms can enhance student participation and deepen understanding. One effective method is the use of breakout rooms, which allows for small group discussions and collaboration. Additionally, integrating multimedia elements, such as videos and interactive simulations, can facilitate content comprehension and engagement (Jones, 2019). To ensure equitable access to online education, institutions should prioritize providing necessary technology and reliable internet access to all students (Johnson et al., 2021). By implementing these strategies and considering the recommendations from academic sources, colleges can enhance the quality of online teaching and create a more interactive and inclusive virtual learning environment.

References:

Jones, A. B. (2019). Enhancing engagement in online courses through multimedia learning materials. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 15(4), 160-177.

Johnson, K. D., Veletsianos, G., Seaman, J., & Henderikx, P. (2021). U.S. Faculty and Administrators’ Experiences and Approaches in the Early Weeks of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Online Learning Journal, 25(2), 6-24.

Smith, J. M. (2020). Active Learning in Online Instruction: Evidence-Based Practice and Future Directions. Online Learning Journal, 24(4), 198-213.

(Very impressive in some ways, especially that Chatty generated this paragraph in a few seconds; however, the citations are in APA 7 style, not MLA 9. Knowing this, I can warn students ahead of time that if they use AI to generate their papers, they still need to know MLA 9 well enough to make changes to the citations. Another thing missing is the database name, url, or doi that I require to indicate where the student found the article. AI is not able to generate that but students should be required to provide it.)

Q7–Can you use a source from NCLive to support the previous paragraph?

A7–I apologize for the inconvenience, but as an AI language model, my responses are generated based on a mixture of licensed data, data created by human trainers, and publicly available data. I have not been directly trained on specific publishers or have access to proprietary publishers like NCLive. I should note that while I strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, my responses may not always reflect the most current research or publications in the field.

I encourage you to consult NCLive or other reputable sources directly to obtain the necessary information and academic sources in MLA 9 format to support your paragraph on improving online teaching in colleges.

(I was quite encouraged by this answer. If instructors will craft their assignments in such a way as to require more local or regional resources to support more specific, personalized subjects, then students will be less likely to be successful in using AI to generate an inordinate amount of material for their compositions.)

Q8–I am a teacher trying to discover how to prevent cheating by using AI. You have given me some good information, but I don’t know how to convince students of the importance of academic integrity when society seems to care mainly about the final grade a student receives in any given course. Any suggestions on how I can convince students of the importance of academic integrity? 

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

A8–(truncated) Convincing students of the importance of academic integrity requires a multifaceted approach that combines education, engagement, and fostering a culture of integrity. Here are some suggestions to help convey the significance of academic integrity to your students:

1. Start with the Why: Begin the conversation by explaining the underlying principles and values that academic integrity upholds. Emphasize that it goes beyond just obtaining a grade and is essential for personal growth, ethical development, and long-term success in academia and beyond. (In an 8-week online course, I try to do this through frequent recorded sessions. Students are required to attend live or view the recording)

2. Create Meaningful Connections: Connect academic integrity to real-world examples and situations that students can relate to. Discuss the impact of dishonesty and plagiarism on professional reputation, the trustworthiness of research, and the consequences in various fields and industries. (Hard to do in an accelerated online course) 

5. Explain the Learning Process: Help students understand that the primary purpose of assignments and assessments is to promote learning, critical thinking, and skill development. Emphasize that by engaging in academic dishonesty, they are robbing themselves of the opportunity to grow and succeed based on their own abilities. (I also use the recorded sessions to explain the learning process.)

6. Teach Research Skills and Citation: Offer guidance on proper research methods, citation practices, and the use of academic sources. Demonstrate how correct citation and referencing strengthen their arguments, demonstrate credibility, and contribute to the scholarly conversation.

7. Showcase Academic Achievements: Highlight and celebrate instances of exemplary academic work, original thinking, and creativity. Recognize and reward students who demonstrate a commitment to academic integrity, reinforcing the value and importance of ethical conduct. (I wish I had more time to do this technique, but it is tough with a heavy teaching load and accelerated classes.)

10. Lead by Example: Demonstrate integrity in your own teaching practices. Clearly communicate expectations, provide fair assessments, and model ethical behavior in the classroom. Be available to answer questions and provide guidance when students face challenges.

By consistently promoting the value of academic integrity, fostering open dialogue, and providing support and guidance, you can help create a classroom environment where students recognize the significance of academic honesty and are motivated to uphold it.

***

Chatty certainly offers some excellent advice and demonstrates an impressive command of educational techniques. However, like so many other technological tools to help students and educators, Language AI is not the savior nor the threat that so many seem to take it. It is a tool to be used for good or ill, as a valuable time-saver or as a debilitating crutch. It is only as good as the human using it. 

In the end, education doesn’t happen through the use of impressive technology. Even in the age of AI, teachers still reach students the same way they always have, through building relationships, one student at a time.

Photo by Kampus Production on Pexels.com

No April Fool! Teach. Write. Delayed a Few Days

/ Katie Winkler / 1 Comment
This will be the cover of the 2023 Spring~Summer edition of Teach. Write.: A Writing Teachers’ Literary Journal Photo by Carli Jeen on Unsplash

The 2023 Spring~Summer edition of Teach. Write. is supposed to be published today, but my impeccable timing led to a large number of essays and other assignments I have had to grade just as I was preparing to work on the final stages of putting the journal together. Therefore, I have been teaching and writing (notes on freshman comp. essays, responses to discussion forums, and e-mails responding to unhappy students after they receive the grades on their essays) like crazy, but not editing and proofreading my journal.

I have written to my contributors about the delay, but I want to let all my loyal readers know that the journal will be here soon and that it will be worth the wait! I am excited about this edition. Please come back to take a look at the next edition of Teach. Write. I’m predicting Friday at the latest.

And that’s no April Fool!

Do I Help Too Much?

/ Katie Winkler / Leave a comment
Photo by Anna Tarazevich on Pexels.com

Simply put, yes!

Of course, I tell myself that I help so much because I care, and I do; more than that, I truly like my students–no matter what their age or socio-economic status. However, just like a too-permissive parent, sometimes I help simply because it is easier to do so than not. Yes, I could say that I’m being pushed to help my students more and more, but the reality is, I am helping more to help myself feel better. If I work more and they work less, while they still maintain an A, or in some cases a B, then maybe they will like me, and they, or their parents, won’t complain to the administration or give me a poor evaluation. Maybe I can keep my retention and success rates up so that the administration will see me as a good and effective instructor because the data will prove it, right?

Photo by ThisIsEngineering on Pexels.com

Therefore, I assign work due on a regular schedule and reinforce the due dates with reminders in the morning on the day something is due. These reminders appear on a Course Announcements forum and in the students’ college e-mail, but I am aware that many students do not check their college account regularly, so sometimes I go to our college’s retention management system where I can send messages to the student’s personal e-mail as well. If their grades get too low, I report that to the student through the LMS, copy that message, and send an alert through the advising and retention system, which sends messages to a team of people, including a “success coach,” an advisor, and sometimes one of the counselors. BTW, students can access their gradebooks at any time through the LMS and know exactly where they stand as I make sure to keep up with my grading, especially recording zeros when students miss work.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Pexels.com

I also answer student e-mails and messages during each work day, usually within minutes, and often after 8:00 pm in the evening, on weekends, and vacations. If students say they need the assignment explained more clearly, I explain it again. They miss class and need to have more explanation than the thorough instructions already given on the LMS? Okay, I supply that explanation in an e-mail.

Why am I over-helping? I never did it before the advent of the early college or before so many online classes. Perhaps I never helped this much because all of society knew that to be successful in college, students would have to take on more personal responsibility for attending regularly, reading important material, following instructions, working diligently, and meeting deadlines. You know, like they will have to do in real life. For whatever reason, I’m helping too much, and I need to stop because it is bad for my students. Now that I’m teaching seated classes again, including a large number of high school students, I can see that doing too much leads to dependence and a lack of confidence, something I began to see in my students before March 2020.

Photo by Edward Jenner on Pexels.com

The pandemic only exacerbated a growing tendency to lower our expectations for the sake of younger or underprepared students. High school students should be treated differently than college students, apparaently. I mean, how can we expect them to perform as college students when they are facing so much and times are so hard? Almost all of our students have to work, so we shoud be more understanding and offer more extensions on assignments when many of us already offer a more than generous late work policy.

We educators breed some of these problems because we want, we need, our students to perform better, on paper anyway, because that is how we are judged as educators by our data-driven society. We can’t afford to let the students figure out how to do things for themselves because then they might receivie less than desireable grades, withdraw, or fail, and if that happens, it is a poor reflection on us, so we provide as much as we possibly can. To do anything less would be wrong, wouldn’t it?

But now I ask myself, isn’t it equally as wrong to deny my students the opportunities to build the all important life skills that will mean more to them, and their employers, than anything else–skills like reading comprehension, time management, clear and concise communication, problem solving, critical thinking, respect for authority, persistence, and resilency?

Students acquire these skills only by being challenged. In order for that to happen, I have to stop trying to make the way quick and easy by smoothing over every trouble and answering every question. I must take the much harder route of leading them, sometimes painstakingly, to answers they discover for themselves.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Is Convenience Overrated?: An Educational Fable

/ Katie Winkler / 1 Comment
Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

So let me tell you a story:

The English instructor was in a rush that day, like too many other days, and she needed convenience. She hadn’t eaten much, and as a Type II diabetic, she needed to, but there was no time to go in, sit down, and have a decent meal, or so she thought. She decided, against her better judgment, to stop by a fast food place. She had heard that some places were offering more healthy options and that nutrition information is listed for the customer’s convenience, so she could just quickly get in line and get a salad or something.

That wouldn’t be too bad, would it?

The first place she saw she just passed on by because the line was so long. The next two places were no different, but the fourth place was a charm–short line. She got up to the board and found out why. The choices were limited–not really any healthy options as she had hoped– and the service was extremely slow and unfriendly. She didn’t blame the worker, though. Who wants to work for $7.25 an hour at a burger joint? And with the staffing problems these days, probably working double shifts as well.

Finally got her food. A Combo #1 because she mistakenly thought that would be the most convenient. Not exactly the healthy option she had hoped for. On top of that, it wasn’t really the kind of food that she could safely eat while driving, so she pulled into the parking lot to eat it while sitting in the car.

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

She thought it might be good to check her work e-mail while she was eating in case a student had a question or concern. For the convenience of the students, the faculty had been told to answer questions for students as soon as they can, you know. She reached over to grab the phone, accidentally hitting the lid of the container that held her food, including the three packets of ketchup that she had squirted out to put on her French fries. All of the ketchup and some of the greasy fries ended up on her skirt and blouse.

Therefore, when she returned to the college, she had to go to the restroom to clean up. Fortunately, she thought, she had a convenient little emergency laundry pen she carried in her purse for just such occasions that would take care of that ketchup in a jiffy. However, once she got to the restroom, she couldn’t find that little pen anywhere, even after searching through her purse for a few seconds, so she just gave up and did the best she could with a wet paper towel and a bit of soap.

Smelling still a bit tomatoey, she headed to her English composition class for workshop day, an opportunity for students to read each other’s essays and ask for advice, but before the workshop could begin, one student informed the instructor that he would have to leave in thirty minutes for a doctor’s appointment. Two students came up together saying they were up late the night before closing at the restaurant where they worked, so they didn’t have time to write the rough draft. Could they have an extension?

Photo by fauxels on Pexels.com

The instructor, having been told by her supervisors to do everything possible to accommodate the customers and to “find a way to say ‘yes,'” took the first student’s essay and told him that she would do the workshop herself, scan her feedback, and e-mail it to him, and of course, she would give the other two students their extensions. Then, they packed up their computers and began to leave, saying it would be more convenient for them to work on the essays together at home since they had the same work schedule. Of the remaining ten students in the class (there were 18 enrolled), two had partial drafts written in their notebooks and four students had rough drafts without the required in-text citations and works cited list. Only four had completed rough drafts with the proper documentation.

The instructor passed out the workshop worksheets and went to the computer closet down the hall to bring two students who had forgotten to bring computers despite numerous convenient reminders during class and through the LMS (Learning Management System). She came back to find that another student had packed up and left. “They said their hand was raised but you ignored it and then just left the room, so they went to ask last semester’s teacher for help,” said another student.

Then, there was Greg. Unbeknownst to the instructor, the previous day Greg had worked until six as a pharmacy assistant. He had taken the job to see if he was interested in becoming a pharmacist. It wasn’t easy balancing the job with all of the other things he had to do, but he was saving up to transfer to UNC-Chapel Hill, his dream school. After work, he had gone by to pick up his little sister who is a junior at one of the local high schools. She was at basketball practice, and his mother, a widow, didn’t get home until late some nights, so he was glad to help. He had to wait for his sister a little, but it gave him time to check on his classes. He saw the reminder from his English instructor that the rough draft of one of the class’s major essays was due for a workshop the next day. He hadn’t even started.

Photo by Klaus Nielsen on Pexels.com

At home, he and his sister whipped up some whole wheat spaghetti noodles and heated up a bottle of his mother’s homemade spaghetti sauce that she had canned the previous weekend since she knew it was going to be a busy couple of weeks. They made a salad with some fresh vegetables from the garden to go along with it. Since their dad died, they were on a pretty strict budget, and the vegetables from the garden their mom started saved them a pretty penny. Even better, working in the garden was a good chance for them to relax and be together as a family. His sister loved it so much she was planning to take a class in horticulture at the college in her senior year. Right now, though, she wanted to concentrate on doing well in her high school classes, playing basketball, and helping out around the house.

Their mom got home about the time Greg and his sister sat down to eat. She joined them and they had a nice meal, talking about their days and laughing together, but Greg could tell how tired his mom was. She was a nurse and the long hours at the understaffed hospital where she worked were really getting to her. Plus, she was still grieving for their dad. They all were. His sister had some tough discrete math homework to do, and he remembered how hard that was, so he volunteered to do the dishes while his mom went to watch some TV and have a little downtime. His sister sat at the table and shot him questions when she ran into a tough problem. After he finished, he sat down beside her to help some more. It felt good to get off his feet.

Photo by Edward Jenner on Pexels.com

He had some other homework to do and a test to study for, so it was getting close to midnight when he finally started working on the essay, but he knew it was only a “messy” draft, and as long as he met the basic requirements, a complete three pages, double-spaced with at least two sources cited in the text, and works cited list, he would get full credit. He was pretty tired and tempted to just not worry about the draft, but then he remembered his dream of going to Chapel Hill and becoming a pharmacist like he promised his dad he would. He went back to work and finished the paper around 1:30 am.

The next day in class, Greg waited patiently for his English instructor to look at his essay, but time was running out. Finally, she came around to him with about five minutes of class left. “I’m so sorry, Greg,” she said, “Now that classes have been shortened again for the convenience of students, we’re almost out of time.”

“That’s okay.” He tried to sound cheerful but was a bit disappointed. She had been an English teacher for a long time, and he valued her opinion.

Photo by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels.com

“But I feel bad.”

He believed her.

“Listen, do you have time to stay and come to my office? I could take a better look at the essay and give you some feedback.”

“Sure,” he said. “If you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all.”

They went to her office, and she spent thirty minutes with him talking about organization, sentence structure, and word usage. He even started understanding comma splices better, finally. He was definitely sleepy from staying up late the night before, but in the end, it was worth it.

After Greg left and his instructor turned to the dozens of assignments she had to grade before she could allow herself to go home, she smiled, thinking the same thing. Definitely worth it.

The End

And the moral to the story: A homemade education slow-cooked with care and concern by students, faculty, and staff beats a fast, “millions sold per day” credential designed, not to satisfy, but to placate. That kind of education wears off awfully fast, leaving the “customer” malnourished, yet ravenous, once again.

Musty

/ Katie Winkler / 4 Comments

I am

Keeping my place

Like a bookmark on a page

In an old, shelved book

That once marked a quote

Someone wanted to remember.

I am

Curling inward

Like autumn’s fallen leaves

in forgotten piles.

They littered the lawn but

Someone forgot to burn them.

I am

Preparing to go

To leave this room

So new and clean

No place here

for one as

Musty

As me.

~Katie Winkler

Photo Credits

Pierre Bamin on Unsplash

Katie Moum on Unsplash

Bima Rahmanda on Unsplash

If You Ask Me…

/ Katie Winkler / 1 Comment
Photo by Leeloo Thefirst on Pexels.com

When state performance measures came out this year and the Credit English Success (p.7) rate was below the average band, my first instinct was to become defensive. “It’s not my fault!” I wanted to scream and quickly blame someone else. Another instinct was to point the finger at society’s focus on data. However, after the initial flare up of self-protection, I calmed down and began to reflect more completely on the entirity of the report, which helped to put things into perspective. I want to be prepared to offer suggestions for improvement should anyone ever show any interest in what a retiring English educator with 33 years of experience thinks.

Although our college is considered below average in Credit English Success, we are above average in College Transfer Success (p. 17.) This is encouraging to me because it says that despite extraordinary circumstances such as the pandemic with its accompanying economic and cultural effects, our students who transferred to four-year institutions were well-prepared to continue their education.

Another encouraging factor is that while we are below the average band, only by .03 index points, I know we, and I don’t mean just the English department, I mean the entire college, WE can do so much more to help our students perform better in their English classes. One thing is already in the works, and that is a push to encourage, or even to require, students to take their English classes early in their programs. However, there is more that we as a college can do to help improve College English Success. Here are a few ideas:

Photo by Min An on Pexels.com
  • Normalize high standards for reading and writing. If students heard from every instructor across divisions how important reading and writing well is to success in school and the workplace, and if instructors incorporated more reading and writing assignments in all classes, our scores would go up.
  • Improve the writing assessment skills of instructors. Although most instructors have advanced degrees in their subject area and are experts in writing within their discipline, few have had any formal education on how best to assess reading and writing skills. Understanding ways to incorporate reading and writing assessments within instructors’ particular divisions based on the writing assessment techniques already used in the college’s English department would be a way to permeate all programs with a consistent standard without violating any instructor’s academic freedom. Topics of professional development could include

  • incorporating vocabulary and other reading lessons into any course
  • adding consistent writing criteria into advanced grading methods such as rubrics, checklists, and marking guides.
  • composing engaging writing assignments with clear instructions.
  • teaching best practices of composition teachers and explore how to translate these techniques into the non-English classroom
  • how to save time when grading written assignments while maintaining high standards of written communication
  • Promote the importance of communication skills throughout the College, maybe even plan special events that highlight the importance of reading and writing in all disciplines. Many organizations are eager to partner with community colleges, groups such as PEN America and the National Writing Project that declares, “Writing is essential to learning, critical thinking, and active citizenship” (NWP).
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com
  • Across the campus, teach not only students but also faculty and staff the importance of strong reading and writing skills for school and for the workplace. Here are just a few facts.
    • Reading well improves the ability to follow instructions, and reading complex texts, like literature, peer-reviewed scholarly articles, and professional journals, increases critical thinking, a skill highly prized by today’s employers according to World Economic Forum.
    • An August 2022 article from Business News Daily, reports on the professional benefits of reading books, fiction as well as non-fiction, including fostering empathy and creativity as well as developing problem-solving and cognitive skills. According to the article, reading can even lessen stress and build perseverance, skills students definitely need now and in the future. Imagine if all instructors were curating interesting and engaging readings for their students. They would be expanding their knowledge of their own disciplines while encouraging their own students to develop their reading skills.
    • The importance of strong communication skills in the workplace continues to be of high importance in 2022 as reported by major educational institutions like Harvard and MIT as well as career-seeking sites, such as Indeed, Monster, Zip Jobs, and Linked In.
Photo by Last Chwezi on Pexels.com

  • Another thing we can do to work on the problem is to develop a college-wide system for remediating students who need extra help with their writing. For example, when I was a graduate student at Western Carolina University low these many years ago, I worked as a graduate assistant in the Writing Center. I would often tutor students who had received a “CC” on their essays in a course other than English. I can’t remember what CC stands for after all of these years, but I do remember that professors gave CC’s to essays that did not meet basic college-level English standards. Students who received two CC’s would be enrolled at no expense in a remedial English program. The word was that no student wanted to endure that class, so they would come to the Writing Center for help. I remember receiving a thank you note from one grateful student whose scores on all of his essays improved upon just a few visits to the Writing Center. Our college might do something like this–develop a system to identify students in non-English classes who have writing issues and allow them to complete revisions for a higher grade only if they visit the Student Success Center to work on that revision. We already have a referral system in place, but if all instructors could be more proactive in addressing the need to improve writing skills campus-wide, then our success rates would increase.

Just a few ideas of what the college as a whole could do to improve our English scores. Next time on Hey, Mrs. Winkler I’ll offer some suggestions on ways the administration can help English faculty as they struggle to help improve retention and success for our students.

Even if they don’t ask me.

Higher Education?

/ Katie Winkler / 1 Comment

i

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I know college costs too much–not my fault. Anybody who sees my paycheck can tell you that. I know community college is often seen as pseudo-higher education–I have no control over people’s perceptions. I only know that I will continue to hold my students to a high, but reachable, standard. I know some instructors do not expect college-level work from their students–I’m not one of them. I know some advisors and administrators sincerely feel sorry for those with difficult life situations that often interfere with student success. I understand. I empathize with them as well. However, I can’t allow that to affect my judgement. I cannot, repeat cannot, let any of these considerations interfere with my assessment of students’ performance in my class.

To do so would be unethical.

Consider this: Let’s say I’m teaching a fully online foundational English composition course to a first-semester freshman. The student sends an e-mail the night the first major essay is due and says that they will not be submitting the assignment on time because they were working a double shift and were too worn out and sleepy to turn in their best work, so they are requesting, very politely, an extension.

Some people would say, “Oh, come on, give the kid a break!”

I say the kindest thing to do is, as gently as possible, deny the extension. Why? Because….

  • I accept late work that carries a significant grade penalty, allowing the student to begin to learn important soft skills while still salvaging their grade.
  • the student may begin to understand that in the “real” world, people are expected to meet deadlines
  • the penalty stings enough to begin teaching the student a valuable lesson about time management
  • the student may learn that making excuses and blaming circumstances are only short-term solutions
  • the student has a better chance of developing a growth mindset, learning from their mistakes and becoming not only a better student but also a better person.

It is true that denying any student anything nowadays carries with it certain risks. There is always the chance that the student, or the student’s parent, will complain, not to me, an instructor with no tenure and little power, but to one of my many supervisors, saying that I am being unreasonable and that I should not only accept late work for assignments that students have known about for weeks or even months but that I should also award points for punctuality to an essay that was not turned in on time.

But I am willing to assume that risk for the student’s sake. I learned long ago that enabling students only helps make my life and the lives of my bosses easier. It does nothing to truly help the student or to foster the higher education that my college claims to provide.

CAMPUS IS BACK!!!!

/ Katie Winkler / 2 Comments
Listen to Episode 14 of CAMPUS!!

Being back on campus inspired me to go back to CAMPUS, my podel (podcasted novel). Episode 14: Ms. McBride is now available on most podcasting platforms. Just click here.

It’s been a long time–Episode 13 came out in March, so I am going to do my best to post more frequent episodes. I know the production level is kind of low right now. I’m just doing the best I can until I can learn more about podcasting and have more time. That opportunity begins August 2, 2023 when I begin my retirement. Right now my podel is a happy little hobby that I use to have a voice about what’s happening in my world and also just to have some fun. I neeeeeeeddddddddd fun.

In Episode 14, I give my listeners some backstory about one of my favorite characters, Ms. McBride–she a math fairy godteacher. Sounds pretty weird if you haven’t heard any of my podel.

Okay, it sounds weird even if you have listened to some of my podel. But, it’s fun, and I talk about Kierkegaard and Hegel and Kant a little bit, too. Oh, that’s even weirder.

But it’s fun.

There are still a few days left to submit to the Fall/Winter 2022 Edition of Teach. Write.: A Writing Teachers’ Literary Journal. The final day to submit is September 1. The publication date is October 1. Click here to see the submission guidelines. I would love to see your work.

Student Teacher–Teacher Student

/ Katie Winkler / Leave a comment
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

If I can put aside my oh-so-fragile ego, I can learn a great deal from my students. I am trying to listen more to what they say. One way I am learning from my students is by requiring my first semester freshman English composition students to write a short researched persuasive essay on a topic that is relevant to our college specifically or to one of the communities it serves.

Students can choose from a list of research questions I brainstormed, or they can submit their own questions for approval. Most of the time, the students pick one of my groups of questions. One set that became much more popular during the pandemic has been about online learning:

  • What is our college doing to help retain online students? Is it enough? Why? or Why not? What are some things that other schools are doing that our college might do to help retain online students? Is our college doing any of these things? 
Photo by Andrew Neel on Pexels.com

This short summer semester, without any prompting from me, two of my best students chose the same group of questions. After research, including separate personal interviews with the college’s Director of Teaching and Learning, my students argued two different, but similar, theses. Happily, both recognized the students’ role in their own success and offered suggestions for what students could do to help themselves complete online courses with the desired results.

However, one student emphasized the faculty’s role in improving online retention, and the other argued that the administration could take steps to help more students achieve success. I found both viewpoints interesting and insightful.

So, what did I learn?

Photo by Canva Studio on Pexels.com

The two big takeaways–Faculty should interact more with students, and administrators need to lighten instructors loads so that students can do so. Wow! I mean, my students didn’t teach me anything I didn’t know already. I’ve been saying it for years; however, what is new is hearing about the importance of interaction and building a personal relationship from online students themselves, one who has had six semesters of online classes at my institution.

Both students indicated how helpful it is when instructors quickly respond to inquires and return graded material as soon as possible. This is the first time, however, that I have had a student discuss the administration’s responsibility to be sure that faculty do not have an overload.

Their arguments are well-taken.

A case in point was my schedule this summer. I had three classes and a shortened semester of ten weeks instead of sixteen. Since I have been teaching sixteen-week English composition in eight weeks the past couple of years, ten weeks seemed like a summer vacation. With the lighter load, I was not only able to communicate more often and with more detail but also had time to develop my courses and further refine them for our mutual benefit. In addition, I was able to hold more live virtual sessions and record them for the sake of students who could not attend the sessions. Students mentioned how helpful these sessions were.

Both students mentioned the need for proper advisement when students are registering for online classes. Sometimes, they said, students are ill-prepared for the rigor of online classes and may not possess the time-management skills to be successful. I have found that some of my eight-week online students are not even aware that they are taking an accelerated English course and quickly drop out.

Photo by Edward Jenner on Pexels.com

One student mentioned in their essay the problem of recruitment taking precedence over retention. This point resonated with me. For example, on more than a few occassions, I have had developmental and other ill-prepared or otherwise weak students placed in my eight-week courses, or even worse, with advising restrictions removed since the pandemic, students are signing themselves up for classes, which can easily lead to misplacement. Most of these students withdraw; the expectations and pace are simply too much.

The hope is that administration will return to advising restrictions, but the lure of classes filled beyond capacity, and the funds that generates, so far seems to be too strong. As long as enrollment numbers are considered above all other considerations, including limiting the number of students in online classes, hiring more instructors, and better preparing them, I, and two of my most talented students, recognize that we will most likely continue to have low retention and success rates in online classes despite the efforts of even the most dedicated and talented faculty.