Priming the Pump:  What a Little Writing Can Do

Peter Busch
Lawrence C. Gallen Postdoctoral Fellow

When students are reluctant to participate, it’s not necessarily because they are lazy, grumpy, or dumb. Nor is it always because we are asking unhelpful questions – though this can happen too. No, sometimes students fall silent for the simple reason that they are reading challenging books that deal with deep issues. If they hesitate to say whatever pops into their heads, maybe it’s a sign of thoughtfulness!

Still, we do have seminars to teach, and seminars need students who hold up their end of the conversation. We need students who not only have done the reading (which goes without saying) but also have thought about what they will contribute to the class. Being freshmen, however, they can have trouble doing this on their own. How to help them along?

I’ve found that Villanova students have plenty to say when I ask them to write out their thoughts ahead of time. I do this by assigning them various kinds of short writing assignments. Although I’d like to claim this insight as my own, in fact I stole it from other Core teachers when they weren’t looking. Much of the following advice was similarly lifted from my colleagues.

How to Spark Conversation with Short Writing Assignments

1. Death to abstractions. When I ask why Adam and Eve could have been allowed to sin, someone always rolls out the answer, “free will.” But that’s no explanation, only an abstraction. To help the conversation go further, I might ask students to write 1-2 pages about a decision they’ve made that comes closest to what happened in the Garden. Then, in class, I’d be ready to ask what was good about being given the freedom to mess up. Students would then have something concrete to talk about.

2. Don’t forget the text. At the same time, it’s a mistake to let students focus exclusively on their own experiences. Try to find topics that hold those experiences up to the readings, and vice versa. (In the paper topic mentioned above, I’d insist that students explain just how their own act of disobedience parallels the story in Genesis. The more detailed and penetrating the textual analysis, the better.) Be a stickler about using references and quotations to document what they are drawing from the text. The resulting discussion should be lively and centered on the text.

3. Stir up controversy. The energy of class discussion really goes through the roof when students take different sides of a controversial issue. For example, a somewhat different topic on Genesis could be, “Who’s most to blame for Adam and Eve’s disobedience?” Possible answers range from Adam and Eve themselves, to the serpent, to God, to nobody. Class would then consist of the debate. Lots of fun for the students, easy on the teacher!

4. No cribbing from class notes! This one is rather obvious but still worth emphasizing. Small writing assignments need to be written before that discussion happens, while students are still doing the reading assignment. The papers won’t be as well informed, but they will feed class discussion instead of stealing from it.

5. Hold them accountable; be kind to yourself. Unfortunately, students just don’t take papers seriously unless they receive a grade for their work. On the other hand – and I speak from sad experience – it can take hours to grade papers that students themselves wrote relatively quickly. Avoid this trap! Detailed comments on such assignments often go unread; a quick grade (perhaps only a check) and brief comment will suffice. More extensive comments and global grades can wait until all the assignments are collected in portfolios at midterm and semester’s end.

6. Have students ask their own questions. Response papers force students to think about a question that I’d like them to discuss in class. Much better, however, would be if students came in with thoughtful questions that they wanted to discuss. And so I compromise: I force them to come in with discussion questions. In the past I required this at least 12 times a semester. Recently I have been experimenting with a more ambitious assignment: a “weekly prep sheet” that includes beloved passages (or detested ones), observations on how texts relate to one another, questions to be raised in class, and so on. The goal is for students to be able to hold an interesting conversation without any intervention from me. In fact I ask them to do so from time to time.

7. Don’t get mad … get them writing. When the Awkward Silence descends upon the room, there might seem to be only three options: 1) Let ’em squirm; 2) Flail desperately in search of something immediately fascinating to talk about; 3) Yell at the class for skipping the reading. But there’s something else to try: 4) Stop and give students ten minutes to write on a topic that will restart the conversation. I try to bring at least one such topic to every class, in case of emergency.

Supplementary materials

1. Handouts to students
    a. How to write better reaction papers
    b. How to ask a good question
2. Examples of assignments
    a. Paper topics
    b. Discussion Questions / Prep Sheets
 

How to Improve Your Reaction Papers (student hand-out)

Dr. Peter Busch
Core Humanities
Villanova University

The best way to improve your reaction papers is ... to write reaction papers, and of course to work on the particular issues I mention while grading them. Still, there are several general tips I can also give you. They fall into two broad categories:

A.  Better preparation.

1. Do the reading assignment. This isn't exactly a profound suggestion, but I might as well mention it.

2. Read it again. You'd be surprised what a difference it makes to go through a text twice: really fast the first time, just to get the lay of the land, and then more slowly the second.

3. Graffiti. Margins are made to be scribbled in. Star things that look important; ask questions or make objections; restate things in your own words; divide the text into sections; make an index of topics you'd like to keep track of. Do these things as you read, and you'll be much better prepared to write something thoughtful.

4. Discussion Questions. Try writing a few of your discussion questions on the text that pertains to the RP. That can you come up with some unusual insights to use in your writing.

B. Better writing.

1. Stay on topic. Always a good idea, and especially important when you have limited space to write. If I ask you to explain what Socrates says justice is, and instead you tell me your own view of justice, I can't give your paper a good grade -- even if it's otherwise brilliant.

2. Mention specifics in the text. The best RP's stay clear of vague generalities. Instead they dig into the reading assignment, giving concrete examples and using specific passages.

3. Summary vs. Analysis. At the same time, giving lots of specifics isn't enough, either. If you only summarize what comes up in the text -- this happens, then that happens, etc. -- you aren't really doing much to understand it. Generally, if you do a good job staying on topic, you'll also manage to avoid mere summary.

4. References and quotations. This is perhaps the easiest change you can make to improve your RP's. If you have drawn an idea from the reading, tell me exactly where it came from. Use parenthetical references in the proper form: like this for the Bible (2 Sam. 11:6), this for Plato (39d), or simply a page number in other cases. And if you like how the text puts something, quote it! (See Lunsford, Easy Writer, if you need help on references and quotations.)

How do I ask a good question? (student hand-out)
Dr. Peter Busch

In this class you are supposed to be contributing "discussion questions" (DQs) about the books we are reading. But how are you to know what a good DQ is, and how can you go about finding one? In the first place, what is a good discussion question? Here the answer is all-too-simple: a DQ should get the class wondering about an important problem that arises in the text. So what are the "important problems"? Those are dictated by the theme of the course and ultimately by the human concerns that make the course worth taking. For example, in a course that investigates justice, questions should help us consider what justice is, how or whether it is good, and so on. Not that every question needs to be directly about that theme, but most of them should at least be relevant.

OK, so how does one come up with a good question? This time there is no simple answer. Asking questions is ultimately a philosophic activity, and there is no formula or method for “doing” philosophy as you would do long division. I can, however, give you several recommendations.

1. Refer to the reading. If possible, direct our attention to a specific passage, quoting it or at least giving a reference. This will allow the rest of us to consider how your question arises from the text and whether an answer can be found there.

2. Follow the wording of the text as closely as you can. The books you are reading include some of the most carefully written documents the world has ever seen. It’s safest to assume that the authors have found the right words to convey their thoughts. For example, while we might speak of justice as a "value," Socrates never does; instead, he refers to it as a "virtue." Would Socrates agree that justice is a "value"? Not necessarily! So make sure you let him have his say.

3. Challenge your most cherished opinions. If you don’t like the way a text puts something -- if it even makes you angry -- you may be on the brink of an amazing discovery. After all, what’s the point of reading a book if it says what you already think? State the difference of opinion precisely, then ask why the author would take such a position.

4. Push the limits. Sometimes it is up to us to draw out the full implications of what we read in a text. This is as true of Plato as it is of the Bible. When Socrates says it isn’t just to return a weapon to a crazy friend, try asking whether the argument applies to more than weapons, crazy people, and friends in particular. When the Bible mentions that it was Cain who founded the first city, try asking if that means all politics is sinful in God’s eyes. The answer is not necessarily yes, but the question is important in any case.

5. Wonder about contradictions, abrupt shifts, and unproven assertions. If you come across something strange or confusing in the text, don’t be shy ... ask! It’s quite possible that such puzzles have been deliberately placed as signposts to deeper reflection. And in any case, we have to ask whether these books are teaching us the truth, and this question cannot be pursued if we sweep difficulties under the rug.

6. Don’t get too sophisticated. Some students use technical jargon from other courses because they think it will impress their professors. It won’t impress this one. Sophisticated mumbo-jumbo only builds a wall between you and the text. For example, don't say that Socrates “contests the boundaries between self and other” if Socrates himself asks who our friends are. If you think Socrates should have put it that way, see #3.

7. Keep the question brief. Good DQ's are only about 1-3 sentences long. Questions that take a paragraph to explain result in the “mego” effect: my eyes glaze over. Develop only one point, use the minimum number of words, and your question will hit us with maximum force.

8. Pursue your interests. Ask a question about something that truly concerns you. Such questions contribute the most to class discussion because they are usually concrete, serious, and based on real experience.

Reaction Paper - Matthew
Dr. Busch
10/27/03

Please pick one:

1. You're a disciple, and lately you've noticed that the people have been murmuring against Jesus. "How can he be giving commandments?" they say. "That means he's changing the law! And you know who would do that --- a false prophet!" You've noticed them starting to carry stones in their pockets. It's all very disturbing. So, how will you defend Jesus against their charges?

2. Once again the people have been coming to you complaining. "We don't understand why Jesus won't speak to us plainly. We want to know what he really thinks, and here he talks to us in these 'parables' -- confusing stories. And if we don't get them, he turns around and blames us for it! It's unjust!" How will you defend Jesus this time?

3. Much later, after Jesus has been crucified, you are telling crowds of people the news of how He died for our sins. It all seems to be going well. But then someone in the back speaks up: “Hold on! How does that solve anything? If Jehosaphat murders someone, he deserves to die. Killing Jesus wouldn’t redeem him. It would only add to the injustice!” What’s your answer?
 

Reaction Paper 4                                                                         Your name:
CHS 1001 – Spring 2003
Dr. Peter Busch

Please choose one of the following topics:

1. Hi. You're probably wondering how your computer disappeared, only to be replaced with this note. Maybe next time you'll lock your door! Anyway, like you, I'm a freshman taking the moderns in Core. And I've been thinking: if all men are created equal, if nobody naturally has any more right to things than anyone else does, why can't I go around taking anything I want? Your computer, for example? So I did!

I'm a good sport, though. If you think I made an error somewhere, go ahead and set me straight. Write a paper using that Locke guy to prove you deserve to get your – oops, my – computer back, and tape it to the Oreo by midnight. But don't try anything funny. Give me references and quotations so I can look up the passages myself. One false reading, and you can kiss that computer goodbye!

2. In an unprecedented move, all the existing tribes in the U.S. have petitioned the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, demanding the return of lands taken by European settlers -- in other words, the whole country! The committee has no idea how to respond. But since they know we're studying Locke, they phoned me last night asking if a student could come and explain whether Lockean principles require us to hand the land back over. I answered that I have just the student for the job: you. Please prepare a statement that carefully uses ch. 5 of the Second Treatise to settle the matter.