🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <5f9iso$2eg@uwm.edu> dave@opus.csd.uwm.edu writes:
>From article <5f8b46$ull@uwm.edu>, by yaxman@alpha2.csd.uwm.edu (Michael T Diedrick):
<< Clinton S. Gallagher (clinton@execpc.com) wrote:
<< : Enough said.
<< : >                          Improving Undergraduate Writing
<< : > 
<< : >          Would you submit a PORTION of one of your essays to our writing
<< : > 	 project?
<< 
<< Actually, he's doing something to better writing at UWM.
<< 
<< Or am I missing your point?  (Is there a point?)
>
>My read is that he's saying that this is another case of professors
>making students do their own work for them, which he might compare to
>to the idea of  grad student research where some unscrupulous
>professor would take credit for work they might not have been involved
>in.  It's a cheap shot and especially directed at a writing program
>like this where there's no basis for it.

As we know, Mr. Gallagher often appears to be looking for attention.

In fact, there could be commerical applications to the materials that I am
developing with my UNDERGRADUATES. The applications depend on a) developing
the materials and b) testing them.

All of this is quite premature, however, because only a few of some thousand
frames have been produced, there is no contract with the company which owns
the software for presenting the frames, and there is no evidence that the
frames are effective. Developing and evaluating the entire set of frames may
require several years. I assume the monetary remuneration would be much like
that from a textbook.

If a commerical product evolves, I plan on making it freely available to the
entire UW-System so thousands of future students could benefit. But note
well, I am psychologist and not a professor of English. When I consult with
faculty who teach composition, I am told that exercises are very unlikely to
substantially improve writing.

In short, the experts tell me my system won't be effective while Mr.
Gallagher in his own, socially unskilled way, implicitly assumes otherwise.

--Marshall
  dermer@csd.uwm.edu

So, do you have any essays?


         ************************************************************
                                                           1/22/97
                    
	                 Improving Undergraduate Writing

         STUDENTS: Our writing project needs your manuscripts. Don't drop
	 your early drafts in the garbage; send them to us!

         Except for poetry and creative writing, we are interested in all
	 kinds of writing. Send us, for example, laboratory reports, news
	 reports, book reviews, interviews, essays, and sections of
	 undergraduate theses. IF YOU JUST WANT TO SEND ISOLATED PAGES FROM
	 DIFFERENT PAPERS THAT WOULD BE FINE.

         We will review the drafts and excerpt sentences for a
	 computer-based tutorial which promises to enhance college students'
	 writing. Although you will not directly benefit from our work, we
	 hope our tutorial will benefit future students.

         You can submit writing samples to (a) your instructor if he or she
	 is participating in this project at UW-Milwaukee, or to (b)
	 Marshall Dermer/Garland Hall/UWM Psychology/ via campus mail.  Be
	 sure to remove your name from the samples so that we can preserve
	 your anonymity.

         If you are viewing this notice on a USENET newsgroup then please
	 send your draft as an ASCII file to:  BehaviorAnalysis@csd.uwm.edu.
	 To preserve anonymity, your name and e-mail address will
	 immediately be removed from the file.

         Thanks for your help.
        
         Marshall Lev Dermer
         Associate Professor of Psychology   
           
         Marshall Lev Dermer/Department of Psychology/ University of
                    Wisconsin-Milwaukee/Milwaukee, WI 53201
                         BehaviorAnalysis@csd.uwm.edu

         This research project has been approved by the University of
            Wisconsin-Milwaukee Institutional Review Board for the
              Protection of Human Subjects for a one year period.
         ************************************************************