🚀 go-pugleaf

Marshall Dermer <dermer@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu> wrote in article
<5faiaa$vst@uwm.edu>...
> 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.

Until they make a pill to repress bullshit detection I suppose I'll remain
a victim of this compulsion and seek the attention that 'we' know appears
to be  motivating me. 

> 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.
>          ************************************************************

Isn't it ironic that there is money involved after all? Particularly
insidious is
the declarative manner in which it has been made known. Not bad for one who
spends his time practicing personality theory.

Why not try character?