Welcome to Week 1 of Critical Transitions Online!

This week’s resources and discussion focus on:

• Exploring transfer and learning theories that can inform writing studies; and
• Sharing strategies for embarking on writing transfer research.

We invite you to watch this week’s videos, explore the featured readings, participate in this week’s forum discussions, and join us June 5, 2013, for a live chat with Linda Adler-Kassner, Heidi Estrem, and John Majewski.

Week 1 Videos

Motivations for Studying Writing Transfer: Chris Anson and Linda Adler-Kassner talk about their motivations for studying writing transfer.

Studying Writing Transfer – Relevant Theories: Linda Adler-Kassner, Chris Anson, Dana Driscoll, Gwen Gorzelsky, Rebecca Nowacek, and Elizabeth Wardle share the learning and transfer theories that have informed their studies of writing transfer.

Studying Writing Transfer – Disciplinary Theories and Reading Recommendations: Gwen Gorzelsky, Rebecca Nowacek, Carmen Werder, and Carl Whithaus share disciplinary theories and readings that have informed their studies of writing transfer.

Studying Writing Transfer – Tips for Scholars New to Transfer Studies: Linda Adler-Kassner, Elizabeth Wardle, and Carmen Werder offer tips for scholars pursuing new research in writing transfer studies.

Featured Readings For Week 1

This week our featured readings introduce three learning theories that have informed Elon Research Seminar participants’ writing transfer research. We offer an extended introduction to Threshold Concepts by also featuring Adler-Kassner, Majewski, and Kosnick’s Composition Forum article, which illustrates how threshold concepts can be applied to writing transfer research. To learn more about their use of threshold concepts theory, join the live chat with Linda Adler-Kassner, Heidi Estrem, and John Majewski on June 5, 2013.

• “Communities of Practice: A Brief Introduction” by Etienne Wenger
• Center for Research on Activity, Development, and Learning. “Cultural-Historical Activity Theory.” University of Helsinki.
• Threshold Concepts
  • Mayer, Jan, and Ray Land. “Threshold Concepts and Troublesome Knowledge: Linkages to Ways of Thinking and Practising within the Disciplines.” Enhancing Teaching-Learning Environments in Undergraduate Courses. Occasional Report. 4 May 2003.
  • Cousin, Glynis. “An Introduction to Threshold Concepts.” Planet, 17 (2006).
  • For an example of its application in writing transfer studies, see: Adler-Kassner, Linda, John Majewski, and Damian Koshnick. “The Value of Troublesome Knowledge: Transfer and Threshold Concepts in Writing and History.” Composition Forum, 26 (2012).
• Want to read more? Click here for additional recommended readings.

Week 1 Discussions

Participate in this week’s asynchronous discussions. Since participants will post and respond as their schedules allow, we encourage you to check back often to read new posts and continue the conversation. [Discussion Forum has Closed]

Week 1 Live Chat

Please join us for this week’s live chat with Linda Adler-Kassner, Heidi Estrem, and John Majewski on June 5th (1:30 PM Pacific/4:30 PM Eastern). Registered participants will receive an email on June 5th with a link to the live chat. (Registration is free; simply click “register for Critical Transitions Online” on the home page.)

Thanks for participating!

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