Transfer Across Media

Appendix C

Interview Protocols

2012 Interview Protocol, Instructor Participant, beginning of course

1. Could you tell me about your approach to teaching first-year writing? What are your learning goals for students? What instructional approaches do you use to get to these learning goals? What assignments do you use as part of the curriculum? What other activities or approaches do you use in your teaching (for example: reflection, collaboration, workshop)? How do you assess student learning? How would you describe the over-arching goal of first-year writing as a course?

2. Can you tell me about why you are you teaching first-year writing? Can you tell me about other sections of first-year writing you’ve taught? How did you develop your approach to teaching first-year writing? In what ways has your approach to teaching first-year writing shifted over time? If it hasn’t shifted, why not? Can you tell me about other composition courses you’ve taught? Can you tell me about other teaching experiences you’ve had that play into how you teach first-year writing?

3. In your view, what kinds of writing should students compose in a first-year writing course? Why should they compose these kinds of writing? Can you describe an example of an assignment you would consider typical for first-year writing? Why can this be considered a typical assignment?

4. Can you tell me about your expectations for the video composition unit? What outcomes do you anticipate for students? What challenges do you think students will encounter? Have you taught a unit of new media composition before? [If so, describe; if not, why not?] Can you tell me about your own knowledge about video composing? What role, if any, do you feel your knowledge of video composing might play in this instructional unit? What aspects of the unit are you looking forward to the most? Why? What aspects of the unit appear most challenging to you? Why?

5. Some people would say new media composition does not belong in a writing course like English 125. What would your response be?

2012 Interview Protocol, Instructor Participant, after the video unit

1. Can you tell me about how the video composition unit went? What challenges did students encounter as they composed? What challenges did you encounter as the instructor? What role, if any, did your knowledge of video composing play in the unit? In your view, what aspect(s) of the unit were most successful for the students? Why? What similarities and differences do you see between the audio-visual composing unit and other units in your curriculum?

2. How would you describe what students learned through the audio-visual composing unit? How did you perceive that this learning was taking place? Can you give a specific example of one student who exemplified learning at a certain point during the unit? Can you describe, in as much detail as possible, the moment you first noticed or saw evidence of this learning in the student? Did you notice more evidence of this learning in the student after the initial moment? Where did you see additional evidence of this learning, specifically? (For example: in class, in a written document, from the student’s mouth.) What might be some implications for your instruction based on noticing this learning?

3. What other examples come to mind of specific moments when you saw evidence of learning in the students during the audio-visual composing unit? Can you describe, in as much detail as possible, an additional moment when you noticed or saw evidence of learning in a student? Did you notice more evidence of this learning in the student after this initial moment?

4. Could you tell me about a student who did not appear to demonstrate learning during the audio-visual composing unit? In your view, why do you think this student did not demonstrate learning? What might be some implications for your instruction based on this student not appearing to learn?

5. Can you talk specifically about [insert student name] and that person's experiences with the video unit? Did you see evidence of learning in this student? Can you describe, in as much detail as possible, this learning? [If no evidence of learning] Why do you think this student did not demonstrate learning?

6. The video unit was designed using the principles of learning by doing, learning metalanguage for composition, and reflection. In your opinion, how did any of these principles play into student learning (or not) throughout the unit? What lessons in the unit did you find particularly helpful in contributing to student learning? What lessons in the unit were not as helpful for students? What effect did my presence in the room have on your students and your teaching?

7. What advice might you give to another writing instructor who was going to teach a unit of new media composition for the first time?

8. In our first interview, I told you that some people would say new media composition does not belong in a writing course like English 125. What would your response be to them now after having taught this audio-visual composing unit in English 125?

2012 Interview Protocol, Instructor Participant, after the course

1. Looking back on this section of first-year writing, what is your overall impression of how the course went? What challenges did students encounter throughout the course? What challenges did you encounter as the instructor? In your view, what aspect(s) of the course were most successful for the students? Why? In your view, what aspect(s) of the course were most successful for you as the instructor? Why?

2. How would you describe what students learned through the course as a whole? How did you perceive that this learning was taking place? Can you give a specific example of one student who exemplified learning at a certain point during the course? Can you describe, in as much detail as possible, the moment you first noticed or saw evidence of this learning in the student? Did you notice more evidence of this learning in the student after the initial moment?

3. What other examples come to mind of specific moments when you saw evidence of learning in the students throughout the course? Can you describe, in as much detail as possible, an additional moment when you noticed or saw evidence of learning in a student? Did you notice more evidence of this learning in the student after this initial moment?

4. Could you tell me about a student who did not appear to demonstrate learning through the course? In your view, why do you think this student did not demonstrate learning? What might be some implications for your instruction based on this student not appearing to learn?

6. In your view, what role did the audio-visual composing unit play in the development of students’ learning over the course as a whole? Compare your perceptions of students’ learning about writing in this course versus other first-year writing courses you’ve taught that did not include new media composition. What similarities and differences exist?

7. Tell me about the final assessments you offered for the video compositions.

8. Did anything else happen during the video composing unit that you’d like me to know about?

9. Will you include an audio-visual composing component in your curriculum when you teach first-year writing again? If so, why? If not, why not? What will you change? What will remain the same?

2012 Interview Protocol and Composition Planning Moment Activity Scenario #1, Student Participant, beginning of course

1. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? Why are you taking English 125 right now?

2. How would you describe yourself as a writer and your writing abilities? What aspects of your writing abilities are you satisfied with at the current time? Why are you satisfied with these aspects? What aspects of your writing abilities do you want to improve? Why do you want to improve these aspects?

3. Can you tell me about a piece of writing that you’ve done in the past that you consider successful? Why do you consider this piece successful? Could you walk me through, in as much detail as possible, your composition process for this piece of writing? Can you describe the end product in detail? Could you tell me about the most difficult aspect of composing this piece of writing?

4. Could you describe what kinds of writing or composition you have used before this class in school? How did you learn to write these compositions for school? Did you draw on any concepts or skills learned in English or writing classes to learn to write these products? If so, what concepts or skills? Can you tell me about one particular piece of writing that you’ve done for school in the past? How did you learn to write this composition? Did you draw on any concepts or skills learned in past English or writing classes to compose this product? If so, what skills or concepts did you draw on?

5. Could you describe what kinds of writing or composition you have used before this class outside of school, either in the workplace or on your own? How did you learn to compose these compositions? Did you draw on concepts or skills learned in English or writing classes? What skills or concepts? Can you tell me about one particular piece of writing that you’ve done outside of school in the past? Where did you learn how to write this composition? Did you draw on any concepts of skills learned in past English or writing classes to compose this product? If so, what skills or concepts did you draw on?

Part 2: A Composition Scenario. Here is a writing scenario I’d like you to imagine you are in. [Read the scenario together.] Do you have any questions about what I’d like you to do? [Give 15 minutes.] The Scenario: After college, you get a job with a non-profit company that builds homes for low-income families. The company needs to increase revenue and bring in more donations, and it’s your job to recruit new sponsors from local businesses. Create a plan of action for composing any kind of text to respond to this situation. In your plan of action, give as many details as you can about what specific steps you might take to compose the text.

You have fifteen minutes to create your plan of action, and the plan can take any form you choose—it can be written out, oral, visual, or digital, for example, or in some other form of your choosing. You may also choose to use any resources you have in or near this room to create your plan of action, such as paper and writing utensils, the computer, a phone, outside sources, other people, the Internet, past or current work, or concepts and skills you have learned in the past. After fifteen minutes, I will return and ask you to describe your plan of action and why you created it in the way you did.

1. Could you describe the plan of action you created in response to this scenario? What kind of text would you compose in response to this scenario? What specific steps would you take to compose this text? How did you choose the format in which to present your plan of action? Why did you choose this format? What resources did you draw on to create this plan of action? Why did you choose those resources to use? Did you think about or draw on any past experiences to create your plan of action? If so, why did you draw on these experiences? If not, why do you think you didn’t? Did you draw on any concepts or skills learned in past English or writing classes to create your plan of action? If so, what skills or concepts did you draw on? Why did you draw on these skills or concepts? If not, why do you think you didn’t? Do you think your plan of action represents what you would actually do in response to a scenario like this one? Do you usually make a “plan” if you have a writing or composing task? If you actually followed through with your plan of action and composed this text, do you think the plan would help you? If so, in what ways would it help you? If not, why do you think it wouldn’t help? Have you experienced a scenario similar to this one in your life in the past? If so, what did you do in response?

2012 Interview Protocol, Student Participant, after the video unit

1. Could you tell me about the video you composed? What was your initial reaction to the assignment? Can you walk me through, in as much detail as possible, your composition process for the assignment? How is this process similar to or different from your composition process for written essays? Can you describe the end product in detail? Can you walk me through the goal setting process you used? Could you tell me about the most difficult aspect of composing the video? What is your favorite part of your video? Why?

2. Can you tell me about the resources and tools you used to compose the video? How did you learn to do things that you weren’t familiar with or weren’t sure how to do? Can you tell me about the role that working with your classmates played in your video composing process? Can you tell me about the role class workshopping played in your composing process? Can you tell me about the role conferencing with the instructor played in your composing process? Can you tell me about the role of using terminology such as musical rhetoric, juxtaposition, synecdoche, and reinforcement in your composing process? What other resources or tools did you use to compose your video?

3. Could you tell me about the video reflection essay you composed? Can you describe the content of your reflection essay? Can you walk me through the composition process for the reflection essay? How would you describe what you learned through composing the reflection essay? Could you talk about any other reflection activities you did during the video unit? What other kinds of reflection did you do? Could you describe your experiences with these kinds of reflection activities? How would you describe what you learned through participating in these activities?

4. Are there any concepts or terms from the video unit you think will stick with you over time? [If student mentions one] Can you think of a specific time when you might apply this concept in the future? [If student doesn’t mention one] What about juxtaposition, completion, or musical rhetoric? Do you think you might use any of these concepts in the future? Are there any concepts or approaches from the unit that weren’t as useful and that you don’t think will stick with you?

5. How would you describe your overall experience with video composition in this assignment?

6. Some people would say new media composition does not belong in an academic writing course like English 125. What would your response be?

2012 Interview Protocol and Composition Planning Moment Activity Scenario #2, Student Participant, after the course

1. Not counting the video composition, could you tell me about another assignment from English 125 that mattered to you? Why did this assignment matter to you? What was your initial reaction to the assignment? Can you walk me through, in as much detail as possible, your composition process for the assignment? Can you describe the end product in detail? Can you describe any similarities or differences between your video composition and this assignment?

2. What connections do you see between the major assignments in your English 125 course? What differences were there between the major assignments? What connections do you see between the work you did during the video composing unit and the other assignments in the course? What differences were there between the video composition and the other assignments?

3. How would you describe yourself as a writer and your writing abilities now, at the end of English 125? What aspects of your writing abilities were you able to improve throughout the course? How did you improve these aspects? What aspects of your writing abilities do you want to continue to work on in the future? How do you plan to work on these aspects?

4. Can you describe for me your general approach to writing now? Is this approach different from or similar to the approach you had at the beginning of the semester? What activities or assignments, if any, would you say helped you to shape this approach? How did the video composition play into how you developed your general approach to writing? How did the other assignments in the course play into how you developed your general approach to writing?

5. What might be a writing challenge that you could encounter this semester? What would you do to deal with this challenge? [If student asks for an example: coding a website]. How would you proceed?

6. Can you describe what you believe the purpose of a college writing class like English 125 is? In your view, did your class fulfill this purpose? Why or why not?

Part 2: Composition Planning Moment Take 2. I have a writing scenario, similar to the scenario I gave you in our first interview, and I’d like you to imagine you are in this situation. [Read the scenario together.] Do you have any questions about what I’d like you to do? [Give 10 to 15 minutes.] The Scenario: You still work for the nonprofit company that builds homes for low-income families. Six months ago, the company implemented your previous plan: you composed and presented a video using visuals and statistics about the company to local businesses, and as a result, three new businesses donated. But the company still needs to increase revenue and bring in even more donations, so you must continue to recruit new sponsors from local businesses.

Create another plan of action for composing another text to respond to this situation. In your plan of action, give as many details as you can about what specific steps you might take to compose the text. Guiding questions: What kind of text would you compose in this situation? How would you compose the text? What resources and tools would you use to compose the text? After a few minutes, I will return and ask you to describe what kind of text you might compose in this situation and how you would compose it.

If this were a real situation, what kind of text would you compose in response? How would you compose the text? What resources and tools would you use to compose the text? Did you think about or draw on any past experiences to create your plan of action? If so, why did you draw on these experiences? If not, why do you think you didn’t? Did you draw on any concepts or skills learned in English 125 to create your plan of action? If so, what skills or concepts did you draw on? Why did you draw on these skills or concepts? If not, why do you think you didn’t? Do you think your plan of action truly represents what you would do in response to a scenario like this one? What similarities or differences do you see in the way you planned during this activity and the way you plan or don’t plan for school compositions?

2016 Interview Protocol, Instructor Participant, during the course

1. Could you tell me about your approach to teaching WRT XXX? What are your learning goals for students? What instructional approaches do you use to get to these learning goals? What assignments do you use as part of the curriculum? What other activities or approaches do you use in your teaching? (For example: reflection, collaboration, workshop.) How do you assess student learning? How would you describe the overarching goal of WRT XXX as a course?

2. Can you tell me about why you are you teaching WRT XXX? Can you tell me about other sections of first-year writing you’ve taught? Can you tell me about other composition courses you’ve taught?

3. In your view, what kinds of writing and/or composition should students compose in a first-year writing course like WRT XXX and why? Can you describe an example of an assignment you would consider typical for WRT XXX? Why can this be considered a typical assignment?

4. Can you tell me about how the video project went? What were your expectations for the unit? Have you taught a unit of video or new media composition before? [If so, describe; if not, why not?] Can you tell me about your own knowledge about video composing? What role, if any, do you feel that your knowledge of video composing is playing in this instructional unit? What challenges are students encountering as they compose? What challenges are you encountering as the instructor? In your view, what aspect(s) of the unit have been most successful for the students so far? Why? What similarities and differences do you see between the video unit and other units in your curriculum?

5. How would you describe what students are learning through the video project? How do you perceive that this learning is taking place? Can you give a specific example of one student who exemplified learning at a certain point during the project? Can you describe, in as much detail as possible, the moment when you first noticed or saw evidence of this learning in the student? Did you notice more evidence of this learning in the student after the initial moment? Where did you see additional evidence of this learning, specifically? (For example: in class, in a written document, from the student’s mouth.) What might be some implications for your instruction based on noticing this learning?

6. What other examples come to mind of specific moments when you saw evidence of learning in the students during the video project? Can you describe, in as much detail as possible, an additional moment when you noticed or saw evidence of learning in a student? Did you notice more evidence of this learning in the student after this initial moment?

7. Could you tell me about a student who did not appear to demonstrate learning during the video unit? In your view, why do you think this student did not demonstrate learning? What might be some implications for your instruction based on this student not appearing to learn?

8. One way scholars talk about using new media in the writing classroom is to focus on multiliteracies: functional, critical, and rhetorical literacies [explain these if necessary]. In your opinion, how have any of these principles played into student learning (or not) throughout the unit so far? What lessons in the project have been particularly helpful in contributing to student learning? What lessons in the project so far were not as helpful for students? What effect does my presence in the room have on your students and your teaching?

9. In your opinion, have any students in the course shown evidence of the transfer of writing knowledge from one assignment to another? From the writing course to another writing context? How could you tell that the transfer was taking place? Where was the transfer observable for you as the instructor? [If no evidence] Why do you think you couldn’t see evidence of transfer?

10. Some people would say that video composition does not belong in a writing course like WRT XXX. What would your response be?

2016 Interview Protocol, Instructor Participant, after the course

2. How would you describe what students learned through the course as a whole? How did you perceive that this learning was taking place? Can you give a specific example of one student who exemplified learning at a certain point during the course? Can you describe, in as much detail as possible, the moment when you first noticed or saw evidence of this learning in the student? Did you notice more evidence of this learning in the student after the initial moment?

5. What connections do you see between the major assignments in the course? What differences were there between the major assignments? What connections do you see between the video composing unit and the other assignments in the course? What differences were there between the video composition and the other assignments? What evidence of the transfer of writing knowledge did you observe between the assignments in the course? From the course to another context? [If no evidence] Why do you think that you couldn’t see evidence of transfer?

6. In your view, what role did the video unit play in the development of students’ learning over the course as a whole? What evidence of the transfer of writing knowledge did you observe between the written assignments and the video assignment in the course? Compare your perceptions of students’ learning about writing in this course versus other first-year writing courses you’ve taught that did not include video composition. What similarities and differences exist?

7. Tell me about the final assessments you offered for the video compositions.

8. Did anything else happen during the video composing unit that you’d like me to know about?

9. Will you include a video composing component in your curriculum when you teach first-year writing again? If so, why? If not, why not? What will you change? What will remain the same?

10. What advice might you give to another writing instructor who was going to teach a unit of video composition in a writing class for the first time?

11. I asked you last time about multiliteracies: functional, critical, and rhetorical literacies [explain these if necessary]. Now looking back on the class, how have any of these principles played or not played into student learning throughout video and the course as a whole? What lessons were particularly helpful in contributing to student learning? What lessons were not as helpful for students?

12. Anything else you want me to know for my research?

2016 Interview Protocol, Student Participant, during the course

1. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

2. How would you describe yourself as a writer and your writing abilities before this term and WRT XXX?

3. Can you tell me about a piece of writing that you’ve done in the past before WRT XXX that you consider successful? Why do you consider this piece successful? Could you walk me through, in as much detail as possible, your composition process for this piece of writing?

5. Could you tell me about the video you are composing for class? What was your initial reaction to the assignment? Can you walk me through, in as much detail as possible, your composition process for the assignment so far? How is this process similar to or different from your composition process for written essays? Can you describe the rough draft in detail? Can you walk me through the goal setting process you used? Could you tell me about the most difficult aspect of composing the video so far? What is your favorite part of your video so far? Why?

6. Can you tell me about the resources and tools you are using to compose the video? How are you learning to do things that you aren’t familiar with or aren’t sure how to do? Can you tell me about the role that working with your classmates is playing in your video composing process? Can you tell me about the role that class workshop is playing in your composing process? Can you tell me about the role that conferencing with the instructor is playing in your composing process? What other resources or tools did you use to compose your video?

7. What have you learned about using new tools, technologies through the video unit so far? (functional literacies). Have you done any critique of the technologies that you use to compose? (critical literacies). What have you learned about rhetoric through composing your video so far? (rhetorical literacies).

8. How have your skills or writing knowledge from other assignments in WRT XXX been useful in your video composition process? What specific skills, terminologies, or knowledge has been useful? Can you give me a specific example of how and when you used that skill/term/piece of knowledge?

9. Will anything that you learned through the video project be applicable to the paper you’re writing now/next? What aspects of your learning from the video will stick with you over time/be applicable in other settings beyond this class?

10. What lessons from the video unit were most helpful to you in developing your knowledge?

11. How would you describe your overall experience with video composition in this assignment so far?

12. Some people would say that video composition does not belong in a writing course like WRT XXX. What would your response be?

2016 Interview Protocol, Student Participant, after the course

1. Not counting the video composition, could you tell me about another assignment from WRT XXX that mattered to you? Why did this assignment matter to you? What was your initial reaction to the assignment? Can you walk me through, in as much detail as possible, your composition process for the assignment? Can you describe the end product in detail? Can you describe any similarities or differences between your video composition and this assignment?

2. What connections do you see between the major assignments in your WRT XXX course? What differences were there between the major assignments? What connections do you see between the work you did during the video composing unit and the other assignments in the course? What differences were there between the video composition and the other assignments?

3. What in-class or online lessons from any assignment were most helpful for your learning and for developing your writing skills?

4. How would you describe yourself as a writer and your writing abilities now, at the end of WRT XXX? What aspects of your writing abilities were you able to improve throughout the course? How did you improve these aspects? What aspects of your writing abilities do you want to continue to work on in the future? How do you plan to work on these aspects?

5. Can you describe for me your general approach to writing now? Is this approach different from or similar to the approach you had at the beginning of the semester? What activities or assignments, if any, would you say helped you to shape this approach? How did the video composition play into how you developed your general approach to writing? How did the other assignments in the course play into how you developed your general approach to writing?

6. Could you tell me about the [video reflection essay] you composed? Can you describe the content of your reflection essay? Can you walk me through the composition process for the reflection essay? How would you describe what you learned through composing the reflection? Could you talk about any other reflection activities you did during the class? What other kinds of reflection did you do? Could you describe your experiences with these kinds of reflection activities? How would you describe what you learned through participating in these activities?

7. How would you describe your overall experience with video/multimedia composition in this course? How would you summarize what you learned about writing with new technologies?

8. Are there any concepts or terms from the video/multimedia assignment or from the class overall that you think will stick with you over time? [If student mentions one] Can you think of a specific time when you might apply this concept in the future? Are there any concepts or approaches from the unit that weren’t as useful and that you don’t think will stick with you?

9. Are there any concepts or skills from the assignments in the course that you felt transferred from one assignment to the next? How did you put this transfer into practice?

10. What might be a writing challenge that you would encounter this (upcoming) semester? What would you do to deal with this challenge? [If student asks for an example: coding a website.] How would you proceed?

11. Can you describe what you believe the purpose of a college writing class like WRT XXX is? In your view, did your class fulfill this purpose? Why or why not?

12. Is there anything else you’d like me to know about the video/multimedia composition or your other work in the course?

Transfer across Media

Using Digital Video in the Teaching of Writing

By Crystal VanKooten