Survey Section 3 Question 5: Details about Question Design
Below, I have included each outcome and labeled how each was categorized in the survey, although I did not label them as rhetorical, critical, ethical, or functional in the questionnaire because I felt these words may have strong connotations for WPAs. The outcomes labeled as ethical were clearly related to Coley’s definition of ethical digital literacies—learning how to use and cite information responsibly and evaluating the credibility of online sources. Those labeled rhetorical focused on composing, including awareness of rhetorical strategies, audience, design, and purpose that would all contribute to effective composing processes. The critical outcomes were those that focused on analysis and thinking critically about the effects of technologies, and the functional outcomes framed technology more as a neutral tool to be used to accomplish tasks.
A. Students should learn to use and cite information from electronic sources responsibly in their own documents. (Ethical)
B. Students should learn how to evaluate the credibility of online sources. (Ethical)
C. Students should analyze electronic texts to determine how technologies affect reading and writing processes. (Critical)
D. Students should learn to use technology strategically with a clear purpose that enhances the writing for a given audience. (Rhetorical)
E. Students should analyze where print and electronic texts are used, examining why and how people have chosen to compose using different technologies. (Critical).
F. Students should use electronic environments to compose, revise, and edit texts. (Functional)
G. Students should understand and exploit the differences in rhetorical strategies and affordances of electronic composing processes. (Rhetorical)
H. Students should learn how to disseminate texts in electronic forms. (Functional)
In Selber’s framework, analyzing digital texts could be both a rhetorical and/or critical literacy. However, the rhetorical always tends to accompany the goal of students producing, so I made sure that all acts of rhetorical literacy were defined in relationship to composing in the survey.
A. Students should learn to use and cite information from electronic sources responsibly in their own documents. (Ethical)
B. Students should learn how to evaluate the credibility of online sources. (Ethical)
C. Students should analyze electronic texts to determine how technologies affect reading and writing processes. (Critical)
D. Students should learn to use technology strategically with a clear purpose that enhances the writing for a given audience. (Rhetorical)
E. Students should analyze where print and electronic texts are used, examining why and how people have chosen to compose using different technologies. (Critical).
F. Students should use electronic environments to compose, revise, and edit texts. (Functional)
G. Students should understand and exploit the differences in rhetorical strategies and affordances of electronic composing processes. (Rhetorical)
H. Students should learn how to disseminate texts in electronic forms. (Functional)
In Selber’s framework, analyzing digital texts could be both a rhetorical and/or critical literacy. However, the rhetorical always tends to accompany the goal of students producing, so I made sure that all acts of rhetorical literacy were defined in relationship to composing in the survey.