This page brings together some of the most important recent developments in ERWC.

What will ERWC 3.0 be like?–The title says it all. This was our take on our new project near the beginning.

Module Writers’ Workshops: Key Points–The Workshops for module writers clarified several issues for us. This is a summary, including descriptions of some of the new cells in the template.

Shorter, Simpler, Smarter: Tips for Module Writers–My slogan for this phase of the project is “Shorter, Simpler, Smarter.” I kept on saying this until people finally started asking me what I actually meant. This is an attempt to explain.

The ERWC Approach: Inquiry-Based Instruction–This is a guest post by Robby Ching.  It was inspired by some of the problems she saw in the process of reviewing new mini-modules under development.

What Is a Mini-Module?–This post explains the concepts behind what I started calling a “mini-module.” I now think that all modules should be mini, but not every one agrees.

A Narrative with a Point–This is a mini-module on narrative built around a Jimmy Kimmel monologue on health care.

“Three Ways to Persuade” Mini-Module–I extracted the “Three Ways to Persuade” article from the old “Rhetoric of the Op-Ed” page module and built a mini-module around it.

Pathos as Inquiry: A Mini-Module–This is a reconceived version of the concept of pathos as a way of knowing the audience.

Stasis Theory: A Mini-Module–This introduces the ancient practice of stasis theory in an approachable way for students. The module description says: “Our polarized politics provides daily examples of events and actions that are seen in utterly different ways by different groups. Stasis theory provides students with a framework for adding some clarity and rationality to even the most heated debates. Even if we end up agreeing to disagree, it is good to know what we are agreeing to disagree about.

The Classical Pattern of Persuasion–This introduces the Roman six-part speech as a flexible and more effective alternative to the essay organization formulas that students are often taught.  It presents the Classical pattern as a chart, a series of questions for the writer, and as a series of questions for a critical reader.  The Latin terms are included, but not emphasized.

A Reader-Response Approach to Poetry–A mini-module based on Reader-Response theory.  Any poem could be plugged into it and it is designed for a wide range of levels.

How Texts Construct Readers: A Mini-Module–This module is based on ideas from Glenn Stillar’s book, Analyzing Everyday Texts. Stillar argues that writers assign roles to the different stakeholders in a situation and construct the reader of the text to fulfill a particular role. Reading a text critically may mean that we want to question the roles assigned and resist being the reader the text constructs. The module uses a sign found on campus as an object of analysis.