News from the Nest

Dr. Lisa Brewer is an associate professor of English at New River Community and Technical College, where she teaches composition, research, and literature. She uses Hawkes Learning’s Foundations of English, Second Edition courseware for her Developmental English course. We first adopted Hawkes in our Developmental English course because many of our students were not able to score high enough on our placement tests to enroll in English 101. The major issues started at the basic sentence level. The areas of weakness ranged from needing to learn the parts of speech to what sentence boundaries are. Before we could work on thesis statements and paragraphs, I found that we needed to share a vocabulary for talking about sentences, and our wide variety of students in age and experience meant they had different skill levels and competencies. Some needed a refresher in certain areas, while others needed much more instruction and practice. The first thing Hawkes helped with was their diagnostic tests in reading and grammar that are tied to lesson mastery. The diagnostic tests give the student and me a look into what areas need attention and what the student has already learned. I can see how many students need to work on comma splices or apostrophes and how many students performed well with subject and verb agreement and do not need to repeat that lesson. A student’s mastery of a skill will show up in the lessons assigned so that one does not have to do lessons already mastered. This helps a great deal in preventing boredom from the traditional method of covering a particular skill with the entire class and then moving on, knowing some have already mastered it, but others are still struggling. The lessons and mastery of skills are then individualized to each student’s strengths and weakness. The initial scores also indicate which students are almost ready for English 101 and which ones have a larger gap in skills to make up. This insight helps me plan and know where to spend my time and attention. Because students are more conscious of what they are doing well and what they need to work on, they can articulate their accomplishments and become more confident about their writing skills. The Lesson, Practice, Certify method gives them concrete evidence, which I can reinforce when I see the improvement in their essay writing assignments. At mid-term and at the end of the semester, I give them a survey/writing reflection to find out how they are feeling about their writing at this point as compared to when the class started, and I receive specific feedback about what they are happy to have improved, how they had no confidence in the beginning but now they are more comfortable writing, and at mid-term, they let me know what they want to work on in upcoming classes, such as figuring out a good hook, revising introductions, and addressing their audience. They start asking the kinds of questions that I love to hear because they are not as anxious about the mechanics of writing, and their attitudes may have changed from a former negative high school experience. I was skeptical about using Hawkes at first because I thought that this would be another program in which students do grammar exercises in isolation of their own writing and that effort would not translate into improvements in essay writing. I have been pleasantly surprised because a student can not move on from a lesson until he or she has demonstrated competency and learns why an answer is correct or incorrect, so grammar isn’t just busywork. I am also getting detailed feedback, so I know when to offer additional one-on-one help or practice something as a group, and I can let them know when they are succeeding in applying a particular skill in their essays. Confidence about small victories like the elimination of comma splices is something we celebrate. Students often enter their first college English class with dread and anxiety, especially if they have not done well in it in the past. For many, the fundamentals of grammar and reading can be very dry and boring, so it’s not something they want to hear a lecture about or practice on their own. The Hawkes interactive lessons are more engaging because students know they are working on individual areas that need improvement, and they can see tangible evidence of their achievements in both the mastery of a skill and the positive feedback I can give them on their essays. Some students even work ahead and do lessons I have marked as bonus lessons because they see themselves getting better and want to cover additional topics for extra points.

Confident Writers: How Diagnostic Tests Boost English Skills | A Testimonial by Dr. Lisa Brewer

April 11, 2025

Dr. Lisa Brewer is an associate professor of English at New River Community and... Read More

“Combining the narrative mode with a purposeful assignment and incorporating some AI might be an answer to writers who lack confidence, instructors who are suspicious of the value of narrative writing, and educators who distrust the use of AI for writing essays.” Professor Elizabeth Cobb If we want our teaching to take hold, to matter to our students, we all know our lessons must point to the real world. To accomplish this from the starting line, I have relied on beginning each semester with narrative writing. Over the years, I have listened to colleagues’ criticisms of this mode of writing. Many of them argue that it is not academic enough. With the advent of AI usage in our composition classes, though, I have observed this attitude come full circle. Whenever a big change in education occurs, we find ourselves reassessing our objectives, our goals, and our assignments, and this is why I think more writing teachers are willing to take a second look at narrative writing as a bona fide and worthwhile endeavor. Indeed, partly to discourage the heavy AI copy-and-paste strategy of many reluctant writers, I decided to reimagine my narrative essay assignment in my developmental reading and writing course. But I also wanted my students’ stories to contain a real-world application, so I put a new spin on their first essay which spawned my “narrative business letter” assignment. The prompt for the assignment is: “You will be writing about yourself but for the specific purpose of introducing yourself and ‘selling yourself’ for admission into an academic program OR for applying for a specific job. Essay writing can take different forms, but that isn’t always obvious to students. I wanted you to have a real-world experience with writing on this essay with a specific audience in mind and a specific purpose for telling your story.” I jumpstart the assignment with some pre-writing activities as taught in Hawkes’ Foundations of English, Chapter 7.3 “Choosing Topic and Scope for a Longer Text.” I jumpstart the assignment with some pre-writing activities as taught in Hawkes’ Foundations of English, Chapter 7.3 “Choosing Topic and Scope for a Longer Text. In particular, students can use “free-writing,” writing non-stop on their essay ideas for a set length of time (I suggest five minutes) to generate initial thoughts. Then, they can use “grouping” as taught in the chapter to begin organizing what they wrote. This strategy could even take a graphic form such as a mind map or cluster wherein the writer groups ideas from their free-write into categories for their narrative business letter. Their groups might consist of “personal anecdote,” “experience,” “practical skills,” and “soft skills.” After the idea-generation phase, students can begin to form a working “purpose statement” as taught in Chapter 7.4: “Writing a Thesis or Purpose Statement.” For the narrative business letter piece, they will need to express what they are applying for and how they are qualified for the endeavor. Completing this step will allow students to move on to organize their main ideas into an outline form which is covered in Chapter 7.5, “Organizing and Outlining a Longer Paper.” The “Working Outlines” section of this chapter does a particularly good job of explaining how the pre-writing activities of free-writing, grouping, and thesis development can naturally lead to outlining their essay. On my assignment sheet I offer guidance on what should be included in each paragraph as can be seen below: Introductory Paragraph “In a friendly, professional manner, introduce briefly who you are and why you are writing. Try to do this in a creative, attention-getting way.” What a student wrote: “Understanding. Time consuming. Perspective changing. Motivating. Leadership. Relationship building. Change. Flexibility … I know that if I were accepted into the Elementary Education program at FGC, I would be an example of what patience looks like and how to use it in everyday classrooms. With multiple experiences, I feel I am qualified to be a part of this program not just to learn more, but to be an example.” Body Paragraph #1 “Lead into a condensed biography of yourself to give your reader an idea of who you are and a bit about your background. Choose your details wisely to fit the purpose of your letter.” What a student wrote: I grew up in Iloilo, a small city in the Philippines, and I was surrounded by people with gentle hands, people who love and care for each other all the time. As a child, I was a dreamer… when I was in third grade, my teacher asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. I confidently raised my right hand and answered, ‘I want to be a nurse when I grow up.’ I heard, “ohhhs” from my classmates and it made me feel like a celebrity, which then inspired me further to pursue that dream.” The student goes on to trace the development of her interest in the nursing field. Body Paragraph #2 “Transition from your more general biography to sharing one anecdote [brief story] of something important that happened in your life that would somehow be related to your chosen academic program or job. If, for example, you plan to apply to the EMT program at FGC, you might choose to share the time you witnessed your neighbor’s fire and assisted the EMS team in ensuring all the people got out of their house. Obviously, this experience could influence a person’s decision to become a firefighter or a paramedic.” What a student wrote: “Interestingly, I noticed that I have a unique bond with children as I can make them stop crying, or I can make them laugh easily. One time, my one-year-old cousin was throwing tantrums and wouldn’t stop crying. It was around ten minutes of non-stop wailing to the point that she was turning blue. I saw how her mother panicked…” [The writer finished the story and explained how she has developed some nursing skills naturally.] Body Paragraph #3 “From the story you shared in the previous paragraph, segue into an explanation of the knowledge and skills you can bring to the program or job in which you are interested.” What a student wrote: “Although I am only in the beginning of my teaching career and still have so much to learn, I believe I would be a great attribute to the Elementary Education program at FGC.” [the student goes on to discuss several soft skills she has developed.] Conclusion “Without sounding too repetitious, wrap up your letter by reminding your readers of what it is about you that sets you apart, and that will show them what you can and desire to contribute to their program/organization. You can refer to something in your bio or your anecdote as well. This is your last chance to make your mark.” What a student wrote: “Being dedicated, hardworking, flexible, willing, and patient will only help me succeed in the Elementary Education program and future. I will always have a desire to learn more and improve myself in any way possible. I hope you have felt my passion and love for teaching and will accept me to be a part of this program.” To support my teaching of this specific organization pattern, I find that Chapter 7.8 “Using Paragraphs Effectively” closely matches the composition skills I am trying to foster in my students: hooking the readers’ interest in the introduction followed by a clearly articulated thesis; using anecdotes, descriptions, examples, and reflections in the body paragraphs; and sharing the writer’s overall takeaway on the subject in the conclusion with a call for the reader [the employer or college administrator] to take action in considering their application. A couple of other important aspects of the project’s process are the peer review element and the review of a business letter format. Students submit their rough drafts to a peer review assignment in Canvas. This feature in Canvas allows me to set up anonymous peer reviews, which are assigned by Canvas. This gives them a chance to see how another student handled the assignment, and when they provide feedback, I think the assignment encourages critical thinking about the task at hand. Additionally, I provide a simple lesson on how to set up a business letter, and there are plenty of resources available from a quick Google search as well. Making assignments meaningful is a step in the right direction in demonstrating to students that writing can be useful and purposeful. An assignment such as this could provide them with a positive experience and help them gain confidence in writing, which might discourage copying and pasting from AI. However, there are places in the process where I could introduce responsible use of AI technologies, such as the idea generation phase, perhaps in researching what kinds of soft skills a person can possess or soliciting some ideas on what employers look for in an application letter. It would also be helpful to look up letter formats using AI. I will move toward integrating some of these strategies in the future. Combining the narrative mode with a purposeful assignment and incorporating some AI might be an answer to writers who lack confidence, instructors who are suspicious of the value of narrative writing, and educators who distrust the use of AI for writing essays. References: Foundations of English. Hawkes Learning, 2023. To learn more about Hawkes’ Foundations of English textbook and request a preview, please click here. Meet the Author Professor Cobb holds a master’s degree in English and boasts an impressive 25-year career in teaching across various educational settings, including high schools, universities, and community colleges. Currently, she dedicates her expertise to a small, rural community college in Northeast Florida, where she has been an integral part of the academic community for 15 years. In her current role, Professor Cobb passionately teaches developmental reading and writing, freshman composition, and a survey course in literature. The diversity of her student population in this beautiful, wooded part of the country brings her immense joy and fulfillment.

Making the Narrative Mode Meaningful – A Guest Blog by Professor Elizabeth Cobb

February 11, 2025

“Combining the narrative mode with a purposeful assignment and incorporating... Read More

Our Hawkes Student Ambassador Raegan Fisher interviewed Professor Jacob Kaltenbach, PhD, a multidisciplinary and professional studies professor at Purdue University Global. Professor Kaltenbach currently teaches composition courses in the English and Rhetoric Department at Purdue Global. He has also previously taught in the Humanities Department, including various critical thinking, literature, and philosophy courses. In the future, he hopes to teach the new doctoral-level writing course for Purdue Global graduate students. Professor Kaltenbach has been teaching for more than 30 years at universities across the country and around the world, including more than 20 years in the online format for Purdue Global. In this interview, Professor Kaltenbach shares his experiences using Hawkes and how it has supported student learning outcomes in their courses. *Interview questions and responses have been slightly edited for content and clarity. What do you find is your favorite thing about teaching? I really take pleasure in helping our students better represent themselves using the written word to better express themselves and to integrate their critical thinking skills into their professional communication. At the same time, I learn so much from our students myself. I get the chance to teach students from all different disciplines. Our assignments encourage students to cover recent trends and changes in their fields, as well as their hobbies, communities, and careers. For example, our students write on community proposals for change in CM220. I get exposed to all these different, exciting ideas from these types of assignments—from human services, from the health fields, from industrial psychology, from entrepreneurship—which is almost like having a subscription to a wonderful magazine. I get exposed to so many new trends in different fields, and that keeps me interested in my work, in figuring out the best ways to help students leverage their existing professional communication skills for their career advancement. I have the opportunity to hear perspectives from all different regions of the country, as well as many people overseas. How long have you been using Hawkes in your classroom? I’ve been teaching with Hawkes in our English courses for about five years at this point. I participated in the early trials of Hawkes being integrated into our classes. We’ve seen some real benefits for our students and had the chance to really customize support for our students. Hawkes is one of our most essential tools to help target those different skill levels and different learning needs. What would you say is your favorite thing about Hawkes and using it? I defer to the students, and students tell me it challenges them. The same students will tell me they enjoy the content, the mode of delivery, the chance to build skills, and seeing their efforts validated through the Certification mode. That’s the kind of review we want to see from our students, right? I mean, you don’t want to hear, “This was easy, and I liked it,” and you don’t want to hear, “This was too hard, and I hated it.” They are saying, “This is really tough, but I enjoyed it.” I think that’s the sweet spot we want to see as educators. Did you find that the students appreciated the opportunity to use the Practice mode as much as they personally needed to? As a learner of other languages, if I’m learning Spanish or French, Russian or Chinese, and I am in a region or country where the language is spoken, I can go out on the street the next day and use a new skill I learned in the classroom. The moment I use it, it activates it, and it becomes real. There’s a real disconnect if you were just learning it theoretically and not applying it. I think Hawkes’ model does that in a way because you’re relearning these skills that you touched on or learned by osmosis in grade school, but you’re putting them to work in your papers right away. Hawkes helps students reflect on what they’ll need to go back and redo. Students can connect areas they did not 100% internalize, and I think Hawkes helps them actually internalize the material. Do you believe Hawkes stands out as a helpful resource among other resources that might be available to students? Yeah, absolutely—our students are very busy. Many of our students are full-time working adults and often parents as well. I think, on the one hand, they don’t have time to look for many other tools. It’s really nice that Hawkes is integrated into our courses. Hawkes is also where the students get the sense that they’re receiving some extra help, and they’re getting it from an outside voice. What goes alongside that is our own Writing Center, and I think they work together quite nicely. Because our faculty has been involved in customizing our application of Hawkes, we’ve ensured continuity and correspondence between our resources and the Writing Center resources. The Writing Center resources stand out too, so I think that they’re a perfect complement. I wouldn’t want to see one without the other. Have you found Hawkes to be helpful in building the students’ self-checking skills? That’s what makes a good editor. I tell students who already have these really advanced professional writing skills, there’s always a place to learn from. I think you learn from what you do, and what many of our students can also learn to do is to become a better editor of their own work, which requires self-checking. I think Hawkes models that a little bit in its Certification method. Have you noticed a difference with your students’ learning and grades since using Hawkes? Absolutely—just the ability to refer our students to both Hawkes and the Writing Center—that helps diminish the frustration. We can cut down on the kind of deferred questions and issues that are going to affect student retention and success. Additionally, many students defer their questions. This is like deferred maintenance on your house; it’s going to catch up with you eventually. That’s often why a paper fails. This can be a simple question such as, “Do I need another source here?” or “Do I need a better transition here?” I think students are sometimes afraid to ask those questions of the instructor, who will also be involved in their assessment and grading process. I try to encourage students that there are no stupid questions. I’m not going to review your whole paper and give you a grade in advance of grading, but if you ask me, “Is my tone and voice consistent?” I’m going to look at it and give you an answer. I think Hawkes helps students build that self-check skill, and I think it helps cover some of the questions that they might have and may not ask me. They get the answers for themselves through Hawkes, and if it doesn’t answer their question, it spurs them to communicate with me because it gives them a vocabulary. Students are afraid to ask a question because they don’t have the terminology. Hawkes gives you that terminology. The student can then realize, “OK, I’m having a problem with passive voice, so I’ll ask Professor Kaltenbach.” The students are empowered and given that terminology to come back with some measure of expertise to the classroom space. I think that builds confidence. I’m pretty sure we’ve seen an increase in our retention and success rates in CM107 over the last five years, and I don’t think we can ignore Hawkes as a contributor to that increase. Do you have anything else you want to add or any information you would like to share for other students using Hawkes? I think that Hawkes’ approach definitely improves our students’ basic skills, and it improves their eventual writing assignment grades. We don’t offer test scores, so I can’t say it boosts our students’ test scores in this way, but it boosts your final assignment grades. These skills need continuous revisiting. They need continuous improvement, and the approach that Hawkes offers to adult learning is very effective, as is its platform design. I can’t imagine our current course without Hawkes as part of its learning environment. I really appreciate the opportunities that Hawkes has offered many of our students to succeed in the CM107 class and outside the courses. Meet the Author Raegan Fisher is a student at Purdue University Global pursuing an advanced degree in Health Care Administration. She is a health care professional with over 25 years of experience in the industry and plans to use her degree to further her goals of becoming a health care administrator. In her personal life, she is a wife and mother of two teenage daughters. She enjoys spending time with family, pets, cooking, reading, and attending her girls sporting and other extracurricular activities.

Instructor Spotlight – Dr. Jacob Kaltenbach from Purdue Global

January 27, 2025

“Congratulations!” I say, “You’ve decided to attend college. Truly, it might be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. After all, college can be a ‘gateway’ to a better life.” My fingers make the “air quote” sign at just the right moment. I work at Florida Gateway College, so my pun usually gets a reaction. A few students offer a good-natured groan or roll their eyes with exaggeration, but others smile or chuckle. (According to several former students, my sense of humor leans strongly toward “dad jokes.”) It’s the first day of class and we’ve been going over the syllabus, so everyone seems to appreciate the attempt at humor. But now we’ve reached my favorite section of the syllabus. I call it “My Expectations.” And while they assume I will talk about my class, they don’t yet know that I’m also going to talk about life. You see, college really can be one of the best decisions our students will ever make. We live in a rural area, and a nursing degree (for example) will lead to a much higher salary than the jobs available at one of the local restaurants or retail stores. So, my tone takes a turn to the serious: “But going to college is not a one-time decision,” I say. “It’s a daily decision. You have to choose to come to every class you possibly can. You have to choose to be attentive in class, to take notes, to participate in class discussions and activities, and to submit quality work on time. “Who has heard the phrase, ‘You have to go to college to get a good job’?” Quite a few hands go up. It’s a phrase that has been popular since at least the ‘80s when I was in public school. “In many ways, that’s true,” I say. “Unfortunately, that means a lot of students see a college degree as just a hurdle to getting the job they want. It’s an obstacle, something to be obtained with as little effort as possible.” Here comes my favorite moment: my “shock and awe” tactic. “Well, I might be the only college professor to ever tell you this, but a college degree is basically worthless.” I pause for effect; I also enjoy seeing the looks of surprise and confusion. Then, I continue… “It’s a piece of paper.” I hold up a piece of paper. “Think of it this way. If I had the authority to grant you a Ph.D. in Chinese Language and Literature, could you suddenly speak Chinese? Could you understand it? Could you read or write Chinese?” Students shake their head, and understanding starts to dawn in their eyes. “Now, a college degree might help you get a job, but it won’t help you keep a job. If you don’t have the skills, knowledge, discipline, and sense of personal responsibility that this piece of paper suggests you have, then your new employer will quickly realize that and fire you. They’ll hire someone who does have those things, who can do the things the employer needs done. “The real value of college is the education one receives – the skills, knowledge, discipline, and sense of personal responsibility mentioned earlier – not the degree itself. “So, I want you to consider these questions: Why are you going to college? What do you want to do in life? Where do you want to be in twenty-five years? Or maybe in ten years, if you’re an older student? “And most importantly, what are you doing today that will help you achieve those goals?” I then tell students, “There will be days you’ll wake up and think, ‘It’s a mighty fine day. I think I’ll go on a picnic instead of going to class.’ But will going on a picnic today help you accomplish your long-term goals? Will it get you where you want to be?” (In The Willpower Instinct, Kelly McGonigal describes several studies that indicate getting people to think about the future can strengthen their willpower in the present moment. So, I like to get students to think about their future as often as possible.) After another brief pause, I tell students the departmental pass rate for whatever class they are in, and I point out – statistically speaking – what percentage of them will either withdraw or fail by the end of the semester. “In my experience,” I say, “there are three main reasons students do not succeed in my classes. First, some students just don’t come to class. At least not regularly. Maybe once in a while, but sooner or later they simply disappear. Second, even if they come to class, some students don’t submit the assignments. I’ve had students with perfect attendance who never submitted a single assignment that was to be completed outside of class. “Third, even if they come to class and submit the assignments, some students don’t follow the assignment’s instructions. If I ask for four pages, they give me two pages – that’s only 50% of the assignment. What grade is 50%?” Students reply, “F.” “Or, if I ask them to analyze something, they merely summarize it. That’s a lower cognitive skill. I can’t give them full credit for that. “Now, although I don’t hand out passing grades for minimal effort, it’s not overly difficult to pass my class. In fact, if you come to class, do your work, and follow the instructions, you’ll be well on your way to passing my class – and succeeding in life. “After all, consider this: what happens if you don’t show up for work? If you do what’s referred to as a ‘no call, no show’ several times?” Students reply, “You get fired.” “Well, what if you come to work, but you don’t actually do anything? You’re taking sixty smoke breaks a day, you stand around chatting with people, and stuff like that?” Students reply, “You get fired.” “Okay, what if you come to work and you even do some work, but you always do it wrong? They tell you to do something one way, but you always do it another way?” Students reply, “You get fired.” By now they’ve caught on. Just showing up, doing their job, and doing it the way they’re supposed to do it will go a long way toward helping them succeed – both in college and at work. At some point in the past, the American school system, from kindergarten through higher ed, seems to have lost sight of the fact that the goal isn’t a degree but educated individuals. Degrees became a convenient credential required for many jobs, and so they became the goal. But we need to remind students that their future success is not dependent on their degree, which is merely a piece of paper. That piece of paper won’t help them perform on the job. Their future success relies on what they can do, on what they know, and on how reliable they are. A degree is just a symbol of those things – and it only matters if it is an accurate symbol. Dr. Michael M. Baker earned his Ph.D. at The Ohio State University in 2013. Since then, he has taught English (and some Humanities) courses at Florida Gateway College. He co-founded FGC’s Study Abroad program in 2017 and has led programs to the U.K. in 2019, 2023, and 2024 (forthcoming). Since 2020, Dr. Baker has taught courses in FGC’s Second Chance Pell program inside a local prison. One of his Second Chance students won a national writing prize and another had an essay published in a composition textbook.

My Expectations: Setting Students Up for Success on Day 1 – A guest blog by Professor Michael Baker

May 16, 2024

“Congratulations!” I say, “You’ve decided to attend college. Truly, it might be... Read More

For many years in my 1101-1102 first-year writing courses, I have assigned the Hawkes Learning courseware to remediate grammar and mechanics and to complement manuscript and research content. In 2015, I met with a group of unusually weak writers; although nice people with a sketchy familiarity with the essay format, none brought basic editing skills to the class, not to mention any general awareness of grammar or mechanics. They wrote on autopilot; well, everything they did seemed conducted in a haphazard, inattentive manner. Their failure to meet deadlines or work independently also suggested a lack of personal responsibility and an inability to listen to or follow instructions. And yet they showed up regularly for class. After a panicky review of all the support available through the publishers, I chose Hawkes to supplement my course at first because I liked The Reading and Writing Handbook, a well-selected collection of focused information presented in a simple, direct, well-designed format. As I reviewed the Hawkes courseware and the accompanying books, I particularly liked the editors’ recognition that proficient writing reflects reading skills, and reading skills inform the quality of skillful writing. It seemed to me that the approach in both Foundations of English and English Composition would be accessible at every skill level, but also to at-risk students. Best of all, I could quickly integrate the materials with no changes to my existing syllabus. From my first attempts to implement the materials, I enjoyed excellent support from Hawkes representatives, making the set up and the first attempt in a class painless. To my surprise, these first-year students were amenable to the lessons and quizzes probably because Hawkes’ homework formatting was more familiar than with the more speculative kinds of writing prompts that they were preparing for class. From the first weeks, the format worked very well, and positive results were at once evident in their work. I have made very few changes since that first attempt. Along with a reader, I require 1101-1102 students to buy the Hawkes software bundled with the Handbook. For a more in-depth look at the materials the students have access to, the eBook for English Composition that goes with the “Compositions” lessons is included in the software. To motivate the students and encourage self-motivation, I set the Hawkes average as 25% of the final course grade. The general format is simple: each week I assign 5-6 lessons from a selection of chapters and topics and a quiz, about 45 minutes or less to completion. I have never needed to set late penalties for the lessons. With an email request, I make all quizzes available until the student is satisfied with the grade. I realized assigning a little at a time and spreading out the topics, I could keep their attention on general and specific editing details without much comment in class. For example, a week’s lessons from English Composition involve only five questions for each of the six topics doled out week by week as the paper process develops. While getting the paper started, the week’s six lessons could be drawn from Chapter 3.1, 2 “Writing Process” [pre-writing, drafting, etc.], Chapter 4.2, 3 “Parts of the Essay” [introduction, thesis], Chapter 5.4 “Reading & Rhetoric” [understanding purpose], and Chapter 9.2 “Basics of Grammar & Mechanics” [characteristics of a sentence]. For me, planning involves only a weekly setup. I usually post on Fridays for the following week’s Monday to Sunday night due dates. The entire process of setting up the curriculum, the due dates, and the weekly quiz takes me about 20 minutes. For me, there has been no downside. Each semester I have seen positive results and enjoyed collaborating with my colleagues at Hawkes! Dr. Stephen Whited Assignments vary according to my syllabus for content expectations and class discussions, developing in complexity as we move through the semester. By the conclusion of the course, they have moved through all chapters and nearly all topics. Hawkes’ excellent range of diagnostic reporting and analytics makes monitoring for “Outcomes” amazingly easy. I usually assign a low-stakes diagnostic quiz in the first week of class, and I add a post-course quiz to the final exam as a warm-up for the final writing sample, which I compare with the in-class midterm. In every class, I can point to data that suggests improvement for most students. About the Writer Dr. Stephen Whited has taught at Piedmont University in Demorest, Georgia, for 30 years. He studied at Georgia State University, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and he earned his doctorate at the University of Kentucky. Stephen’s dedication to teaching leaves a lasting impact on his students, reflecting his ultimate goal of nurturing young minds and creating lasting impressions. Stephen also serves as a resource to other instructors as a Hawkes Faculty Consultant. Outside of the classroom, Stephen enjoys poetry, art, music, theology, philosophy, and history. Stephen and his wife, Jo, have two children. Learn more about Stephen in his Hawkes Instructor Spotlight here.

Supporting Students’ Writing with Hawkes Learning: A Guest Blog by Dr. Stephen Whited

March 27, 2024

For many years in my 1101-1102 first-year writing courses, I have assigned the... Read More

Where do we go from here? It’s a question that pops up in the car as I travel west 30 miles to work every day. It surfaces after recent grading sessions of my students’ argument papers. And in the hallways of the building where I work, it comes up when my colleagues and I ask it of each other almost daily. As writing instructors, where can we go now that AI has landed in our field? Along about October 2023 I started to notice this phrase in several of my online students’ essays—"In this paper we will discuss the three ways”…- phrasing that I had decidedly taught them not to use! My first thought was that this was a line they were taught to use in the recipe writing they had adopted for standardized writing tests. However, I had not seen it crop up regularly at all until now, and I was reading it in maybe five out of 20 essays. It didn’t take me long to realize the connection: AI had made its landing in our very rural service area in North Florida. Other red flags included a very well-written introduction and conclusion but underdeveloped body paragraphs. I caught on, and tested out my theory by plugging in a topic to ChatGPT. For example, a popular argument essay topic my students use is “high schools should prepare their students better for living on their own.” I would type in the “prompt” to ChatGPT and read a decent opener followed by points listed in outline format but not developed [suggestions for the body of the essay], and a fairly well-written closing. The students using AI, more often than not, did very little to develop the reasons for their argument, and despite the personal experience requirement for all essays I assign, in these AI-generated essays, I would see no trace of an anecdote or specific example. It should also be noted that the instances of copied AI-generated essays occurred exclusively in my online classes and not in my in-person classes. At first, I felt personally affronted by the incidences of AI use. Students were not following my teaching. They were not writing in a meaningful manner, and I didn’t feel they were really learning how to write. I never directly accused my students of “cheating” or “plagiarizing” though I was not happy with the copied submissions. Instead, I recorded a “0” on these papers, and I required that they contact me via phone or office visit to explain their process for writing the essay. Unfortunately, more often than not, these students did not contact me, and they accepted the “0” on a key assignment. If a student submitted another plagiarized essay, I would contact them and request a meeting with me and my department head. At that point, we have a process in place at my institution wherein we record the incident and keep a file on the student. I did not have repeated instances of plagiarism by any one student. Meanwhile, in the course of the semester, I attended several webinars on AI which seemed to concentrate on how we could potentially use it as a tool. I was at first resistant to this because I didn’t see how it would promote critical thinking and learning. Slowly, though, I have had to acknowledge that ChatGPT has a lot of potential for providing information, and it is here to stay. I’m not at the point where I am going to teach students how to use it per se. For instance, I don’t plan to locate an essay from ChatGPT for them and show them why/how the essay would not fit my assignment though I know this could be a valuable lesson. I also recognize that in the future I could do a lesson wherein I compare and AI-generated essay to a well-written, original student essay. However, I will, in lectures, discuss how it should not be used as a crutch to write partial or complete responses to written assignments but more as a way to generate initial ideas. For the essays I assign, for example, students can use it as they would a Google or Wikipedia search. Looking around “out in the world” can help them understand how others are talking about and approaching a topic. They can glean general ideas and get assistance with their brainstorming process on any one topic. However, in the end, they need to understand when to draw the line in using AI-generated material just as they would learn how to use the words of an academic in a peer-reviewed article. In the era of high technology, this has always been the most difficult aspect of teaching research writing. If a piece of writing is easily accessible and read, then why should ideas from it be cited? Once something is read, many students take ownership of the information and see no reason to cite it. This is an area of my teaching I can devote more time to and incorporate more examples of common knowledge and how to cite ideas and direct quotations. Back to my question: where do I go from here? I have decided to focus on creating meaningful assignments that would ideally discourage writers from copying from outside sources. For example, currently, I am working on a revision of my argument essay assignment in my developmental and in my freshman composition classes. I have ditched the standard list of argument topics and have introduced the focus of arguing for a change in students’ specific communities. They will be asked to describe their community to give their essay context, define the problem, and argue for a solution. A community could be the rural North Florida city in which they live, our college campus, dual-enrolled students’ high school campuses, or even a group to which they belong. The assignment requires a personal interview with an adult who is involved in some way in their chosen community issue and two citations from that primary source in the paper. I will also require that they submit a photo that somehow represents the problem/issue they are discussing. The personal experience element will naturally encourage more investment on their part. This type of writing requires more critical thinking, and it makes it very difficult for students to rely on outside sources. Most importantly, writing on topics that matter to the students will produce higher quality work. I am in a sobered, but hopeful mood about teaching composition. Like my students, I have to learn about AI and I have to remain open about what it can offer. As educators, it would behoove us to take hold of the challenge and be the leaders in this new phase of our profession. Meet the Author Professor Cobb holds a master’s degree in English and boasts an impressive 25-year career in teaching across various educational settings, including high schools, universities, and community colleges. Currently, she dedicates her expertise to a small, rural community college in Northeast Florida, where she has been an integral part of the academic community for 15 years. In her current role, Professor Cobb passionately teaches developmental reading and writing, freshman composition, and a survey course in literature. The diversity of her student population in this beautiful, wooded part of the country brings her immense joy and fulfillment.

Where Do We Go From Here? A Guest Blog by Elizabeth (Liz) Cobb

January 9, 2024

Where do we go from here? It’s a question that pops up in the car as I travel... Read More

Support Team Member, Victoria Kelly, sat down via Zoom with Professor Jane Kessler as part of our Instructor Spotlight series. Jane Kessler taught at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT and tutors students in her community. We are grateful for this opportunity to celebrate the dedication Professor Kessler demonstrates to the world of education in this Instructor Spotlight. Prior to her retirement, Professor Kessler used the Hawkes Learning platform and materials during her eight years at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT. Please note, this interview took place during her time at the university. *Interview responses have been lightly edited for content and clarity. What courses do you teach with Hawkes Learning? I teach Introductory Algebra and have been teaching this course for a number of years. I believe I’ve been teaching it for about 7 to 8 years. That’s great! How long have you been teaching in your career? Fifty-two years! I started teaching Junior High in the mid-1960s. In those days, you had to leave your teaching job if you were pregnant. I was married and expecting, and was encouraged to leave. Once I gave birth to my child, I began doing homebound instruction for the public schools. I also gave birth to a second child! I eventually went back to teach high school math, and eventually, I became an Assistant Principal. I moved on to become a Principal at a middle school in a different town, and I retired from public school education in 2000. I started teaching at Quinnipiac University in 1999, and that’s where I still am. Along the way, I started a private tutoring service, and I still do tutoring. I’d say I’ve been tutoring the longest, and I’m skilled in helping students prep for the ACT and the SAT. Over the years, the tests have changed and I’ve adapted. I use the motto “My business is to put myself out of business.” I want students to truly understand the material so they don’t feel they have to continue coming to tutoring. I like tutoring for these tests specifically since the students know it’s a short-time commitment. We have a few weeks where we meet to prep for the test, and that’s it! Do any of your tutoring students come back to share their scores with you? Yes! Not only do they show me their scores, but they bring back their children years later. I have taught students’ children and grandchildren throughout my tutoring years. I’m fortunate that my husband owns his own business as a C.P.A., so we’ve never really moved away from this area. We’ve been able to make those long-lasting connections with families in the community. Considering your classroom approach, do you have a favorite classroom model you gravitate toward? I do a few things that are a bit different. Many students today have special-education accommodations such as time and a half on assignments. I always tell my students, “I want to know what you know.” I give all my students that extra time. The truth is, if you don’t know the material, it doesn’t matter in the end if you have extra time, so I give everyone the same amount of time to demonstrate what they know. Sometimes I’ll interrupt the class to briefly share a colorful picture to encourage them. They’re pictures I’ve made on the computer and printed out full of encouraging words and smiley characters! Another approach I use in my class is having the students teach me. I ask them to teach me what they know and understand from the materials we have covered together. I do not give partial credit in my class, since it is so subjective. Instead, we discuss the problem together. I’ll show them the correct method of completing the problem, and then I show a common error that students make. After I demonstrate these examples, I ask the students what type of partial credit they’d give to the wrong method. I ask them to write down on their paper the points of partial credit they’d give to that individual’s incorrect work. We discuss the different values as a class. I use this opportunity to help students realize how difficult and subjective assigning partial credit can be. This practical example shows the students that they don’t even agree on what values should be assigned as partial credit! I like to show them the reasoning behind my methods. Once the pandemic began, we had a very different classroom experience. It was challenging since we were online. The university does not require that the students’ webcam be turned on, so it was difficult to know who truly was present in class or who had turned on the class meeting and walked away from their computer. At the beginning of my courses, I would leave time at the end of our lecture for the students to introduce themselves to the class. When we were in the physical classroom, I would break the students up into pairs. I know you can use breakout rooms online, but I chose not to. I would have their partner introduce the other person to the class. This exercise would cause the students to truly listen to one another’s introduction. The course I teach at the university is not a math requirement. It is important that students successfully complete my course to proceed in their math courses. I often will address the common question “When are we ever going to use this?” I share common examples of math in action through our everyday lives. I give the example of going to the supermarket and paying attention to how the product totals are added up at the register. We talk about decimals in practical terms such as an anesthesiologist measuring the anesthesia for the patient and how important their decimal placement is at that moment. As I reflect on the classroom during the pandemic, it’s just not the same. I’m concerned about our students at all levels. I saw that my class size tripled, and it was because many students were not getting the foundation they needed during the pandemic. “I appreciate how my representative, Joanna Grabert, has been proactive in helping me adjust. Your team is great about getting me what I need! I am happy that the students have a Support Team ready to help them in getting their accounts set up in Hawkes. I love that the students can all get started at the beginning of the term using the free temporary access Hawkes offers. This allows me to get started teaching on day one of class.“ I have a friend who is a computer genius in my opinion. Whenever I was considering online materials, I told her I needed a company that would be patient with older individuals. My whole reason for using Hawkes was due to the fact that my friend said Hawkes would be supportive of my needs. I feel that Joanna anticipates my needs. When we meet via Zoom to take care of my questions, she’s efficient and so helpful. I am of the generation where my grandkids know more about the computer than me, so I need a system that will be supportive of me. I have that Support in Hawkes. I’ve appreciated learning more about your teaching background and classroom environment. I would like to ask you a few fun questions as we close our time together today. What is your campus, Quinnipiac University, like? What are your favorite things about campus? Of course, we are known for our Quinnipiac University Poll, but we also have so many wonderful programs preparing the students for anything they need. We have law programs, medicine, business, and liberal arts. It’s a beautiful campus and sits on the edge of the Sleeping Giant State Park. Over the years, the school has completely transformed in its growth. I believe the students receive a great overall experience at Quinnipiac. Do you host your tutoring services from your home? Yes, I do! Before the pandemic, students and their parents would come to my home for 1-to-1 instruction. Since the pandemic began, we have met entirely online via Zoom. I work completely from word of mouth. I don’t advertise my services, but many local schools refer students to me. I typically spend an hour with the student, which is a good amount of time to address their questions! We typically customize the session based on what the student wants to cover. This can range from strictly one subject, a blend of subjects, or test-taking tips. I particularly enjoy helping students prep for ACT and SAT. I was recently a chairperson of the ACT Council-Connecticut Chapter. Since Connecticut is an SAT state, I typically work with SAT prep, however, I do work with ACT prep as well. I know a lot about taking multiple-choice tests, and I believe it’s about giving students reassurance. Reflecting on the various students you’ve worked with over the years, is there a favorite memorable moment you’ve had with your students? I recall a student I taught at Quinnipiac in two different math courses. I didn’t really hear from her after her classes until years later. She had been an education major and was entering her senior year at school. She was considering the different job opportunities she had been offered and wanted to know what my thoughts were. It meant a lot to me that she came to seek my advice. We sat down to discuss her options, and she shared that she knew I was someone she could come to and receive an honest answer. That’s a wonderful story! To finish up our time today, I would like to ask one more question: what are some of your hobbies? I enjoy cooking, swimming at the beach, walking, and arranging social functions and parties. During the pandemic, I missed hosting get-togethers! I do meet with friends on Zoom for a Lunch and Learn session where we talk about contemporary issues together. Before the pandemic we would host Lunch and Learn in person with coffee and cake, so it’s just not the same nowadays. I also really enjoy Sudoku puzzles every day!

Instructor Spotlight: Meet Professor Jane Kessler

November 14, 2023

Support Team Member, Victoria Kelly, sat down via Zoom with Professor Jane... Read More

From his suburban upbringing and first job stacking hay bales to his current position at Piedmont University, Dr. Stephen Whited’s journey to academia has been inspired by influential mentors and educators at Georgia State University [Drs. Victor Kramer, Thomas McHaney, William Sessions] and the University of Kentucky [Wendell Berry, James Baker Hall, and Guy Davenport], where he found his true calling in teaching. Dr. Whited’s commitment to his students is evident in his love for fostering a passion for reading through engaging discussions and the use of Hawkes Learning’s English and composition materials, providing students with a unique and effective learning experience. We sat down for an exclusive interview with Dr. Whited as he shared insights on successful teaching, classroom structures, and the challenges faced by instructors today. Keep reading to hear more about his journey from a book-loving, guitar-playing kid to a passionate English professor, dedicated to inspiring young minds. Unveiling the Art of Successful Teaching Throughout his esteemed career, Dr. Whited has embraced a profound love for literature, art, and critical inquiry. From Georgia State University to the University of Kentucky, his journey has been a tapestry of diverse experiences, shaping the inspiring educator he is today. What lies at the heart of being a successful teacher? According to Dr. Whited, “You have to love what you teach and have a passion for sharing ideas with people. Part of the fun is finding that little point of contact, even if they think they don’t like to read – but maybe whatever the topic they are still interested in it, or troubled by it, or irritated by it, or something? It’s a lot of fun when you see that moment of realization in their eyes.” When it comes to classroom structures and teaching styles, Dr. Whited is no stranger to experimentation. “I think I’ve tried everything at one time or another, and everything works at different times. The problem isn’t so much having the correct method as it is applying the right method at the right time and trying to read the room. It’s a fascinating challenge.” Through engaging lectures with copious whiteboard notes to interactive role-playing games and thought-provoking questions, he tailors his approach to meet the needs of each unique class. “I’m trying to encourage personal responsibility and to promote self-motivation; sometimes it works!” Similarly, regarding challenges faced by instructors in our “new normal” educational landscape, Dr. Whited emphasizes the importance of empowering students to think critically and independently as a means of breaking free from a memorization-driven, “teacher dependency” that does little to challenge the mind, and even less to create lasting knowledge. A key takeaway in all of Dr. Whited’s methods goes beyond teaching the literary content itself; it lies in nurturing the skill of attention, in encouraging students to slow down, connect contextual clues, and reach for valid conclusions. Reflecting on innovative teaching approaches, Dr. Whited shares a memory of his first semester using Hawkes Learning. “Scheduled to teach an ENGL 1101 first-year writing class that I hadn’t taught in years, I met a terrified first-semester freshman group with a lot of writing issues, and I thought, ‘What am I going to do, I don’t have time to teach all this grammar’? Well, Hawkes provided all the material they needed to work outside class time. Immediately, I saw significant improvement in their writing. I’ve required the Hawkes LMS in all my first-year courses ever since.” With a user-friendly interface and effective mastery-based approach, Dr. Whited continues to utilize Hawkes Learning to enhance his students’ writing skills and provide them with the valuable resources they need to succeed in his course and beyond. Dr. Stephen Whited displays an unmistakable passion, dedication, and true love for teaching that he hopes can be felt by all of his students. His academic journey and unwavering commitment to fostering young minds stand as irrefutable evidence of his ultimate goal– to create profound and lasting impacts that reach far beyond the confines of the classroom, leaving a lasting imprint on the hearts and minds of his students.

Instructor Spotlight: Meet Dr. Stephen Whited

August 1, 2023

From his suburban upbringing and first job stacking hay bales to his current... Read More

To summarize, mastery-based (or competency-based) courses measure progression based on a set of explicit learning outcomes, placing emphasis on knowledge demonstration rather than spending a set amount of time on each lesson. This approach lends itself to deeper understanding of course content since students are encouraged to actively participate in the learning process, leading to knowledge retention that lasts far beyond test time. Here are 7 ways your students can benefit from a mastery-based approach to learning, especially in light of the rise in online & hybrid course formats: Advancement Based on Demonstrated Proficiency When course advancement is based more heavily on a demonstrated proficiency level, students are held accountable for studying and taking the time to ensure that they truly understand lesson content. With Hawkes’ software, mastery is set at 80% and can be customized to your desired percentage. Upon demonstrating satisfactory understanding, students receive full credit. This approach incentivizes students to take the time to practice each concept since they are held to a higher standard of achievement. Learning is More Personalized Hawkes’ software utilizes adaptive features aimed at personalizing each student’s learning experience based on their areas of weakness. If they do not successfully reach mastery as defined in an assessment, the student is placed in Practice mode with problems tailored to concepts with which they demonstrated a lack of understanding. Intelligent tutoring & error-specific feedback help students understand where they are falling off and why, enabling them to correct any misunderstandings they may have about course content. Emphasis on Demonstrated Learning Rather Than Seat Time While not the same as a truly self-paced model, Hawkes’ mastery-based approach gives students unlimited opportunities to learn content & achieve the same level of understanding as their peers, even if it takes a bit more time for them to get there. After all, learning is not a one-size-fits-all process, and students cannot be expected to be on the same page solely based on how much time they spend sitting in class taking notes. Due dates in our software can be fixed, but this approach gives students more opportunities to prove understanding before these dates. Transparency Empowers and Motivates Learners With unlimited practice opportunities in Hawkes’ software, students can appreciate knowing that they can achieve without penalties if they struggle at first. Taking penalties off the table in a practice environment reduces anxiety and, alongside Tutor features like Explain Error, empowers students to persist. Additionally, they can see their progress towards mastery as they successfully complete assignments, providing a motivating visual of how far they have come. Assessment is a Continual Part of the Learning Cycle If a student takes an assessment only to discover, in this high-stakes environment, that they weren’t as prepared as they thought they were, it can feel too late to bother learning the material. That’s why our software includes unlimited Practice Tests to help students discover where they stand, alongside Tutor features aimed at helping them understand and correct their mistakes before test time. Instructors Can Offer More Timely Support An ongoing review of where students stand in relation to their learning goals and the class as a whole provides an invaluable picture for instructors. Hawkes’ Reports help you see where your students are struggling on an individual and class level to more quickly address at-risk students and intervene on larger-scale areas of weakness. Students Develop Lifelong Learning Habits A mastery-based approach to learning requires persistence on the student’s part, which naturally lends itself to an orientation towards long-term achievement. When a student learns how to persevere, demonstrate knowledge in new & varying contexts, and build on skills in subsequent courses, their potential is limitless. Learn More Explore Hawkes’ mastery-based text & software materials today. Request a free textbook copy for review. Request free software access. Questions? Contact us any time at info@hawkeslearning.com.

7 Benefits of Mastery-Based Learning

November 5, 2021

To summarize, mastery-based (or competency-based) courses measure progression... Read More

We’re thrilled to announce the newest English course, English Composition with Integrated Review. English Composition with Integrated Review encourages students to thoughtfully craft, defend, and polish arguments while offering targeted remediation of foundational reading and writing concepts. Student learning of core composition topics is supported by a contextualized review of study skills, grammar, reading, writing, and research. Through consistent application and real-world connections, students sharpen their existing writing tools while also engaging with new and challenging ideas. Students in the corequisite classroom will learn how to tactfully communicate to a 21st century audience with awareness of purpose, tone, and genre. Request an examination copy today. Table of Contents Integrated Review: Study Skills 0R.1 Understanding Different Learning Styles 0R.2 Determining Your Personal Learning Styles 0R.3 Stress Management 0R.4 Keeping Yourself Organized 0R.5 Time Management 0R.6 Study Strategies 0R.7 Test-Taking Strategies 0R.8 Taking Advantage of Campus Resources 0R.9 Writing with Technology Chapter Review Integrated Review: Why We Write 1R.1 Understanding Purpose Why We Write 1.1 Writing Situations and Purposes 1.2 Writing to Respond 1.3 Writing to Summarize 1.4 Writing to Propose 1.5 Writing to Discuss 1.6 Writing to Describe 1.7 Writing to Argue 1.8 Writing to Analyze 1.9 Writing to Evaluate Integrated Review: Modes of Writing 2R.1 Locating Key Information 2R.2 Classifying Major and Minor Details 2R.3 Identifying Organizational Patterns Chapter Review Modes of Writing 2.1 Descriptive Writing 2.2 Narrative Writing 2.3 Expository Writing 2.4 Persuasive Writing Integrated Review: The Writing Process 3R.1 Writing a Paragraph 3R.2 Writing a First Draft 3R.3 Refining a Paragraph 3R.4 Strengthening Sentences 3R.5 Proofreading Strategies 3R.6 Finalizing a Paragraph Chapter Review The Writing Process 3.1 Pre-Writing 3.2 Drafting 3.3 Revision 3.4 Peer Review 3.5 Editing 3.6 The Final Draft Integrated Review: Parts of the Essay 4R.1 Sorting General and Specific Information 4R.2 Determining a Paragraph Focus 4R.3 Writing a Topic Sentence 4R.4 Organizing a Paragraph 4R.5 Drafting a Paragraph Chapter Review Parts of the Essay 4.1 Common Essay Structures 4.2 The Introduction 4.3 Thesis and Purpose Statements 4.4 Body Paragraphs 4.5 Transitions 4.6 The Conclusion Integrated Review: Reading Critically 5R.1 Pre-Reading Strategies 5R.2 Finding Meaning through Visual Clues 5R.3 Active Reading Strategies 5R.4 Finding Connections and Patterns 5R.5 Finding Meaning through Context 5R.6 Finding Meaning through Word Parts 5R.7 Finding Meaning through Inference 5R.8 Types of Main Ideas and Evidence 5R.9 Identifying Purpose and Tone Chapter Review Reading Critically 5.1 Taking Notes and Annotating Texts 5.2 Identifying the Main Idea and Supporting Details 5.3 Identifying Organizational Patterns 5.4 Understanding Purpose, Audience, and Tone 5.5 Recognizing Rhetorical Appeals 5.6 Analyzing Word Choice 5.7 Understanding the Basics of Logic 5.8 Recognizing Logical Fallacies 5.9 Evaluating Evidence 5.10 Analyzing Visuals Integrated Review: Writing Critically 6R.1 Determining Essay Focus 6R.2 Writing a Thesis or Purpose Statement 6R.3 Organizing and Outlining an Argument 6R.4 Combining Words or Sentences 6R.5 Emphasizing Words or Phrases 6R.6 Using Inclusive Language Chapter Review Writing Critically 6.1 Understanding an Argument 6.2 Considering Purpose and Audience 6.3 Recognizing Your Constraints 6.4 Employing Rhetorical Appeals 6.5 Using Consistent Tone 6.6 Choosing the Right Words 6.7 Using Word and Sentence Variety 6.8 Polishing an Argument Integrated Review: Research 7R.1 Introduction to Research 7R.2 Tools for Purposeful Research Chapter Review Research 7.1 Understanding the Research Paper 7.2 Planning and Tracking Your Research 7.3 Identifying Different Types of Sources 7.4 Evaluating the Credibility of Sources 7.5 Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism 7.6 Integrating Sources into Your Writing 7.7 The Annotated Bibliography 7.8 Basics of MLA 7.9 Basics of APA 7.10 Basics of CMS 7.11 Basics of CSE Integrated Review: Unique Forms of Writing 8R.1 Considering Style 8R.2 Considering Visuals Chapter Review Unique Forms of Writing 8.1 Writing Across the Disciplines 8.2 Visual and Digital Arguments 8.3 Oral Presentations 8.4 Etiquette in Social Media Integrated Review: Basics of Grammar & Mechanics 9R.1 Nouns 9R.2 Pronouns 9R.3 Basic Verb Types and Tenses 9R.4 Verb Forms and Functions 9R.5 Perfect and Progressive Tenses 9R.6 Adjectives and Adverbs 9R.7 Prepositions 9R.8 Clauses and Conjunctions 9R.9 Using Capitalization and Italics 9R.10 Using Abbreviations and Numbers 9R.11 Using Basic Spelling Rules 9R.12 Spelling Commonly Confused Words Chapter Review Basics of Grammar & Mechanics 9.1 Parts of Speech 9.2 The Characteristics of a Sentence 9.3 Using Commas 9.4 Using Semicolons and Colons 9.5 Using Quotation Marks, Parentheses, and Brackets Integrated Review: Grammatical Sentences 10R.1 Identifying the Characteristics of Sentences Grammatical Sentences 10.1 Common Sentence Errors 10.2 Using Consistent Subjects and Verbs 10.3 Using Consistent Pronouns and Antecedents 10.4 Using Correct Pronoun Reference and Case 10.5 Correcting Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers 10.6 Using Active and Passive Voice 10.7 Maintaining Consistency in Tense and Person 10.8 Using Parallelism, Coordination, and Subordination 10.9 Proofreading Sentences for Grammar If you’re an instructor who’d like to see more, request an examination copy today!

Corequisite English Composition Course

March 8, 2018

We’re thrilled to announce the newest English course, English Composition with... Read More

Hawkes Learning’s Practice mode gives students ample feedback when they answer questions incorrectly. Several different tutorial options are available to students, including Explain Error, which provides error-specific feedback immediately when the mistake is made; Hint, which gives students a clue as to how they can answer the question correctly if they’re still struggling; and Solution, which states the correct answer. Students can then try a similar question in order to test their knowledge. Once they feel comfortable with the material in Practice, students move on to the Certify mode, which does not provide learning aids in order to hold students accountable for their learning. Check out two examples of the robust feedback provided in Practice below: In Foundations of English‘s Chapter 4: Grammar and Mechanics, the courseware asks the following: Does the following sentence use pronoun-antecedent agreement? Select the best answer. Damien is running for class president, and his sister is helping them with the campaign. The two choices are the following: Yes, this sentence uses pronoun-antecedent agreement. No, this sentence does not use pronoun-antecedent agreement. If students select the first answer, the courseware provides this feedback: Explain Error Your Answer: Yes, this sentence uses pronoun-antecedent agreement. You were asked to determine if the following sentence uses pronoun-antecedent agreement: Damien is running for class president, and his sister is helping them with the campaign. Your answer is incorrect because the pronoun is plural and neutral, but the antecedent is singular and male. For a hint to solve this problem, select Hint. Hint You were asked to determine if the following sentence uses pronoun-antecedent agreement: Damien is running for class president, and his sister is helping them with the campaign. Remember, for a pronoun and its antecedent to agree, they must have the same gender and number. The gender of words can be female, male, or neutral. The number is either singular or plural. If an antecedent is neutral and refers to a person or animal, it can be used with a male or female pronoun based on the other information in the sentence. However, inanimate objects do not have gender, so they are always renamed with neutral pronouns. Take a look at the following sentence that includes both a pronoun and its antecedent: Jennifer always makes the dessert because she is the best baker. The pronoun she agrees with its antecedent Jennifer (the noun it renames). Both words are singular in number and female in gender. This is what you look for when checking for pronoun-antecedent agreement. Solution You were asked to determine if the following sentence uses pronoun-antecedent agreement: Damien is running for class president, and his sister is helping them with the campaign. The following answer is correct: No, this sentence does not use pronoun-antecedent agreement. The pronoun them is plural and neutral, but the antecedent Damien is singular and male. In Foundations of English‘s Chapter 5: Style, the courseware asks the following: Read the following passage. People from all across the country enter the contest, and they all want their own shot at fame. Fame is fleeting, but these people do not care. They all believe they will be “the next big thing.” Even when disappointment comes crashing down on them, they still struggle and claw their way back up. Being content is not something humans are good at. Which sentences do not use coordination to join clauses? Select all that apply. Click on a word or word group to make a selection. To undo, click on the selection again. Alternatively use the Tab and spacebar to select or deselect the word or word group. Students receive error-specific feedback when they select the following sentence from the passage: Even when disappointment comes crashing down on them, they still struggle and claw their way back up. Explain Error Your Answer: People from all across the country enter the contest, and they all want their own shot at fame. Fame is fleeting, but these people do not care. They all believe they will be “the next big thing.” Even when disappointment comes crashing down on them, they still struggle and claw their way back up. Being content is not something humans are good at. You were asked to identify sentences in the following passage that do not use coordination. You did not select every correct sentence, and/or you chose a sentence that does use coordination. For a hint to solve this problem, select Hint. Hint You were asked to identify sentences in the following passage that do not use coordination. People from all across the country enter the contest, and they all want their own shot at fame. Fame is fleeting, but these people do not care. They all believe they will be “the next big thing.” Even when disappointment comes crashing down on them, they still struggle and claw their way back up. Being content is not something humans are good at. Remember, clauses can be either independent or dependent, but both types always contain a subject and a verb. Take a look at these examples: Phrase: an incredible guitar solo Dependent Clause: While the audience cheered Independent Clause: The musician improvised an incredible guitar solo. Coordination joins two independent clauses using a coordinating conjunction: The musician improvised an incredible guitar solo, and the audience cheered. Solution You were asked to identify sentences in the following passage that do not use coordination. People from all across the country enter the contest, and they all want their own shot at fame. Fame is fleeting, but these people do not care. They all believe they will be “the next big thing.” Even when disappointment comes crashing down on them, they still struggle and claw their way back up. Being content is not something humans are good at. The following answers are correct: They all believe they will be “the next big thing.” Even when disappointment comes crashing down on them, they still struggle and claw their way back up. Being content is not something humans are good at. This is correct because these are a simple sentence, a complex sentence that uses subordination, and another simple sentence, respectively.

Robust Feedback within English Courseware

January 16, 2018

Hawkes Learning’s Practice mode gives students ample feedback when they answer... Read More

Psychologist Benjamin Bloom published his now widely spread document in education, “Taxonomy of Educational Objectives,” in 1956. In it, he and his team specify three domains of learning: affective, psychomotor, and cognitive. While the affective domain refers to the emotions, motivations, and attitudes of students, the psychomotor domain focuses on their motor skills. The cognitive domain—arguably the most influential in a student’s success—covers six categories (according to the revised version of Bloom’s Taxonomy by Anderson & Krathwohl, et al (2001)): Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating These categories start with memorizing and defining what’s learned in class, build toward drawing connections among different ideas and applying them outside of class, then lead to creating your own work by using what you’ve learned (Armstrong). Building upon these processes develops students’ critical thinking and reasoning skills, which are more important today than ever before. (Pssst! Check out key definitions and verbs to describe each category here from Vanderbilt University’s Center for Teaching.) So, how can you help students strengthen their critical thinking and reasoning? Below are three ways to incorporate these skills into any curriculum. 1. Allow time within class to brainstorm after asking an open-ended question. Students need time on their own to think about how to solve a problem, as well as time to talk out their strategies with other students. Problem solving is a key component to critical thinking, and brainstorming gives students the opportunity to explore different perspectives and possible solutions in a low-pressure environment. According to Lee Crockett Watanabe from Global Digital Citizen Foundation, asking a question that can’t simply be answered with a yes or no encourages students to seek out the necessary knowledge on their own (“12 Strong Strategies for Effectively Teaching Critical Thinking Skills.”). Students must use the skills associated with the cognitive domain, such as recalling what they already know about the problem, analyzing different strategies to solve it, and evaluating the quality of each solution. 2. Compare and contrast different ideas. Once students learn and understand different approaches to solving a problem, they can evaluate the qualities of each approach. Which one is easier? Which is the most thorough? Which makes the most sense to use in this context? Students need to judge the strengths and weaknesses of varying solutions in order to decide their next steps in solving the problem. Creating a pro/con chart can help, as well as a pro/pro chart, according to instructor Jason Watt. In a pro/pro chart, students see the positives of different perspectives by listing out only the good traits of each, bringing a fresh take to an old decision-making strategy. Watt explains that a pro/pro chart can help students try to find the positives in what they originally thought of as a weakness, allowing them to get creative with their thinking and less intimated to do so (Schwartz). 3. Get them thinking about thinking. In the revised version of Bloom’s Taxonomy, metacognitive knowledge includes strategy, self-knowledge, and contextual and conditional knowledge (Armstrong). To increase their critical thinking skills, students need to think about how they think. If they pause to reflect upon how they’re studying and learning the class content, they may just improve their grades. Dr. Patricia Chen, a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford, conducted a study in which she asked a group of her students several prompts asking them to think about how they’re studying for an upcoming test and how they could improve their studying. She only reminded a second student group that the test was coming up. The first group outperformed the students who did not reflect on their studying by 1/3 of a letter grade on average (Anderson). Check out more information on the study. When students analyze their own thinking techniques and visualize how they want to perform on assessments, they develop critical strategies to set goals and determine which resources work best for their unique learning processes. These skills can help students improve their grades, and they’ll transfer over when students are learning in other classes, navigating the workplace, and facing the challenges of daily life. Have other ways to help improve students’ cognitive domains and critical thinking skills? Please share them in the comments below! Anderson, Jenny. “A Stanford researcher’s 15-minute study hack lifts B+ students into the As.” Quartz, 9 May 2017, https://qz.com/978273/a-stanford-professors-15-minute-study-hack-improves-test-grades-by-a-third-of-a-grade/. Accessed 5 June 2017. Armstrong, Patricia. “Bloom’s Taxonomy.” Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching, https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/. Accessed 12 June 2017. Schwartz, Katrina. “Three Tools for Teaching Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills.” KQED News, 6 Nov. 2016, https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/11/06/three-tools-for-teaching-critical-thinking-and-problem-solving-skills/. Accessed 13 June 2017. Watanabe Crockett, Lee. “12 Strong Strategies for Effectively Teaching Critical Thinking Skills.” Global Digital Citizen Foundation, 13 March 2017, https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/12-strategies-teaching-critical-thinking-skills. Accessed 12 June 2017.

3 Ways to Strengthen Your Students’ Critical Thinking Skills

June 13, 2017

Psychologist Benjamin Bloom published his now widely spread document in... Read More

Engaging students in your English class can get tricky, especially if reading and writing intimidate or overwhelm them. Some students may think they’re just not good writers, and they feel there’s little they can do to improve. Others may assume that they don’t need the skills they learn in English because their field of study is STEM-based. Still others may be so focused on getting a job after graduation that they feel disengaged from the academic life. How do you break out of the box when it comes to teaching your English course in order to motivate all students to learn? Below are a few ideas to incorporate into your curriculum. Please let us know in the comments other fun projects that have achieved success in your class! 1. Get students engaged with their community. One project that gets students more involved with their writing than a traditional research paper or persuasive argument is one that connects students with a local nonprofit organization or charity. Before the term starts, reach out to local community-serving organizations to see if they’d allow students to visit and get involved by researching grants, interviewing employees and volunteers, and helping to apply to grants. You can also provide a list of local institutions and let students choose one to research and create several reports. For example, instructor Jim Wilcox did just that and had students visit the organizations and do their research before they wrote an objective report, an interview, an evaluation essay, an investigative report, and a letter to the editor of a local newspaper. These kinds of projects get students thinking about how writing can help others and give students a sense of purpose through their work. Plus, these reports and evaluations are something that they’ll continue to create later on in life for other topics and organizations. 2. Have your class explore composition through media other than writing. (Then get them to write about it.) Multimodal projects help students get a little more creative with their composition processes, especially those who aren’t comfortable with writing traditional academic papers. Giving them the freedom to explore a topic through a different medium—anything from creating a photo essay to shooting a short film to building a website—might just open up their imaginations and spark more creativity than they expected a school project could do. Once students create their musical composition, video, dance piece, or project in a medium of their choosing, they can exercise their writing skills by writing a reflection of the process, why they decided on the kind of project they created, and the lessons learned along the way. Don’t be surprised if the written reflections mention how much students prefer this kind of project over others! 3. Test students’ abilities to distinguish fake websites from real ones. “Fake news” seems to be a ubiquitous term these days. Do students understand how to distinguish true news articles and trustworthy sources from those that are false and misleading? Center activities around analyzing arguments for their truth and effectiveness, as well as understanding what makes a source credible. On EasyBib’s blog, their in-house librarian Michele Kirschenbaum posted seven fake websites to share with students in order to test how well they evaluate a website’s credentials. You might want to give students these websites to look up, along with a few real sites, for a fun in-class activity that asks them to analyze the wording, design, links, and other elements of the websites to determine their authenticity. They can use these analytical skills next time their friend or family member shares a web article from a less-than-credible source. 4. Ask them to create a soundtrack to what they’re reading. Engage students with the reading material by having them create a music playlist that matches the tone and emotions of the book or passage. Free music streaming services like Spotify allow easy access to millions of songs, and students can take advantage of these to build their own soundtracks to their readings. Doing so helps them pay more attention to the tone of the piece and become more aware of rising tension, foreshadowing, and more. They’ll begin to empathize more with the characters and identify with what they’re reading on a deeper level. 5. Hold a good old-fashioned debate on a current topic. Anyone who reads the comments on any online post might feel like reasoning and critical thinking are in short supply these days. People seem to be arguing at each other and not making progress instead of discussing something and learning from one another. While the latter can’t happen all the time because we don’t live in a perfect world, we can still make it happen more frequently than it does! On Inside Higher Ed’s website, John Duffy, an associate professor of English and the O’Malley Director of the University Writing Program at the University of Notre Dame, asserts that first-year writing programs offer a defense against our current post-truth culture by encouraging students to engage in fact-based discourse. Holding a debate in class gets students to think more critically about their opinions and gives them experience in expressing them through persuasive tactics and research. Maybe even award extra credit to students who take the time to research the opposing side of the argument and those who bring in quality news sources to back up their claims. You’ll be sure that they’ll use these skills throughout the rest of their lives. What are some other projects that bring a unique spin to English and connect the subject to life post-graduation? We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below!

Shake things up in your next English class

June 9, 2017

Engaging students in your English class can get tricky, especially if reading... Read More

Last year, we were thrilled to announce the beta release of our first English course, Foundations of English. Now, we’re even more excited to announce that it’s no longer in its beta version! Ready for the fall term, this courseware has even more questions, images, diverse examples, and interactive exercises to help students engage with your learning goals. What have we added? We now have over 100 interactive examples so students have a more hands-on approach to their learning — check out one below! We have a wider range of question types as well, such as click-to-select questions. Instead of only having multiple choice questions to assign, you can mix things up in your curriculum by adding more of what you see below in this example: Plus, we have a whole new lesson! That’s right—we’ve created Lesson 2.4: “Deconstructing Topics, Ideas, and Details” based on contributors’ feedback this past year. This lesson breaks down the components of a paragraph to provide students with direction as they practice reading on their own. Speaking of contributors’ feedback, we compiled it all and let it guide our restructuring of the table of contents. We reordered a few lessons and changed the wording of some from the beta version. Check out the full release’s table of contents for Foundations of English below: Chapter 1: Study Skills 1.1 Understanding Different Learning Styles 1.2 Determining Your Personal Learning Styles 1.3 Understanding and Reducing Stress 1.4 Keeping Yourself Organized 1.5 Managing Your Time Effectively 1.6 Taking Notes and Annotating Texts 1.7 Using Effective Study Strategies 1.8 Reducing Test Anxiety 1.9 Taking Advantage of Campus Resources Chapter 2: Reading Skills 2.1 Preparing Yourself to Read 2.2 Using Visual Clues 2.3 Reading Actively and Purposefully 2.4 Deconstructing Topics, Ideas, and Details 2.5 Identifying Organizational Patterns 2.6 Using Context for Unfamiliar Words or Phrases 2.7 Using Word Parts for Unfamiliar Words 2.8 Making Inferences About a Text 2.9 Recognizing Types of Main Ideas and Evidence Chapter 3: Critical Thinking 3.1 Identifying Purpose and Tone 3.2 Analyzing Argumentation Strategies 3.3 Identifying Bias 3.4 Evaluating Evidence 3.5 Understanding the Basics of Logic 3.6 Recognizing Logical Fallacies 3.7 Analyzing and Evaluating Visuals Chapter 4: Grammar and Mechanics 4.1 Understanding Nouns 4.2 Understanding Pronouns 4.3 Understanding Verbs 4.4 Understanding Adjectives and Adverbs 4.5 Understanding Prepositions 4.6 Understanding Conjunctions and Interjections 4.7 Identifying the Characteristics of Sentences 4.8 Identifying Common Sentence Errors 4.9 Using Consistent Subjects and Verbs 4.10 Using Consistent Pronouns and Antecedents 4.11 Using Correct Pronoun Reference and Case 4.12 Using Commas 4.13 Using Semicolons and Colons 4.14 Using Apostrophes 4.15 Using Quotation Marks, Parentheses, and Brackets 4.16 Using Ellipses, Hyphens, and Dashes 4.17 Using Capitalization and Italics 4.18 Using Abbreviations and Numbers 4.19 Using Basic Spelling Rules 4.20 Spelling Commonly Confused Words 4.21 Proofreading Sentences for Grammar Chapter 5: Style 5.1 Determining a Writing Style 5.2 Using an Appropriate Tone 5.3 Maintaining Consistency in Tense and Person 5.4 Correcting Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers 5.5 Using Word and Sentence Variety 5.6 Using Parallelism, Coordination, and Subordination 5.7 Using Active and Passive Voice 5.8 Emphasizing Words or Phrases 5.9 Choosing Clear, Concise, and Vivid Words 5.10 Using Inclusive Language 5.11 Proofreading Sentences for Style Chapter 6: Writing Paragraphs 6.1 The Writing Process for Paragraphs 6.2 Choosing a Topic and Scope for a Paragraph 6.3 Writing a Topic Sentence 6.4 Choosing an Organizational Pattern 6.5 Drafting a Paragraph 6.6 Revising and Editing a Paragraph 6.7 Submitting a Paragraph Chapter 7: Writing Longer Texts 7.1 Preparing to Write a Longer Text 7.2 Understanding Genre and Purpose 7.3 Choosing a Topic and Scope for a Longer Text 7.4 Writing a Thesis or Purpose Statement 7.5 Organizing and Outlining a Longer Paper 7.6 Writing with Technology 7.7 Writing a First Draft 7.8 Using Paragraphs Effectively 7.9 Revising a Longer Text 7.10 Participating in Peer Review 7.11 Submitting a Longer Text Chapter 8: Research 8.1 Researching and Writing Responsibly 8.2 Making a Research Plan 8.3 Organizing the Research Process 8.4 Identifying Types of Sources 8.5 Evaluating the Credibility of Sources 8.6 Applying MLA Styles and Formatting

You beta believe Foundations of English is no longer in beta!

August 4, 2016

Last year, we were thrilled to announce the beta release of our first English... Read More

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