To Örebro University

Scandinavian countries have a long tradition of widespread public schooling linked to civic education. In the most recent curriculum reforms, concepts from rhetoric appear in various forms in language arts subject curricula from primary to upper-secondary school. In this article, we examine how current Scandinavian curricula reflect rhetoric and rhetorical education through content analysis based on David Fleming’s update of the classical triad in rhetorical education. We examine explicit and implicit references to rhetorical art, practice, and inquiry to gain insight into how rhetoric is reflected and conceptualized in national curricula, thereby providing a nuanced outlook for future research on the rhetorical turn of education. The analysis shows that the curricula for language arts subjects in all Scandinavian countries include several key components of contemporary rhetorical education, and in Swedish and Norwegian curricula, rhetoric is also explicitly linked to the development of democratic citizenship. However, references to rhetoric in curricula documents are sometimes implicit, and the explicit references that are present might give the impression that rhetoric should be taught only as a technical skill devoid of context or as critical text analysis. 

Med sina runda bord och whiteboards blir ALC ett utrymme där lärare kan uppmuntra studenterna att arbeta i smågrupper. Om grupparbete ska främja kollaborativt lärande behöver läraren anta ett problembaserat förhållningssätt. Detta bidragbeskriver ett problembaserat förhållningssätt till skrivundervisning som George Hillocks kallar the environmental mode of teaching. Förhållningssättet fungerar väl för att undervisa i stilistik, ett retoriskt delområde som syftar till att utveckla stilistisk förmåga hos studenter genom övning, analys och reflektion. 

This presentation reports on a study that traces the mediating work of two teachers as they guide students preparing to write the degree project essay through exploratory exercises designed to help them pose a genuine question in response to a disciplinary-specific problem. The study examines written exchanges in discussion forums in which teachers challenge students to focus their thinking at the discovery stage of the writing process. According to rhetorical pedagogical theory, exploratory exercises empower students by giving them insider knowledge of discourse strategies. However, this study finds that it is not enough to direct students to exploratory exercises for self-study. Students new to research writing benefit from the mediating guidance of teachers. The analysis shows how students develop their arguments in response to teacher interventions. Results show that mediating teachers can enhance the heuristic value of exploratory exercises by scaffolding students while also promoting their autonomy.

Faculty teaching in the first and second cycle report that students preparing to write the degree project essay (det självständiga arbetet) do not have the writing and critical thinking skills needed for research writing. This presentation explores this problem area from the perspective of the psychology of written composition, which is based on the premise that composition is a studied skill that can be deliberately supported in learning environments through explicit instruction (Bereiter & Scardamalia, 2009). Writing-to-engage pedagogy, a recent development within the writing-acrossthe curriculum movement, applies this premise to university teaching and curriculum planning. It aims to help students acquire the competencies of expert writers in disciplinary contexts by teaching reflective processes through writing activities (Bean, 2011). This presentation evaluates the relevancy writing-to-engage pedagogy to higher education in Sweden through an exploratory discussion of its premises and curricular objectives. How might writing-to-engage pedagogy help faculty across the disciplines support learning objectives associated with critical thinking, inquiry, and communicative ability? How might it help them create stimulating learning environments, promote active learning, and work toward the goal of widened participation (breddat deltagande)? Results will clarify the role that writing-to-engage pedagogy could play in quality enhancement and faculty development. The presentation will conclude with a brief description of an educational developmental project currently underway at the Academic Development Centre of Örebro University.

References

Bean, J. (2011). Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Bereiter, C. & Scardamalia, M. (2009). The Psychology of Written Composition. New York & London: Routledge.