OER Texts
88 Open Essays: A Reader for Students of Composition & Rhetoric by Tina Ulrich & Sarah Wangler
https://www.oercommons.org/courses/88-open-essays-a-reader-for-students-of-composition-rhetoric/view
Creative Commons License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, although some pieces in the collection carry their own license, which supersedes the overall collection’s licensing. This is not an issue for individual classroom use, but might be a consideration in the case of a wider distribution.
Overview: Organized around Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 2009 TED Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,” this anthology presents 88 essays from different rhetorical situations on a wide-ranging set of topics. The diverse collection of essays can be searched by thematic topic or by composition element / strategy.
The collection is organized alphabetically but is also supported by hashtags to easily identify content. The complete list of hashtags for this book includes: ” #advice #analysis #argument #artsandculture #automotive #business #causalargument #civilrights #cognitivebias #currentevents #descriptive #disinformation #environment #ethos #finances #generations #global #health #heroes #intellectualproperty #kairos #language #logos #millennials #nature #pathos #politics #proposalargument #reportinginformation #research #review #scholarly #science #selfdiscovery #sharedvalues #systemanalysis #technology #writinglife”
Differently from some collections that rely on student work because of copyright issues, all of the articles in this collection are drawn from online magazines with open access policies. These essays come from published writers and researchers and provide a good range of interesting topics for discussions in class and potential student essay assignments. The use of published authors is a definite draw for this collection.
Because of the extensive nature of the collection, this resource also offers the possibility of inviting students to choose readings, individually or in small groups, that are of specific interest to them. For example, one group of students could pursue inquiry into climate change while another group focuses on civil rights and a third group of students focuses on cognitive bias. Often, a themed reader prescribes the focus for the semester, at a detriment to students who are not interested in that theme. Use of this collection will additionally allow for further student engagement in the course.
This collection fully replaces a textbook that students might purchase with the exception of:
- grammar or style lessons which can be supplemented by instructor-created materials and sites like Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (The OWL);
- specific writing assignments which can be created by instructors;
- scaffolding for the writing process, which can be supplemented by sites like Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (The OWL).
One drawback to this collection is that while currently relevant, some essays may not “age” well.
Overall, this is a very well-designed, versatile collection of essays that can be immediately embedded in a rhetoric and composition classroom. It’s an excellent option for writing classrooms and for transitioning fully to OER resources.
The Writing Commons
https://writingcommons.org/site-map/
Creative Commons License: The Writing Commons is owned by the Writing Commons LLC. You are free to link to this content and to use it in your classes. Each author who writes for The Writing Commons can choose their own license, which means that some pieces carry a traditional copyright and others a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. This is not an issue for individual classroom use, but might be a consideration in the case of a wider distribution.
Overview: Joseph M. Moxley first published College Writing Online in 2003 with Pearson. In 2008, Moxley received the copyright back from Pearson and published it online. Since then, there have been two additional iterations of the project. Today, the site boats 800 original articles using a Wikipedia-style interface. Topics include: collaboration, design, editing, evidence, genre, information literacy, invention, mindset, organization, research, revision, rhetoric, style, and writing studies. There are also materials for 3 iterations of a composition course based around Workplace Writing and another on Fake News.
This collection fully replaces a traditional composition style and grammar book.
One drawback to this collection is navigability. Due to the richness of the collection, it can be overwhelming to find materials. There is a search feature and a lengthy table of contents. Both are useful for finding materials to teach. Starting with the Teaching Guide is highly recommended: https://writingcommons.org/teachers-guide/
Bad Ideas About Writing edited by Cheryl E. Ball & Drew M. Loewe
https://textbooks.lib.wvu.edu/badideas/badideasaboutwriting-book.pdf
Creative Commons License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Overview: This text introduces and dynamites so many old ideas about writing: the five-paragraph essay, there is only one way to write and speak “correctly,” writer’s block, never use I, formal outlines are always useful. It’s a great idea for a textbook because it immediately engages students in questions about some of their received notions of good writing. There are xx sections: “Bad Ideas About What Good Writing Is,” “Bad Ideas About Who Good Writers Are,” “Bad Ideas About Style, Usage, and Grammar,” “Bad Ideas About Writing Techniques,” “Bad Ideas About Genres,” “Bad Ideas About Assessing Writing,” “Bad Ideas About Writing and Digital Technology,” and “Bad Ideas About Writing Teachers.” The essays are accessible, interesting, and provide an excellent framework for discussing ideas about writing. This text might be particularly useful in ENA, particularly to address some students’ previous experiences with writing.
This collection could fully replace a textbook that students might purchase with the exception of:
- grammar or style lessons which can be supplemented by instructor-created materials and sites like Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (The OWL);
- specific writing assignments which can be created by instructors;
- scaffolding for the writing process, which can be supplemented by sites like Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (The OWL).
One drawback is that the theme might become repetitive during the semester. I might choose to use these readings alongside another text, particularly if I am teaching a themed ENG/A 101. Also, unlike many of the other resources this one is only available as a PDF. While students can read it online, it’s less digitally native and requires scrolling through a PDF. That’s not a deal-breaker for me, particularly with such great essays, but it’s worth noting.
The Word on College Reading and Writing by Monique Babin, Carol Burnell, Susan Pesznecker, Nicole Rosevear, Jaime Wood
https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/the-word-on-college-reading-and-writing
Creative Commons License: Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International License.
Overview: This text provides a complete overview of the writing process and the critical reading practices that support writing along with examples and exercises. Key sections include: “Working with Texts,” “Writing About Texts,” “What is Information Literacy?,” “Why Write?,” “Determining Your Audience and Purpose,” “Prewriting,” “Drafting,” “Using Sources Correctly,” “Dealing with Obstacles and Developing Good Habits,” and “Revising.” There are also a number of appendices including one for grammar and style and another one for MLA citations.
This collection could fully replace a textbook that students might purchase with the exception of:
- readings on non-writing-related topics;
- specific writing assignments which can be created by instructors.
As with Bad Ideas About Writing, I might choose to use these readings alongside another text, particularly if I am teaching a themed ENG/A 101. However this text fully captures critical reading and writing-as-process in a way that is particularly useful for our writing program and the course goals for ENA 101 and ENG 101.
College Writing by Susan Oaks
https://www.oercommons.org/courses/college-writing/view
Creative Commons License: Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International License.
Overview: This comprehensive writing guide covers: “Introduction to College Writing,” “Thesis Sentences,” “Developing Support,” “Writing the Essay Draft,” “Revising,” “Issue Analysis / Logical Argument,” “Research Writing,” “Finding Sources,” “Evaluating Sources,” “Using Sources,” “Citing Sources,” “Common Essay Structures / Patterns of Development,” “Sample Essays,” and “Select Grammar, Punctuation, and Writing Resources.” This is a complete writing and style manual that fully replaces a traditional handbook. Similar to the Word on College Reading and Writing, this resource provides excellent scaffolding for guiding students through writing as a process.
This collection could fully replace a textbook that students might purchase with the exception of:
- readings on non-writing-related topics;
- specific writing assignments which can be created by instructors.
As with Bad Ideas About Writing and Word on College Reading and Writing, I might choose to use these readings alongside another text, particularly if I am teaching a themed ENG/A 101. However this text fully captures critical reading and writing-as-process in a way that is particularly useful for our writing program and the course goals for ENA 101 and ENG 101.
Media
Arizona State University’s “Composition: Study Hall” playlist has 16 videos on key composition topics: “The Writing Process,” “Invention and the Writing Process,” “How to Plan Your Writing Project,” “What is Drafting?,” “How to Revise,” “What is Editing?,” “Citations and Quotes,” “Critical Thinking and Arguing,” “Evaluating Arguments,” “What is Rhetoric?,” “Connecting with an Audience,” “When and Where, Context Part I,” “Remediation, Context Part II,” “Purpose and Rhetorical Appeals,” and “Presentation and Persuasion in Writing.” They serve as an excellent introduction to a topic or as a reminder of the topic to reinforce what you’ve discussed in class in quick, 10-minute bites.
Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (the OWL) is already a key resource in many of our composition classrooms. Less used, however, are the playlists featuring videos on topics such as “Grammar and Mechanics,” “Second Language Writers and Writing,” “General Writing and Rhetoric,” and “MLA.”
The Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing
Ta-Nehisi Coates on the writing process
Podcasts:
Current and archived podcasts developed by the Conference on College Composition and Communication here.
Creating Coalitional Gestures: A BIWOC Podcast by and for Black, Brown, and Indigenous Women of Color in Writing Studies
NCTE’s #Why I Write
Write Cast: A Conversation for Serious Writers (aimed at students)
USC’s Writing Remix
Supplemental Materials
Please check back in the “ENA 101” area in the general writing program (not just here in OER). You’ll find a new section featuring original content on the ENA 101 Framework looking at: deceleration, integrating reading & writing, habits of mind, improving thinking skills, responding to affective issues, introducing academic discourse, improving self editing, working toward a multilingual paradigm.
OER Resources for ENA 101 curated by J. Elizabeth Clark
