addie-analysis

Student location(s):

• On campus: Most students are local. A handful live in the Twin Cities; fewer live outside of southern Minnesota. Classes held in computer classroom.
• Online: Mostly Minnesota, although usually 1+ hour drive away. D2L content management system, Adobe Connect videoconferencing system

Language or cultural differences:

• On-campus students at MSU Mankato tend to be quite homogenous.
• English is the first, and usually only, language spoken by a majority of the students (ranges between 75-90%).
• Most (85%) were born and raised in the Minnesota. Only 6% of the student body hails from outside of the Midwest.
• Most (76%) of the students are between 18-22 years old.
• Many students are the first generation of their family to attend college.
• Students are predominantly white. (Caucasian 82% ▪ Ethnic Minority 9.5% ▪ International 4%)

Learner motivation:

• ENG 271 is a required course for most of the students enrolled, either as an elective for their major or as part of their technical communication minor.
• ENG 272 is required only for Music Industry majors. It is recommended by the College of Business, and it can substitute for ENG 271 in most plans of study.
• Motivation is mostly extrinsic: a grade that will maintain their GPA or for graduating seniors, just a passing grade.

Attitude toward the learning experience:

• Students are typically proficient writers, a few are very strong writers, but many believe they are bad writers. Students feel most comfortable copyediting work during peer review but resist offering opinions or critiques that would contain substantive suggestions. They don't trust their own expertise as writers/editors or their preferences as readers.
• Students are somewhat comfortable and experienced with academic writing for their courses but few have any experience with workplace writing. It is difficult to get them to envision an audience other than the teacher.
• Students seem to perceive online courses easier and less intensive than on-campus courses.
• Students often complain that the material in the course isn't relevant to their major. A common complaint is that they write better when they are interested in the topic.

Special characteristics of trainees:

• ENG 271
  • Mostly males (82%)
  • Mostly Construction Management (16%), Automotive Engineering Technology (11%), Computer Information Science (9%), Family Consumer Science (5%), and P-CL (unknown meaning, 5%)
  • Since 2014, Biology is requiring the course and expects 300 students per year to need the course. Civil Engineering also began requiring the course but expects a much smaller enrollment (about 25 per year).
• ENG 272
  • Nearly balanced mix of men and women
  • Mostly Music Industry (60%).
  • College of Business (15%) recommends but does not require it.

Special interests of trainees relevant to course:

• 271 is a requirement for several majors in the College of Science, Engineering, and Technology. They tend to have an interest and experience in technical information.
• 272 is a requirement for Music Industry. They tend to be very savvy with social media and public relations. Very creative ideas.

Specific biases of trainees relevant to course:

This course is a required elective, but it's not their major. Many are resistant to the course because the do not think they will be writing very much as part of their jobs.

Computer skills and confidence:

• Traditional students have grown up with computers and the Internet, so they are usually comfortable with searching the Internet for information and using basic features of office productivity software.
• The students tend to lack the critical thinking skills necessary for evaluating the credibility of information they find on the Internet.
• Their productivity software proficiency tends to be overestimated. They do not know many of the intermediate to advanced features of Word, for example.

Data Sources:

• Student Rosters, 2012-present
• 2012 Interviews with David Chapman and Melanie Cashin, ENG 271 course instructors
• Minnesota State University, Mankato Undergraduate Bulletin
• http://www.mnsu.edu/instres/studentprofile/profile/reside.pdf
• http://www.mnsu.edu/instres/studentprofile/profile/ethnic2011.pdf http://english.mnsu.edu/composition/students.html