Why APA? >Erica Ellsworth

Two questions I hear quite often in my writing classes are "Why do I have to learn APA?" and "When will I ever use APA again?" These are valid questions and ones I often struggle with myself because, honestly, when will students use APA again outside academia? The simplest and most honest answer I can give is that no, you probably will not use APA ever again. Of course, this leads to the question of "Why do I have to learn APA then?" and this is where I have to show that APA is important.

One thing that is hard to teach or even prove to students is the value of their writing. How do we show students that their writing is valuable and part of a larger body of written work? First, we need to define the "larger body of written work." What is this? How do the projects we assign in our courses add to this nebulas body of work? Each time we write (instructor and student), we share ideas, which is the basis of writing in the first place. Students come to college to learn, which involves understanding what others have written on a subject; but, they are also encouraged to be original thinkers, to share their ideas. It is this originality in thinking and writing where we can encourage students to see that what they produce for their classes is really part of the larger body of knowledge on a subject.

This also relates to how we show students the value of their own writing. The first step in this process is to embrace and accept the experiences that we all bring to the classroom. Writing is a very personal task, even when it is academic and in APA format. Giving experience validity allows students to see that what they have experienced in life is a vital part of their education and writing. Experience becomes the rich details and examples that explain students’ ideas. Details and examples are fundamental to writing, and we have to explain our ideas clearly to be understood.

The second step toward helping students value their writing involves source material. In academic writing, we have to validate our explanations and details with outside sources. Linking ideas and source material shows critical thinking and takes writing from personal, expository writing, to academic, research writing. By showing students how they are becoming researchers and writers in their fields, we show them that their writing is valuable. To become part of this club of writers, however, you have to know the secret handshake – APA. Using source material in writing shows students how to support and substantiate their experiences in a format that is common to an entire learning community. This is a critical link in the writing process, especially academic writing. This step is also the hardest sell in writing – you have to know APA to cite source material properly. Source material is what sets academic and personal writing apart. Showing students how they can link their experiences and ideas to outside sources and write their papers in such a way that is acceptable within a larger learning community reinforces that they are indeed writers and researchers. Furthermore, when we use and cite sources correctly, we are showing other writers that our writing has integrity. Perhaps more importantly, we show that we are aware of the body of knowledge that has been established already and we are contributing to them.

In criminal justice composition, I like to remind students that they bring a wealth of experience from their lives and their work to the classroom. When they choose a topic, I ask them to think about what experience they have with the topic. We spend time prewriting (brainstorming, free writing, field notes, etc.) to link the course topic with their experience. Once students see that they have experience with the topic, I introduce the idea of using outside sources. I ask students to find at least one source that supports their ideas on a topic. I ask them to link their idea to one example. An example would be "juvenile justice + drug rehab." We then talk about how this becomes a key word string, and they use this as their first attempt in researching. When students see that there is a link between their ideas and published material, they start to see the link between their writing and academic writing. Slowly, the idea that they are writers and researchers becomes a reality.

Sometimes, I feel like my students hear "eat your brussel sprouts because they are good for you" when I say it is important to know and use APA. Perhaps APA is a bit like those brussel sprouts. Teaching students to tolerate and even accept APA is one of the steps we have to take to help them become effective writers and communicators. As writers and researchers, this is our legacy to our students.

Erica Ellsworth is and adjunct professor in criminal justice.

Did you know...

Erica taught on Navy ships for four and a half years? While teaching for Navy College, she had to clip a gas mask to her belt and carry an epi pen (they were in the Persian Gulf). She's also been to the Kingdom of Bahrain over twelve times.

Adding Application to Writing Assignments < Erica Ellsworth

In composition, we generally assign a term project in English writing terms: Write a five page college level essay. Adhere to the five paragraph format, use APA, and Standard American English for grammar and mechanics.

Sometimes, we will even place a rhetorical limitation: For your final project, you will use persuasive writing.

Often times, we, as English teachers, lament about the quality of work. Our students don’t seem engaged in the writing process. We get excited to see emerging ideas on the topic, but are often let down when we see the final project. Where did all of those brilliant ideas go?

What if? What if instead of using English terms, we flip the assignment into concepts our students understand? No, we don’t all need to learn text or IM language. We do, however, need to show our students why writing is meaningful and important in their majors and in future careers.

In criminal justice composition, I make a challenge to my students to think like a criminal justice major. At first, my students feel like I am not serious. When I give them the “new” directions for the final project, it starts to make a little more sense. Here’s the same assignment written two different ways:

In English terms:

Write a five page college level essay. Adhere to the five paragraph format, use APA, and Standard American English for grammar and mechanics. For your final project, you will use persuasive writing.

For criminal justice majors:

What is your mission? This asks a more concrete question that you can answer and use as a springboard for prewriting and drafting.

What is your mission – what is the main idea? What do you want the reader to learn? To know? To think? What is the problem? Is there a solution? What is the solution? Why will the solution work? What is needed for the mission? Is there information that needs to be given prior to giving the solution? Are there words or jargon to define so the reader understands your position?

This is not your “normal” research paper. I want you to think out of the box. I want you to step outside English class and think in terms of criminal justice. Then, we will take those criminal justice ideas and convey them in an effective paper. Yes, I want you to think like a police officer, a probation agent, a corrections agent, a DEA, FBI or CIA agent. I want your criminal justice brain going – digging for information and presenting that information.

Each step of the process is then put into terms and concepts that they have used either in their work or previous classes within their major. While the assignment has essentially remained the same, students are now able to see the value of the assignment – how it will help them to be successful in the criminal justice field.

Even though my example is for the composition courses within the School of Criminal Justice, any writing assignment can be reworded to focus on different majors.

Erica Ellsworth is a Composition Professor in Criminal Justice.

[This article was originally published in our July, 2009 issue.]