Mini Modules are designed to be engaging and interactive for students. Mini Module coaches can review with students a variety of subjects. If you do not see a topic that meets your goals, contact WRSA to discuss your needs.
APA
The Annotated Bibliography workshop introduces students to the need, methods, and format for creating an annotated bibliography (AB). Students learn the components of an AB and why a well-prepared one will help them write an effective, correctly documented research paper. Students will gain access to a template that they can use to complete their AB in correct APA format, and if students are in a computer classroom, they can begin to add citations and annotations during the workshop, conferring with the coach as needed. The workshop can be adapted to address an instructor’s specific annotation specifications and to include references for sources specific to the assignment. Available via Zoom.
During APA Formatting for Nursing, the coach shows students how to use APA style specifically geared toward their nursing assignments. The coach reviews the necessary formatting elements and their placement for APA style papers and also reviews how to create in-text citations. Students are introduced to the nuts and bolts of formatting the references page and are provided access to the WRSA APA references template, in addition to other illustrative handouts, and to the Nursing resources available through the COD library. Available via Zoom.
The Avoiding Plagiarism workshop tackles the multifaceted problem of plagiarism. During the workshop, the coach works with students to define what plagiarism is, whether intentional or unintentional, and how to identify instances of plagiarism in examples. Students are asked to consider the consequences of plagiarism and why documenting and citing sources is essential to learning and successful college level work.
The coach introduces students to procedures to avoid unintentional and patchwork plagiarism; to the accurate use of direct quotation, summary, and paraphrase; to the use of signal phrases to integrate cited text; and to the appropriate ways to include in-text citations. In pairs or small groups, students examine and discuss plagiarized paragraphs and suggest ways to resolve the plagiarism.
These workshops are designed to include examples, sources, and citations appropriate to writing with APA or MLA, and to introduce plagiarism for any class that requires written work (essays, research, papers, speech outlines, and multi-modal work). Available via Zoom.
In-Text Citations presents students with the basics of attributing and citing a quotation or paraphrased statement within their work. Students are introduced to the reasoning behind citation in academic writing, which includes how to avoid plagiarizing, and they are introduced to the types of sources that must be cited, four primary ways of integrating outside sources into their writing, and tips to avoid possible pitfalls in citation. Students engage in activities that help them test their knowledge of APA citation and to practice citing sources. The workshop may be adapted to address the content or sources from previous classroom assignments or research topics provided by the instructor or students. Available via Zoom.
During References, the coach helps students navigate the APA style of bibliography by explaining its necessary elements and their placement and reinforces this information by reviewing sample entries. Students then work together to formulate correct citations for the types of sources they will be using in their current assignment.
It is helpful for instructors to include relevant sources when requesting this workshop, so we can customize the samples students will be working with to review the formatting and to create citations. The coach also reviews the nuts and bolts of formatting the references page and will provide access to our APA references template, in addition to other illustrative handouts. Available via Zoom.
ELS
Avoiding Plagiarism-ELS tackles the multifaceted problem of plagiarism with special emphasis on cultural differences and English language learners.
During the workshop, the coach works with students to define what plagiarism is, whether intentional or unintentional, and how to identify instances of plagiarism in examples. Students are asked to consider the consequences of plagiarism and why documenting and citing sources is essential to learning and successful college level work. The coach introduces students to procedures to avoid unintentional and patchwork plagiarism; to the accurate use of direct quotation, summary, and paraphrase; to the use of signal phrases to integrate cited text; and to the appropriate ways to include in-text citations. In pairs or small groups, students examine and discuss plagiarized paragraphs and suggest ways to resolve the plagiarism.
These workshops are designed to include examples, sources, and citations appropriate to writing with APA or MLA, and to introduce plagiarism for any class that requires written work (essays, research, papers, speech outlines, and multi-modal work). Available via Zoom.
Commas-ELS presents students with the most common ways of using this punctuation mark and debunks some myths about comma placement. In the course of the workshop, students review important terminology and concepts related to sentence structure that help them identify where to place commas. They work to identify and correct the most common usage errors and then create new sentences to better understand and apply what they have learned. Available via Zoom.
In-Text Citations-MLA-ELS presents students with the basics of attributing and citing a quotation, paraphrased statement, or summary within their work. Students are introduced to the reasoning behind citation in academic writing and the types of information that require citations to avoid plagiarizing. They learn the difference between narrative and parenthetical citations and five primary ways of integrating outside sources into their writing. Students engage in activities that help them test their knowledge of MLA citations and practice citing sources. The workshop may be adapted to address the content or sources from previous classroom assignments or research topics provided by the instructor or students. Available via Zoom.
Oral Citations-ELS introduces English language learners to why we cite sources, what information should be cited, and what three components make up an oral source citation.
Students learn the difference between primary and secondary sources; the distinctions between print, online, and web sources; and the uses of and differences between quoting and paraphrasing sources. Students practice developing oral citations from sample sources that can be tailored to the specific content of their assigned speeches or group presentation topics. Available via Zoom.
Run-on Sentences-ELS asks students to review their understanding of what makes a sentence a sentence and then introduces the two most common forms of run-on sentences: comma splices and fused sentences. Students review basic terminology and the main ways of joining or punctuating sentences, before working in groups to punctuate a paragraph. The workshop is designed for any course requiring writing and can be adapted to include writing students produce in the workshop, a sample student essay, or a modified textbook passage. Available via Zoom.
During Thesis Statements-ELS, the coach defines the term “thesis statement” and explains why an effective one is important for any essay. Students are introduced to the markers of a strong thesis statement, as well as to what writers should avoid when composing a thesis.
After discussing these elements, students practice identifying them in sample thesis statements and work collaboratively to improve weak thesis statements. Students then create their own thesis statements on a topic provided either by the coach or for their current writing assignment.
The workshop is geared toward writing thesis statements for argumentative essays in the humanities, but it can be adapted for other kinds of essays, including compare/contrast and narrative essays. Available via Zoom.
There are times when an instructor needs assistance with something very specific that does not necessarily match any of our workshop offerings. The Coach Assist mini module is for these situations. Instructors can request a coach be embedded in their class for a day to assist students with particular tasks or topics. (The Coach Assist is more open than the Coach Blitz, which involves multiple coaches and is operated on a tight rotation of students and coaches.) With the Coach Assist, you can request a coach for any number of pre-planned activities: for instance, helping students learn how to upload their papers for email coaching or assisting students in understanding fully what a new assignment requires. There are many possibilities!
Another Coach Assist option is to assist students further with a mini module topic after having had an in-class workshop; so, for instance, if your students have had a Revision, MLA In-text Citation, or Creating Academic Posters workshop, a coach can return to your class a second day to follow through as your students work on these tasks. If you have questions about this choice, or have an idea but are not sure if it fits, please email us, and we will talk through the options. Available via Zoom.
MLA
The Annotated Bibliography workshop introduces students to the need, methods, and format for creating an annotated bibliography (AB). Students learn the components of an AB and why a well-prepared one will help them write an effective, correctly documented research paper.
Students will gain access to a template that they can use to complete their AB in correct MLA format, and if students are in a computer classroom, they can begin to add citations and annotations during the workshop, conferring with the coach as needed.
The workshop can be adapted to address an instructor’s specific annotation specifications and to include works cited for sources specific to the assignment. Available via Zoom.
The Avoiding Plagiarism workshop tackles the multifaceted problem of plagiarism. During the workshop, the coach works with students to define what plagiarism is, whether intentional or unintentional, and how to identify instances of plagiarism in examples.
Students are asked to consider the consequences of plagiarism and why documenting and citing sources is essential to learning and successful college level work. The coach introduces students to procedures to avoid unintentional and patchwork plagiarism; to the accurate use of direct quotation, summary, and paraphrase; to the use of signal phrases to integrate cited text; and to the appropriate ways to include in-text citations. In pairs or small groups, students examine and discuss plagiarized paragraphs and suggest ways to resolve the plagiarism.
These workshops are designed to include examples, sources, and citations appropriate to writing with APA or MLA, and to introduce plagiarism for any class that requires written work (essays, research, papers, speech outlines, and multi-modal work). Available via Zoom.
In-Text Citations presents students with the basics of attributing and citing a quotation or paraphrased statement within their work. Students are introduced to the reasoning behind citation in academic writing, which includes how to avoid plagiarizing, and they are introduced to the types of sources that must be cited, four primary ways of integrating outside sources into their writing, and tips to avoid possible pitfalls in citation. Students engage in activities that help them test their knowledge of MLA citation and to practice citing sources.
The workshop may be adapted to address the content or sources from previous classroom assignments or research topics provided by the instructor or students. Available via Zoom.
During Works Cited, the coach helps students navigate the MLA style of bibliography by explaining its necessary elements and their placement and reinforces this information by reviewing sample entries. Students then work together to formulate correct citations for the types of sources they will be using in their current assignment. It is helpful for instructors to include relevant sources when requesting this workshop, so we can customize the samples students will be working with to review the formatting and to create citations. The coach also reviews the nuts and bolts of formatting the works cited page and will provide access to our MLA citations template, in addition to other illustrative handouts. Available via Zoom.
Multimodal
Creating Academic Posters guides students through the multi-modal process of presenting research material in this commonly-used format. The workshop emphasizes the importance of organizing focused content and applying professional design principles when laying out the posters in our College of DuPage template. Students discuss the requirements of varied audiences and apply design principles to improve example posters before beginning their own. In addition to poster creation, the workshop introduces students to the importance of outlining short presentations about their research to maximize the impact of their poster sessions.
This workshop works best when held in a computer classroom, so students can begin working on their own posters during the workshop. Creating Academic Posters is easily adapted to support specific assignments in any discipline.
Creating Effective Infographics introduces students to strategies for reading, interpreting, and creating data-driven arguments and narratives in infographic form. The coach emphasizes the importance of reliable data, focused topics, and professional graphic design elements. Students identify and discuss the similarities between the writing process and infographic design process and the rationale for rise of visual data products in academia and beyond. In addition to infographic creation, the workshop introduces students to accessible graphic design platforms and a step-by-step process of drafting and revising visual data.
This workshop works best when held in a computer classroom, so students can begin working on their own infographics during the workshop. Creating Infographics is easily adapted to support specific assignments in any discipline. Available via Zoom.
The Effective PowerPoint Slides workshop outlines the basic rules for achieving a balanced, professional, attractive, and compelling presentation by focusing on the student as a designer of slides in service of a message. Students learn why the design, pace, and look of a Power Point deck can lead to a successful presentation that clarifies ideas and engages an audience. The workshop asks students to consider slide background, words, and image design as part of an overall strategy for delivering content and ideas. If students are in a computer classroom, they can begin to work on their slides during the workshop.
The workshop can be adapted to address the content of assignments from many different academic areas: from Fine Arts Ceramics to Leadership Experiences for Humanities. Available via Zoom.
Visual Literacy: Reading and Analyzing Visual Elements introduces students to the process of analyzing images as text. The workshop leader describes the most important elements of visual literacy, such as color, size, alignment, and white space, and explores how a content creator may use these to communicate meaning visually. Students practice interpreting and evaluating visual media including photographs, infographics, and advertisements. Workshop leaders encourage students to analyze the larger socio-cultural context in which visual materials are created. This workshop prepares students to present either written or oral analyses of multimodal materials.
Reading
Paraphrase, Summary, Quotation asks students to discuss these three activities as they currently practice/understand them and clarifies the subtle benefits of using each when researching and writing papers or creating multi-modal projects. Since students often confuse summary and paraphrase, one of the main activities in the workshop asks students to create one or the other with a partner. Students discuss the processes of creating a summary or paraphrase and consider why one might be chosen over the other to make the best use of an outside source or to better support a claim.
This workshop can be adapted to use a shared text students are already reading for class, a text the coach chooses, or students’ current research materials depending on an instructor’s goals and the nature of the assignment students are currently working on. Available via Zoom.
Textbook Strategies introduces students to a variety of techniques for utilizing their textbooks more efficiently, including the advantages of previewing the entire textbook and becoming familiar with the locations and uses of the table of contents, the index, the glossary, and the appendix. Students will learn how to better predict and manage study time by practicing the strategy of assessing the difficulty of a sample textbook chapter. The coach also introduces/reviews the strengths of the SQ4R (survey, question, read, recite, record, review) method of studying to improve comprehension and increase recall and asks students, working in pairs, to practice SQ4R with a passage in the sample chapter.
While this workshop is constructed around a sample print chapter of our choosing, it can be adapted to use another textbook chapter for a specific course, if an instructor prefers.
Speech
The Avoiding Plagiarism workshop tackles the multifaceted problem of plagiarism. During the workshop, the coach works with students to define what plagiarism is, whether intentional or unintentional, and how to identify instances of plagiarism in examples. Students are asked to consider the consequences of plagiarism and why documenting and citing sources is essential to learning and successful college level work. The coach introduces students to procedures to avoid unintentional and patchwork plagiarism; to the accurate use of direct quotation, summary, and paraphrase; to the use of signal phrases to integrate cited text; and to the appropriate ways to include in-text citations. In pairs or small groups, students examine and discuss plagiarized paragraphs and suggest ways to resolve the plagiarism.
These workshops are designed to include examples, sources, and citations appropriate to writing with APA or MLA, and to introduce plagiarism for any class that requires written work (essays, research, papers, speech outlines, and multi-modal work). Available via Zoom.
The Effective PowerPoint Slides workshop outlines the basic rules for achieving a balanced, professional, attractive, and compelling presentation by focusing on the student as a designer of slides in service of a message. Students learn why the design, pace, and look of a Power Point deck can lead to a successful presentation that clarifies ideas and engages an audience. The workshop asks students to consider slide background, words, and image design as part of an overall strategy for delivering content and ideas. If students are in a computer classroom, they can begin to work on their slides during the workshop.
The workshop can be adapted to address the content of assignments from many different academic areas: from Fine Arts Ceramics to Leadership Experiences for Humanities. Available via Zoom.
Oral Citations introduces students to why we cite sources, what information should be cited, and what three components make up an oral source citation. Students learn the difference between primary and secondary sources; the distinctions between print, online, and web sources; and the uses of and differences between quoting and paraphrasing sources. Students practice developing oral citations from sample sources that can be tailored to the specific content of their assigned speeches or group presentation topics. Available via Zoom.
There are times when an instructor needs assistance with something very specific that does not necessarily match any of our workshop offerings. The Coach Assist mini module is for these situations. Instructors can request a coach be embedded in their class for a day to assist students with particular tasks or topics. (The Coach Assist is more open than the Coach Blitz, which involves multiple coaches and is operated on a tight rotation of students and coaches.) With the Coach Assist, you can request a coach for any number of pre-planned activities: for instance, helping students learn how to upload their papers for email coaching or assisting students in understanding fully what a new assignment requires. There are many possibilities!
Another Coach Assist option is to assist students further with a mini module topic after having had an in-class workshop; so, for instance, if your students have had a Revision, MLA In-text Citation, or Creating Academic Posters workshop, a coach can return to your class a second day to follow through as your students work on these tasks. If you have questions about this choice, or have an idea but are not sure if it fits, please email us, and we will talk through the options. Available via Zoom.
Writing
The Avoiding Plagiarism workshop tackles the multifaceted problem of plagiarism. During the workshop, the coach works with students to define what plagiarism is, whether intentional or unintentional, and how to identify instances of plagiarism in examples. Students are asked to consider the consequences of plagiarism and why documenting and citing sources is essential to learning and successful college level work. The coach introduces students to procedures to avoid unintentional and patchwork plagiarism; to the accurate use of direct quotation, summary, and paraphrase; to the use of signal phrases to integrate cited text; and to the appropriate ways to include in-text citations. In pairs or small groups, students examine and discuss plagiarized paragraphs and suggest ways to resolve the plagiarism.
These workshops are designed to include examples, sources, and citations appropriate to writing with APA or MLA, and to introduce plagiarism for any class that requires written work (essays, research, papers, speech outlines, and multi-modal work). Available via Zoom.
Better Peer Response: How and Why asks students to consider why they are often required to give peer response and what place it has in their learning. Students think about their own experiences as writers and identify the kinds of response they find most useful. The coach introduces additional strategies for responding in depth and with particularity to peers’ drafts and emphasizes the importance of writers asking for the kinds of response they feel will be constructive. Students experiment with new strategic and global responses on either a draft they are working on or a mock draft designed for the workshop.
This workshop is for any course where students are expected to give constructive response to their peers’ written work; it can be adapted to specific assignments and specific kinds of response an instructor may require from students. It works best when students are engaged with peer review on a current draft.
Effective Conclusions introduces students to the idea that different kinds of papers call for different conclusions. The coach provides a basic framework of questions to help students identify what they are writing. Students use this framework collaboratively to analyze sample, concluding paragraphs (representative of their current assignment) and to develop principles for writing strong conclusions, principles that they can apply to their own writing. The coach asks students to consider how they might use this framework of questions for identifying and writing conclusions for other types of papers. This workshop is adaptable to nearly any college writing assignment. To be most effective for students, it is helpful if the instructor can provide successful, sample conclusions of the genre for the assignment, or request the workshop far enough ahead of time, so that we have time to find appropriate samples for the collaborative activities.
Effective Introductions introduces students to the idea that different kinds of papers call for different introductions. The coach provides a basic framework of questions to help students identify what they are writing. Students use this framework collaboratively to analyze sample, introductory paragraphs (representative of their current assignment) and to develop principles for writing strong introductions that they can apply to their own writing. The coach asks students to consider how they might use this framework of questions for identifying and writing introductions for other types of papers. This workshop is adaptable to nearly any college writing assignment. To be most effective for students, it is helpful if the instructor can provide successful, sample introductions of the genre for the assignment, or request the workshop far enough ahead of time, so that we have time to find appropriate samples for the collaborative activities.
Fear of the Blank Page asks students to consider their resistance to and fear of writing, which often leads to procrastination and incomplete assignments. Students identify feelings, thoughts, and past writing experiences that create barriers to starting writing assignments in a timely manner. The coach identifies strategies students can use to get in a productive mindset and to take action, before asking students to generate their own strategies. Students practice these strategies, with an emphasis on generative and low stakes pre-writing activities that, ideally, lead into the assignment students are currently working on or will be working on. Available via Zoom.
The MEAL workshop asks students to organize an essays’ body paragraphs using the MEAL acronym (main idea, evidence, analysis, and link/lead out). Students discuss their current conceptions/misconceptions of what information is necessary for writing solid body paragraphs. Students are introduced to the four main types of evidence they can use to improve their essay’s support, as well as the use of transitional words to help link their main ideas together within the essays. Using a sample paragraph, the coach helps students identify each part of the acronym. Then, students work in groups to put passages in an appropriate and functional order to make a MEAL paragraph. By the end of the workshop, students should understand how well constructed paragraphs support their essays’ main thesis statement and how using MEAL can help. This workshop uses prepared examples for students to work with, but if we have enough lead-time, we can tailor the examples to include course readings or other materials an instructor would like to use.
Outlining introduces students to using outlines as part of their writing process. Students are asked to think about what outlines are and how they have used outlines in the past. The coach introduces a variety of informal and formal outlines, including any that are pertinent to the form of essay/writing assignment the students are working on (for example, a compare/contrast essay). Students discuss why writers might use outlining, why they might want to use outlining, and when in the writing process outlining can be helpful—not just as a pre-writing & planning strategy but also as a revision strategy.
This workshop can be modified to accommodate different kinds of writing assignments or writing issues and works best when students have a rough draft to begin a working outline.
Paraphrase, Summary, Quotation asks students to discuss these three activities as they currently practice/understand them and clarifies the subtle benefits of using each when researching and writing papers or creating multi-modal projects. Since students often confuse summary and paraphrase, one of the main activities in the workshop asks students to create one or the other with a partner. Students discuss the processes of creating a summary or paraphrase and consider why one might be chosen over the other to make the best use of an outside source or to better support a claim.
This workshop can be adapted to use a shared text students are already reading for class, a text the coach chooses, or students’ current research materials depending on an instructor’s goals and the nature of the assignment students are currently working on. Available via Zoom.
Persuasive Professional Email introduces students to emails as a main form of professional writing and asks them to consider the importance of purpose, audience, and clarity while writing. Students are presented with four essential elements of a professional email and review a model of a writing process for drafting emails. They have the opportunity to work through email samples in need of revisions and editing and to practice drafting an email using a sample prompt. Examples, scenarios, and the email samples all can be adapted or changed to fit specific assignments or courses. Available via Zoom.
The POLKA workshop asks students to consider the importance of organizing ideas before drafting an essay, to make their writing process more effective. We introduce the POLKA acronym (purpose, occasion, length, knowledge, and audience) as a way to help students determine what information is necessary to include in their planning and drafting. After reviewing the four main purposes for writing, the coach asks students to think about the other elements of POLKA and how they might affect their essay’s word choice, style, and voice. The main workshop activity asks students to sketch out key ideas for their current writing assignment (or on a topic of their choosing) using a simple chart to organize what they know and still need to find out.
By the end of the workshop, students should be able to identify the key aspects of each term in the POLKA acronym and have a firm idea of the advantages of applying them to writing assignments.
Revision asks students to consider what revision is, how it is different from proof reading or copy editing, and why it is important for improving writing. Students are introduced to important elements to be considered before and while revising, beginning with the requirements of their assignment. The coach guides students through methods for revising the particular draft they are writing, including asking students to think about what they are revising for: clarity, voice, adding information, paragraph functions, etc. Students work in pairs or small groups to identify, discuss, and begin to implement revision strategies.
This workshop works best if students have a solid draft they need and have time to revise. It can be adapted to particular genres and to include assignment-specific requirements. Available via Zoom.
Run-On Sentences asks students to review their understanding of what makes a sentence a sentence and then introduces the two most common forms of run-on sentences: comma splices and fused sentences. Students review the main ways of joining or punctuating sentences, before working in groups to punctuate a paragraph. The workshop asks students to think about which sentence errors they are prone to in their writing, and how they might remember and use what they have learned in the workshop as they revise their writing.
The workshop is designed for any course requiring writing and can be adapted to include writing students produce in the workshop, a sample student essay, or a modified textbook passage.
During Sentences that Work, students consider the characteristics of sentences and how they know if a sentence is good/bad or effective/ineffective. Using text from fairy and folk tales from around the world, students first identify strong sentences and then revise confusing sentences, so that they convey the author’s message, prioritize the reader, use structure to clarify meaning, use words thoughtfully, and work in conjunction with neighboring sentences. Students learn how to clarify sentence meaning through using clear actors and actions, minimizing use of passive voice, and avoiding nominalization. Throughout the workshop, students work collaboratively to apply and practice their skills, culminating in revising a sample discussion board response for a college class.
Technical Writing introduces students to the characteristics, goals, and uses of technical writing that are often different from other kinds of writing students do for course work. The coach walks students through a series of questions they can use to determine the audience they are writing for, the scope of what needs to be described, the purpose of what they are writing, and the amount of detail they need to include. Students are asked to read, revise, and discuss technical excerpts of varying length from different sources.
The workshop can be adapted to include course specific examples for students to work with as they apply the principles introduced in the workshop.
During Thesis Statements, the coach defines the term “thesis statement” and explains why an effective one is important for any essay, but especially for an argumentative essay. Students are introduced to the markers of a strong thesis statement, as well as to what writers should avoid when composing a thesis. After discussing these elements, students practice identifying them in sample thesis statements and work collaboratively to improve weak thesis statements. Students then create and revise their own thesis statements on a topic provided either by the coach or for their current writing assignment.
The workshop is geared toward writing thesis statements for argumentative essays in the humanities, but it can be adapted for other kinds of essays, including compare/contrast and narrative essays. Available via Zoom.
During the Writing Process for Research Paper workshop, a coach walks students through the three main phases of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, and revising. Students examine their current writing processes and are introduced to the advantages, especially for longer research projects, of using these writing strategies. The coach leads students in writing research questions and suggests choices for organizing information and keeping track of sources. Finally, the coach guides students as they create their own timelines for successful completion of their research projects. This workshop can be adapted to meet the requirements of a specific research assignment from any academic area.
There are times when an instructor needs assistance with something very specific that does not necessarily match any of our workshop offerings. The Coach Assist mini module is for these situations. Instructors can request a coach be embedded in their class for a day to assist students with particular tasks or topics. (The Coach Assist is more open than the Coach Blitz, which involves multiple coaches and is operated on a tight rotation of students and coaches.) With the Coach Assist, you can request a coach for any number of pre-planned activities: for instance, helping students learn how to upload their papers for email coaching or assisting students in understanding fully what a new assignment requires. There are many possibilities!
Another Coach Assist option is to assist students further with a mini module topic after having had an in-class workshop; so, for instance, if your students have had a Revision, MLA In-text Citation, or Creating Academic Posters workshop, a coach can return to your class a second day to follow through as your students work on these tasks. If you have questions about this choice, or have an idea but are not sure if it fits, please email us, and we will talk through the options. Available via Zoom.