Production Process and Outcome: Scaffolded Research Project

In this chapter, we offer examples from our writing-intensive and composition courses of a scaffolded approach to the research project assignment, which we argue creates a more collaborative, student-centered approach to learning. We first discuss Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) pedagogy as implemented in other fields and their research findings and put this into conversation with a few additional theories of rehearsal, a concept well-explored in Chap. 5 . We then lay out the scaffolded design of our research project assignment and explain the various exercises and activities we continue to refine and implement throughout the semester, reinforcing how this process mirrors the kind of “rehearsal room” atmosphere we are trying to manifest for our students. Next, we discuss three different case studies to exhibit the usefulness of scaffolded design for three unique student types, before turning our attention to the benefits of the scaffolded process. We conclude by describing our assessment tools and the rationale behind these grading methods (see Chap. 8 for a more thorough discussion of assessment), along with reflections on the process as well as recommendations for its implementation in other courses.