The Portfolio

WRIT 1133

Portfolio Description
20-30 total pages of revised and polished writing, in four parts
MLA or APA citation, whichever is appropriate for the paper

To focus specifically on the kinds of writing and revision strategies we’ve used all
quarter long, the portfolio asks you to revise or rewrite one of the major papers
from the course. You will be including ALL the essays you wrote for the class, but
revising at least one of these essays to incorporate either an extended research
agenda, or translating your research for a popular, non-academic audience. (You
are more than welcome, and encouraged, to revise the other two project as you
see fit.) Also included in the portfolio is one last Writer’s Memo (of at least 3-4
pages) that discusses the how you met the WRIT course goals according to
research methods used, popular and academic audiences written to, and
secondary research incorporated into larger arguments made.

This is your opportunity to show your abilities with and understanding of the WRIT
course goals, or those you will be graded on for your final portfolio as a whole.
(See below.)

Your first task is to choose a paper from this course to revise, using your choice of
one of the strategies below:
• Strategy 1: Rewrite your paper using a different or combined research
tradition. For example, if you wrote a paper using textual interpretation,
rewrite it by examining the issue from a qualitative one, or using
quantitative research. Or you might add a quantitative component to your
ethnography (through a survey or statistics found in research) or an
interpretive element (for example, interpreting documentaries or photos
related to your topic).
• Strategy 2: Using a paper that was specifically written for an academic
audience, rewrite it for a popular one. Don’t let this one fool you! There are
very different expectations of popular writing than what we’ve been doing
all quarter, and you still have to incorporate primary and/or secondary
research, and, for our purposes, a list of sources. This option might have
you rewriting or re-purposing your project for another genre; perhaps
create a website or blog; create an ad campaign of some sort; or create a
combination poster, flyer, brochure on a researched topic; or create a
video, podcast or other form of media. Be sure that what you create
equates to about 5-6 pages of researched writing, and uses outside
sources.

This portfolio assumes you’ll be engaging in “global revision”: The project you
revise must include large-scale changes in either research tradition or audience
targeted. You must best choose how to revise your papers for the course using
either of these strategies, but the goal is to demonstrate what you’ve learned as
a writer of various academic research genres and purposes. Once you’ve decided
on the revisions to make, revise your projects, making sure to include an original
draft for comparison. Remember: This project is about making global revisions.
Global revision is about: elimination, addition, replacement, and substitution.

See also the following documents included below:

1. Final Portfolio Checklist
2. Final Writer’s Memo assignment sheet

What you’ll be graded on holistically for the portfolio:

• How the writing demonstrates revision to meet the research and rhetorical
situations chosen
• How the writing demonstrates practical knowledge of academic research
traditions (for example, text-based/interpretive; measurement-
based/empirical; and observational/qualitative) through effectively writing
in at least two of those traditions.
• How the writing demonstrates an understanding of rhetorical/conventional
differences among various academic disciplines or groups of disciplines.
• How the writing demonstrates practical knowledge of rhetorical differences
between writing for academic audiences and writing for popular audiences,
through both analysis and performance.
• How the writing demonstrates proficiency in finding, evaluating,
synthesizing, critiquing, and documenting published sources appropriate to
given rhetorical situations.

DUE: Monday, August 2, 2010, by 5pm Mountain Time

 Electronic Portfolio Assembly Checklist
WRIT 1133

 Your portfolio will consist of ONE Microsoft Word document

 Save your electronic portfolio using the following filename guideline:
LastName_FinalPortfolio.doc
 On the first page of your electronic portfolio, include the following

Your Name
WRIT 1133, Section 2
Summer 2010
Jeff Ludwig

Put together the Portfolio as follows: Include all links to multimedia projects
on the Cover Sheets for associated
 Include first your Final Writer’s projects
Memo (3-4 pages, double-spaced) Include CD or USB Drive with
multimedia versions of above revisions
 Include second the Revised Paper
Cut and paste the following documents in
first-to-last order:
o Final Cover Sheet
o Final copy of paper
o Final Works Cited or
Reference page
o Advisory Draft

 Include third one of the papers to be

evaluated
Cut and paste the following documents in first-
to-last order
o Final Cover Sheet
o Final Copy of Paper
o Final Works Cited or
Reference page
o Advisory Draft
 Include Fourth one of the papers to
be evaluated
Cut and Past the following documents in
first-to-last order
o Final Cover Sheet
o Copy of Paper
o Works Cited or
Reference Page
o Advisory Draft

IF NEEDED:
WRIT 1133
Summer 2010
Final Writer’s Memo
3-4 pages (double)

What is the rhetorical situation?

You are already being asked to create a portfolio that shows a group of DU writing
instructors, including your own professor, how well you have achieved the goals
of WRIT 1133. Your readers will find two ingredients most helpful and convincing.
(1) They’ll want to read several examples of your writing, and (2) they’ll want to
read your analysis and discussion of those examples. Together, these ingredients
should show your audience how well you’ve achieved the course’s goals.

Your final portfolio will consist of four pieces of writing, one of which you have
been asked to revise for the final portfolio by either using a different or added
research tradition or by targeting a popular audience. Please include this revised
paper and the other two major projects from the class in your portfolio. You will
also include an introductory essay (Writer’s Memo) that describes and analyses
those papers. To be most effective, the introductory essay will probably need to
be about three to four pages long.

How should I write the introductory essay?

Your introductory essay should:
• introduce the papers you’ve selected, explaining the assignment and/or
rhetorical situation for the work. Remember that most of your readers will
be unfamiliar with your class.

• use those papers as evidence to illustrate the extent to which your writing
has met the course goals. Please refer to or quote specific elements from
your papers to support your claims.

These course goals are:

• Demonstrate practical knowledge and understanding of academic research

traditions (for example, text-based/interpretive; measurement-
based/empirical; and observational/qualitative) through effectively writing
in at least two of those traditions.

• Demonstrate practical knowledge and understanding of rhetorical

differences between writing for academic audiences and writing for popular
audiences.
 • Demonstrate practical knowledge and understanding of using sources in
your writing. This includes finding, evaluating, synthesizing, critiquing, and
documenting published sources appropriate to given rhetorical situations.

Because you’re making an argument about your writing, your readers will value
an ethos characterized by honesty, thoroughness, and thoughtfulness. In addition
to discussing the strengths of your work this quarter, you might also discuss
limitations of your papers. This kind of discussion will help us understand how we
might improve our courses.

DUE: August 2nd With Final Portfolio