Discussion 2-2
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SampleModule2PresentationProject_InitialDraft.pptxExamining Rhetorical Choices in Texts for Expert and Non-Expert Audiences
Why People Who Write for Expert Audiences Have Difficulty in Communicating Their Messages to Non-Expert Audiences
Purpose of Presentation:
Non-Expert Audience Text
Topic, Central Idea, Key Supporting Claims
Important Rhetorical Strategy # 1
Important Rhetorical Strategy # 2
Important Rhetorical Strategy # 3
Analysis of Rhetorical Strategy # 3
Expert Audience Text
Kevin A. Stein
Associate Professor, Communications
Southern Utah University
Author, 6 Academic Articles
“Toward A New Understanding of the Nuances of Mortification” (2018)
Michael K. Ostrowsky
Associate Professor, Sociology
Southern Utah University
Author, 10+ Academic Articles, 1 Book
“Sports Fans, Alcohol Use, and Violent Behavior: A Sociological Review” (2016)
Article Title
“Taco the Puppy is Super-Sick: Student Excuses as a Unique Form of Apologia Rhetoric
Publication Medium
Relevant Rhetoric
Publication Date
Volume 7, 2016
URL: http://relevantrhetoric.com/StudentExcuses.pdf
What Is Being Investigated in “Taco the Puppy Is Super Sick”?
Topic:
Over the course of their academic undergraduate careers, college students may need to apologize for misbehavior in classroom settings.
Stein & Ostrowsky examine why students at American universities apologize to their instructors and which strategies are used to account for their academic misbehavior.
Methods:
Stein & Ostrowsky investigate 324 email sent from college students to instructors.
Using William L. Benoit’s typology of student apologia, Stein & Ostrowsky hypothesize that college students use various apology strategies to repair their image with their academic instructors.
Key Findings:
While the central conclusions of Benoit’s previous study were confirmed, the analysis reveals that apologies tend to feature language designed to repair interpersonal/close relationships.
Students’ apologies stress that excuses for misconduct—usually missed deadlines—are legitimate.
College students’ apologies are most likely to feature attempts to defuse the seriousness of their misbehavior or identify uncontrollable circumstances as the cause of missed assignments were most common.
A new form of bolstering strategy called “pre-giving” emerged in students’ apologies to their instructors.
Important Rhetorical Strategy # 1
Important Rhetorical Strategy # 2
Important Rhetorical Strategy # 3 : Data Tables
Table -- a rhetorical strategy in which research data is arranged into rows and columns.
Effective tables will summarize complex information in order to more clearly communicate ideas to expert audiences.
There are several visuals in Stein & Ostrowsky’s research article, yet the two most important visuals are tables that present:
William Benoit’s (2015) typology of student apologia and
an updated typology of student apologies that includes subcategories of apology types.
The table to the right illustrates the rhetor’s second Table:
Analysis of Rhetorical Strategy # 3
Data Tables are successful in satisfying an academic audience’s expectations because:
Table 1 offers a brief, visual understanding of the theory that provides the foundation for the rhetor’s data analysis.
Table 2 enhances Table 1 based on the results of the study.
New sub-categories of student apologies are presented.
Brief examples of each type of student apology are offered for easier understanding
Data Tables could be more successful in meeting an expert audience’s expectations if:
Audience members expect more thorough data from researchers. Indeed, they would expect the following questions to be addressed:
How many students’ emails featured the different categories of apology?
Which apology strategies were used most regularly? Least frequently by students?
Works Cited
(Note: This is just a partial list—for the final draft, I would also include Works Cited information for the non-expert text and any other sources like the “Common Rhetorical Strategies” documents)
Stein, Kevin A. and Michael K. Ostrowsky. “Taco the Puppy Is Super Sick: Student Excuses as a Unique Form of Apologia Rhetoric. Relevant Rhetoric, Vol. 7 (2016), pages 1 – 19, http://relevantrhetoric.com/StudentExcuses.pdf
Image Credits
(similar to the Works Cited page, this list of image credits is incomplete, and the final draft would include source information for other images used like the table 2 screenshot on Slide 13).
Slide 9, Image of Kevin A. Stein, copied from Stein’s profile at Southern Utah University, https://www.suu.edu/experts/profile/?expert=kevin.stein
