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Science Storytelling Beyond The Dramatic Arc: Narrativity And Little Red Schoolhouse Principles In Science Communication, Daniel A. Newman

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Narrative is widely recommended for improving science communication, yet the main approach to science storytelling is limited and limiting, advocating fixed dramatic arcs and the ideal of narrativehood, the absolute quality of being a coherent narrative. Neglected by this approach, I argue, are the finer grained linguistic patterns that give texts local narrativity, the quality of being narrative in a scalar, adjectival sense. I harmonize narrativity with the well-established principles of clear technical writing developed by Joseph Williams, then demonstrate how these principles might be used and taught through a comparative reading of several texts discussing a single topic in …

Storying Science: Preparing Stem Students To Engage With Discipline-Specific And Public Audiences Through The Ted(X) Genre, Erica M. Stone, Sarah E. Austin

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Communicating about science with public audiences is becoming increasingly important for STEM students, both during their studies and once they enter a specific scientific workplace. Using two different general education writing courses as case examples, one at Middle Tennessee State University and one at the United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School, this article offers a model for how the rhetorical structure of the TED(x) presentation genre can be used to prepare STEM-focused students to better engage with non-expert audiences. Through narrative reflection and assignment examples, we build on Joshua Schimel’s framework for communicating science and provide a replicable model …

Embedding The Scientists: Civic Issues As Context For Teaching And Learning, Heather Lettner-Rust, Alix Dowling Kink, Edward Kinman, Joellen Pederson, Phillip Poplin

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

We teach science as a path to meaningful civic engagement in a participatory democracy and as a path that should be open to all; our concern lies in how the next generation of young citizens1 address challenging civic issues both by applying science to other contexts—public and civic—as well as communicating science to others—peers and the public. To that end, our article seeks to explain an interdisciplinary capstone course for our general education program that we developed to promote and support science learning and science communication by teaching in the context of important civic issues.

Why Moffet Matters Now, Stephen Lafer, Jonathan M. Marine

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

James Porter Moffett (1929–1996) was a ground-breaking teacher, author, and theorist of language learning who had a profound impact on the fields of English Education, Language Arts, Composition, and Educational Psychology in the mid to late 20th century and was the first member of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning (AEPL). In the inaugural Moffett’s Corner, Steve Lafer and Jonathan Marine discuss how they came together, why they wanted to start this column, and what they hope to accomplish.

Public Narratives, Storytelling, And Trust: A Case Study In A Stem-Based Writing Program, Jeff Gagnon

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

In recent years, a growing body of scholars have argued that narrative storytelling is an effective and necessary science communication tool for the education of undergraduate STEM students. This research comes at a time when many in the public are becoming distrustful about science, scientists, and scientific communication. However, questions remain about which genre and style of narratives are most effective at building trust among STEM communicators and public audiences? My essay answers this question through a case study of narrative communication in my first-year writing classes. I analyze my attempts to teach STEM students that “public narratives,” a genre …

Addressing Gaps In Science Competencies: Incorporating Science Communication Into Existing Classes, Amy J. Hawkins, Melissa Rowland-Goldsmith, Nicole C. Woitowich

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Regardless of which career path a scientist decides to take, they must be able to communicate effectively with broad audiences. As such, science communication training has become an essential component of STEM professional development. While multiple national scientific societies have articulated the need to address these skills as in fundamental training, few undergraduate scientific training programs have formally addressed this in their degree programs. Here we present an innovative approach to teach this skill set by blending an online science communication course with existing curricula in the biomedical sciences. Online content from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology …

Part 1: Creating Scientist-Citizens Through A Writing Minor, Melissa Carrion, Ed Nagelhout

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Part 1: Creating Scientist-Citizens through a Writing Minor

Weaving Science Communication Training Through An Undergraduate Science Program With A Focus On Accessibility And Inclusion, Adina Silver, Zoya Adeel, Tim Li, Abeer Siddiqui, Alexander Hall, Sarah L. Symons, Katie Moisse

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Science communication training can help scientists engage diverse audiences with the promise and process of science, helping to strengthen science literacy and preserve public trust in science. But not all scientists have access to such training. To address this shortfall, we have embedded a suite of science communication courses in the Life Sciences Program, the largest undergraduate science program at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. A foundational course focuses on making science accessible through inclusive language and media, while more advanced courses emphasize the importance of understanding and centering the values, beliefs, questions, and critiques of audiences, and using narratives …

Coastal Communications: Teaching Civic Scientific Literacy In English And Environmental Science And Resource Management Classes, Stacey Anderson, Kiki Patsch

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Named after the national park that lies just off of our Ventura County shores, California State University Channel Islands draws faculty who are committed to integrating the coast into their teaching and research. This context has inspired our interdisciplinary collaboration as teacher-scholars who hail from separate departments (English and Environmental Science and Resource Management). Our work together is designed to amplify civic scientific literacy in our classrooms as a means of elevating discourse on the growing challenges that threaten our coastal communities.

Part 2: Learning To Communicate About Science: Writing About (Science) Writing And The First-Year Writing Requirement, David Gerstle, Sarah Seeley, Marc Laflamme

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Part 2: Learning to Communicate About Science: Writing About (Science) Writing and the First-Year Writing Requirement

Getting Beyond “Craap”: Scientific Literacy In Fyw And Wad, Erica Duran, Lauren M. Springer

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

While first-year writing (FYW) programs often bear the responsibility for teaching students to write across the disciplines (Downs and Wardle), too often students restrict the concepts learned in FYW to the humanities, or even worse, a single class. Moreover, students frequently complete research assignments in FYW which restrict them to scholarly or peer-reviewed sources, hindering their ability to learn how to assess popular sources. This can be especially problematic with scholarly STEM sources, which are laden with unfamiliar technical terms. Although the writing and research skills learned in FYW are often intended to be interdisciplinary, FYW faculty have opportunities to …

English 101, Naomi C. Gades

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Poetry: English 101

Connecting Introduction - Reciprocal Engagement And Imperfect Pedagogy, Christy I. Wenger

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Connecting Introduction - Reciprocal Engagement and Imperfect Pedagogy

Aepl Members Respond To Lynn Z. Bloom’S Recipe1, Lynn Bloom, Bruce Novak, Geri Deluca, Libby F. Jones, Jeffrey Seizer, Elizabeth Vickers

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

AEPL Members Respond to Lynn Z. Bloom’s Recipe

Negotiating Scientific Identity And Agency: Graduate Student Perspectives On A Public Communication Of Science Course, Lilly Campbell

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Drawing on interviews with nine graduate science students, this article explores perspectives on a Public Communication of Science (PCS) course designed to help students translate their research for a public talk given at a local town hall. I first outline the history of the student-run course and then discuss three course components—public rhetoric of science; improvisation; and audience awareness. Within each component, I describe one student’s particular experience with the course. I describe how students transferred rhetorical lessons from the course to their academic writing but could also transfer rigid views of communication from their scientific work back into their …

Back Matter, Wendy Ryden

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Back Matter

Sessional Spa Time, Amber Moore

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Poetry: Sessional spa time

Contributors To Jaepl, Vol. 28, Wendy Ryden

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

List of contributors and biographies for JAEPL, Volume 28.

Tales Of The Keyworld: An Examination Of The Study And Application Of Craft Theory For Writers, Lauren Bruce

Honors Theses

The following consists of a craft essay focused on character and close third-person narration and a novel excerpt. The craft essay begins with a discussion of what craft theory is and how it is useful to writers when used together with reading analysis. It then synthesizes the conversation around close third-person narration and character and applies it to a close reading analysis of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. The novel excerpt comes from the middle of a work in progress and concerns members of the Keyworld, a fantastical sub-layer of the modern world unknown to most humans.

Keep It (Them) Down, Jenna Reynolds

A Midwestern Review: A Magazine of the Arts and Issues at DePauw University

Jenna Reynolds is a junior English writing major. Fiction is her preferred genre. She’s an actress, so stage/screen plays are some of her favorites to write, but others find her real life to be far too interesting for her to not also write nonfiction, so she gave it her best shot.

Jaepl - Volume 28, Wendy Ryden

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Full Issue of The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning Volume 28.

Commonthought (2023), Commonthought Staff

Commonthought

This issue features works created by Lesley University students and covers a broad range of topics. The work itself crosses many disciplines from creative writing to visual arts.

Paradise, 46304, Sydney Schloemer

A Midwestern Review: A Magazine of the Arts and Issues at DePauw University

Sydney Schloemer is a 2026 graduate, studying both psychology and English writing. From the small town of Monrovia, Indiana, she has always enjoyed expressing herself in a multitude of creative media, especially in writing. She hopes to broaden her skills and eventually use them to educate others on a number of psychological topics.

Food As A Literary Device In The Hunger Games: World Building, Characterization, And Plot Momentum, Linzee Mitchell

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Food relates to the experience of life, survival, and memory. It impacts us every day, whether we have plenty of it or not. It influences our memories and connects us to one another, while structuring details of our identities and cultures. As a creative writer and English major, I recognize that food influences a story to accentuate literary concepts and unveil them, such as a character’s compassion or the poison that a villain uses to unfold the plot. The best example of food as an impactful device within a story is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. From the first …

A Scorpion's Sting: Coming-Of-Age Vignettes Focalized On Modern Las Vegas Youth Culture, Vlada Stark

Undergraduate Research Symposium Podium Presentations

Explored themes: mother and daughter relationships, large immigrant community in Las Vegas, adolescent platonic and romantic relationships, hardships of girlhood, abundancy of sex work, increased substance abuse, importance of creative youth culture, disparity between Las Vegas as a city and local life.

A Mind Divided, Molly Venus

A Midwestern Review: A Magazine of the Arts and Issues at DePauw University

Molly Venus is a junior English writing major. Her first publication was in the Fall 2022 issue of A Midwestern Review. She is currently serving as Vice President of Academic Affairs for DePauw Student Government and enjoys cooking delicious food with her friends in her free time!

650 Words, Anne Gregg

A Midwestern Review: A Magazine of the Arts and Issues at DePauw University

Anne Gregg is a writer and poet from Northwest Indiana. She is also the Editor-In-Chief of a Midwestern Review. Anne Gregg is an English writing major and has been published numerous times across the centuries, but most of her work has been lost to time.

Learning To Shower, Taylor Cripe

A Midwestern Review: A Magazine of the Arts and Issues at DePauw University

Taylor Cripe is in DePauw's class of 2026. She is pursuing an English writing major with a religious studies bridged major. Although she dabbles in fiction writing, she prefers poetry for the nuanced and intuitive way it conveys its themes. She is excited to be a part of this semester’s edition of A Midwestern Review.

The Quiet And Other Fantastical Tales, Emily Nicole Cerda

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis briefly discusses the genres and subgenres of speculative fiction—focusing on fantasy, horror, and science fiction—and is primarily a short story collection that also includes a few novel chapters. The critical introduction delves into the present and overly complex subgenre categorization methods, how and why new subgenres are created, and provides simple definitions for the main genres of speculative fiction and fantasy subgenres.

The subgenres that will be discussed through either a short story, novel chapter(s), or definition include, but are not limited to: fairytales, portal fantasy, paranormal romance, dark fantasy, historical fantasy, magical realism, epic fantasy, mythic fiction, …

Smoke And Mirrors, Adara London

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

When a human trafficking ring comes to town, a grieving graduate student must choose between investigating on her own to save her sister or leaving the investigation to her impassive cop boyfriend.