The Duke Writing in the Disciplines program and Office of Alumni Affairs are collaborating to bring current Duke students together with Duke Alumni and employees in a unique and exciting educational experiment. The Reader Project offers students the opportunity to get feedback on a class writing assignment from members of the broader Duke community who have professional experience relevant to their assignments. Getting feedback from readers outside of the classroom setting is not only a great source of motivation; it can help students learn to anticipate the needs and expectations of readers, and to revise their writing to make it more effective for the intended audience. By participating in the Reader Project, members of the broader Duke community can play a direct role in helping our students develop the communication and reasoning skills that are so important for their success in both professional and civic life.
The time commitment for volunteers is low - no more than three to four hours over the course of a semester. For readers who reside out of town, we will facilitate online video conferencing using webcams if readers choose to do so. (We'll even provide participants with webcams if they need them.) If you are a Duke alum or employee, consider adding your name to the reader pool. As the reader pool grows, we will be able to offer this opportunity to students in more courses.
What happens when I add my name to the reader pool?
In order to make the best possible match between readers and students, we will ask you to provide us with detailed information on your educational background, your professional experience, and so on. At the start of each semester we will search the reader pool data to find volunteers who are a good fit for the writing participating students will be doing that term. In most cases readers will be matched with a single student, although in some courses students will be co-authoring a single paper; for those courses, readers will be matched with a team of students.
If I am chosen to be a reader, how will I interact with the student?
If you are If you are selected as a reader in a given semester, you will first be contacted to make sure you will be available to participate that term. As a reader, you will have three main interactions will the student assigned to work with you:
-
Meet your student: Readers and students will have a 20-30 minute "Introductory meeting" to start off. In this meeting, readers and students will get to know each other and have a chance to discuss the student's project. The readers will get a sense of the kind of writing the students will be doing and what the students are trying to accomplish in the paper, while the students will begin to get a sense of the audience for their writing.
-
Give feedback on a draft: Once the student has written a coherent draft of their paper, they will e-mail the draft to you for your feedback. (To learn more about the kind of feedback you might provide for this draft, see Feedback.)
-
Discuss the revised draft: The student will take your comments into account in revising the paper and then e-mail you the new draft. The two of you will have a "follow-up" meeting to discuss the revised draft.
Am I qualified?
Yes! We're not looking for experienced teachers or even expert writers -- just people with experience reading the writing of their field. While we welcome volunteers who have strong backgrounds as writers or editors, anyone who has a few years of professional experience in their field will be an effective reader.
Interested?
If you'd like for your name to be added to the pool of readers, please let us know! And if you'd like to talk it over before signing up, we'd be happy to chat with you.
Feel free to contact Project Manager David Bernay with any questions.