The goal of my research and instruction is to bridge the gap that often exists between the classroom and the world beyond the classroom. Connecting research to current issues is one way of bridging this gap. Another way is through weaving composition and literary instruction together with professionalization.
Student Success Testimonies:
"I took Dr. Wills' WR227 Technical Writing class in Winter 2018. I recently wrote out an instructional sheet that shows a step-by-step how to save/record/continue on the general program of the test we run. I had the mindset Dr. Wills taught as I worked on the project: "Imagine you're teaching an alien how to do this." My boss saw the document. She not only P R A I S E D it, but informed me that we would now be incorporating it into our regular training practices as well as printing it, laminating it, and leaving it at every station in my department as a reminder on how/what to do when these errors are happening. I am so eternally grateful for Dr. Wills' teachings.I would not have seen this level of happiness from my boss over my actions if Dr. Wills hadn't taught me the true tricks of the trade."
“Dr. Wills is genuinely invested in my success and wellbeing as a person and an academic.”
“I always appreciated how Dr. Wills made herself available to her students and how she never hesitated to offer us her support, encouragement, and advice when we needed it most.”
“Dr. Wills has proven to be a generous and knowledgeable mentor who is more than willing to devote additional time and energy to assisting all of her students.”
"Dr. Wills is a passionate and motivating instructor who immerses students in literature and theory through multimedia lectures, engaging activities, and dynamic class discussions.”
"Dr. Wills' course readings and assignments made me a better researcher and scholar.”
Student Success Testimonies:
"I took Dr. Wills' WR227 Technical Writing class in Winter 2018. I recently wrote out an instructional sheet that shows a step-by-step how to save/record/continue on the general program of the test we run. I had the mindset Dr. Wills taught as I worked on the project: "Imagine you're teaching an alien how to do this." My boss saw the document. She not only P R A I S E D it, but informed me that we would now be incorporating it into our regular training practices as well as printing it, laminating it, and leaving it at every station in my department as a reminder on how/what to do when these errors are happening. I am so eternally grateful for Dr. Wills' teachings.I would not have seen this level of happiness from my boss over my actions if Dr. Wills hadn't taught me the true tricks of the trade."
“Dr. Wills is genuinely invested in my success and wellbeing as a person and an academic.”
“I always appreciated how Dr. Wills made herself available to her students and how she never hesitated to offer us her support, encouragement, and advice when we needed it most.”
“Dr. Wills has proven to be a generous and knowledgeable mentor who is more than willing to devote additional time and energy to assisting all of her students.”
"Dr. Wills is a passionate and motivating instructor who immerses students in literature and theory through multimedia lectures, engaging activities, and dynamic class discussions.”
"Dr. Wills' course readings and assignments made me a better researcher and scholar.”
English Studies
In this economic climate, I am especially committed to ensuring that my students graduate career ready. I’ve developed an English Studies course at Illinois College that helps students explore various career options available to them with an English degree. Through guest lectures, research, and critical thinking, students evaluate and hone their skill sets.
Additionally, they examine the various subfields of English Studies and the current debates about curriculum, job placement, and the legacies of colonialism and racism within higher education. Some extended research assignments on these topics explored anti-racist curriculum development in secondary education, queer identity in children’s literature, and equitable practices in the writing classroom.
One of the culminating assignments of this course asks students to
1) prepare sample job documents for a professional position they might apply to, and
2) reflect on what further skills or education or experiences they might need to be a strong candidate for that job upon graduation.
3) Students then come up with a plan that outlines the opportunities they will pursue for the remainder of their time at college to prepare for their careers.
**sample guest lectures and assignments to come**
Additionally, they examine the various subfields of English Studies and the current debates about curriculum, job placement, and the legacies of colonialism and racism within higher education. Some extended research assignments on these topics explored anti-racist curriculum development in secondary education, queer identity in children’s literature, and equitable practices in the writing classroom.
One of the culminating assignments of this course asks students to
1) prepare sample job documents for a professional position they might apply to, and
2) reflect on what further skills or education or experiences they might need to be a strong candidate for that job upon graduation.
3) Students then come up with a plan that outlines the opportunities they will pursue for the remainder of their time at college to prepare for their careers.
**sample guest lectures and assignments to come**
Fact and Fiction: Historically-Situating the Present |
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One assignment I give my intermediate and advanced composition students is to read historical accounts of global contact in newspapers from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. We then read fictional accounts of the same event: Omai's visit to London, cannibalism in New Zealand, and other such sensational events and stories circulating around Pacific voyages.
The students are able to engage with these accounts and understand narrative bias and the often blurry line between fact and fiction. This assignment is particularly relevant to current discussions of "fake news" and "alternative facts." By looking at ephemera from the eighteenth century, students can ground today's debates in a much longer history of popular knowledge and the presentation of fact. |
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Business Writing: Effective Application of Evaluative and Composition Skills on the Professional Level
Through workshops I have designed and taught through the Writing Across the Curriculum program at the University of California, Riverside, students learn to adapt and apply the skills they have developed in their composition classes to their chosen field of study.
The skills of evaluation, multi-step revision, developing a position, identifying a problem, and proposing a solution are just some of those covered in my workshop series. Designed to support the material and assignments developed for Management Writing and Communication, the workshop series I taught helped students to materialize their ideas and find practical application for the skills they were learning from the business writing course.
-Work on revising ideas versus revising sentences helped students evaluate and construct a professional email.
-Practicing in-depth analysis of a company aided students in creating an evaluative report.
-Step-by-step lessons guided students in developing further their often-hasty and unsupported arguments for a solution to a problem with a particular company.
-Emphasis on and practice utilizing concrete language encouraged students to communicate more effectively and to create specific and strong examples in business proposals.
Technical Writing: Honing Composition, Research, and Evaluative Skills for Professional Communication
As a Technical Writing instructor, I guide students through the processes of applying the skills of evaluation, research and composition that they have acquired toward their chosen professional goals. Technical Writing is rooted in practicality, utility, and specificity. Each Technical Writing assignment draws on the students' abilities to think critically about audience and purpose and to tailor their content accordingly.
Students work collaboratively to carry out instructions for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. This in-class project gives the students the opportunity to apply and examine the effectiveness of their instruction manuals.
Technical Writing assignments include:
-Creating a technical document to help a peer evaluate a student resume.
-Evaluating and revising a professional email.
-Using their understanding of audience and purpose to create an instruction manual.
-Performing research on a topic of professional interest and creating a professional document presenting that research.
-Analyzing the clarity and presentation of research in a chosen source.
-Using their evaluative skills and understanding of purpose to examine the function and effectiveness of graphics in a brochure.
-Practicing the skills of collaboration and communication to effectively construct and carry out a group presentation on a given topic.
-Creating a technical document to help a peer evaluate a student resume.
-Evaluating and revising a professional email.
-Using their understanding of audience and purpose to create an instruction manual.
-Performing research on a topic of professional interest and creating a professional document presenting that research.
-Analyzing the clarity and presentation of research in a chosen source.
-Using their evaluative skills and understanding of purpose to examine the function and effectiveness of graphics in a brochure.
-Practicing the skills of collaboration and communication to effectively construct and carry out a group presentation on a given topic.