This presentation leverages the tension between genuine and artificial assessment and position first-year composition courses as an essential element in students’ transition from knowledge seekers to knowledge makers. FYC allows students to reform their relationship with information by introducing students to primary research and genuine inquiry based on authentic writing situations. A curriculum built around genuine inquiry naturally causes us to draw out the self-reliance, self-interest, and intellectual capital in our students.

1. Knowledge- Knowledge-
Seeking Making:
Improving Intellectual Capital in FYC Courses
Christopher R. Friend (@chris_friend)
University of Central Florida

2. 3
Problems
of Capital
in FYC
Access
Authority
Application

3. #1
Access

4. This is big.
PROBLEM #1: ACCESS
1,603,176,817,507,980 ft²

5. This is tiny.
PROBLEM #1: ACCESS
900 ft²

6. This is huge.
PROBLEM #1: ACCESS
0.036 ft²

7. #2
Authority

8. We treat
students like
raw materials.
PROBLEM #2: AUTHORITY
The Objective

9. Where does
knowledge
come from?
PROBLEM #2: AUTHORITY
The Source

10. “You are
intellectually
bankrupt.”

11. #3
Application

12. Tests are their
ultimate goal.
PROBLEM #3: APPLICATION
Unknown Purpose/Audience

13. Teachers are
arbitrary
audiences.
PROBLEM #3: APPLICATION
Teacher Determination

14. PROBLEM #3: APPLICATION
Audience Outside Class

15. Knowledge-
Seeking

16. Knowledge-
Making

17. Intellectual
capital needs
research.
RESEARCH
Primary research manufactures intellectual capital.

18. Inquiry motivates
research.
MOTIVATION
Genuine inquiry infuses research with purpose.

19. Research
needs real
audiences.
AUDIENCE
Students bring to class access to authentic audiences.

20. Knowledge-
Making
Primary research
Based on genuine inquiry
Directed toward authentic audiences

21. Thank you.

22. Credits
(all images licensed under Creative Commons)
Blue marble image: NASA
Classroom interior: Schplook on Flickr
iPhone: Florin Hatmanu on Flickr (edited with his consent)
Rows of desks: bara-koukoug on Flickr
Book pages: fanz on Flickr
Multiple-choice: albertogp123 on Flickr
Papers to grade: courtesy Microsoft
Wordpress Publish button: Matt Mullenweg and Evan Roth
James Webb telescope mirror from NASA Goddard Photo
and Video on Flickr
Running cat from Malingering on Flickr
Red chairs by Thomas Hawk on Flickr