Expanding Public Writing Circulation and Its Impact on the First Year Composition Classroom

This dissertation examines the origins, pedagogy, structure, limitations, and outcomes of a first-year composition English 1101 course focused on public writing circulation outside the classroom in commercial, mainstream publications through the use of a personal blog, a community profile article, and an op-ed. The study focused on teaching students to recognize the composition dissemination process, identify diverse audiences, and adapt their writing to those audiences. The research aim tested the results of extending student work beyond the classroom through publication in mainstream media and blogs, creating high-stakes assignments that enhanced students? audience awareness and composition skills, creating authentic revisions and increasing student engagement. These research findings offered practical applications for designing engaging, real-world assignments to promote authentic writing, revision, and audience interaction.