Diagnostic Writing Assignment
Overview: Every Composition I student is asked to write a diagnostic essay in order to help professors determine their students' current writing level and readiness for this course. This essay will not be graded critically, but will simply be used to assess your writing skills. Because we need to see where you are as a writer, this essay should present your best work and not that of peers, friends, or parents.
Though this essay is important, it is not meant to intimidate you or stress you out. Usually students spend about 1 to 1.5 hours writing their essays after having read the assigned article. You might think of this essay as more of an "in-class" writing response and limit yourself to a specific time frame. Your instructor will read your essays with this time restriction in mind.
Instructions: Read Maryanne Wolf's "Skim Reading Is the New Normal" in From Inquiry to Academic Writing and write a 300-500 word response to one of the writing prompts below. Your essay should include an introduction, body, and conclusion, and should reference the ideas in the essay. Do not consult outside sources or quote large chunks from Wolf's essay. Your response should reference Wolf's ideas, but should primarily present your own thoughts and opinions about her claims. Your essay should use 11 or 12-point Times New Roman font and should be double-spaced. When you are finished, save your essay and upload it to the "Diagnostic Writing Assignment" submission in MyHills within LU1.
Writing Prompts (Answer only ONE of the following prompts, and be sure to read the essay before writing your response.)
1. Wolf claims some research shows that "essential 'deep reading' processes may be under threat as we move into digital-based modes of reading" (247). Based on your own experiences and observations, explain your level of agreement/disagreement with her claim.
2. Wolf references sources to support her assertion that "the 'new norm' in reading is skimming, with word-spotting and browsing through the text" (248). Throughout her text, Wolf points to potential consequences of this "new norm," stating, "critical analysis, empathy and other deep reading processes could become the unintended 'collateral damage' of our digital culture" (248). Based on your own experiences and observations, explain your level of agreement/disagreement with her claim.