Walden Doctoral Writing Workshops: Student Interview

Monday, March 30, 2015 Capstone Writing , Dissertation No comments

The Walden Center for Student Success (WCSS) launched its first Doctoral Writing Workshop series in November, 2014 through the Academic Skills Center to better support Walden students who are in the dissertation writing stage. There are four 6-week long workshops for both quarter and semester-based term starts that encompass the various stages of a student’s dissertation, including:

WCSS8010/8015 – Revising and Editing the Proposal

WCSS8020/8025 – Revising and Editing the Introduction

WCSS8030/8035 – Revising and Editing the Literature Review

WCSS8040/8045 – Revising and Editing the Methods Section

As coordinator for the WCSS faculty development, I reached out to students from the WCSS 8010 workshop to ask their opinion of the workshop. I learned a great deal about the content and the inner workings of the workshop from Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration/Criminal Justice student Carmelita Dockery.

Carmelita began her journey at Walden in June, 2010, already holding a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Edwards University in Austin, TX and an M.A. in Professional Counseling from Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IL. When I caught up with Carmelita, she had just completed her first Doctoral Workshop 8010 – Revising and Editing the Proposal as of January 4, 2015, and she took the time out of her busy Walden career to answer a few of my questions.

Shawn: Did the workshop help you with your dissertation?

Carmelita: I was able to submit a portion of Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 to my instructor. She was very helpful in terms of guiding me towards scholarly writing, which is required for dissertation writing.

What was the most helpful aspect of the dissertation workshop?

The workshop helped me understand the importance of creating topic sentences, eliminating wordiness, being more concise, and eliminating anthropomorphism in my paragraphs.

Were you familiar with Walden’s Writing Center previous to taking the workshop?

Yes, I am familiar with the Writing Center, but I have not utilized the Writing Center because I work unusual hours at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center. When I need assistance at midnight, I don’t think anyone is available; hence, my reason for taking the writing workshop.

How were the materials from Walden’s Writing Center helpful during your workshop?

The reading material was helpful, as well as my faculty member’s suggestions. I am using the information I gleaned from the workshop to revise both my Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.

Can you tell us about the feedback you received from your faculty member through your essay reviews and other interactions?

I received constructive criticism from my instructor on a regular basis. Each time I submitted two to three pages of Chapter 1 or 2, she responded within 24 hours. I appreciated her prompt response. My faculty member also provided me with suggestions on improving my writing for my proposal.

Did you receive feedback from your peers?

Yes, I received feedback from my classmates. I was reluctant to allow anyone to read my proposal, but when I realized I was not alone in this situation, I shared and received feedback from my peers. I also provided feedback on my classmates’ writings. I enjoyed this workshop tremendously!

Is there anything else you would like to add about the workshop?

I think this workshop should be part of the required coursework at Walden. I completed 3 years of required coursework and thought I was writing well, or scholarly, but I was not writing well enough for the dissertation proposal. Perhaps if this class was included in my coursework, I would not be struggling with my writing issues.

Would you recommend these workshops to other Walden students?

Yes, I would highly recommend this workshop to every student in the PhD program.

If you want more information about the WCSS Workshops, please visit the Academic Skills Center website or contact wcsscourses@waldenu.edu.

Today's interview wraps up our month of capstone (dissertation or doctoral study) posts. Did you miss a post? Here's March's roundup:

Shawn Picht is a writing instructor in the Writing Center and the coordinator of faculty development for the Academic Skills Center. In his free time he likes to jog, jump rope, read literature and philosophy, write about his travels, and play Rolling Stones and Dylan songs on a blue acoustic guitar.