Major Project #1 – position paper

TLDR: In Unit 1, we read a few texts presenting opinions and perspectives about learning and Generative AI. A primary goal of U1 = close, critical reading.

For our Unit 1 position paper project, you’ll use the texts we’ve studied to present and support your own position (argument) on the issue. Take a position. Make a claim. Support it!

Writing a Position Paper

Unit 1 Guiding Questions:

• What are the conditions needed for learning higher-order skills such as critical thinking and problem solving?
• What are the barriers to this kind of learning?
• How might Generative AI change how people learn to engage with text (reading and writing)?
• How might Generative AI change or alter higher education or how college students learn?
• How should leaders in certain fields respond to these potential changes?

When you write a position paper, you are presenting your (arguable) position, or opinion, on an issue. The goal of this kind of essay is to prompt readers to reconsider the issue and to convince them that your opinion is valid and worth considering. To be successful, you need to present yourself as well informed and to have a developed argument. Organization is important, too. Remember: you’re not simply informing your audience. Yes, you may present new information and be informational, but your ultimate goal is to present an arguable position and support and defend it, so each paragraph should support or explain your thesis and develop your argument.

In our class, we read the following sources about Generative AI and the act of learning. You must draw from these texts to support your position; additionally, you will cite something from our class discussion boards–your peers or your own experience.  (You may not do additional research for this assignment. We will study research strategies and how to evaluate texts in Unit 2.) 

• “Struggle Means Learning
• Links to an external site.
• “Learning the Right Way to Struggle
• Links to an external site.
• “AI Can Do Your Homework. Now What?
• Links to an external site.

your Rhetorical Situation:

• Author – you
• Your Purpose – convince readers to reconsider an issue and accept your position
• Your Audience – your professor, but also perhaps college students, high school students and their parents – consider an audience that is not familiar with these texts and be sure to represent these authors’ positions fairly in your own argument
• Your Genre – an “academic” essay (MLA or APA formatting, citation of source material, formal tone – concise writing)

Organization: 

Your introduction should lead up to a thesis statement (1-2 sentences) that organizes the rest of your paper (that states your position). You should not tell your reader explicitly what your paper will be about, for example, “In this essay, I will show…” I want you to avoid this kind of meta-language. Instead, your thesis should state your position/opinion on the question of Generative AI and the act of learning; you may or may not indicate some of the reasoning behind your position in your thesis statement – this is up to you (an open vs. a closed thesis statement). 

There are three advantages to including a thesis early in your argument: 1. The audience knows where you stand and they are prepared for the argument you then present in your body paragraphs. 2. You know where you stand (and it’s easier to stay focused on supporting that thesis). 3. It is commonly used in academic argument.

We will work on using topic sentences to keep paragraphs organized/focused. Consider this: each body paragraph should serve, support, prove, or explain your thesis in some unique and meaningful way.

Conclusion Recommendation: call for more research or discussions. A common academic “move” is to call for more research on an issue or problem. After spending time discussing these issues with your classmates and reading and rereading these texts, what do you notice is missing from the discussion? What are you curious about? What concerns do you have that aren’t raised by these texts? Would these ideas fit  your conclusion?

How you’ll use our sources

goal for unit 1 = demonstrate careful critical reading comprehension of our key articles

Make sure that it is clear where each quote comes from and which words are not yours. See our online textbook chapter sections on citations and the library resource on using the correct in-text citations for what a quote should look like in your writing.

Ultimately, you are expected to select appropriate and helpful quotes from the texts to explain and support your ideas. You may also include brief summaries of articles if that helps to convey important information.

position paper requirements

All passing essays must 

• be at least 3 full pages and cite at least two of our class texts (above)
  
  • you should also cite at least one discussion post or annotation posted by a peer in our class for unit 1
• be properly formatted (APA or MLA – check with your professor) with a Works Cited page/Bibliography 
• have an appropriate, original title
• have an engaging introductory paragraph with a clear thesis statement that states focus of essay (your position) 
• address divergent/different perspectives and concede or refute (recommended this follows your intro)
• have multiple focused, purposeful body paragraphs
• contain specific examples, explanations, and evidence from your readings to support each paragraph
  • use a variety of quotations 
  • use signal phrases to introduce all quotes and paraphrases 
  • aim to draw from 2+ sources in several body paragraphs
• avoid plagiarism by using citations that clearly connect to the Works Cited page/Bibliography
• have a concluding paragraph that brings the essay to a close
• have been edited/proofread thoroughly

Qualitative Assessment for this position paper assignment

Characteristics of an A-level paper 

• Clear and focused thesis; effectively guides the essay’s content
• Well-organized; logical progression of ideas; smooth transitions guide the reader through the essay
• In-depth analysis; sophisticated interpretation of evidence with connections to broader contexts
• Thoughtful engagement with texts; demonstrates understanding and uses texts to enhance analysis
• Strong use of relevant and varied evidence; evidence effectively supports arguments.
• Clear, polished writing 
• Flawless MLA/APA and citations 

Characteristics of a B-level paper:

• Clear thesis statement and essay stays on track
• Reasonably organized; some logical progression of ideas; transitions help connect paragraphs; 
• Basic analysis; some interpretation of evidence; Some engagement with texts; limited analysis or critical engagement.
• Some relevant evidence used to support arguments.
• Minor editing needed, but still clear writing; consistent attribution of sources, though perhaps clunky

Characteristics of a C-level paper

• Essay may have issues with focus – an unclear thesis statement or body paragraphs that don’t work to support that thesis;
• Organization is apparent but limited–ideas lack clear flow and/or transitions between paragraphs are weak
• Minimal engagement with topic or texts; relies on summary
• Required source expectations are met, and articles are discussed, but superficially; minimal interpretation or analysis of source material and/or limited or weak use of evidence; may be irrelevant or poorly selected
• Successful citation of sources, MLA/APA formatting of document, and adequate editing for clarity of ideas throughout. 

Characteristics of a Failing position paper

• Uses outside sources
• Lacks attribution or unclear attribution of sources
• MLA/APA and in-text sources don’t match
• Unclear writing – message is not successfully communicated
• Under 2.5 pages

Get Help

Wherever you are in your writing process, visit the tutoring center

Links to an external site.

, to meet with a tutor at HCC via Zoom to get help and feedback, or schedule an office hour conference with your instructor.