Crosswhite - The Final Chapter

In the last and final chapter of The Rhetoric of Reason, James Crosswhite argues that writers who commit multiple errors should focus on "cognitively demanding and purposeful writing tasks" rather than grammar instruction (273).  He presents three important points to emphasize his argument.  First, if students with grammar-issues do not receive cognitively demanding tasks, then they are falling behind in intellectual development comparative to students with no grammar-issues.  Second, he argues that focusing on grammar will incentivize students to believe that good writing is grammatically correct writing while actual good writing is more ideas based.  Third, he cites multiple studies that reveal how grammar instruction actually has a little-to-no or even negative impact on student writing.

Crosswhite's observations make me wonder as to whether a curriculum can be designed that incorporates cognitively demanding tasks with grammar instruction.  For example, what this might look like would include cognitively demanding writing tasks with grammar mini-lessons.  These topics would be revisited throughout the semester so that it would increase student recollection rates.  In addition, the writing tasks would later be used as samples to teach the grammar taught in the mini-lesson.  In this manner, grammar instruction could be incorporated into cognitively demanding writing tasks.  Although Crosswhite cites studies that show grammar instruction has little, if any benefit to students, I wonder if grammar instruction combined with cognitively-demanding tasks would produce a significant improvement in grammar for students that would have participated in such a curriculum.  This would avoid having grammar students believe that good writing is synonymous with good editing since the cognitively demanding task is part of the assessment process which would re-emphasize the role of ideas in strong writing. 

I liked Crosswhite's suggestion that students should communicate with one another as well as communicate with outside audiences.  It is also the responsibility of the instructor to develop these assignments.  I found it interesting that he suggests that the class tackle issues that are not familiar to them because they will be less likely to change their mind in addition to ignoring the learning process.  And finally, such questions should be open ended in nature to allow for the expression of different perspectives.