Bingo Youve Got Style

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Bingo! Youve Got Style

• Presented By
• Jayne McClure,
• Haley Mitschke, and
• Kristyn Rose
• Texas Tech University

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Style Bingo!

• Rules
• Mark your preference for each word use
• Mark only one version of each word
• Bingo! when you get 5 spaces in a row

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Wheres the Bingo?
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Todays Program

• Texas Techs HIST 1
• Our house style
• Student survey
• Discussion
• Conclusion

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Texas Techs HIST 1
United States History Studies Since
Reconstruction
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Progressive vs. progressive

• Conservation was another important issue with
  the progressive presidents.
• Conservation was another important issue with
  the Progressive presidents.

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Communist vs. communist

• The world became more dangerous in 1917 when
  Bolsheviks (radical Communists) took over Russia
  
• Hitler blamed the communists and the Jewish
  people for Germany's loss during World War I

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Our House Style

• Go with our style sheet first, AP Stylebook 2001
  second, and The Chicago Manual of Style third.
  Go with the textbook in judgment-call matters of
  style when consistency with the course guide is
  an issue. When in doubt, ask someone!

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Questions Raised by HIST 1

• Should we stick to a standard style for all
  courses?
• Should we use the style associated with a
  particular field?
• Should we follow the primary textbook publishers
  style?

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Student Style Survey
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Survey Procedure

• Method
• 5 questions, using Likert scales
• 2,006 college-level students polled
• 195 surveys returned in two weeks
• Administered online

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The Survey Statement 1

• It is confusing when the style (e.g.,
  punctuation and citation format) of my course
  guide does not match the style used in my field
  of study.

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The Survey Statement 2

• It is confusing when you find terms spelled one
  way in your course guide and another way in your
  textbook.

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The Survey Statement 3

• When I have a writing assignment, I follow the
  style used in the course guide as an example.

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The Survey Statement 4

• When I have a writing assignment, I follow the
  style used in the textbook as an example.

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The Survey Statement 5

• When I have a writing assignment, I follow the
  guidelines in a style manual (e.g., American
  Psychological Association, Associated Press,
  Modern Language Association, or Chicago Manual of
  Style).

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Survey Conclusions

• Should we stick to a standard style for all
  courses?
• Students indicated that they were confused when
  style did not match their field of study.
• Students indicated that they were confused by
  style differences between course guides and
  textbooks.
• A standard style would not accommodate
  differences in spelling, punctuation, etc.

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Survey Conclusions

• Should we use the style associated with a
  particular field?
• Most students indicated that they were confused
  when style did not match their field of study.
• Even more students were confused by style
  differences between course guides and textbooks.
• A majority of students use the course guide as
  their primary style example.

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Survey Conclusions

• Should we follow the primary textbook publishers
  style?
• A large percentage of students were confused when
  the course guide and textbook didnt match.

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Discussion
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Personal Style Survey

• Measured variance when no style guidelines are in
  place
• Tested spelling and punctuation of 10 common tech
  terms
• Out of 11 editors, only one term was consistently
  treated the same

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Detailed Results
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Conclusion

• One set of rules will not suffice
• Effective systems are flexible while offering
  consistency
• Know your students needs

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Feedback

• What institution do you represent?
• Describe your house style.
• What style manual do you use the most?
• Include name and e-mail address, if you want
  results.

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For Future Reference.
Haley Mitschke Jayne McClure Kristyn Rose
haley.mitschke_at_ttu.edu j.mcclure_at_ttu.edu kristyn.
rose_at_ttu.edu
Texas Tech University Extended Studies www.dce.ttu
.edu