Date of Award
Summer 2012
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Professional Writing (MAPW)
Department
English
First Advisor
Dr. M. Todd Harper
Second Advisor
Dr. Mary Lou Odom
Abstract
In more than forty years, not much has changed: engaging students remains one of the biggest challenges composition teachers face. Frequently, students are indifferent about assigned topics, and as a result, they are also indifferent about the writing process. Because capturing students’ attention is crucial to teaching them how to write, teachers should design assignments with students’ interests in mind. One of the best ways teachers can encourage students to write about something they care about is to use popular culture, particularly music, as a basis for writing assignments.