Research That Matters: Using Evidence-Based Writing to Effect Change

A first draft of chapter 5

Before I decided to take a more mental-health-focused approach to teaching composition, I often noticed a sharp drop-off in student engagement when we turned to writing projects that involved external research or textual analysis. When students were given the opportunity to write about their own lived experiences, they had a much easier time staying motivated and producing work that was original and meaningful. But when it was time to investigate a “research question” or analyze a work of literature, the old, familiar drudgery of “academic writing” seemed to return for most students.

This was true even if students were given a great deal of freedom in choosing their own topics. While many were adept at tracking down and citing evidence and expert opinions that supported their own pre-formulated views on a variety of issues (cannabis, abortion, capital punishment, puppy mills, gun laws), very little original thinking seemed to come out of the process. Students seemed more challenged by the tedious and arbitrary conventions of MLA citation style than they were by the ideas and the arguments that they were endorsing or countering. They were producing, at best, a mediocre imitation of what many other writers—with far greater experience, skill, and expertise—had already written. And most were likely aware of this (at least on some level) and questioning the point of such an exercise. Now that Chat GPT (and other AI-powered large language models) can produce such documents—complete with generic arguments, credible citations, and flawless grammar—in seconds, the absurdity of spending so much time and effort to write a clumsy version of the same thing is front-and-center in many students’ minds. What’s the point, when the machine can do it for me?

To make evidence-based writing meaningful in the age of AI, I believe we need to challenge students with writing projects that prompt them to use research to generate new knowledge that is personally meaningful to them—knowledge that has the potential to impact their lives and the lives of others. This means not only writing about issues that matter, but also connecting the process of writing itself to what matters in our lives: how we view ourselves; our habits and behavioral patterns; our relationships; the environments where we live, learn, work, and play. This means producing work that doesn’t mearly justify a viewpoint, but creates an action plan for the changes we want to see in ourselves and the world around us.

Better Schools Project

As discussed in my opening chapter, many of the hallmark features of traditional schooling (frequent high-stakes testing, overemphasis on grades, sorting and tracking, standardized curricula, authoritarian power structures, bullying, shaming, lack of student freedom and choice) result in lasting negative impacts on the mental health of students (anxiety, depression, low self-worth, perfectionism, uncontrolled anger and aggression, unhealthy coping strategies). Sadly, many students blame themselves for the psychological wounds that they suffered as a result of schooling. Writing narratives about one’s negative experiences in schools can help one reframe such memories, as we saw in the “Wounded by School” prompt in chapter four. Evidence-based writing that raises a student’s critical consciousness about the flaws in our education system and prompts them to generate innovative ways to improve the system can have a similarly healing effect. The project described here can serve as a companion or alternative to the “Wounded by School” prompt.

In Kristen Olson’s study of the “paths of healing” that her interviewees embarked on after psychologically injurious experiences with schooling, she notes that they typically moved from a place of “private shame about their perceived deficiencies, to anger and grief about their own losses (a place where many get stuck), to ‘forgiveness,’ acceptance, and re-engagement with a determination to transform the conditions that contributed to their own troubled histories” (101). The purpose of this project is to help students get to that last step, and to see research and writing as tools that can help them get there.

To begin, it is important to help students move away from self-blame and to begin to see the ways that institutional structures played a significant role in their negative experiences. Readings or videos by critics of traditional schooling (such as Nikhil Goyal, Alfie Kohn, Ken Robinson, John Taylor Gatto, John Holt, Ivan Illich, or Olson herself) can help spark an initial discussion about the problematic elements of traditional schooling. Reflective writing prompts can also help prompt students to connect these general criticisms to their own experiences. Doing so is essential for facilitating the “birth of a critical consciousness” about how schools operate (Olson 108). Below is a list of questions that can be used to help generate such “consciousness raising”:

• How does school make you feel about learning?

• Are you bored in school?

• What kinds of behaviors are most rewarded in school? Is this the same kind of behavior that is valued in the outside world?

• What is the point of grades?

• What are standardized tests for?

• What are course “levels” for?

• When do you feel most engaged in learning?

• When do you experience pleasure in learning? (Olson 190)

After engaging in discussion and reflection, students will choose whatever aspects of school that they believe most urgently need to change. This could involve the elimination or reduction of practices that they believe are damaging (grades, tests, homework), the expansion of things that they believe are critically missing or insufficiently available (arts education, life-skills education, student-directed learning), or transformations of existing policies or practices (rethinking how teachers are trained and evaluated, democratizing the creation and enforcement of school rules, reimagining anti-bullying strategies). Whatever they choose, it should be something that they are personally invested in—something that connects to their own experience and that they genuinely believe would improve the lives of future students.

As students begin researching their topic, encourage them to go beyond Internet-based research. While the Internet can be a good source for finding out what the typical arguments are, both in support of and opposition to the kinds of changes that they’d like to see—as well as finding out what various alternative educational models look like—doing some “field research” might turn out to be more meaningful. This can also help give their project a local focus. What do the students, teachers, staff, and/or administrators at this one particular school in the community (where the student may have previously attended) think about this issue? Such interviews can help students realize that their own experiences are not as isolated as they may have thought. They also can be a reminder of why their project matters—how this issue affects students’ lives (as well as educators’ lives). Finally, it will also help them see what they’re up against: what are the counterarguments and the pushback from those who are committed to preserving the status quo? Where are they coming from, and what might it take to persuade them to change their minds?

There is also an opportunity for collaboration on a project like this, especially for students who attended the same schools prior to college and experienced similar challenges (which is often the case for community college students). Giving students the option to work in small groups (researching and even writing together as a team) can help solidify a sense of shared purpose and community within the classroom (and beyond).

While students are gathering perspectives and data, as instructors, our role is to check in and offer support and guidance when necessary. The most important thing is not to overstep or “take over” an individual or a group’s research agenda by being too prescriptive in one’s suggestions about what to read, whom to interview, what questions to ask, or what arguments to ultimately make. Having students share brief progress reports (via writing, conferencing, or group discussion), in which they state their goals, methods, questions, and obstacles, can be a great way to help students troubleshoot any issues that come up as they gather the evidence they’ll need to write their reports.

When students are ready to begin drafting, have them imagine that what they’re writing will be submitted to the administrative leadership of the school where they would like to see the changes implemented. Their goal is to present a student perspective—fortified by research—that will be persuasive and compelling to the decision-makers who are responsible for facilitating a healthy learning environment at that school.

In terms of organizing their report, we can suggest the framework outlined below, but we should also give students the flexibility to modify it based on what they think will work best.

• Narrative: Begin by sharing a brief account of the writer’s experience at this school (or other relevant experience), the consequences of that experience, and how that experience motivated this project.

• Questions: Describe what questions the writers were trying to answer in this project. Describe, also, any preliminary guesses or ideas that the writers had about these questions prior to research.

• Method: Describe how the research was conducted. What texts were read, videos watched, interviews conducted, etc.

• Analysis of Findings: Provide a summary of the data, viewpoints, and experiences that were found from the research. Note any patterns or prevailing themes that emerged.

• Conclusions: Based on this study, what specific changes do the writers think should be made at this school in order to improve the learning environment for students? What outcomes do they believe will result if these changes are implemented?

Once the students have completed a draft of their report, they should have the opportunity to share it with the instructor and/or the class for feedback before they decide if and how they would like to actually share it with school administrators. This can be done via conferencing, workshops, presentations, or online forums. Ideally, students will be able to select what kind of feedback they would like as well as the manner in which they share their work.

While I would not advocate requiring students to share their reports with the actual decision-makers at the schools they are writing about, I do think it’s a good idea to encourage them to do so. Writing for a real audience and experiencing how writing can have a real-world impact are both important demonstrations that, when done thoughtfully and with care, writing about things that matter really can matter. Moreover, they, as student-writers, matter—as does their work!

Too Much of a Good Thing Project

As discussed in chapter one, a variety of forms of highly addictive digital entertainment—most commonly social media and video games—have become common, and often unhealthy, coping strategies for many young people struggling to adapt to the pressure, stress, boredom, and lack of freedom that they typically experience in traditional school environments. Many students are aware that their over-consumption of such products is having a negative impact on their lives, but they feel powerless to make a change. Much of their social life exists on their phones, and the feeling of being disconnected from that digital world—even for a relatively brief amount of time—can produce feelings of intense anxiety and isolation. When phone-based entertainment becomes the primary (or only) source of pleasure in a young person’s life, separation from such technology can induce what are essentially “withdrawal” symptoms: panic, irritability, anger, difficulty sleeping, difficulty focusing, and cravings.

This is true not just for young people and technology, but for all of us when we rely too much on a not-so-healthy “escape” from our everyday stressors. And because we live in a consumerist society, our desires for products that are designed to keep us coming back for more are constantly being stoked by advertisers and the culture at large. Whether it’s social media, video games, gambling, alcohol, pornography, junk food, online shopping, or something else, most of us likely have some “drug” (literal or metaphorical) that, at first, in small doses, gives us pleasure and helps us cope with stress, but in the long run, ends up causing far more problems than it solves.

This project, inspired by Anne Lembke’s book Dopamine Nation, gives students a chance to think about what, in their own lives, is something that they enjoy, but that is also causing problems. It also prompts them to reflect on the underlying reasons for this, to research effective strategies to change their behavior, and to come up with their own “experiment” about how to modify their habits and move toward a more “balanced” life.

Students are free to choose any of their own behaviors for this project, but I emphasize that it should be something that they do very often, and something that they would like to do less (or stop entirely). (On occasion, I’ve had students request that they flip this, focusing on something that they would like to do more often, but struggle to prioritize or find time for. I generally give them the green light to do so.)

The first step is to create a reflective log / journal, in which students record (or estimate) how much time (and other resources) go into this behavior, as well as the circumstances that surround it. How many minutes (or hours) per day are they engaging in the activity? How much money are they spending on it? What other “costs” are associated with it? When do they typically engage in it? Are there particular “triggers” that often prompt them do it?

In addition to observing and recording the frequency, cost, and contexts of the behavior, students should journal about the feelings associated with it. What are they typically feeling before engaging in the behavior? Do they do it when they’re bored, anxious, sad, lonely? What do they get out of the activity? What makes it pleasurable? After engaging in the activity, how do they typically feel? Satisfied? Guilty? Craving more? Ashamed?

After logging and journaling for about a week, ask students to reflect on why they want to change their behavior, and what their ultimate goal is. Why do they believe this behavior is currently out of balance? What specific problems do they associate with it? Is this an activity they are looking to completely stop, or just cut back on? What do they think would be a healthier “amount” of engagement or consumption? (Depending on what the activity is, this could be measured in time, volume, dollars, or some other metric.)

This first phase (observation, reflection, goal-setting) is followed by a research phase. Students will gather and examine reliable sources that provide guidance about effective strategies for changing unhealthy and/or compulsive habits. They should be encouraged to look for ones that are specifically relevant to the type of behavior they are trying to modify. Often students enjoy this kind of research because it offers practical techniques that directly relate to their own goals. It also shows them that what they are struggling with is not uncommon, which makes them less likely to see their own “bad habits” through a lens of self-blame or shame. When students learn more about how the brain works and why compulsive behaviors are so difficult to alter, they realize that it’s not just a question of “discipline” and a “strong will,” and they are not “weak” because they sometimes cannot resist certain impulses or cravings.

As students conduct their research, some amount of class time can be devoted to sharing various strategies and sources. Instructors, too, can share techniques, and encourage students to try them out. The “S.T.O.P.” technique, for example, is a simple mindfulness practice that encourages us to notice our moments of craving and interrput our habituated response to them. When we notice a craving to do something we are trying to avoid, we practice doing the following instead of giving in to the craving:

1. Stop. Regardless of what you’re doing, stop.

2. Take a deep breath. Breathing brings you back into the present moment.

3. Observe. Look around you and see what’s going on outside you. Feel what’s going on inside you. Note what you are thinking and feeling. Ask yourself, “What am I thinking? What is the craving urging me to do? What will happen if I act on this urge?”

4. Proceed. Continue with what you were doing. (Rego and Fader 158)

Another technique is to brainstorm healthy substitutes for the behavior that one is trying to avoid. When one feels the urge to open up a social media app or play a particular video game or eat some junk food, it’s good to have a fun, healthy substitue lined up. This helps our brains learn that we can get the “dopamine boost” that we desire without giving in to the same, unhealthy urges (Rego and Fader 162).

When students have done enough research to have a sense of what they think might work for them, have them design a personal “experiment.” This will involve setting specific weekly targets to meet their self-designated goal. For example, a student who spends 40 hours per week playing video games and wants to reduce that to 8 hours per week might set gradually diminishing limits for himself over the next three weeks: 32 hours for week 1; 24 hours for week 2; 16 hours for week 3; 8 hours for week 4. A student who wants to try a more radical “dopamine fast” by implementing a regimen of total TikTok abstinence for the full four weeks might set her weekly targets all at “zero usage.” The important thing is that the student gets to decide their own targets, as well as the strategies and techniques they plan to use to meet those targets.

If some students do choose the “cold turkey” approach, it is important that they realize that this can actually be dangerous with certain addictions (notably alcohol, opiates, and some prescription painkillers and sedatives). If any students are struggling with dangerous drug/alcohol addictions and want to use this project as an opportunity to change their behavior, they should do so in consultation with a doctor, to make sure their approach is a safe one and to maximize the chance of it being effective.

As the experiments unfold, students should continue to log their behaviors and journal about how they feel and what they observe about the impact the change is having on all aspects of their lives. How is this change impacting their sleep, their energy, their mood, their attention, their relationships and social life, their body? Giving students an opportunity to share some of their observations, feelings, accomplishments, and setbacks is also a good idea, especially if this can be done anonymously. The sense that “we’re all trying something hard together” can offer encouragement and motivation, especially if there is a way to share tips and support along the way.

It’s also a good idea to remind students to practice self-compassion if/when they do not meet their targets, or if they find themselves falling back into their old habits. This doesn’t mean they are “weak-willed” or the experiment is a “failure”—it just means that what they’re attempting to do is hard, and they are human beings. I often share stories with my students about how many times I tried and failed to quit smoking during my 20s. Each so-called “failure” was really a rehearsal for my eventual success. Quitting was something that took a lot of practice before I finally got it right. The important thing is to keep trying, and to notice what works and what doesn’t.

Ideally, the “experiment” phase of the project should last about four weeks, although this might have to be adjusted for classes in an accelerated or condensed scheduling format. The first week or two can be very difficult, and one typically needs to get past that before one’s brain starts to “recalibrate.” Usually by the end of the four week period, if students are able to meet their targets, they will also notice other benefits (reduced anxiety, better moods, better sleep, more energy).

Once the experiment is concluded, students can draft the final sections of their report, in which they summarize how the experiment went and draw conclusions about what worked, what didn’t, and possible reasons why. I also suggest that they generate a plan for “next steps,” whether that’s how to maintain their adjusted level of consumption (if the desired level of “balance” has been achieved), or how to adjust their targets and strategies to meet a revised goal.

In terms of structuring the final report, I suggest the following framework, which students are free to modify:

• Problem Statement: In this section, students discuss the particular “consumption behavior” that they are focusing on for the project. Drawing on their initial log and journal, they quantify the amount of time, money, and other “costs” associated with the behavior. They also detail other contextual factors associated with the behavior, such as external and internal triggers, and underlying motivations for engaging in the behavior (what they get out of it). Finally, they clearly articulate why their current level of engagement in the behavior is problematic by itemizing the ways in which it is negatively impacting their day-to-day life, inlcuding impacts on their mood, energy, health, finances, relationships, and overall well-being.

• Research: In this sections, students share any relevant facts and expert opinions on how best to deal with their problematic “consumption behavior.” According to experts, how does behavior of this kind typically impact reward pathways in the brain? What are the common symptoms or consequences of this? What strategies do experts recommend in order to break such compulsive habits and form newer, healthier ones? The research should be summarized in a way that links back to one’s personal experience, with an eye to what the student thinks is likely to work for them.

• Experiment: In this section, students outline the timeline and strategies they used to attempt to modify their own behavior. This includes their overall goal and intermediary targets, as well as specific strategies used to help them meet said targets and goal. This section will also include the results of the experiment (which targets were met and which were not), with a narrative account (drawn from journal entries) of accomplishments, obstacles, and setbacks, as well as any observed changes to day-to-day life (mood, energy, health, finances, relationships, and overall well-being).

• Conclusion: Students conclude their report with an analysis of what worked, what did not, and how they feel about their current level of consumption. If they feel like “balance” has been achieved, they make an “action plan” that will attempt to prevent backsliding. If they feel like their goal has not been met or needs to be revised, they make parameters for a follow-up “experiment” that might help them get to where they want to be.

Because so many students are struggling with the same over-consumption problems, giving students the chance to work together in groups on these projects and/or share their results with class presentations can be very helpful, both in terms of idea-sharing and community-building. Students get the sense that they are not alone in their struggles to find a more balanced life, and that their peers are rooting for them. This helps the project become not just an academic chore to be completed, but a vehicle for everyone in the class to take an active role in improving their own lives.

Better Community Project

Nikhil Goyal makes a compelling case for how traditional schools, by keeping students cooped up in classrooms, often fail to see how immersion in public, “real-world” contexts can provide a more meaningful and lasting kind of education.

If young people were allowed to spend most of their time in the world around them, participating in apprenticeships, internships, and volunteer activities in libraries, day-care and senior centers, community centers, food banks, orphanages, hospitals, churches, prisons, museums, and art galleries, they would see the massive injustices in our society and, as naturally curious people, ask questions and investigate these issues and perhaps become outraged to the point that they have no other choice but to do something about them. (112)

While college, from Goyal’s perspective, might be “later-than-ideal” to start encouraging such community-based education, later is still better than never. By connecting such real-world educational experiences to students’ writing, we can also highlight the way that writing can serve as a powerful public tool that can advocate for—and at times, even effect—meaningful change in the world where we live.

This kind of community-based, experiential learning is not only more immediate and “real” for students, but it also has the potential to contribute positively to their mental health in ways that lecture- and textbook-based learning typically does not. The purpose of community-based learning goes beyond grades, tests, and rubrics, and therefore the ultimate goal is not to outperform one’s peers, but to do something that has a positive impact in the community—to do something that really matters.

While a focus on grades can lead to anxiety, perfectionism, and a fragile sense of self-worth, a focus on doing work that matters to others often results in a greater sense of personal satisfaction, purpose, and meaning. Drawing on the research of Dr. Gordon Flett, author of The Psychology of Mattering, Jennifer Breheny Wallace argues that “purpose can serve as a healthy fuel that not only protects against mental health struggles but also provides a way out of them. A sense of something greater than yourself can alleviate the stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout that so many of our young people today are feeling” (203). If academic work often seems like tedious “busy-work” that must be done simply to appease teachers in order to win “points”, community-based learning offers students a chance to “make learning meaningful again,” by empowering them to create their own projects based on what they think will bring about needed change in the world where they live.

To begin this project, students should research and reflect upon a range of current issues that are impacting people in the communities where they live. If there is an issue that students have personal experience with (such as students who are parents and are unable to find affordable child care) or an issue that strongly connects to their core values (such as the mistreatment of immigrant families by federal agents), then students should strongly consider those issues as potential topics. Students who are interested in similar issues should be encouraged to collaborate, taking a team-based approach to their research and, if they choose, to their writing as well.

Whatever topic students decide upon, the focus of their project should remain local, even if there are larger state-wide, national, or global implications. Their primary task should be to find out how this issue is currently impacting people in their community, and to determine what can and should be done moving forward. This will likely also involve investigating how the current situation came to be the way it is—uncovering the relevant history and background that helps explain the present state of affairs.

While some Internet-based research sources, such as reliable local news media, may be helpful to students, they should be encouraged to make direct contact with both impacted community members and public officials and leaders who have the capacity to meaningfully address the issue. Instructors can and should play an important role in helping students make contact with such individuals, as well as helping them prepare to conduct and record interviews.

When the research phase is complete, students will write a report summarizing their findings. Below is a sample outline for how students could organize the components of such a report, though they should be free to modify the structure to meet their own needs.

• Problem Statement: In this section, the writer explains the nature of the local issue that is the focus of the project. This may include a brief narrative of how the writer became aware of the issue, how they were personally impacted, and why they believe it is an important issue for the community to address.

• Background: In this section, the writer gives a brief history of the issue and how the current state of affairs has come to exist. Underlying causes of the issue should be explained here in detail.

• Community Impact: In this section, the writer details how various individuals and groups within the community are currently being impacted by the issue (or will be impacted in the near future if a solution is not found). This may include quotations and anecdotes from interviews with community members, but, if possible, it should also include some quantitative data that indicates how widespread the impact is (or is likely to be).

• Action Plan: In this section, the writer details what concrete steps they would like to see moving forward to deal with the issue. Who has the power to effect meaningful change and how will those people be persuaded to do so? The construction of supplemental materials (pamphlets, videos, slide shows, letters to public officials, etc.) necessary to spread the word, raise awareness, and influence debate on the issue should be included.

This final component of the project not only prompts students to create something that can have a real-world impact, but it also prompts them to engage in multimodal composition. The process of choosing a new “impact genre” that will allow them to present their ideas in a condensed and persuasive format will give them practice in creatively “remixing” their work to meet the needs of a new audience and the stylistic conventions of a new genre. It will also give them the opportunity, should they choose to pursue it, to send their writing out into the “real world” to see what kind of impact it might actually have. Such an experience can be incredibly rewarding, memorable, and empowering for students.

Power of Story Project

This last evidence-based writing project is designed for faculty at colleges where at least some of the composition courses are literature-based. (At Delaware County Community College, where I teach, our Composition I class is a fairly traditional course in academic essay writing, but Composition II is a “writing about literature” course.) Traditionally, when asking students to write analytic essays about literature, the “evidence” that they are expected to use to support their arguments is the literary text itself, sometimes supplemented with secondary critical and/or theoretical research. The goal is often to state and defend some interpretive claim about the text, or to use the text to make some philosophical, political, or historical claim.

For students who intend to major in English, comparative literature, or a related field, this kind of writing is clearly useful preparation for what lies ahead. It promotes close reading, and it challenges students both to link their claims about a work of literature’s meaning to the text and to put their interpretation in conversation with the insights of other scholars. However, for students who are not planning to major in English, but are instead only taking a writing-about-literature course to fulfill a general education requirement, this kind of analytic writing may not be the most meaningful way to engage with literary texts, especially if the literature itself is not something that speaks to their interests. Indeed, I have had many students—including those who otherwise enjoy reading and writing—tell me that being forced to write text-based analysis of works they found uninteresting to be among the most tedious academic tasks they have had to do, and a major reason why they have come to feel negatively about writing in general.

I believe that the practice of bibliotherapy may offer a model for how to teach literature and writing-about-literature in general education courses that may result in increased engagement, meaningfulness, and mental health for our students. I am not suggesting that we turn our classrooms into group therapy sessions, but rather that we consider borrowing some of the key features of this therapeutic approach so that the ultimate goal of our courses shifts away from the study of literature as an aesthetic object or theoretical artifact and towards the study of literature as a catalyst for greater knowledge about ourselves and the world.

(Note: I fully concede that English majors can still benefit from a course where the focus remains on how to analyze literary texts as aesthetic objects and/or as discursive artifacts that reflect and challenge ongoing cultural and ideological changes. However, I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect a literature-based composition class to both prepare English majors for such writing and function well as a general education course for students in other majors.)

Bibliotherapy is a discussion-based form of therapy—usually done in groups—which also often involves writing. The process begins with the reading of a literary text (sometimes chosen by the facilitator, sometimes chosen by participants), followed by the “recognition” of various “feeling-responses” provoked by the text. Participants are then encouraged to “examine” their responses to the text, and, through discussion, to “justapose” their own responses to those of other group members. (Sharing is always done voluntarily—noncoercion is a central principle of the practice.) The goal of this juxtaposition is for each participant to come to a “new view” (not dependent on any group consensus) that has some “application to self,” which each participant will commit to taking some meaningful action on (McCarty Hynes and Hynes-Berry 32-42).

Some elements of bibliotherapy are similar to CBT, in that the process involves both a mindfulness about one’s own emotional responses and an examination of what beliefs and prior experiences those responses are based on, all in the pursuit of a “reframing” towards a healthier and more accurate view of the self. Moreover, everyone can potentially benefit from this process, not just those who are suffering from mental illness: “Developmental bibliotherapy, which has emerged as a way to help all kinds of people in their normal growth and beneficial development, grows out of the recognition that the need to confront personal feelings, to improve self-awareness, and to enhance self-esteem is not confined to those seeking professional help” (McCarty Hynes and Hynes-Berry 8).

Also, from the general description above, you can see how this therapy is already quite similar, in some ways, to a seminar-style discussion of literature. There are important differences, however, which I will advocate that we adopt in our classes, along with the integration of more in-class writing to complement the discussions.

The most fundamental difference is the role that the work of literature plays in the discussion. Unlike in a traditional seminar, “the value of the literature depends strictly on its capacity to encourage a therapeutic (feeling) response from the participants. The individual’s feeling response is more important than an intellectual grasp of the work’s meaning. … In effect, the literature is a catalyst” (McCarty Hynes and Hynes-Berry 32). I realize that many faculty will resist such a switch in focus, especially those of us who, due to our own personal devotion to literature and its value, feel compelled to keep the “unpacking of the text” as the central intellectual concern. But we must remember that this is primarily a writing class, not a class in literary studies. And for most students, using literature as a catalyst to examine and eventually write about what matters most to them will be a far more meaningful enterprise than writing more traditional literary analysis.

In order for the literature to perform its role as catalyst effectively, the literary texts must be ones that evoke “feeling responses” in our students. In other words, they must be works that will resonate with students on some emotional level—stories, poems, or other works that they can relate to. In traditional bibliotherapy, the facilitator usually chooses the literary works, but there are also often sessions when the participants get to choose, and there are clear benefits to doing so. When participants select texts, “the members express themselves by their very choices: They show what pleases them, touches them, disturbs them.” Also, “interpersonal relationships can be strengthened by having group members choose the material. In this way, participants are given the chance to enjoy and share what they have found meaningful.” And finally, “participants are sometimes more receptive to a poem chosen by another group member and may be willing to discuss issues that they would resist if the initiative came from the facilitator” (McCarty Hynes and Hynes-Berry 70). For these reasons, I recommend—as much as possible—to allow students to select the works that will be read and discussed by the class.

In terms of guidelines for this, I would suggest asking students to choose works that are short enough to be shared in class (ensuring that everyone has actually read the literature to be discussed), and which they believe most students will be able to relate to. In particular, works that are emotionally evocative and thought-provoking should be encouraged. Also, give students as much freedom as possible when it comes to genre (poetry, short story, personal essay, speech, dramatic/comedic monologue, song lyrics, comics, short film, etc.).

After a particular work of literature is shared or read in class, give students 5 or 10 minutes to freewrite about their “feeling responses” to the work. The prompt can be something like this: “Write freely—without stopping and without concern for grammar, punctuation, or spelling—about how you responded to this work of literature. Focus on your feelings and what triggered those feelings. Feel free, also, to write about any memories or personal experiences that came up for you as you read/listened/watched. Note, too, what particular moments from the work resonated with you the most. Reflect on why that might be.” Assure students that these freewrites will not be collected, nor will they be forced to read them aloud.

Before discussion begins, a set of ground rules should be set so that all students know what to expect, and also so they feel safe contributing. These rules should not be unilaterally imposed “from the top,” but rather they “should always be discussed and accepted by the group” (McCarty Hynes and Hynes-Berry 115). Students should be actively involved in proposing, negotiating, and “ratifying” the discussion policies for the class. The overarching goals of the policies, however, should include the following:

• Everyone should be able to express their genuine responses to the literature without fear of having their ideas (or selves) demeaned, belittled, or disrespected.

• Everyone should feel free to ask for clarification about the literature or others’ responses, build on what others have said, express personal opinions, suggest new ideas or themes, or respectfully question the direction of the discussion.

• No one should dominate the discussion such that others do not have a chance to share their reactions.

• Participation in the discussion should be voluntary (not coerced), but willfully withdrawing by failing to listen to others should be discouraged.

• The group should strive for a culture of “cohesiveness and acceptance” (McCarty Hynes and Hynes-Berry 177).

To begin the discussion, the instructor can present open-ended questions or invite students to share (voluntarily) anything that came up during their “warm-up” freewrite. As students share reactions, it’s important for the instructor to offer “affirming statements of encouragement” and to demonstrate “empathy, respect, and confidence” through “active listening” (McCarty Hynes and Hynes-Berry 133). There is no need to “judge” or “question” students’ responses, as long as they are following the agreed-upon ground rules. It may be useful to paraphrase or restate what students are saying, but instructors should be careful not to distort what students are saying or to impose their own views.

One of the most challenging aspects of leading such a discussion for an instructor with a background in literary analysis will be to check their impulse to “teach” the text as they might in a literature survey class—that is, to bring their own predetermined agenda to the discussion, in order to reveal what they believe to be the most noteworthy or remarkable features of the literature. For a writing class informed by bibliotherapeutic practices, this would be counterproductive, since “the purpose of the discussion is not to produce a consensus or a common understanding of the material but to further each person’s unique understanding of his or her self” (McCarty Hynes and Hynes-Berry 132). The instructor must remind himself / herself and the students that the discussion is not a debate about the “true meaning” of the text, but rather an opportunity to examine and juxtapose our various reactions in order for each of us to arrive at new, personal insights which we can individually apply to our own lives.

Instead of “teaching the text,” instructors should take a more Socratic approach, continually prompting students with follow-up questions that get them to think more deeply and concretely about their responses. This usually will take the form of asking students to elaborate, clarify, or give specific examples about what they have already said, or to explain in greater detail (but always respectfully) why they agree or disagree with each other on various points. The goal is not to persuade anyone to change his or her mind, but to facilitate understanding of diverse reactions.

While it is ultimately productive for students to ask themselves why they reacted to a certain text in a certain way, bibliotherapists recommend not rushing that particular question. Why we feel the way we do is “almost always too diffuse and too complex to start with,” and thus it is better to let the why “emerge” more gradually (McCarty Hynes and Hynes-Berry 137). Instead of focusing on the “why,” we can direct students to be more detailed about the specific feelings, memories, beliefs, and values that are evoked by the literature. Elaborating on these details can organically lead to the origins of our feelings.

In order to close the discussion, we can ask students to return to writing once again in order to synthesize any new insights or perpspectives that came out of the examining and juxtaposing of their responses. Remind students to write continously and freely, without regard to “correctness,” and assure them that these closing journal entries will not be collected or shared without consent. A prompt such as the following can be used: What were your biggest takeaways from today’s discussion? What insights about yourself or the issues discussed made the biggest impact on you? What did you learn from other people’s contributions? What would you like to discuss, think about, or write about more in the near future? Students should be given the option to share their responses (verbally or anonymously online), but they should not be required to do so.

Throughout the course of a semester, discussions of this format can be arranged thematically or by genre into units, based upon the works of literature that the group chooses to explore. After several discussion-based classes, students will be ready to transition into a more formal writing project. As a starting point, I would recommend asking students to write essays that mirror the bibliotherapeutic process itself, narrativizing their individual paths from a first reading, to an initial reflection, to a larger discussion, and culminating in a synthesis of what can be learned and applied to their lives. However, students who wish to write in different genres should be encouraged to do so to the extent that the parameters of the class allow it.

Here’s an example of how to present such a project to students:

For this project, you will tell the story of how you connected to a particular work of literature in this course, and how our discussion of it helped you come to some sort of worthwhile realization that you can apply to your life.

To begin, you will need to choose a work of literature that we have read together as a class. Choose one that evoked a suprising or powerful response in you. Review your journal entries about the work—both your initial response and what you wrote after we discussed it.

The draft an essay in which you do the following:

• Give a detailed description of your initial response to the work of literature, quoting several key moments that made a strong impression on you. How did you feel while listening to / reading / watching it? What aspects of the work drew you in? What confused, annoyed, upset or disappointed you? What characters did you relate to and why? What memories from your own life did it make you think about? What questions did it leave you with?

• Give a detailed description of what was most memorable from our discussion. What did you contribute? Was there anything you wanted to share, but decided not to? If so, explain why you made that choice. What were the most memorable things that others said? Focus specifically on anything that made you stop and think more about your own reaction.

• Try to synthesize a “new view” that came out of your engagement with the literature and the discussion. How did it change the way you view your past, yourself, or any of the issues that were raised? Try to connect this “new view” to your core values or beliefs or goals for the future.

• Conclude by reflecting on how you might commit to acting on this “new view.” What can you do differently in your day-to-day life to make sure you don’t lose track of this insight? Make a specific promise to yourself to act on this “new view” in some concrete way.

Students who would prefer to write their own stories, poems, or other literary works inspired by either the readings or discussions should be allowed to do so. These original creative works can also serve as focal points for future discussions (assuming, of course, that the students who wrote them are willing to give their permission for such use).

For classes where secondary research is a requirement, I would suggest having students research expert opinions that are relevant to their “new view” rather than criticism about the literary work. For example, if reading Langston Hughes’ famous poem about what happens to a “dream deferred” makes one student think about switching their major from business to art, encourage them to research careers in the arts rather than scholarly approaches to Hughes’ verse. If another student is inspired by the same poem to become more active in the fight for racial justice, then encourage that student to look into local nonprofits in the area that are doing that kind of work. Remember, the purpose of the research is not the same as it would be in a literary studies course—the goal is to use the literary engagement as a springboard for personal reflection, examination, insight, and growth.

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My hope is that these evidence-based writing projects provide students with more than just skill-based practice in argumentation, information literacy, and citation styles. While those skills are important (and can absolutely be incorporated into these projects), students will be far more motivated to practice them in the context of a project that meshes with their own interests and is geared towards some real-world meaningful impact.

Moreover, these projects show students that research is not just about gathering and reporting back the ideas of others. It can also involve the production of new knowledge—knowledge that is local, personal, and meaningful, and which can be used to advocate for real change that can improve our day-to-day lives.

Thanks for reading my draft of this (final?) chapter — please feel free to share any reactions, suggestions, or questions! And have a happy Thanksgiving!!

Works Cited

Goyal, Nikhil. Schools on Trial: How Freedom and Creativity Can Fix Our Educational Malpractice. Doubleday, 2016.

Lembke, Anna. Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence. Dutton, 2021

McCarty Hynes, Arleen and Mary Hynes-Berry. Biblio/Poetry Therapy: The Interactive Process: A Handbook. 3rd edition. North Star Press, 2012.

Olson, Kirsten. Wounded by School: Recapturing the Joy in Learning and Standing Up to Old School Culture. Teachers College Press, 2009.

Rego, Simon A. and Sarah Fader. The CBT Workbook for Mental Health. Callisto, 2021.

Wallace, Jennifer Breheney. Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic–and What We Can Do About It. Penguin, 2023.