ABSTRACT
As researchers, the authors wanted to understand how to help students achieve that transfer, and they understood that the first-year composition content with which they were familiar might not be best suited to that goal. This research involved two separate but parallel studies: a comparison of content across three different sections of first-year composition and a study of the role of reflection in transfer. Much of the recent research in writing transfer has suggested that content is critical in fostering successful transfer, with most researchers arguing that content about writing should be the focus of first-year composition. Research has demonstrated that themed courses do little to encourage transfer because students tend to focus on the theme rather than on learning about writing. Our research illustrated that key terms or writing concepts helped students get past the barriers to learning that their own prior knowledge created.
