Key insights

• Interdisciplinary Writing

  • 🌐 Discusses the challenges of interdisciplinary work and the importance of understanding different communities of readers
  • 🤝 Emphasizes the need to construct problems effectively and consider readers' perspectives

• Language and Academic Writing

  • 💰 Emphasizes the crucial understanding of the language of costs and benefits in academic writing for demonstrating value
  • 📚 Describes the process of enriching the problem in a literature review by creating complexity and tension, and distinguishing between 'gap' and 'error' in academic writing

• Language and Writing Techniques

  • 🗣️ Describes the multiple functions of language, including changing ideas and creating tension
  • ❓ Highlights the importance of beginning writing with a problem located in something the readers care about, followed by a solution, and creating instability and tension in problems

• Writing for Understanding and Change

  • 🤔 Emphasizes writing's function to help readers understand better and change the way readers think
  • ⚠️ Challenges common misconceptions about writing and highlights the ethical and personal risks involved in challenging existing communities

• Academic Writing Process

  • 📖 Involves using specific words to communicate value, understanding field codes, and persuading readers by addressing doubts

• Professional Writing Principles

  • 💼 Focuses on changing readers' ideas rather than conveying the writer's own ideas
  • 🔍 Emphasizes that explaining should only happen within the context of generating value and beginning persuasion
  • 💡 Values valuable work over originality and new knowledge in professional writing

• Shift in Writing Focus

  • 🔄 Emphasizes the importance of writing for readers' value and perspective over compliance with academic rules
  • 📚 Highlights the impact of standardized testing on writing and the importance of language and writing style in a scientific context

• University of Chicago's Writing Program

  • ⬆️ Takes a top-down approach to help faculty with writing problems and challenges the standard notion of writing as a basic skill
  • 🎓 Addresses specific challenges faced by expert writers and focuses on using writing to aid complex thinking processes
  • 📝 Aims to improve writing patterns that interfere with readers' understanding and influence how readers perceive the world

Q&A

• What challenges and considerations are highlighted in interdisciplinary work?

  The speaker discusses the challenges of interdisciplinary work and the importance of understanding different communities of readers. He emphasizes the need to construct problems effectively and consider readers' perspectives.

• What is important in academic writing according to the video?

  Understanding the language of costs and benefits, enriching the problem in a literature review by creating complexity and tension, and distinguishing between 'gap' and 'error' in academic writing are crucial. There is also an emphasis on challenging the assumption of bounded knowledge in the 'gap' model.

• What are the multiple functions of language according to the video?

  Language has multiple functions, including changing existing ideas and creating tension. Knowledge is no longer about what's inside individuals' heads but what they have done in the space between heads. Writing should begin with a problem located in something the readers care about, followed by a solution. Problems should create instability and tension, but many writers use language of stability and continuity, which interferes with the readers' search for value.

• What is the function of writing according to the video?

  The video discusses the concept of writing with a focus on fulfilling the function of helping readers understand better and changing the way readers think. The speaker challenges common misconceptions about writing and highlights the ethical and personal risks involved in challenging existing communities.

• What is involved in creating valuable knowledge in academic writing?

  The process of creating valuable knowledge in academic writing involves understanding and using specific words that communicate value to the readers, knowing the codes and communities in the field, and persuading the readers by addressing their doubts.

• What is professional writing about?

  Professional writing is about changing readers' ideas, not conveying the writer's own ideas. Explaining should only happen within the context of generating value and beginning persuasion. Originality and new knowledge are not as important as valuable work in professional writing.

• What is the focus of the shift in writing discussed in the video segment?

  The video segment discusses the shift from complying with academic rules to creating valuable content for real-world readers. It emphasizes the importance of writing for readers' value and perspective rather than focusing solely on clarity, organization, and persuasion.

• What approach does the University of Chicago's writing program take?

  The University of Chicago's writing program takes a top-down approach, focusing on helping faculty with writing problems and challenging the standard notion of writing as a basic skill. The course addresses specific challenges faced by expert writers who use writing to aid their complex thinking processes and need to consider how their writing will be interpreted by readers, especially other experts.

• 00:13 The University of Chicago's writing program takes a top-down approach, focusing on helping faculty with writing problems and challenging the standard notion of writing as a basic skill. The course addresses specific challenges faced by expert writers, who use writing to aid their complex thinking processes and need to consider how their writing will be interpreted by readers, especially other experts. The program aims to help improve writing patterns that can interfere with readers' understanding, with the ultimate goal of influencing how readers see the world.
• 09:41 The video segment discusses the shift in writing focus from complying with academic rules to creating valuable content for real-world readers. It emphasizes the importance of writing for readers' value and perspective rather than focusing solely on clarity, organization, and persuasion. The segment also touches on the impact of standardized testing on writing and presents a comparison exercise to demonstrate the importance of language and writing style in a scientific context.
• 19:23 Professional writing is about changing readers' ideas, not conveying the writer's own ideas. Explaining should only happen within the context of generating value and beginning persuasion. Originality and new knowledge are not as important as valuable work in professional writing.
• 29:40 The process of creating valuable knowledge in academic writing involves understanding and using specific words that communicate value to the readers, knowing the codes and communities in the field, and persuading the readers by addressing their doubts
• 40:51 The video discusses the concept of writing with a focus on fulfilling the function of helping readers understand better. It emphasizes the importance of writing to change the way readers think. The speaker challenges common misconceptions about writing and highlights the ethical and personal risks involved in challenging existing communities.
• 49:55 Language has multiple functions, including changing existing ideas and creating tension. Knowledge is no longer about what's inside individuals' heads but what they have done in the space between heads. Writing should begin with a problem located in something the readers care about, followed by a solution. Problems should create instability and tension, but many writers use language of stability and continuity, which interferes with the readers' search for value.
• 01:00:45 Understanding the language of costs and benefits in academic writing is crucial for demonstrating value. Writing a literature review involves enriching the problem by creating complexity and tension, not just providing historical background. Distinguishing between 'gap' and 'error' in academic writing is important, as 'gap' assumes a bounded model of knowledge, which may not align with the reality of infinite knowledge.
• 01:11:13 The speaker discusses the challenges of interdisciplinary work and the importance of understanding different communities of readers. He emphasizes the need to construct problems effectively and consider readers' perspectives.