Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Faculty follies - Humpty Dumpty markers

Readers may recall the page from Through the Looking Glass where Lewis Carroll has Humpty Dumpty saying to Alice "When I use a word,... it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more, nor less."

Some writers are Humpty Dumpties. They write a word (or a sentence) and choose it to mean something... even when it doesn't.

Some readers are Humpty Dumpties. They read a word (or a sentence) and choose it to mean something... even when it doesn't.

Alas, some wackademics are Humpty Dumpty markers. They scan-read an essay, and believe that they have seen something... some content which they are expecting... but which in fact isn't there.

I have seen some remarkable results because of this practice. Some markers pass essays which have many good words - indeed, many entirely unique words. But the good words are not arranged into sentences. Call me a fusspot, but I really think the sentences are quite important, and that the words shouldn't simply be placed at random.

But then, what would I know, I'm not into multiliteracies and critical literacy. I'm just a writer.