Voice in Case Studies


The most immediate difference between the two types of case study (at least for me) is that in the non-fiction version, the tutor is a tangible character. His biases are immediately apparent, and I found myself responding to his voice more than just the information contained within the piece. One of the aspects of this that I admired is that by his own voice being so foregrounded, it highlights the presence of the tutor in the Writing Center relationship. It shows the tutor/tutee relationship as formed by two individual personalities and intellectual approaches. Further, it emphasizes the collaborative nature of the relationship and doesn’t isolate the student on their own with tutors represented as a set of stated Writing Center values.

Because of the essay’s structure, however, it isn’t as immediately clear what the larger takeaway may be of Goedde’s case study. In fact, it’s a structure that rejects any reader who may approach it solely looking for a quick takeaway. In more academic (and scientific) case studies, the structure often clearly identifies for the reader (sometimes by use of very explicit section headings) where specific information can be gathered, including research conclusions. It is written, presumably, toward an audience looking for practices that may be replicable. Goedde’s essay, on the other hand, has not been composed with this in mind. The essay encourages reflection on various educational ideas (academic vs. creative writing; directive vs. non-directive tutoring) without directly recommending new or studied approaches for instructors/tutors.

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