Hill, H.N. (2016). Tutoring for transfer: The benefits of teaching writing center tutors about transfer theory. Writing Center Journal, 35(3), 77-102.
This is a great study for writing center administrators (WCAs), and writing program administrators (WPAs) more broadly, who want a comprehensive theoretical and practical understanding of how transfer theory and pedagogy work. Hill’s methods section is a model I will come back to in the future to consult during my own writing process, particularly in regards to the examples she offers of “transfer talk” (Nowacek 2013) to define this term. Further, Hill’s presentation of results is accessible to readers; I personally like how she analyzes her data and offers an excerpt of session transcripts to illustrate phenomena she’s seeing in the data.
Hill’s exploration of transfer is wholly located within writing tutorials; my interests look beyond the tutorial space to consider how transfer of knowledge/rhetorical skill happens in tutors’ academic/personal/professional lives. As a WCA/WPA, I would like to follow Hill’s lead and integrate discussions of genre theory and transfer theory into staff development; as a researcher, I’m expanding this work beyond sessions.
Rhetorical Notes 