The D-I-E Method- ENGL-1301

The D-I-E Method (Cook and Jackson)

• The D-I-E Method is a writing strategy designed to enhance students' writing skills by:

  • Helping students understand the form and function of language.

  • Assisting students in generating rhetorical modes in a balanced manner.

  • Encouraging students to produce content that is objective and neutral in tone.

EVALUATE, INTERPRET, DESCRIBE

Describe

Characteristics of Descriptive Criticism

• Focuses on various sensory details:

  • Appearance, sound, smell, events, etc.

• Describes form, composition, and content.

• Utilizes facts or sensory experiences in descriptions.

• Incorporates appropriate vocabulary and terminology relevant to the discipline.

Strategies for Building Capacity to Describe (Logos)

• Key areas to develop descriptive skills:

  • Hard and Natural Sciences

  • Visual Arts

  • Geography

  • Anthropology

• Essential Questions:

  • Who?

  • What?

  • When?

  • Where?

Challenges with Descriptive Criticism

Example Analysis

• Image Description Example:

  • Analyzing a photograph conveying anger due to oppression faced by African refugees detained from entering a country.

  • Depicts the presence of a soldier prepared to intervene.

Incident Report Example

• Summary of Classroom Disruption:

  • Disruption during a lecture, hostility towards the instructor, uncomfortable reactions from peers, class dismissed early due to stress.

Example Scenarios of Descriptive Criticism

Example 1

• Narrative of a small town under a cruel mayor conducting a ritualistic stoning of a chosen individual, emphasizing fear among families.

Example 2

• A traditional lottery in a New England village, selection of a family for execution through stoning, presenting moral dilemmas.

• Discussion on which example serves as a summary.

Characteristics of Interpretive Criticism

• Focuses on pathos in the rhetorical triangle:

  • Assigns meaning to people, places, and things based on social and cultural beliefs.

  • Articulates personal and collective feelings regarding topics.

  • Different levels of interpretation, deeper analysis leads to more insight.

Strategies for Building Capacity to Interpret

• Relevant fields for interpreting skills:

  • Social Sciences

  • Cultural Anthropology

  • Human Geography

  • Visual Art/Literary/Performing Arts

• Key Inquiries:

  • What does this mean?

  • What is being communicated by the creator?

  • What symbols are present?

  • What messages are being conveyed?

Levels of Interpretation

Types of Interpretation

• Literal:

  • Straightforward meaning, adherence to original definition without figurative language.

• Symbolic:

  • Abstract or representational interpretation, maintains neutrality.

• Allegorical:

  • Moral, ethical interpretation; potential bias is involved.

• Analytical/Analogical:

  • Universal interpretation through holistic analysis and inference-making.

Challenges with Interpretive Criticism

• Difficulty in generating inferences due to lack of knowledge or narrow perspectives.

• Tendency to focus too intently on one idea without broader exploration.

Writing Techniques for Interpretive Criticism

• Important practices:

  • Write clearly, concisely, and concretely.

  • Minimize biased language through cautious adjective and adverb usage.

  • Preserve an objective tone; the audience should not recognize personal biases in discussions.

Practice in Interpretation

• Literal Interpretation:

  • A podium as functional furniture for presentations.

• Symbolic Interpretation:

  • The podium representing power and authority.

• Allegorical Interpretation:

  • Potential associations of trustworthiness or integrity with the podium.

• Analytical/Analogical Interpretation:

  • The podium reflecting human desires for visibility and acknowledgment.

Characteristics of Evaluative Criticism

• Establishes credibility and authority.

• Judges value, merit, and condition of subjects.

• Creates context, linking micro and macro perspectives.

Strategies for Building Capacity to Evaluate

• Fields enhancing evaluative skills:

  • History

  • Philosophy

  • Anthropology

• Essential Questions:

  • Why this topic?

  • How does it come to mean?

  • What past experiences inform interpretations?

Levels of Evaluative Criticism

• Individual Level:

  • Personal experiences and knowledge shaping interpretation.

• Community Level:

  • Collective contexts and experiences influencing views.

• Global Level:

  • Universal understandings that integrate personal and community perspectives.

Challenges with Evaluative Criticism

• Difficulty in establishing relevance at all interpretive levels.

• Necessity to comprehend context and its impact on descriptions and interpretations.

• Importance of recognizing counter-narratives in discussions.