The Renaissance of the Essay Starts Here
Claire Gordon and Martin Compton contend that the endangered academic essay provides an "opportunity" for rethinking the act of writing itself. Highlighting the etymological roots of the word, they reembrace the essay as a "trial" or an "attempt" even as they reimagine the genre for the future.
Rejuvenating the essay
So how do we revitalise the essay? A renaissance of the essay requires a focus on the processes of reflection, research and writing, emphasising the different elements that make up the essay as much as the output. This approach sees assessment not as the final evaluation or testing of learning, but an integral part of the learning process itself. Any renaissance of the essay necessitates acceptance that, just as in other forms of academic writing, the essay is something that iterates over time and is something that improves with feedback from peers and reviewers. The most important learning often comes from the mistakes we make along the way – something we, as teachers and students alike, should learn to value.