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ENGLISH 1130 - 006: Academic Writing
Douglas College (New Westminster Campus), South Building, Room 2690B

Summer 2014 stephensonr@douglascollege.ca Phone: 604-527-5611 (Local 5611) Office: 2635, New Westminster Campus

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INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Ryan Stephenson Class Hours: Friday, 10:30 - 12:20 Office Hours: Friday, 9:30 - 10:20

Course Prerequisites: A minimum score on the Douglas College writing assessment, or equivalent, as listed in the College calendar.

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Courses for which this Course is a Prerequisite: In combination with another 1100-level English, with any CRWR course, or with English 1200, this course is a prerequisite for any 2300level English course.

! A Note on Hybrid Learning: ! !

You are enrolled in a hybrid section of ENGL 1130. Only 50% of your instructional time is delivered in class, with the remaining 50% delivered online. This means that you are expected to spend an average of 2 hours per week on the assigned Online Learning Modules. This time is over and above any time spent on readings and assignments. Hybrid learning is not for everyone. If you are not self-motivated and not able to keep yourself on track without a great deal of guidance, or if you do not feel comfortable using Blackboard or sending and receiving email attachments, then you should strongly consider taking a different section of this course. I will assume basic internet/online/computer competency. Technical difficulties should not prevent you from completing your work. We know technology is not always reliable; complete your assignments early to avoid being hampered by last minute glitches.

! Instructional Objectives: !

This course is designed to introduce students to the process and practices of academic writing. Through lectures, readings, and other activities in and outside of the classroom, students will become acquainted with academic argument papers and with strategies, assignments, and exercises that develop their abilities as researchers, readers, and writers of scholarly prose. These are abilities that students require throughout their academic and post-academic careers. At the same time, English 1130 is an opportunity to participate in the academic community.

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As a class, we will focus our attention on the general principles of composition, and the specific conventions of academic writing as practiced in several disciplines, particularly in the arts and humanities. Students will develop familiarity with the generic expectations of academic writing and enhance their writing skills through exploratory writing, academic argument, and critical analysis of various academic. Students will also gain experience in locating, evaluating, and

!2 using scholarly sources within their own writing. By the end of the course, students should be able to

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Read source material actively and critically, identifying and assessing thesis claims from scholarly sources Recognize and understand the function of discipline-specific writing strategies and conventions Paraphrase and summarize readings accurately and appropriately Make specific written observations on and provide critical responses to assigned readings Recognize and use writing strategies, including discipline-specific means of framing research questions, introducing source materials, or citing evidence, as appropriate to writing occasion Use pre-writing techniques and revise drafts effectively Cultivate ideas and shape them into organized and developed academic arguments Edit and revise their writing in order to ensure it is precise, varied, and grammatically sound Participate in scholarship by finding, responding to, and acknowledging secondary sources Employ grammar, syntax, diction, and tone suitable to written academic discourse Document sources according to a current documentation system, such as presented in the MLA Handbook Format their written assignments in a recognized style, such as presented in the MLA Handbook.

The texts we read and analyze in our lectures, discussions, and workshops should acquaint students with the conventions of scholarly writing. Frequent writing assignments of varied length will encourage students to practice writing and improve their essays.

! Required Texts: ! !

Henderson, Eric. The Active Reader: Strategies for Academic Reading and Writing. 2nd ed. Don Mills: Oxford UP, 2012. Modern Language Association. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed. New York: MLA, 2009. I will make other academic articles and contextual materials available via Blackboard or inclass handouts.

! Assignments: !

Course grades will be based on at least six evaluations, including three distinct academic papers, typically ranging from 500 to 1500 words, and accounting for a combined minimum of 60% of

!3 the course grade. At least 15% of the course grade will be based on in-class writing, and at least 15% of the course grade will be based on online work (Online Learning Modules).

! This course meets the requirements as follows: !
Workshop Participation Weekly Online Learning Modules Summary Assignment In-Class Documentation Quizzes In-Class Rhetorical Analysis Argumentative Essay Research Proposal and Annotated Bibliography Final Research Essay

! Please see the Course Schedule below for assignment due dates. !
Course Policies
Standards of English Use:

5% 15% 10% 10% 15% 15% 10% 20%

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Fluency in English is a prerequisite for this course. Students entering the course are expected to be able to write papers that are largely free of basic errors. Assignments with grammatical and/or stylistic problems that prevent the reader from following the discussion will be considered unacceptable until they have been revised. Students must write grammatically correct sentences; use words and phrases correctly and idiomatically; use correctly basic punctuation marks and conventions such as the period, comma, possessive apostrophe, colon, semi-colon, capital letters, quotation marks, italics for titles; spell words correctly; and format essays in readable form. Papers containing basic errors that seriously interfere with clarity and readability will be penalized heavily and may fail.

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The four required essays in English 1130 and the two required essays in English 1100-level literature courses are argument papers. In order to pass, these papers must have a thesis, preferably stated toward the end of the first paragraph, and develop the thesis in paragraphs containing material relevant to the truth or falsity of the thesis. Participation and Attendance: As members of this class and participants in this course, students are expected to come to class and be well prepared to participate in workshops, group work, and class discussions. To do well in this class, students should attend class regularly and punctually, complete quizzes, in-class assignments, and take-home assignments, and participate verbally in class discussions. Many in-class assignments and activities require that the entire class has read the assigned material. Students forced to miss classes (because of illness or other issues) should consult other students about what they have missed.

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!4 Participation also means being mentally present in class; in other words, students are asked not to use portable electronic devices or phones during class time. Laptops should be used for academic work only. In accordance with college policy, students who complete less than 70% of the course without officially withdrawing will receive a grade of UN. 
 Missed Classes and Late/Missed Assignments:

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Assignments are due at the beginning of class, in physical form. Students who miss a class are responsible for obtaining the materials and information they missed from a classmate and/or via materials posted on Blackboard. Missed in-class assignments can be made up for with advance arrangements and appropriate documentation (a doctor’s note, for example). the established due date. After one week, no unexcused late assignments will be accepted. I will inform students if electronic submission of assignments is permitted when I assign them.

! Unexcused late assignments will be penalized at a rate of 5% per day for up to one week beyond ! Plagiarism, Academic Honesty, and Use of Tutors: ! “Academic dishonesty is not tolerated of students at Douglas College and will be treated as a ! !

serious offence. Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism, giving or receiving aid in an examination or where otherwise prohibited, or any other deceptive act in connection with work submitted to meet course or graduation requirements.” (Douglas College Policy Statement on Academic Dishonesty) While students benefit from extra help with the planning, drafting and revising of their essays, faculty in the English Department wish to ensure that the help students receive conforms to the principles of academic honesty. To this end, we have prepared the following guidelines to clarify what constitutes appropriate help. Tutors may use their experience as readers and writers to supply a student with feedback on his or her writing or help a student understand and follow assignment directions. Tutors may also provide a student with strategies for developing and organizing ideas into a unified and coherent structure and provide a student with techniques for improving his or her reading practices and writing skills. It is also permissible for tutors to help a student clarify his or her expression by indicating specific phrases and sentences in a piece of writing that need correcting and providing a student with examples that will enable him or her to correct the paper without rewriting the student’s sentences in whole or in part.

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Keep in mind, however, that it is academic dishonesty for a student to submit work that has been in any way produced by someone else. Our hope is that tutors will honour the principles of academic honesty in the best interests of students, sharing the Department’s ultimate goal of improving students’ writing ability and enhancing their independence as learners. If you are

!5 getting help outside of class, please let me know so that we can ensure that this help is appropriate and effective.

! Please consult the College’s official policy on Academic Dishonesty: ! http://www.douglascollege.ca/~/media/1B20B254925B41DD9F93C5B7CAF16700.ashx ! Weekly Readings, Assignments, and Activities: ! I advise the class otherwise, all of the week’s readings should be completed by the Unless beginning of each week’s class. Often I will provide additional readings for class discussion and casual assignments and make these texts available online or through handouts. If the deadlines for readings and assignments change, I will give students notice of the exact dates of workshops, quizzes, and assignments at least a week in advance. Should changes occur at the last minute, students will be contacted though their Douglas College email accounts, so it is important to check your college email regularly


! Tentative Course Schedule: ! Week 1: May 9 ! th Expectations Regarding Conduct and Participation / Student Survey Introduction to Academic Writing, Critical Reading, and Summary

Week 2: May 16th

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! Week 3: May 23 ! ! Week 4: May 30 !

Using Summary Effectively Readings: The Active Reader (AR) (1-22; 96-103; 271-84) See Blackboard for Online Modules rd Critical Reading Strategies Readings: AR (47-58) Summary Assignment Due See Blackboard for Online Modules th Critical Thinking, Rhetorical Analysis, and Citation Readings: AR (35-43; 104-9; 191-95; 215–22) / MLA Handbook (123-35) Review MLA Handbook 136-81 See Blackboard for Online Modules

!6 Week 5: June 6th

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! Week 6: June 13 ! !

Introduction to Academic Essay Writing Workshop: Practice Rhetorical Analysis Readings: AR (23-26; 78-90; 121-4) In-Class Documentation Quiz #1 See Blackboard for Online Modules th In-Class Rhetorical Analysis (2 hours) See Blackboard for Online Modules

Week 7: June 20th Writing Argumentative Essays Readings: AR (110-21; 375-81) See Blackboard for Online Modules

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Week 8: June 27th Reasoning and Structure in Argumentative Essays Research Paper Topics Discussion Readings: AR (124-33; 150-53) Argumentative Essay Workshop See Blackboard for Online Modules Week 9: July 4th

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! Week 10: July 11 ! ! !

Introduction to Research and The Research Paper Readings: AR (134-9; 307-16) Argumentative Essay Due Library Research Seminar July 6th - Last Day to Drop Classes th Planning and Drafting the Research Paper Readings: AR (145-7; 161-4; 316-40) Research Proposal and Bibliography Due See Blackboard for Online Modules

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! Week 12: July 25 !

Readings: AR (Review 82-4; 341-62) Collaborative In-Class Research Assignment See Blackboard for Online Modules th ! Week 13: August 1 !

Research Essay Peer Review and Revisions Readings: Valerie Palmer-Mehta and Kellie Hay, “A Superhero for Gays?: Gay Masculinity and Green Lantern” (PDF via Blackboard) Research Essay Workshop See Blackboard for Online Modules st Final Class: Review and Conclusions In-Class Documentation Quiz #2 Research Essay Due

Description of Assignments:

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Peer-Editing Workshops: For some of the take-home assignments, students will be given an opportunity to discuss and edit one another’s work and to share ideas before the final copies of the assignments are due. Students will be given ample warning for these workshops, but in general, they should bring to class two typed copies of the assignment in question. Because these workshops rely on the participation of the entire class, students who are absent, or who arrive late or unprepared for these workshops, will lose 5% on the final version of the assignment to which the workshop applies.

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Documentation Quiz: This in-class quiz will test how well students have studied the requirements of MLA and other formats. Students will be permitted to consult their MLA Handbook and/or textbook during the quiz. We will spend some time in class discussing documentation styles, and further information is located on the library website. Proposal and Annotated Bibliography: After we have discussed locating and orchestrating research material and before the Research Paper Workshop, students will be asked to submit a short proposal and an annotated bibliography outlining the sources they intend to use for their research papers. Students will be given more information regarding this assignment as the due date approaches.

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! Presentation and Submission of Written Assignments: !

For this course, essays and other written assignments should be clearly typed and printed. Students will be informed if electronic submissions are permitted for particular assignments, but they should assume that all assignments are to be submitted in physical form unless otherwise specified. Written assignments should also be submitted in MLA (Modern Language Association) format: 12pt. Times New Roman Font, double-spaced, with 1” (or 2.54 cm) margins.

! Grading Profile: !

A+ A AB+ B BC+ C CP F

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4.33 4.00 3.67 3.33 3.00 2.67 2.33 2.00 1.67 1.00 0.00

95-100 90-94 85-89 80-84 75-79 70-74 65-69 60-64 55-59 50-54 0-49

! Communication and Contact: !

UN 0.00 Student completed less than 70% of the total evaluation of the course or missed more than 30% of the classes where the instructor's Course Outline specifies that attendance is a course requirement.

I will be checking my email daily during the week, but not as frequently on weekends. I will reply to your questions as quickly as possible, but you may have to wait until the next day for a full reply (or until Monday morning, if your message was sent on a weekend). Please maintain a professional and courteous tone in email and face-to-face correspondence, both with your instructor and with your fellow students.

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It is very important that students stay connected to their official Douglas College email accounts, as this is my primary means of getting in touch with the class.