COURSE SYLLABUS

ENG 500: The Writing Process 4 Credits Online Spring Term 2010, April 12-June 30 (Holiday: Memorial Day-May 31) Last Updated: February 19, 2010

This course approaches writing as a process based on the ability to engage in critical thinking and involving a sequence of stages, including prewriting, initial drafting, and rewriting. This course develops written communication skills by emphasizing both the writing process and the final product. A cumulative learning experience in the form of a research essay provides learners with the opportunity to integrate critical thinking, reading, and writing skills.

CRIT 500: Critical Thinking.

1. Discuss writing as a process, and implement the stages in that process.
2. Pre-write, assess, and revise multiple written assignments.
3. Practice exploring and generating content for forms of writing.
4. Employ various methods for organizing content, including identification of an organizing principle, formulation of a thesis statement, limiting the scope of topics, and crafting logical transitions.
5. Differentiate among and compose in various modes of writing, with an emphasis on explanatory, personal, and persuasive discourse.
6. Write a short research essay which:
1. demonstrates an understanding of the method of research and of the use of appropriate and accurate citation.
2. demonstrates an ability to select, analyze and synthesize resource information and to integrate it into a written discussion or argument for the intended audience.
7. Apply the fundamentals of usage, punctuation, spelling, and syntax.
8. Critique the writing of other learners and offer constructive feedback.
9. Effectively plan and develop strategies for writing assignments in this course and other courses requiring writing.

Textbook(s):

1. Hoy, Pat C. II, and Robert DiYanni editors; Encounters: Essays for Exploration and Inquiry. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw, 2000. ISBN 13: 978-0-07-229045-5 or ISBN 10: 0-07-229045-5
2. Lunsford, Andrea. The Everyday Writer. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford, 20009. ISBN 10: 0-312-59457-7

Textbooks are available via GSC's online bookstore, MBS Direct at: http://bookstore.mbsdirect.net/gsc.htm (The course-CRN number for ordering this textbook is: ENG500-30243). Textbooks can also be purchased from MBS via phone, mail or fax. For additional information, visit the Online Bookstore section of the college web site.

PLEASE NOTE: It is the learner's responsibility to have purchased all required course materials before the start of the course. Learners are expected to meet all course expectations even if the shipment of a required textbook or other learning resource is delayed. Be sure to choose the shipping option that will get your text/resource delivered in a timely manner.

There are no face-to-face sessions for this course. If you have never taken an Online Interactive Course (OIC) at the college, we highly recommend that you attend one of the 2-hour Blackboard Orientation sessions available throughout the state. If you choose not to attend a face-to-face session, you are encouraged to complete the Online Orientation with audio at your own convenience.

Late Work to Instructor:
Because the success of our course is partly dependent upon the ability of the Instructor to provide written feedback on student work in a timely fashion, it is the student’s responsibility to meet all due dates for submitting work to the Instructor. Any “Essay Drafts” that are not submitted to the instructor by their initial due date will automatically be subject to a full letter grade reduction when evaluated again as part of the Portfolio and the Final Manuscript at the end of the term. Any “Essay Drafts” turned in to the Instructor more than 2 days (48 hours after the initial due date will not receive more than a “C” grade when evaluated again as part of the Portfolio and the Final Manuscript. Lastly, any work submitted to the instructor more than a week after it’s initial due date will receive an automatic F grade in both the Portfolio and the Final Manuscript and not be commented on or returned. Regarding late Whole-Class Discussion Board Postings: students may not post to a specific Module’s Discussion Board Forum after the Module has ended.

Late Posting of Work to Workshop Groups:
The Workshop Groups are one of the most important aspects of this course. In order for the course to run smoothly and efficiently, students are required to meet all specific deadlines in terms of posting their work to their Workshop Group. Any work (“Essay Drafts” “Feedback” etc.) that is submitted late to the Workshop Groups will be penalized a full letter grade when evaluated as part of the Portfolio and the Final Manuscript at the end of the term. Any work posted to the Workshop Group more than 2 days (48 hours) after the initial due date will not earn more than a “C” grade when evaluated again as part of the Portfolio and the Final Manuscript. Lastly, any work submitted more than a week late to the workshop groups will receive an automatic F grade when evaluated as part of the Portfolio and as part of the Final Manuscript at the end of the term. In addition, because work that is posted late impacts not only the writer, but the other members of the group (they have less time to provide feedback on work that is posted late!), Group Members will not be held responsible for providing feedback on their fellow Group Member’s work that is submitted more than two days late to the Workshop Group. Finally, any work submitted late to the Workshop Groups will not only hurt the student’s final “Writing Process Portfolio” and “Final Manuscript” grades as indicated above, but will also hurt their Participation grade.

Computer Problems and Saving Work:
Computers are known to break down and do other unpredictable things. You are responsible to take all precautions and have contingency plans in place in case of such mishap. Computer problems are NOT valid excuses for late work. It is recommended that you create and save back up files to either a CD or another electronic storage device for every piece of work you complete for this class. Saving duplicate copies of your work to an external device will ensure that a computer glitch or a glitch in cyberspace won’t erase your efforts.

Feedback Wanted:
I am interested in your feedback on how I can make this course better. Students are encouraged to send me a private message with suggestions on how I can make this a better course. Please don't wait until evaluation time because I won't see those comments until the term is over.

Extended Sickness and Personal Circumstances:
Success in this course requires regular and consistent participation. If you find yourself in a situation in which this is a problem, you should contact the instructor as soon as possible to discuss your ability to complete the course. If necessary, you will be encouraged to meet with your advisor to discuss your options which may include withdrawing from the course and retaking it when your circumstances have improved.

"Let yourself go. Pull out from the depths those thoughts that you do not understand, and spread them out in the sunlight and know the meaning of them."

-E.M. Forster

Retaliating against people who thought that life consisted of merely going through the motions—living, working, eating and dying—Ralph Waldo Emerson prompted all lethargic and unoriginal thinkers to "build therefore your own world." He meant that we should never stop trying to improve upon what we are and what we create, as individuals and as a people. This, I feel, is solid advice to the student of writing: always improve.

This course is designed to help you improve your writing process and your analytical skills. It provides an opportunity to concentrate on the actual process of writing, where the process is not a means to an end—like demonstrating your mastery of an academic subject—but is an end itself. From this process you will discover that writers are always making choices, and you will come to see your work as fluid, changing for the better as you review it with new information and perspective.

We will write a lot this semester—on our own, in class, and in groups. In general, this class will be taught as a combination of discussion and workshop. Each discussion is designed to teach you something about writing--whether that is a concrete skill or a sense of the power that can be achieved through the written word. Each writing assignment is designed not only to practice specific literacy skills, but also to stimulate your growing sense of confidence as writers. Each reading is an example of something you could do.

Learning should be interesting, so I urge you to study and write about the concepts that inspire you most within the given assignments. That said, I do not urge you to choose the easiest path. Draw conclusions and connections that challenge you. Only by pushing yourself to be a better writer can you improve. I want each of you to feel comfortable risking your ideas and words and selves because it's only by indulging in the process of writing, of risking, rewriting, and reading, that words get on paper.

At the end of this course, it is my hope that you will not only become more proficient writers, but that you will also become more confident writers who recognize the powers and pleasures of writing. Writing is not only a way to express meaning, but it is also a way to make meaning, and I want you to understand this distinction and learn to use writing to express and to make meaning in your coursework and in your lives. I am not satisfied if you only learn to be effective writers of college-level prose without learning to feel more "at home" in writing than you did at the beginning of the course. What matters to me is that you learn why powerful writing matters: that it can change your worlds, your lives, your relationships, and yourselves.

Learners will demonstrate their learning through the following activities and assignments:

Participation
Active and dependable participation in this course is not an option, it is a requirement. In order for students to actively participate in the course and keep up with all work is recommended that students access the course daily. It is a requirement for students to access the course at least four times a week. A student’s active, quality, and dependable participation is worth 15% of your grade in the course and is based upon participation in Whole Class Discussions and participation in Small Group Workshops:

Whole Class Discussions:
Each Module will have its own individual Discussion Board Forum located on the Discussion Board. These Main Module Forums are available to everyone in the class and are open for participation only during the timeframe of the Individual Modules. During each week of each Module students are expected to visit the Module Discussion Board Forum several times to participate in various discussions. These Whole Class Discussions are a way for the class to discuss writing assignments, respond to assigned readings in our course texts, and to discuss specific writing issues. As your instructor I will visit these forums often and provide the topics of discussion, answer your questions, as well as moderate discussions as needed. All students are required to meet the following obligations in all Whole Class Forums on the Discussion Board:

• Students are required to visit the Main Module Forum at least four times a week in order to read and keep up with the whole class discussions. (Note: students are not required to post every time they access the course, but they should keep up with reading posts on a regular basis).
• Students are required to read ALL posts made by both the Instructor and their fellow students (note: it is not okay to only read posts made by the instructor)
• Students are required to respond to ALL “Topic of The Module” threads with at least 1 original response to the Instructor’s initial post, and at least 1 follow-up response to another student’s posting in the same “Topic of the Module” thread (Please note: often times there will be several “Topics of the Module” threads within each forum. Be sure to respond to each of the “Topic of the Module” threads with your two required posts. Other posts within the Main Module Forums made by the Instructor that are not clearly marked “Topic of the Module” posts are optional.
• All posts made by students should be carefully written and should be thoughtful and articulate and should clearly address the Instructor’s original post, or add further comment upon a fellow student’s observations. In discussions quality is always more important than quantity. Asking questions is also encouraged, but asking questions because you are uninformed due to not completing the assigned readings or not reading through posts or course content pages carefully is not acceptable.

In addition to the Main Module Forums, at times there will be additional Whole Class Discussion Forums on the Discussion Board that require your participation. Required Participation in these additional Whole Class Discussions will be clearly indicated on the Weekly Assignment pages. Again, and as a golden rule of thumb, in required Whole Class Discussions students are required to post at least 1 original response to the Instructor’s initial post, as well as at least 1 follow-up response to another student’s post within the same thread for each “Topic of the Module” thread. For additional details regarding expectations for participation see the Participation Rubric page.

Small Group Workshop Participation

Many writers rely on what's commonly called "First Readers," one or more trusted individuals with whom they can share work to get honest reactions and suggestions for further development. Good First Readers will tell you whether a piece of writing is working or not. First Readers can often see things that a writer who is too close to the writing can’t see. First Readers look for the potential in a piece of writing and try to be part editor, part cheerleader, and part sounding board. Your First Readers in this course will be the members of your "Workshop Group." Consider this small group your very own Writers Club. By the second week of the course I'll assign you to a team with several other students. Each group will have access to a very cool (No non-members allowed!!) Forum on the Discussion Board where each student will give and receive feedback on drafts of the Essays, as well as discuss and clarify concepts, and share ideas for further development. In this way you can "try" your drafts on a small, trusted, and highly discerning audience and then take their feedback into consideration when revising before "unveiling" your work later to the instructor or the class as a whole. Workshop Group participation is one of the most important aspects of the course and thus, it is expected that all students will meet all specific deadlines for posting their own work and posting feedback to their group members. As well, the quality of the written feedback provided to Workshop Group Members will weigh significantly in their evaluation of Small Group Workshop Participation. For additional details regarding expectations for participation in the course see the Participation Rubric page.

Writer's Process Portfolio:

Because this class is concerned with the actual writing process that one moves though when approaching any written assignment, each student will keep a Writer’s Process Portfolio. Within the Writer’s Process Portfolio all written work connected with the drafting and revision of your four essays will be kept. In other words, throughout the course students should keep all of the following together in a three-ring binder:

1. Prewriting: all freewriting, brainstorming, and any other early writing exercises that you completed on your own that are connected to your essays
2. Initial Drafts and Revisions: all drafts of your essays including the first draft submitted to your Workshop Group, the second draft you submitted for Instructor feedback, as well as the third, fourth, and …. as many other drafts you write as you continue revising your essays for inclusion in the final Manuscript.
3. Notes and Research: any notes you take, as well any printed copies of research materials you have used in your essays that require documented
4. Copies of the Peer Feedback YOU have written for the other members of your Workshop group
5. The three reflective letters (the letters you wrote and submitted to the instructor after having revised each of your first three essays)
6. Odds and Ends: virtually every single word you have written on a scrap of paper, or typed on a Word Document that relates to the drafting and revision of your essays should be included in your Writing Portfolio. Note: while not required, students may also choose to print out all of the postings they have made in the course, and include those posts as part of the portfolio as well.

The Writing Process Portfolio is meant to showcase your Writing Process fully. So please do not throw anything away! I recommend printing out drafts of your essays any time you have made significant revisions and including those drafts in your Writing Process Portfolio. Your Writing Process Portfolio should also include any Portfolio Assignments that are specifically listed within the Assignment pages. Specific Portfolio assignments will not be collected during the course. Rather, the Portfolio as a whole will be collected at the end of the term and will receive one grade. The Writer’s Process Portfolio can be organized in any way you wish. See the Writer’s Process Portfolio in “the Introduction Module” for more details and suggestions.

Four Papers
You will be writing a total of 4 main essays this term. In your first essay, you will be completing what is perhaps the most important essay of the term, our Major Essay. This specific assignment is the essay that you will have the most time to work on over the course of the semester and your progression in this assignment will be one of the ways you will be demonstrating your mastery of course content and applicable writing skills. In the second, third and forth essays, you will continue to write essays that demonstrate your ability to grasp essential concepts and communicate ideas clearly and meaningfully.  Each individual essay (except for the last essay - which will be evaluated as part of the Final Manuscript only) will be evaluated by the Instructor at the end of the module in which the essay was assigned. At that time students will receive a “preliminary” grade (the letter grade the individual essay would receive at that moment if that was the final draft of the essay), and will then be required to revise their essay several more times for inclusion in their final portfolio where the essays will be re-evaluated once again. The Preliminary grades are simply meant to provide students with a sense of where their essays fall grade-wise at that particular moment. Preliminary grades do not stick. At the end of the term the final drafts of each of the four essays will be submitted in the student’s final Manuscript and the essays will be re-graded as part of the overall evaluation of the Manuscript.

Final Manuscript
Your Final Manuscript will simply consist of the completed final drafts of all 4 of your essays and a final reflective letter in which you discuss your process of development, as a writer, throughout the course. The Final Manuscript is due to the Instructor the very last day of the term, and is evaluated based only upon the quality of the final drafts of each of the 4 essays.

This course consists of four modules which are outlined in detail below. Consider the information below as a guide to the flow of work for this course. Complete details of assignments are available in the course Modules. Please note that this schedule is subject to change.

Granite State College has a Virtual Library (http://www.granite.edu/current-students/virtual-library/) available 24/7 with access to the full-text of thousands of journals and professional periodicals, an online Reference Room, selected Internet resources, writer’s resources, research and citation help, and a collection of tutorials. The databases are password protected.

See GSC Library tab in MyGranite for username and password. In addition, the Library Info link in the course menu provides direct links to research databases, Research FAQs and more.

Academic assistance to students is available at GSC Centers at no additional charge in such areas as basic skills preparation in reading, writing and math; study skills and research and citation help. Academic Resources staff members work closely with faculty and students toward academic success. A whole range of tools is available, including study and time management tips, APA and MLA citation assistance, access to learning resources online, and feedback on course writing projects. To contact an Academic Resource and Information Coordinator, see the Academic Resource Link on the Resources page in the course menu or go directly to http://bbresources.granite.edu/course_docs/acad_resources.htm.

For assistance with issues related to accessing the MyGranite portal, GSC email, Webrock, online courses or other technical issues related to any of the Blackboard tools, please visit the GSC Technical Assistance Center (http://bbresources.granite.edu/techassist/help.htm) for answers to the most frequently asked questions or to submit an online help request form. Or call 1-888-372-4270 (Hours: M-F, 8:30-5:00, messages checked twice daily on weekends. Extended hours for the week before start of the term and first week of the term: M-Th, 8:00-7:00.)

Granite State College will provide qualified individuals with disabilities the same educational opportunities available to persons without disabilities. When an individual's documented disability creates a barrier to educational opportunities, the College will attempt reasonable accommodation to remove the barrier. If you need assistance, we recommend that you make contact early to ensure that your requests can be reviewed prior to the start of each term. If you wish to apply for accommodations, contact your academic advisor or the Dean of Learner Services in Concord. See the complete Granite State College policy in the current college catalog for further details.

An academic community is based on honesty and integrity. Plagiarism, cheating, or other forms of academic dishonesty are not acceptable at Granite State College. Faculty and students have a joint responsibility to ensure the integrity of learning.

All work that you submit must be your own except in those instances when your instructor gives specific permission to collaborate. When quoting, summarizing or explaining ideas that are based on another's work, whether in print or online, make sure to cite references appropriately. Plagiarism is using another's words or even paraphrasing another's work without giving proper credit through the use of citations.

For Granite State College's complete academic honesty policy, see the current college catalog.

Membership in society implies minimal norms for civil behavior towards one another. It is Granite State College’s expectation that all members of our college community treat faculty, staff, and fellow learners with respect. Learners need to be knowledgeable of and comply with college policies. Each individual is accountable for his/her actions and for the consequences of any behavior that is inconsistent with these values and expectations.

Assessment is an ongoing process that enables the College to improve its programs, courses, and teaching methods. Institutional evaluation may be embedded in tests, exams, and other measurements of student learning. As members of a learning community, students, faculty, and staff will be expected to participate in the important process of assessment on occasion. Confidentiality of any data that identify participants is maintained.