ENG 111: College Composition I, 3 Credits

Prequisites-Qualifying Placement Test score, ENF 1, ENF 2 or equivalent
Corequisites-None

Michele A. Marits, Assistant Professor of English/Humanities, mmarits@email.vccs.edu 757.822.7050

Faculty Home Page: http://faculty.tcc.edu/MMarits/index.htm

Course Description: Introduces students to critical thinking and the fundamentals of academic writing through the writing process, students refine topics; develop and support ideas; investigate, evaluate and incorporate appropriate resources; edit for effective style and usage; and determine appropriate approaches for a variety of contexts, audiences and purposes. Writing activities will include exposition and argumentation with at least one researched essay.

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

REQUIRED HANDBOOK

Students will be using the Cengage Learning MindTap English Handbook, an ebook, which will be used mainly for the grammar instructional materials and assigned quizzes as part of your grade. It is digital, and there is no print component. 

Students have multiple purchasing options, depending on whether they want to purchase it through their bookstore or online.
ISBNs through the bookstore: ISBNs through the bookstore: 9781305259744

Cengage Learning - LMS Integrated MindTap® English Handbook, 1 term (6 months) Printed Access Card

PLEASE NOTE: We are not using Writing Situations!

Open Educational Resources (OER): In addition to the required handbook, which is used mainly for the quizzes, students may also use the free OER resources below: 

Style for Students (free handbook)

https://courses.canelalearnding.com/styleforstudents/

Rhetoric and Composition--Wikibooks (free text)

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Rhetoric and_Composition

University of Richmond: http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb.html

"Writer's Web is a free, public-access handbook designed & maintained by University of Richmond students & faculty."

Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/625/01/

Purdue Universities OWL offers over 200 free resources including the following: Writing and Teaching Writing, Research, Grammar and Mechanics, and Style Guides.

Darmouth Writing Program: http://writing-speech.dartmouth.edu/learning/materials/materials-first-year-writers

"The Institute for Writing & Rhetoric fosters the habits of inquiry, reading, writing and speech that constitute the heart of a liberal arts education."

Paradigm Online Writing Assistant: http://www.powa.org/index.php/convince/arguing-in-context

Paradigm is a distillation and collage of numerous writings, talks, and activities that Chuck Gilford, Ph.D English with thirty years experience, has developed over the years and tried out on students, colleagues, and mentors.

College Attendance, Disability Concerns, and Writing Policies

 

Attendance: These two courses are held on on campus; therefore, attendance is mandatory.

Technology Access: Students need to have access to Blackboard, the Internet, and TCC Gmail since they are Blackboard-based.

Disability Concerns

All students will be treated with respect to their individual needs. If you are receiving services related to a disability or medical condition or feel you might need services, please make an appointment to talk with me. Any information about your disability or medical condition we discuss is confidential and will not be shared with anyone. For additional assistance, please contact your disability services counselor or the District Coordinator at 822-1213 and/or visit the web site at http://www.tcc.edu/students/specialized/disabilityservices/index.htm.

 

Writing

Plagiarism is the accidental or intentional misrepresentation of the words or ideas of another as one's own and includes uncredited as well as improperly credited use of an author's words or ideas. Plagiarism may result in the student's failure.

Students are responsible for being aware of the policies, procedures, and student responsibilities contained within the current edition of the Student Handbook.

Course Objectives

ENG 111 will help students understand that writing is a process that develops through experience and varies among individuals.

  • Students will engage in all phases of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, sharing and reflecting.
  • Students will incorporate reading and experience into their writing processes.

ENG 111 will develop students' ability to analyze and investigate ideas and to present them in well structured prose appropriate to the purpose and audience.

  • Students will competently read, analyze, and respond to college-level texts—their own and others'—of varying lengths.
  • Students will create unified, coherent, well-developed texts that demonstrate a self-critical awareness of rhetorical elements such as purpose, audience, and organization.
  • Students will appropriately employ grammatical and mechanical conventions in the preparation of readable manuscripts.
  • Students will learn how to use and evaluate outside sources of information, incorporate and document source material appropriately, and avoid plagiarism.
  • Students will compose a variety of graded and un-graded assignments and will produce at least 3,500 words of finished, graded text.”

Course Content

  • Critical thinking
  • Writing process
  • Selecting/Refining topics
  • Developing, organizing, and supporting ideas
  • Investigating and evaluating resources
  • Incorporating appropriate resources into text
  • Considering context, audience, and purpose

 

 

Assignments & Grades

POINTS (Possible)

Introduction Letter (Blog)

4 points

Writing Project 1: This I Believe Essay (undocumented: 600-word minimum) and related activities and assignments

10 points

Writing Project 2: Comparison/Contrast or Causes/Effects Essay (undocumented: 750-word minimum) and related activities and assignments

30 points

Writing Project 3: Argument Essay (documented: 1000-word minimum) and related activities and assignments.

35 points

Cengage Handbook Quizzes (six); three points each

18 points

End of Semester: Reflection Letter— Completed in Blackboard

3 points

One Extra Credit Assignment: 3 points
Two Extra Credit Atomic Learning Videos: 1 point each for a total of 2 points

5 points total

 

Total Possible for the Semester

105


 

Grading Scale: 93-100 points=A; 80-92=B; 70-79=C; 60-69=D; 50 and below=F

 

Plagiarism

 

Plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional use of another person’s ideas without proper documentation. Plagiarized assignments may result in a student’s failure. Documentation is required on papers turned in that are not original. MLA Documentation Style is required.