I.     Course Objectives

                 A.    Cognitive/Skill Goals (with anticipated Outcomes)

                              1.      To learn and practice writing as a reflective process

                                                 a)   Student will use multiple stages of writing (e. g., brainstorming, drafting, revising).

                                                 b)   Student will understand formal features of writing (grammatical to rhetorical) as the
                                                        product of deliberate authorial choices having unique effects.

                                                 c)   Student will systematically use formal methods of evaluating his or her growth as a writer.

                               2.      To learn and practice writing as a social process

                                                 d)   Student will recognize and use the continuity between private writing (e. g., journals) and public writing (e. g., essays).

                                                 e)   Student will participate in peer review activities as part of the writing process.

                                                  f)    Student will interact with wider communities of other writers, including tutors and Internet interest groups.

                                                 g)   Student will analyze, evaluate, emulate, and react to the writing of others, including both peer and professional writing.

                                                 h)   Student will use Standard English as the primary medium of academic writing.

 

     3.  To learn and practice the major rhetorical modes, strategies, and patterns for academic writing across the curriculum

                                                  i)        Student will write a variety of expository and argumentative essays and use a variety of ways to develop a thesis or argument.

                                                  j)   Student will use narration, illustration, and description as  tools for exposition.

                                                 k)   Student will summarize, paraphrase, and critique the written   word to understand conceptual and constructive
                                                       elements of  Standard English.

                                                  I)   Student will employ the distinctive conventions of writing and protocols of discourse for a variety of academic disciplines.

                                4.   To develop critical thinking skills

                                                 m)   Student will compose clear, coherent, developed, and thoughtful expository or argumentative essays of increasing length
                                                         and  complexity on intellectually challenging subjects.

                                                  n)   Student will analyze, evaluate, and integrate into his or her writing the arguments or perspectives of several thinkers
                                                        on a common subject.

                                                  o)   Student will identify and avoid common logical fallacies and use Toulmin analysis to identify the nature and postulates
                                                        of arguments.

                                                  p)   Student will distinguish between different kinds, uses, and reliabilities of information.

                                                  q)   Student will distinguish opinion from fact and general from particular statements.

                                                   r)   Student will provide support/evidence for opinion.

                                                  s)   Student will organize information utilizing methods appropriate to academic writing.

                                5.   To develop a personal intellectual perspective and style of writing

                                                  t)   Student will focus his or her unique experience in responding to the ideas and perspectives of others.

                                                 u)       Student will use his or her unique experience as the basis for conceiving alternatives to the arguments and perspectives of others.

                                                 v)   Student will use an increasingly expanded vocabulary and varied syntax for the sake of aesthetic preference as well as
                                                       semantic clarity, precision, and discernment.

                                6.   To learn and use the most powerful aids and tools for the writing process

                                                 w)   Student will use college-level dictionaries, thesauri, and grammar/rhetoric handbooks.

                                                 x)   Student will use grammar and spell-checking features of a word processing program.

                                                y)   Student will use computerized prompt programs for pre­writing and editing.

          B.   Diversity Goals

                                7.   To develop a personal perspective

                                                z)   Student will use his or her unique experience as the basis for understanding and conceiving alternatives to the
                                                      perspectives of others.

                                8.   To use reading, writing, and critical thinking as means of understanding one’s own culture and the cultures of others

                                              aa)  Student will recognize and affirm the cultural basis to his or her perspectives and actively seek to integrate those
                                                      perspectives with those from different cultural traditions and/or circumstances.

                                              bb)  Student will actively seek to integrate a global perspective into his or her writing.

                                              cc) Student will recognize and respect the systematic differences in conventions of discourse from a variety of cultural traditions.

 

        9.          To use the writing process as a means of social integration

                      dd) Student will actively collaborate with peers and tutors from cultural traditions or social circumstances different from
                             his or her own.

                                              ee) Student will actively seek participation in culturally diverse writers’ communities.

                       Other Value Goals

          1O.   To develop enthusiasm for writing

                                               ff) Student will prefer writing over alternative means of satisfying course requirements throughout the curriculum.

                                            gg) Student will undertake optional writing projects for pleasure and/or extracurricular enrichment.

                              11.  To pursue intellectual and/or academic sophistication

                                            hh) Student will engage increasingly challenging topics and undertake increasingly challenging projects.

                       II. Course Content

                                    A.   Phases of the Writing Process

                                           1.   Discovery (reading, discussing, observing, reflecting, brainstorming, free writing, etc.)

                                           2.   Identifying audience and purpose

                                           3.   Formulating a thesis and plan of development

                                           4.   Collecting and organizing material

                                           5.    Drafting

                                          6.   Consulting/Collaborating

                                          7.   Revising

                                          8.       Formatting and proofreading

                                          9.   Spontaneous writing (e. g., writing the essay exam)                          

                                  B.   Rhetorical Modes and Patterns

                                          1.   Narration (foundational content, covered only as necessary)

                                          2.   Description (foundational content, covered only as necessary)

                                          3.   Summarization (foundational content, covered only as necessary)

                                          4.   Exposition and interpretation

                                          5.   Argument and persuasion

                                          6.   Illustration and example

                                          7.   Definition

                                          8.   Analysis

                                          9.   Comparison and contrast

                                        10.  Classification and division

                                  C.    Elements of the Essay

                                          1.   Thesis

                                          2.   Paragraph

                                          3.   Introduction

                                          4.   Body

                                          5.   Conclusion                      

                                  D. Elements of Standard English Grammar, Style, and Usage

                                          1.   Syntax (sentence structure and variety)

                                          2.   Voice

                                          3.     Diction                                                                                                                          

                                          4.    Mechanics (spelling, punctuation, capitalization; foundational content, covered only as necessary)

                                  E.   Ways of Critical Thinking

                                          1.       Drawing conclusions and formulating theories

                                          2.     Identifying postulates

                                          3.     Applying Toulmin analysis

                                          4.     Recognizing logical fallacies

                                          5.       Evaluating evidence and credibility

                                          6. Synthesizing and integrating multiple sources

                                  F.   The Writer’s Life

                                          I.      The pleasure of writing as self-definition and social communication

                                         2.    The communities of writers

                                         3.    The different methods and conventions of disciplinary discourse

                                  G.   Elements of Word Processing

                                         1.   Composing, cutting, and pasting

                                         2.      Formatting

                                         3.      Automated monitoring of grammar, usage, and spelling

                       III.  Methods for Teaching and Learning

                                  A.   Principal Methods

                                         1.   Writing assignments (both in and out of class)

                                         2.      Reading assignments

                                         3 Audio-visual presentations                                                                              

                                         4.   Interactive computer programs (for both lessons and compositional prompting)

                                         5.   Computerized checking of grammar, spelling, and readability level

                                         6.   Class discussion

                                         7.   Individual teacher-student conferences and correspondence (including email)

                                        8.    Written commentary on student work

                                        9.    Small group evaluation of essays in progress (“workshopping”)

                                      10.    Peer partnering

                                      11.    Compositional coaching (prompting and advising during the composing    process)

                                  B.   Secondary Methods

                                        1.   Lectures

                                        2.   Demonstrations

                                        3.   Modeling

                                        4Web site visits

                                        5.   Internet chat-room discussions

                                        6.   Involvement with other communities of writers (e.g., joining staff of student newspaper or literary magazine, subscribing to pertinent
                                              Internet interest groups)

                                   C.   Optional Methods

                                        1.      Doubling of class time and assignments (in designated sections established for students according to placement
                                              data)
                                                                                                                               

                                        2.    Additional attention to foundations of academic writing and critical thinking (e. g., paragraphing, paraphrasing, categorizing)

                                        3.   Tutorials and/or writing lab attendance

                                        4.   Library research

                                        5.   Service learning (e.g., serving as writing coach at Westminster Academy in Elizabeth)

                    6.   Publishing (e. g., in student newspaper or through private distribution)

                   

                    7.   Prize and scholarship competitions

 

               D.   Learning Support Services and interventions to Be Incorporated

                                        1.   Tutorial sessions at the Writing Center (as Prescribed)

                            2.   Teaching assistants for small-group workshopping and compositional, coaching (as requested)

                      E.   Technology Support

                                        1.   Routine use of word processing software

                                        2.   Weekly class meetings in computer labs (as feasible) for compositional coaching, computerized delivery of lessons, and computerized
                                              group composition and editing

                    3.   Periodic use of Instructional and coaching software at public computer labs throughout the University

                    4.   Periodic email correspondence

                    5.   Periodic Internet chat convocations

                    6.   Periodic visits to assigned Web sites

                    7.   Instructor’s use of distance-learning software for facilitation of all the above

                       IV.   Methods of Assessment                                                                                                       

                                  A.   Instructor grading of individual student essays according to departmentally defined standards for the following features:

                                       1.   Focus

                                       2.   Clarity

                                       3.   Coherence

                                      4.   Development

                                      5.   Knowledgeability

                                      6.   Critical thinking

                                      7.   Imagination

                                      8.   Intellectual ambition

                                      9.   Expression

                                   10. Grammar and usage

                                   B.  Periodic teacher, peer, and self-evaluation of student portfolios for Improvement in writing quality and for increasing mastery of the  
                                         writing
process

                                   C.  Periodic departmental audits of selected student portfolios for compliance with grading standards and course requirements

                                   D.  Quantification and characterization of documented or observed participation in required course activities (e. g., attendance at tutorials, 
                                         frequency of publication, enthusiasm of involvement with communities of writers)

                                   E.    Surveys of student knowledge, dispositions, and self-awareness of growth as a writer

                            V.   Place in the General Education Sequence                                                                                     

                                    A.   Related precursor courses

                                           1.  Eng 0110

                                    B.   Related concomitant or succeeding courses

                                           2.   To be determined as new General Education curriculum is developed                                                                 

                                    C.   Possible companion courses for GE concentration requirement

                                           3.   To be determined as new General Education curriculum is developed

   VI. Suggested Texts

                                    American Heritage College Dictionary. 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton, 1997.

                       Axelrod, Rise B. and Charles B. Cooper. Reading Critically, Writing Well:

           A Reader and Guide. 5th ed. New York: Bedford, 1999.

                                    Bartlett’s Roget’s Thesaurus. Boston: Little, 1996.

                                    Buscemi, Santi V and Publishing Innovations, Inc. AllWrite! (Computer software.) New York: McGraw, 1997.

                                    Crump, Eric and Nick Carbone. Writing On/me: A Student’s Guide to the Internet and World Wide Web. 2nd ed. Boston: Houghton, 1998.

                                    Harris, Muriel. The Writer’s FAQ: A Pocket Handbook. New York:  Prentice, 2000.

                                    Muller, Gilbert, ed. The McGraw-HillI Reader: Issues Across the Disciplines.

                                   7th ed. New York: McGraw, 2000.

                                   Robson, Andrew E., ed. Thinking Globally: Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. New York: McGraw, 1997.

 

 

College Composition Instructional Model

KEAN COLLEGE COMPOSITION INSTRUCTIONAL/LEARNING MODEL

 

 CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION                                 ACADEMIC SUPPORT

 

 

CLASSROOM PROFESSOR                                   PORTFOLIO REVIEW PROFESSOR

                                                                                    (103 1/1032 & 1033/1034)

 

                                                                                    GRAMMAR WORKSHOP

                                                                                    (1030, 1031/1032& 1033/1034)

 

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

                                                                             TUTORS

LAB TECHNICIANS                                         (1030, 103 1/1032 & 1033/1034)

(1030, 1031/1032 & 1033/1034)