The purpose of English 112 (Critical Reading and Writing) is to prepare
you for the different types of
reading and writing that will be expected of you during your college
years. As such, you will be learning about reading and thinking
critically,
analyzing sources, writing effectively and persuasively, and
researching topics which interest you. Because you will be
communicating with others for the rest of your life (not just in
college), these activities are designed to help you learn to think and
write more clearly and objectively.
In order to pass the class you must
abide by the guidelines in the
Syllabus and Policies.
Prerequisites
All students must receive a passing
grade in Eng. 111 and must
have
take then Writing Placement Test (WPX). This test is part of freshman
orientation. Transfer students must take the
WPX, even if they have
transfer credit for Eng. 111. The only time you
don't need to take the WPX is when you have Eng. 112 credit and are
taking the class over to improve your grade.
Students who have not taken the WPX
by the end of the second week
will dropped from this class. You can take the test online via
Blackboard. To take the test, contact:
Academic Advising
and Career Center
University of Michigan-Flint
285 University Pavilion
Flint, MI 48502-1950
Phone: (810) 762-3085
Toll free - Michigan: (800)
942-5636
Email: advisors@list.flint.umich.edu
Instant messenger: umfadvising
I strongly suggest
all students take Blackboard
Orientation before taking an on-line class. Students who are not
familiar with Blackboard may have trouble keeping up with the class. If
you need a refresher, you have access to an on-line Blackboard Manual
(just click Tools on the class main page). The online Student Help
Guides are even better.
Corequisite
Depending on their WPX some students may be required to take 1 or 2 credits of Eng. 109 (Writing Workshop) in addition to Eng. 112. Students who have placed in Eng. 109 must complete 109 to get credit for Eng. 112. Refer to page 1 of the Survival Kit for details.
Make sure your hardware and software
meet the Technical
Requirements
for online
classes. If your hardware and software do not meet these requirements
you may have trouble accessing the class or keeping up with the work. I
also recommend a high-speed Internet connection (i.e., not dial up). Lack of hardware,
software, or
Internet
access is not
an
acceptable excuse for missing deadlines or otherwise not keeping up
with the class work. If your computer crashes or your Internet
connection fails, make other arrangements immediately!
That may mean
borrowing a
computer or going to a campus computer lab. The locations and hours for
campus computer labs are included in the Technical
Requirements.
A student
computer account (includes UMID
number,
e-mail
address, passwords, etc.)
An M-Card
(student ID, library card,
copy card, and Rec Center card
-- all in one card)
At least two places to back up your
important files (flash
drives, hard drive at home, etc.). You also have storage space on the
university server that you can access from anywhere; refer to p. 43 of
the Survival Kit for details.
Always have at least two back-up copies of your
work! Lost
files, crashed/stolen computers are not
an acceptable excuse for missing deadlines.
Books may be purchased at the campus
bookstore or online at Amazon.com
or Barnes and Noble.com. Use the ISBN numbers listed below to be sure you have
the
correct edition of each book.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
The First-Year Writing Program: A Survival Kit. 14th ed. (purchase hard copy at the campus bookstore or download as free pdf file on English Department web site). (NOTE: you will need Acrobat Reader to open the file. You can download it free at Adobe).
Kirszner, Laurie G. & Stephen R. Mandell. The Brief Wadsworth Handbook. 6th ed. (ISBN 0-495-79752-9). Make sure you get this version which includes the 2009 MLA update.
Ruggiero, Vincent Ryan. Beyond
Feelings: A Guide to Critical
Thinking. 8th ed. (ISBN 0073535699)
English 112 is an ABC>N course.
That means students must receive
at least a C to pass; a C- or lower = N (no grade, which is the same as
failing the class). Students who earn an N will need to take the class
over to earn a passing grade. Participation is very important. Students
can do
passing work and still receive an N if they do not participate.
Students who receive an N must take the class over, so it imperative
that you do all the work and participate every week. Refer to p. 5 of
the Survival Kit for details.
Class grades are based on several major papers and various short
assignments.
Participation is mandatory and failure to participate can lead to a
failing grade, even if students completes all the assignments. For
details, refer to Grading
Policies.
Eng. 111 and Eng. 112 have a strict
department-wide attendance
policy
(refer to p. 14-16 of the Survival Kit
for details). For an online class that means
actively participating in
the weekly the
Discussion Board (DB) and peer-editing.
The
Discussion Board
The DB points are 30% of the class
grade. Students earn these points by participating in the weekly
discussions; there will be two or three each week. Students can earn
three points per discussion. To do so they need to:
1. Post a 50-word post (in response
to the week's assigned readings) by 11:55 p.m. Wed.
2. Post a 25-word post (in response to another student's post) by 11:55
p.m. Fri.
3. Posts after that week’s deadline (11:55 p.m. Sun.) don’t count.
Students lose points if:
* They miss either deadline (-1 point)
* A post is not the required length (-1 point)
* They post only once per discussion (-2 points)
* They don't post at all in a discussion (-3 points)
Students may not earn points (or extra credit) for "optional" discussions.
Refer to DB Policy
for details.
The DB points show up in Blackboard gradebook as "Discussion Participation" and students can view them any time.
Peer-editing
Peer-editing means working in groups
to peer-edit other’s
papers. You will do this for each of the major papers. You get credit
for posting a draft for your groupmates to edit.
You also get credit for each paper you peer-edit. Like the Discussion
Board, peer-editing is required. I do not accept papers which
have not
been peer-edited by your classmates. Refer to Paper Policies (in
the Policies section) for
details.
Peer-editing and quizzes make up 10% of the class grade. The show up in Blackboard gradebook as "Quiz" and students can view their scores any time.
This class is offered in 14 units. We
will do one unit each week,
but you will be able to access all the units (except for quizzes) at
any time.
Students will have a major paper due approximately every three weeks.
There will be weekly deadlines for readings, discussion, etc.
Unit 1
Introduction to the course
Introduce Paper 1
Unit 2
The Writing Process
Peer-Editing (PE)
Unit 3
Beginning Research (introduce Paper 3)
Word Processing (read all how-to files!)
PE Paper 1
Unit 4
Critical Thinking
Paper 1 Due
Unit 5
Argumentation (introduce Paper 2)
Evidence
Journals vs. Magazines
Citing Library Databases
Unit 6
MLA Documentation Part 1
Paper 3 Topic and Tentative Thesis Due
Unit 7
Research Paper Part 1 (Paper 3 in
more detail)
PE
Paper 2
Unit 8
Applying
Critical
Thinking:
Evaluating
Web
Sites
Citing Web Sources
Paper
2
due
Unit 9
Applying
Critical
Thinking:
Urban Legends
Unit 10
MLA Documentation Part 2
Paper 3 Draft Annotated Bibliography Due and Detailed
Outline Due
Unit 11
Research Paper Part 2
Research problems and questions
PE Paper 3
Unit 12
Paper 3 Due
Thanksgiving
Unit
13
Paper 4 Due
Unit 14
Discuss Research Paper Presentations (Paper 4)
Wrap up course
Evaluations
I want to warn you in advance:
this class is a lot
of work! You will do the same amount of reading, writing, and research
as my on-campus version of this class. In fact, whether you take it
online or in the classroom, this
will probably be one of the most demanding classes you take at UMF
(especially if you are a freshman or have never had to work on several
writing projects at the same time).
Composition classes are
always intense because they involve a lot of reading, writing, and
research.
Some people think online
classes are easier or less work
than regular classes, but that is not true. Online
classes are even more work because the student
is responsible for completing the work by the deadlines and using
Blackboard effectively on his or her own. Most professors will not be
sympathetic if you aren't comfortable with Blackboard and computers;
they are essential elements of any online class.
Time Management
How much time per week should
you devote to this class? Since it's a 3-credit class, plan on spending
at least three hours a week "in class" (online in the class,
participating).
For each credit hour, plan on at least two hours outside of class for
reading, writing, and research (3 x 2 = 6 hours). That's a total of at
least 9
hours a week for this class.
I do not allow extra credit or
make-up work of any kind. This is college, not high school, and I
expect you to do your best on every assignment and submit it on time.
I do allow rewrites the four
main papers. You may rewrite any papers that were turned in on time.
Refer to the Paper Policies.
Another warning: the pace will
be very fast. Because of this, I expect you to be
proficient with
Blackboard. If you have not taken an on-line class before or if you
have not taken the Blackboard Orientation, you may have trouble keeping
up, and we don't have time to wait for you. Let me be clear:
I encourage all students
to
take their papers to the Marian E.
Wright Writing Center (559 French
Hall) for tutoring. The tutors there are trained to help you with your
individual writing needs. They will also help you make sure your paper
meets the assignment requirements. The Writing Center is free and open
five days a week for your convenience. Call 810-766-6602 or stop by to
make
an appointment.
NOTES:
It has been my experience that
the
students who do best on their
papers are those who take advantage of the Writing Center's services.
Don't wait until the day before your paper is due—make your appointment
several days in advance (especially at the end of the semester when
they are very busy) so you have time to revise your paper.
I will be available online and
in my office during my office hours; feel free to call, e-mail, or stop
by. This is time when you can get individual help, ask questions, or
just talk privately. If you have any questions about the class,
requirements, your work, etc., just ask!
If you work or have class during
my office hours, I'd be glad to make an appointment to meet
with you at your convenience.