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Discourse 100: Reasoning and Values

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Course Information

Subject / Curricular Designations: Discourse

Catalog Number: Discourse 100

Course Description: “Discourse” refers to the language, images, styles, genres, behaviors and other forms of communication used by specific social and professional groups. The techniques of discourse analysis and language awareness taught in this course will enable you to position yourself socially and professionally, helping you understand the reasoning and values, discourse conventions, and “commonsense” assumptions that create and define academic, political, professional, and other discourse formations and communities. Students will produce, perform, and analyze college-level, oral and written texts; and they will learn how written and oral performances function together in specific discourse communities. This course is associated with Anchor courses in Reasoning and Values and it prepares students for Discourse II: Culture and Diversity.

Credit Hours: Three

Prerequisites/Co-Requisites: none

Restrictions/Exclusions: none

Course Attributes: Discourse II

Course Format: Online

Course Instructional Mode: OA (on-line asynchronous)

Required Textbooks:

  • Engleberg, Isa N., and John A. Daly. THINK: Public Speaking Plus MySearchLab with eText – Access Card Package. London: Pearson, 2012. Print. ISBN: 978-0205843671
  • You MUST obtain a copy of the above text with the MySearchLab feature as it is required viewing for many Journals / Discussion Board posts.
  • Additional readings will be found on Blackboard under “Readings” and in their designated weeks.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will demonstrate an ability to:

  • Explore and analyze your own and others’ values through the use of multiple strategies that engage different sources and perspectives in written and oral discourse.
  • Identify and analyze how cultural context and assumptions play a role in the analysis and production of discourse.
  • Understand basic rhetorical concepts (audience, purpose, genre, convention, logos, ethos, pathos, logical fallacies, structure, etc.) and apply such concepts to the interpretation, analysis, and production of written and oral discourse.
  • Develop an introductory understanding of critical discourse analysis and critical language awareness.
  • Use written and oral discourse to develop and present meaningful and interesting ideas that show your voice, a willingness to take intellectual risks, and an attempt to enter an academic conversation.
  • Create academic discourse through a basic process that includes editing, proofreading, and revising multiple drafts.
  • Interpret your own and other’s work and reflect on your development as a producer of discourse.
  • Construct basic research strategies, use appropriate research resources, learn to identify scholarly sources, and evaluate and cite those information sources.
  • Develop an introductory understanding of citation and an ability to appropriately cite sources using a consistent professional style (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.).
  • Identify and address personal impediments to discourse production, including speech anxiety and writer’s block.

Expectations for Students in this Online Course

Online Course Etiquette, Participation, and Blackboard:

Like other courses, you are expected to communicate with me and your peers in a professional, thoughtful manner. Similar to in-person courses, there may be opportunities for academic debate. This is encouraged, as it helps us grow as learners. Remember, however, to communicate with respect and mindfulness even when disagreements arise. As an instructor, I will offer corrective feedback if I observe unhelpful communication.

Tips for Course Success:

  • During the first week, review the material in the Start Here link on the left-navigation menu and email me if you have questions (the activities in this folder are worth 20 points).
  • Read this syllabus in full and explore the course Blackboard site--email me if you have questions. I am happy to meet with you in person if you are having difficulty using the Blackboard tools.
  • Don't work too far in advance or conceptualize this as a "self-paced" course. Although it is taught in an online format, this course is designed to be interactive. You will get more out of it if you participate fully in course assignments the week that they are due. Moreover, there may be additional instructions or changes to assignments, so if you have worked too far ahead, you may miss these. As a general rule, if it is Week 2, you should be working in Week 2 and looking ahead and planning for Weeks 3 and 4. Additionally, each Week by Week folder alerts you if you need to look ahead for larger assignments.

Course Time Commitment:

Courses, both in person and on-line, can be varied in their design and expectations for student involvement and time. If this course were taught face-to-face during the 16 week session, one would expect to be in class (engaged in lecture and discussion) for approximately 3 hours per week and spend additional time outside of class in preparation for active course engagement and course assessment (reading, completing assignments). So, you should be prepared to spend similar amounts of time engaged in this course in an online format. Compared to traditional face-to-face learning environments, you should anticipate that in this course you will experience less time in passive learning activities (i.e., lecture) and more time engaged in active learning activities and communication with your peers and me (via blog and discussion board postings). Each Week by Week folder will have an expected time you should spend on course material during that week.

Evaluation and Grading Criteria

Core Assessment Discourse 100: Though there are different sections and instructors of Discourse 100, certain general expectations apply to every course: Discourse 100 students are required to draft, develop and complete a minimum of 12-16 pages of finished writing, including at least two essays. Students are also required to draft, develop and present at least two speeches with a combined minimum total of 8-12 minutes. Major assignments will engage in direct critical analysis of academic sources with an emphasis on Human Values and Ethical Reasoning. This work will be presented in a final summative portfolio at the end of the term. Constructive feedback and opportunities for comprehensive revision will be provided throughout. All formal work, written and spoken, will be graded using a rubric that applies the SLOs for Communications Skills.

Major Assignments:

Speech One

In this speech, students will be presenting the story of their journey to UMKC. This speech will be 4-6 minutes in length. Students will be graded on delivery, organization, outlining, and use of language. Before presenting the final speech, students will upload a practice version to the discussion board. Students will then revise their speeches based on feedback from their peers. Additional expectations will be explained in the formal assignment sheet and assignment rubric.

Essay One

For this essay, students will write a rhetorical analysis based on a speech the student will choose from a list of the best 100 speeches. Students will be asked to carefully analyze the speech according to rhetorical concepts including speaker / author, audience, context, ethos, pathos, and logos. This essay will be 4-5 pages long. Students will be expected to go through a drafting process and participate in a workshop with their peers before submitting a final product. Additional expectations will be explained on the formal assignment sheet.

Speech and Essay Two

In this project you will be analyzing the arguments on both sides of a debate over a social issue. This will require you to locate two opinion pieces on both sides of the issue and one other source that provides background information (5 total sources). The opinion pieces could appear in any mainstream media source, including magazines, newspaper, television, radio, or online sources. The essay will be 6-7 pages long and the speech will be 6-8 minutes. This project will also require an audience analysis. Students will be expected to go through a drafting process and participate in workshops with their peers before submitting final products. Additional expectations will be explained on the formal assignment sheet.

Portfolio

The final portfolio will ask you to compile your revised work for the semester along with personal reflections of the work you have done. The goals for the portfolio include: analyzing the work you’ve completed and identifying areas where you need to continue to work to improve as an academic writer; improving your chances of retaining and transferring the knowledge and skills you’ve gained in this class; and celebrating your hard work in Discourse 100! Please be sure to retain your work throughout the semester so you can include all pieces required for the final portfolio! The full details of this assignment will be outlined on the formal assignment sheet.

Minor Assignments:

Journals

Students will complete ten journals related to a reading or video. Each journal will have its own specific requirements and can be found on Blackboard during the weeks they are due. Journals entries should be 250-400 words. Journals will be due on Fridays by 11:59pm. They will be graded individually and will also be part of your final portfolio (journals should be revised before submission with the final portfolio).

Discussion Boards

Students will participate in Discussion Boards throughout the semester related to readings on writing and public speaking. Students will also respond to other students’ posts. Original threads should be 200-400 words and responses should be 100-200 words. Original threads are due Tuesdays by 11:59pm and comments are due by Thursdays at 11:59pm. Each Discussion Board will have its own specific requirements and can be found on Blackboard during the weeks they are due.

Breakdown of Points:

Start Here Folder / 20 Total Points (3 Activities)
Essay One / 50 Points
Speech One / 50 Points
Essay Two / 100 Points
Audience Analysis / 40 Points
Speech Two / 100 Points
Final Portfolio / 60 Points
Rough Drafts / 100 Total Points (2 Rough Drafts and 2 Preparation Outlines)
Discussion Boards / 160 Total Points (8 Discussion Boards)
Workshop Participation / 100 Total Points (4 workshops)
Journals / 200 Total Points (10 Journals)
Research Essentials / 20 Points
Total / 1000 Points

Grade Distribution

A = 930-1000

A- = 900-929

B+ = 870-899

B = 830-869

B- = 800-829

C+ = 770-799

C = 730-769

C- = 700-729

D+ = 670-699

D = 630-669

D- = 600-629

F = 0-599

Grade Appeals:

Late Work:

  • All work should be submitted by the due date.
  • Any major assignments submitted after the due date will receive 25% off the grade they would have received per day they are late. This does not include the Final Essay and Final portfolio as those must be submitted by the due date in order for me to submit grades on time.
  • Any minor assignments submitted after the due date will not be accepted.
  • If you have an emergency circumstance that you can document, please let me know and I will consider your situation on an individual basis.
  • Being away from home for an extended period of time for vacation, work, or school does not count as an excused circumstance as these are planned activities and this is an online course – due dates and expectations are clearly stated early and throughout the semester.

Essay Guidelines:

  • All essay assignments will come with a rubric and an assignment sheet outlining expectations for the essay.
  • In order to receive a passing grade, all essays must
  • Follow MLA manuscript format (if you prefer to use a different format please see me before the essay due date). Please consult the Purdue OWL or our campus Writing Studio for assistance with MLA.
  • Be printed in black ink and 12 pt Times New Roman font.
  • Be double spaced and have one-inch margins.
  • Meet the page length requirement as outlined on the assignment page.
  • Include all additional requirements listed on the assignment page.
  • On the first page, include the following information in the upper-left corner: Your Name, Professor's Name, Course Name, and Date on separate lines.
  • Have a Title.
  • Have a works cited page.
  • I may use examples of student writing by you and your peers as examples in our class. Unless you include a note to the contrary, I will assume that all drafts and essays are open for discussion.

Course Policies:

General UMKC Policies: Please refer to the following web page and the linked resources for critical information regarding course policies and resources. You are expected to abide by all the rules and regulations regarding student conduct referenced in these pages.

Classroom behavior:

In this class you will be exposed to a wide range of opinions. Students are expected to treat me and their classmates with respect. This does not mean keeping your opinion to yourself. However, it does mean expressing your opinion in a manner that does not belittle others. This is not always an easy task, but it is an important element of a healthy democracy. This can be especially difficult in an online environment, where people tend to say things to others they would not normally say in person. Please use appropriate Netiquette (linked in the Start Here folder)

Computers:

  • Printer and/or computer problems are unfortunate; however, they do not excuse late or incomplete work.
  • All students must have UMKC email and Blackboard accounts and check them regularly. You should plan to check your UMKC email and Blackboard at least once per day.
  • All “technical” issues need to be resolved right away. If you are having problems with Bb or UMKC email, please contact the University’s IS office at:

Academic Calendar: Students are encouraged to review important add, drop or withdraw dates:

Academic Honesty: The Board of Curators of the University of Missouri recognizes that academic honesty is essential for the intellectual life of the University. Faculty members have a special obligation to expect high standards of academic honesty in all student work. Students have a special obligation to adhere to such standards. Academic dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism or sabotage, is adjudicated through the University of Missouri Student Conduct Code and Rules of Procedures in Student Conduct Matters.

(Academic units may have additional student codes of behavior to be referenced, i.e. Honor Codes.)

Academic Inquiry, Course Discussion and Privacy:

University of Missouri System Executive Order No. 38 lays out principles regarding the sanctity of classroom discussions at the university. The policy is described fully in Section 200.015 of the Collected Rules and Regulations. In this class, students may not make any audio or video recordings of course activity (including those recordings prepared by an instructor), except students permitted to record as an accommodation under Section 240.040 of the Collected Rules. All other students who record and/or distribute audio or video recordings of class activity are subject to discipline in accordance with provisions of Section 200.020 of the Collected Rules and Regulations of the University of Missouri pertaining to student conduct matters.

Those students who have written permission from the course instructor to record are not permitted to redistribute any audio or video recordings of statements or comments from the course to individuals who are not students in the course without the express permission of the faculty member and of any students who are recorded, including those recordings prepared by an instructor. Students found to have violated this policy are subject to discipline in accordance with provisions of Section 200.020 of the Collected Rules and Regulations of the University of Missouri pertaining to student conduct matters.

Campus Safety: Inclement weather, mass notification, and emergency response guide:

Counseling and Health Services Available at UMKC: UMKC students may experience many challengesin their lives while attending college – stress, depression, suicidality, trauma, relationship issues, health concerns, etc. As your professor I care about your success and well-being, and want to make you aware of some helpful resources on campus. The UMKCCounselingCenter ( located at 4825 Troost in Room 206, offers a wide range of supportive services to students. Appointments can be made by calling 816.235.1635. UMKC Student Health and Wellness ( located at 4825 Troost in Room 115, offers a full range of health care and promotion services. Appointments can be scheduled online or by calling 816.235.6133. The MindBody Connection ( is located in the AtterburyStudentSuccessCenter in Room 112 and offers a variety of stress-reduction services.

Disability Support Services: To obtain disability related accommodations and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (OSSD) as soon as possible. To contact OSSD, call (816) 235-5696. Once verified, OSSD will notify the course instructor and outline the accommodation and/or auxiliary aids to be provided. For more information go to:

English Proficiency Statement: Students who encounter difficulty in their courses because of the English proficiency of their instructors should speak directly with their instructors. If additional assistance is needed, students may contact the UMKC Help Line at 816-235-2222 for assistance.

Grade Appeal Policy: Students are responsible for meeting the standards of academic performance established for each course in which they are enrolled. The establishment of the criteria for grades and the evaluation of student academic performance are the responsibilities of the instructor.

The University grade appeal procedure is available only for the review of allegedly capricious grading and not for review of the instructor's evaluation of the student's academic performance. Capricious grading, as that term is used here, comprises any of the following:

• The assignment of a grade to a particular student on some basis other than the performance in the course;

• The assignment of a grade to a particular student according to more exacting or demanding standards than were applied to other students in the course; (Note: Additional or different grading criteria may be applied to graduate students enrolled for graduate credit in 300- and 400-level courses.)