Composition II:

English 102 Section 1030

Great Basin College

Winter Break

Dec. 18, 2017 - January 20, 2018

ONLINE

Instructor: Professor Susanne Bentley

Office hours: By appointment. I am not in my office during the winter break, so if you have a question, please send me an e-mail through WebCampus.

E-mail: Use Web Campus e-mail for all correspondence

If you are unable to contact me through Web Campus, you may use my office e-mail at:

Course Description:

Composition II is a three-credit course that continues the reading and writing done in English 101. The course emphasizes writing from sources, argument, the investigative paper, and research techniques. Prerequisite: Successful completion of ENG 101.

The purpose of this course is to help you become better writers and more critical readers and thinkers, as well as to help you develop a sense of your own voice and place in a community of writers. This course will help you discover your purpose for specific types of writing and develop authority in communicating your ideas and experiences to your intended audience. We will also focus on conducting research, both in the library and on the Internet, and discover ways to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize sources. We will use many forms of research including field, library, and Internet research, while exploring a variety of topics.

This is a summer course that will be completed in eight weeks.

Credits: 3

Course Objectives:

This course addresses the major goals of research-based writing:

  • To enjoy the academic project of research for its own sake
  • To read with critical facility, especially for future academic work. English 102 concentrates on learning to read closely and reflectively, and on integrating the material that you’ve read into an intelligent, accessible written version for another audience.
  • To produce clear, concise, interesting prose. English 102 recognizes that we can all write, but that all of us can always get better at it. It is both a skill and an art that requires the regular practice that perhaps only a writing course provides.
  • To understand and practice the key academic research skill: synthesis. Synthesis is that technique which combines the material discovered during research into a new, coherent piece of writing, that pays particular attention to voice. (Voice is you, the writer, behind the words; voice allows the audience to hear the author of the document.
  • To understand the use and misuse of statistics. English 102 offers the perspective that, although research involves statistical data, not all of that is reported in good faith or with clear motive. Researchers must be able to evaluate the use of statistics and to recognize the inflated, sensational, or oversimplified use of them. We will have view videos about the use of statistics and take quizzes to further our understanding of mass data.
  • To learn to use documentation formats, especially MLA & APA guidelines. Writers are expected to follow standardized reference formats, but English 102 reviews each of these two widely used, academic, professional set of conventions.

Required Texts and course materials:

These must be obtained by the end of the first week of class:

  1. Web Campus login
  2. Reliable internet access
  3. Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide. 16th edition
  4. Author: Lester, James
    ISBN:978-0-13-451902-9
    Copyright Year:2017
    Publisher:PEARSON EDUCATION

You may purchase an E-book or a loose-leaf version that you would insert into a notebook. The GBC bookstore can help you with these, or you may purchase the E-book and download it from the following sources using this link:

  • Writing Research Papers E-Text (Be sure to click on E-Text and only purchase the 16th edition)
  • Pearson Higher Ed link (You may purchase a loose-leaf or spiral bound edition here)
  1. Ability to log on to the Great Basin College Library databases by the second week of class (instructions appear later)
  2. A college dictionary (or use an online version)
  3. A storage device for storing your work

Methods of Instruction: This class is completely online. Instruction will take place in a variety of ways including online lecture, online discussions, cooperative group activities, student-led discussions and presentations, possible tutor feedback, instructor feedback, and student question/answer. Assignments are submitted via WebCampus only.

Class Activities: Much of English 102 revolves around students working independently on their research. Since this is a condensed summer class, you should be prepared to spend at least eighteen hours a week reading, preparing assignments and participating in class activities. It is essential that you commit yourself to this degree of involvement to be successful in this course. The class transfers to major universities, such as the University of Nevada and the University of California, so you should be prepared for a workload and a level of intellectual engagement comparable to these systems. The specific assignments and requirements for the class are explained in detail in the “Assignments” section of WebCampus.

Web Campus :This is a completely online course. Assignments are due each week through the Web Campus platform. Become familiar with these tools and plan to check them regularly:

  • Lectures:Begin each week by reading the lecture for the week.
  • Learning Modules: Your assignments are outlined in detail on Web Campus. The best way to stay organized with this course is to always check each week’s Learning Module on Sunday or Monday each week. We will often have assignments due Monday through Saturday, especially in the early weeks of this summer course.

Go to the homepage and click on the appropriate Learning Module to find each week’s lecture and assignments. You should begin each week by reading the lecture.

  • Calendar:Find the calendar with weekly assignments by clicking on the “Calendar” tool in Web Campus to keep track of assignments each week.
  • An assignment that is crossed out on your calendar indicates it has been submitted. This is a simple way to keep track of which assignments you've submitted and which ones you still need to complete.
  • Assignments:Your assignments are explained here, and this is where you will submit assignments. Be sure to open each assignment and read it several times before you begin working on it. You will also find weekly quizzes here.
  • Web Campus E-mail:I frequently use e-mail to send updates and correspondence that will help you with your assignments. Plan to check your e-mail at least twice each week. My goal is to respond to student e-mail within one day, but I may not be checking the Website on weekends or holidays, so please plan accordingly.
  • To Check Your Gradesand Read My Comments: Open the “Grades” link on the left of the homepage.

Course Policies and Expectations

Assignment due dates:

  • I enforce a“no late papers” policy.
  • Each assignment has a due date. If you experience an emergency and miss the due date, you may submit your assignment within 48 hours of the due date for a twenty percent reduction in credit. The assignment will be marked as “late.”
  • No more than two late assignments will be accepted during the semester.
  • After the 48-hour period, you cannot submit your assignment. Only assignments submitted through the correct assignment drop box will be accepted.
  • Absolutely no assignments will be accepted throughemail. This means that if you miss turning in a major paper by the due date, you will have to drop the class or earn an "F."

Satisfactory Progress on Written Assignments:

In order to pass this class, students must receive a passing grade (60 percent or higher) on the following written assignments:

  • Syllabus Quiz
  • Brainstorming a Research Topic
  • Research Question
  • Journal Article Analysis
  • Library Overview
  • Multiple Source Analysis Paper
  • Sentence Outline
  • Final Research Paper

Failing Grades:Within a week of receiving grades, a student who does not receive a passing grade on any of these assignments, excluding the final research paper, must contact me to discuss his or her progress in this class. The conference may be online by phone.

Revision Policy:In English 102, I expect that each of the above submissions will be the final draft of the submission.There are no revisions of assignments in this class.This means that you need to be sure that you have done the assignment correctly before you submit it. Be sure that you carefully proofread for grammar, punctuation, and syntax; meet the minimum word requirement; and submit assignments that are well organized and meet the assignment criteria.

Assignment Submission Guidelines:

All work must be formatted according to 2016 MLA guidelines (APA guidelines if you discuss this with me prior to turning in the assignment).

Your work must be saved as a Microsoft Word document.This means the file extension will say either “.doc” or .docx”in order for me to read it an make comments on it. If you do not have Microsoft Word, you need to save your document as a pdf, but I will not be able to make comments on the assignment.

Please do not send anything through Google Docs or Open Office, and if you have a MacIntosh, you need to convert your file to Microsoft Word or a pdf before you send it to me.

It is your responsibility to understand this process.
Microsoft Works is not the same as Microsoft Word. If I can’t open your document, you will not receive a grade for the assignment. Ask theHelp Deskfor assistance if you do not understand how to save your work in the correct format.

Computer Problems:Every semester, at least four or five students experience some kind of computer problem. It usually occurs after students have written a substantial paper, which subsequently vanishes. Then, students have to recreate weeks of research and writing, and sometimes they have to drop the course and start all over again. Do not let this happen to you.

Computers crash, flash drives get lost, students go out of town and do not have Internet access, dogs eat memory sticks, and your Internet service provider may not work. It is your responsibility as a college student to plan ahead to avoid these problems.Save your work often to avoid losing it. Computer or Internet problems are not valid excuses for not submitting your assignments.

***One easy way to save your work is to e-mail it to yourself through WebCampus. Plan on doing this before you close whatever you are working on each day.***

Format for Papers:All essays must be submitted in proper MLA format. If you have been away from college for several years, MLA format was changed in 2016 and is different from what you previously learned. Read the chapters in your text on MLA Documentation carefully to see how to do this. On the course homepage, there is a folder named “Writing Websites” that contains links to Websites that show correct MLA formatting in depth. In the “Lecture Notes” file on the homepage, you will find lectures on 2016 MLA formatting and capitalization and punctuation of titles. Please read these for more information.

If you want to use APA format, make arrangements with me before the assignment is due. Never combine MLA and APA in the same assignment.

I expect that all work students in English 102 present is carefully proofread and written according to academic standards.Practice proper paragraph structure. Begin your paragraph with a topic sentence that presents the paragraph’s main idea, organize sentences in the paragraph body to develop the topic sentence with concrete details, data, facts, and examples, and a sum up with a concluding sentence.

NOTE: Failure to follow these format guidelines may result in your paper being returned without an evaluation.

Your assignments are outlined in detail on Web Campus. Go to the homepage and click on the appropriate learning module for assignments.

Professionalism in Writing:This course is a professional setting, and every message you send in such a setting needs to be clear, concise, and checked for spelling and grammar. Do not assume that because email and discussion postings can be written quickly that they can be sloppy. An infrequent mistake is understandable, but if your email messages and postings are continually difficult to read, this will affect your final grade. Use correct grammar, capitalization, and punctuation for all of your e-mail correspondence and discussion postings. Use the HTML editor on all of your email messages and check them for spelling using the “ABC” icon before you send your message. I will not respond to e-mail messages that do not meet the standards of correct grammar, punctuation, and syntax.

In this class, as in any professional setting, your writing reflects your thought processes. Every message you send has the potential to influence your reader’s opinion of you. How do you want to be perceived? Make a conscious decision to show readers that you are a careful thinker and that your ideas are worth considering.

Point of View and Use of Contractions:In academic writing, use the third-person point of view (he, she, it, or they). If you are writing about a personal experience, it is permissible to use first-person point of view (I), but use thissparinglyand only when it adds to your paper.Do not use second-person point of view (you) in academic writing.Also, do not use contractions in academic papers.

Attendance:My recommendation is that students regularly log on to the course Website a minimum of five days per week and spend time actually reading the lectures, assignments, and background information. I track how much time students spend on the class, and students who log in fewer than 25 hours per week for a five-week class usually are not very successful in the class. Make a commitment now to keep up with reading and assignments if you expect to do well in this class.

Tutors: Tutoring during the winter session is available through SmartThinking. I will post information about tutoring during the first week of class.

To submit to SmartThinking:

  • Create your paper in Microsoft Word or other word processing software.
  • Attach a copy of the assignment instructions.
  • Email as an attachment and send to SmartThinking linked in our WebCampus class.

Student Responsibility for dropping courses: If you are missing assignments, it is your responsibility to drop the course at the Admissions and Records Office. Students who have incomplete or late assignments who do not drop the course will receive a failing grade.Check with Admissions and Records for the deadline to drop a winter-session class.

Reading My Comments on Your Papers:It is essential that you read all of the comments I make on your papers and learn from these. Do not repeat mistakes that you made on a previous paper. Open the assignment, go to Submission Details, and click on the preview icon to read my comments. This is explained in the link“How do I view instructor comments?”Be sure to use this method to read comments on papers.

Essays and major assignments also have a grading rubric, which you will be able to access through the graded assignments tab.

If you receive a grade of 1 point, this means that I received your assignment, but there is a problem with the assignment that you need to correct before you will earn credit.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY

Academic dishonesty is defined as an act of deception in which a student claims credit for the work or effort of another person or uses unauthorized materials or fabricated information in any academic work. Academic dishonesty is a violation of the GBC Student Code of Conduct and will not be tolerated in this class. Any evidence of academic dishonesty/plagiarism in this course will result in a failing grade on the assignment and/or a failing grade for the course. You should be aware that at other schools you will risk failing courses and potential suspension/expulsion for academic dishonesty, which is considered averyserious offense. If you are ever uncertain about using material form a source, please ask me about it. GBC tutors can also assist you with questions about documentation. Acts of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • CHEATING--unauthorized copying or collaborating on a test or assignment, or the use or attempted use of unauthorized materials;
  • TAMPERING--altering or interfering with evaluation instruments and documents;
  • FABRICATION--falsifying experimental data or results, inventing research or laboratory data or results for work not done, or falsely claiming sources not used;
  • PLAGIARISM--representing someone else's words, ideas, artistry, or data as one's own, including copying another person's work (including published and unpublished material, andmaterial from the Internet) without appropriate referencing, presenting someone else's opinions and theories as one's own, or working jointly on a project, then submitting it as one's own;
  • ASSISTING--assisting another student in an act of academic dishonesty, such as taking a test or doing an assignment for someone else, changing someone's grades or academic records, or inappropriately distributing exams to other students.

With online research, it can be tempting to use others' ideas and words from the vast resources on the available online. Do not give in to this temptation unless you are willing to cite your sources completely. Remember, if you found something on the Internet, chances are I can find it too.