Introduction
Welcome
to English 101: Academic Writing & Reading. Here
is a syllabus for the course;
you are responsible for the information therein, so read it over carefully
and print out a hardcopy.
In this online course, you will be responsible for completing multiple reading and writing assignments within the context of ten modules over the span of ten weeks—hence, one module per week. This is the first module. While strict deadlines will be upheld for assignments, you are encouraged to work at your own pace.
I will be available for personal consultation by appointment, and you can
email me with questions or concerns via WebCT. I always answer within 24 hours, usually sooner.
This
course is run by way of my
own website in conjunction with Wright State University's
distance learning program WebCT.
If you have never used the program before, make sure you complete this WebCT Tutorial.
The index page will operate as your primary resource for the course. You may access
this page via www.wright.edu/~david.wilson or via WebCT by clicking the Main folder.
All
major and minor assignments should be submitted to me via WebCT on their respective due dates and times. Go to the Assignments folder and upload your work accordingly. All assignments
must be composed and submitted on MS-Word as .doc or .docx files. Assignments submitted otherwise (e.g. as .wps or .rtf files) will not receive credit.
Major
assignments will receive letter grades. Minor assignments will receive
one of three marks:
2 denotes
work that is complete and follows directions. 1 denotes
work that is only partially complete or diverges from the directions. 0 denotes work that is illegible or, in most cases,
simply not turned in.
I will provide detailed feedback on all major essays (introductions and final drafts) that you are required to turn in. MS-Word allows me to type comments in the margin of your documents. When I am finished, I save the documents with my comments, grade them, and upload them to you via WebCT. If, for some reason, you do not receive feedback from me on a major essay, email me and let me know; very likely I forgot to upload the feedback.
A
Frequently Asked Questions forum is available on WebCT.
This is a peer-response space where you may post questions about assignments,
due dates, etc. Participation points will be given for both questions
and answers. Please refer to this forum before referring to me. If none
of your peers are able to answer your question, I will of course do
so.
We
have one paperback text for this course, The Norton
Field Guide to Literature with Readings, which, on this site, will always be referred to as NFG. In addition, you will also use the Owl @ Purdue, an online writing lab. Every module includes a reading about specific elements of grammar from the Owl @ Purdue that you will be expected to effectively implement into your writing.
Due dates and times for assignments
will always be clearly posted at the end of each module and on WebCT. Assignments with no due dates and times are not required to be turned in.
As you will soon learn, some of your writing assignments ask that you brainstorm and develop your own unique topics. You have a lot of freedom in this capacity. However, some topics are off limits, mainly because they are too general, widely written about, and ultimately stale. These topics include sports, abortion, capital punishment, legalization of majijuana and gun control.
FINAL
NOTE: Under no circumstances should parents or guardians of students
contact me with questions or concerns regarding a student's performance, grades,
or the course itself. Such matters are confidential and protected by
university policy. Parents and guardians need to contact the Wright
State University administration with questions or concerns. Students,
however, should feel free to contact me at any time.
Reading
& Comprehension
Norton
Field Guide (NFG): Read How to Use this Book (xi-xiii) and Chps.
1-5 (1-17).
Owl @ Purdue: Read the Grammar and Mechanics section under NAVIGATION in the right-hand column. From this point on, it will be assumed that all students have a firm grasp of the items adressed in this section.
