COM
200 Writing
to Communicate Summer 2009
Dr. Elliot Gaines, Office: 411
Millett
email: [email protected]
Class Meetings 12:20-2:00
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
Room: 403 Millett
THIS SYLLABUS MAY BE MODIFIED
AS THE TERM PROGRESSES.
Textbooks:
Hacker, Diana. 2008. A
Pocket Style Manual, Fifth Edition. NY: Bedford St. Martin's Press.
Gorham. Joan. Ed. 2010. Annual Editions Mass Media
09/10. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Additional readings will be
announced.
Students are required access their
WSU email account and Course Studio, to have a WSU student computer lab
account, and to backup files of their class work.
Course Description
Instruction and practice in
writing to communicate nonfiction reports. Course includes use of library information sources,
principles of organization, composition, and academic documentation.
Course Goals
This course prepares you to
write clearly and correctly for classes in organizational communication, mass
communication, communication studies, and social and industrial
communication. To write well you
must develop critical thinking skills such as the ability to draw warranted
conclusions. This course is
designed to help you write well, think well, and develop positive attitudes
toward thinking and writing.
Course Organization
This course will focus on
writing at a variety of levels:
(1) Knowledge of standard
American English usage is essential, and includes correct sentence structure,
grammar, and punctuation.
Preparation for writing involves learning to identify your audience and
purpose in writing, as well as learning how to find sources of information and
provide correct, formal citations;
(2) Research includes
learning about information sources that are relevant to your target audience
and your purpose, retrieving relevant articles and other sources, and compiling
references using correct documentation style;
(3) Organization and
composition involve preparing an outline, writing an introduction, a body and a
conclusion;
(4) Revision includes rewriting,
fixing organization, checking to see that conclusions are warranted, cutting
out clutter, revising sentences, and correcting other things such as reference
style.
Throughout the course, be
sure to ask questions and express any concerns. If you need tutoring on any element of research, writing,
composition and/or grammar, you can receive individual tutoring either from the
instructor by appointment or from an instructor at the WSU Writing Center.
REQUIREMENTS
The course includes the
following:
�
Attendance and
participation
�
Readings to be completed
before the class session when they will be discussed
�
Exercise on library and
electronic information sources
�
Several research papers
on assigned topics prepared using formal MLA style
�
Individual meetings with
the professor to review comments on papers.
�
ALL STUDENTS MUST CHECK
THEIR WSU EMAIL ACCOUNT FOR COURSE UPDATES AND COMMUNICATION FROM THE
INSTRUCTOR
�
Attendance is
required. A percentage of your
course grade is derived from participation, including active participation in
class discussions and meeting assignment deadlines.
�
If you miss four classes
or more, regardless of excuses (including, but not limited to, employment,
military assignment, weather or illness), the instructor may assign a grade of
Incomplete.
�
Some graded exercises
will be done during class time. If you are not in class to do a graded exercise
you don�t get any points, and there is no make-up work.
�
All assignments must be
submitted on time. Papers submitted after the deadline are by definition less
than average, and unless an arrangement with your instructor is approved at
least 24 hours in advance, late submissions will not be accepted.
�
Do not ask to take tests
or submit other work before or after the rest of the class, unless you are working
with the Office of Disability Services.
�
Read all materials
before class and come prepared for a discussion.
�
Grammar, spelling,
style, accuracy, and critical thinking will be considered in all writing
assignments.
�
Papers must be typed,
double spaced, and stapled.
PLEASE. No binders or paper
clips.
�
Include your name, name
of the class, and title of the project on each paper following the MLA
guidelines for names and page numbers.
A SEPARATE COVER PAGE IS NOT NECESSARY IN THIS CLASS
�
Use MLA style
parenthetical citations in the text and works cited.
�
Papers must be turned in
at the designated time.
�
Late
papers will not be accepted.
In
all cases, follow instructions.
Ask questions if something is not clear.
Syllabus
or schedule changes may be necessary to meet the needs of the class.
EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR GRADING ALL WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
�
Clarity of purpose and
precise use of language,
�
Completeness in
achieving purpose, i.e., doing all you set out to do; appropriateness of
organization;
�
Relevance and
completeness of evidence;
�
Clarity and correctness
of writing;
�
Correct documentation
style.
�
The criteria for the
works cited include accuracy of documentation style, complete information,
credibility and relevance of sources.
�
The criteria for quizzes
are accuracy and completeness of answers.
�
The criteria for all
assignments include language usage and grammar, clarity, and correct writing as
noted in the criteria for the essay portions of the tests.
Grading: Weighting of
assignments:
Final
paper........................................................................��.20%
First draft of final
paper.............................................................20%
Three preliminary
papers..........................................................(10% x 3) 30%
Participation and
quizzes....��������������30%
Total: 100%
ASSIGNMENTS:
Papers 1, 2, 3: Using at least one scholarly source, write a brief
analysis of a published study relating to your research question. These essays
and sources will be written in preparation for the Final Draft paper.
General
Guidelines
� One page, double spaced, average size font is
approximately 250 words
� Include your name, date and assignment
(i.e. Paper #1 ) on the top left
� Standard MLA style: in-line citation and
works cited
Grading
includes:
� Readability: sentence structure, wording,
and clarity
� Organization: essay structure, paragraph
structure, transitions and headings
� Grammar, spelling, and punctuation
� MLA style
�
CONTENT:
including clarity of writing, evidence, and reasonableness of analysis;
meaningful writing based upon appropriate research source materials. Sources must be legitimate
research from peer-reviewed journals approved by the instructor before submitting a paper.
�
Revisions
require that comments on earlier papers should be studied, questioned,
corrected and not repeated on subsequent papers.
�
Always put you name at
the top of each page and staple pages.
�
Refer to other students
first for updated information in case of an unavoidable absence.
�
All writing assignments
must use correct citation style.
�
Avoid broad
generalizations such as speaking about �today�s society.�
�
Do not express personal
opinions in papers. Conclusions
should be based upon evidence derived from source materials.
�
Avoid speculation and
assumptions about �general knowledge.�
�
Avoid long quotes.
�
Avoid wordy and
unnecessarily complicated sentences
�
Paraphrase readings,
cite the source, and write reasonably conclusions
�
Short papers need to be
approached as a literature review.
That is, seek evidence embedded in scholarly research and other reliable
sources, and apply results to contemporary issues. For example, to discuss developments in cell phone use, any
diffusion of innovation research can be used to compare past situations with
current observations. This can
demonstrate a �reasoned� position rather than a personal opinion that lacks
grounding in established research.
�
Readings in Hacker are
short and to the point, and effectively illustrated. Read all of Hacker assignments in advance of the due
dates. Due dates represent class
discussion in preparation for Book Tests, and the final English Proficiency
Test. However, in order to
positively prepare for writing assignments, the readings need to be taken up
before papers, proposals, and planning the term paper.
�
All papers must be
stapled to, and submitted with previous, graded papers stapled beneath the
newest paper, in sequence. Grades
will be affected if this procedure is not followed.
�
Comments on papers are
written using the Revision Symbols included toward the end of the Hacker
text. The Revision Symbols page
provides specific references to pages and explanations. Students are required to correct
mistakes and avoid repeating them in subsequent papers. Study the reference in the text
and ask for clarification in class, or during individual meetings,
� WSU has a policy for academic integrity that uses
electronic Internet services that check papers for plagiarism by comparing them
to thousands of other papers. Your
papers will be checked for plagiarism, so be aware of what constitutes
plagiarism and how to avoid a serious situation.
Plagiarism: A paper in which you fail to appropriately document
use of other peoples work will receive an "F" for that paper. For example, if the first draft of your
research paper contains plagiarized writing, 20% of the total course-grade will
be "F." Hacker (2008)
provides detailed descriptions of plagiarism, including the following:
�
�Your research paper is
a collaboration between you and your sources. To be fair and ethical, you must acknowledge your debt to
the writers of these sources. If
you don't you are guilty of plagiarism, a serious academic offense. Three
different acts are considered plagiarism:
(1) failing to cite quotations and borrowed ideas, (2) failing to
enclose borrowed language in quotation marks, and (3) failing to put summaries
and paraphrases in your own words� ( 107).
You are guilty of plagiarism
even if you only copy part of the author's sentences. Either by mixing the author's words or phrases without using
quotation marks or by substituting your own words into the author's sentences,
this is still plagiarism if you do not provide correct citations to credit your
sources (Hacker 2008).
Considering your term paper
and all take-home writing assignments, like all class materials, are an
opportunity to learn and develop skills.
(Subject to change as the
quarter progresses).
Note: The readings generally
will provide background in advance of an upcoming class. The Massey readings are available on
reserve at the library.
DATE READ
by this date Activity
JUNE 15 Syllabus Intro,
What is research?
JUNE 16 Quiz
on syllabus; BRING YOUR TEXT Discuss
Hacker pp. 92-102.
JUNE 17 LIBRARY
RESEARCH; (Librarian) presentation
JUNE 18 Hacker
pp. 104-154. Writing exercises
JUNE 22 Hacker
pp. 104-154. (Seinfeld)
JUNE 23 Brainstorming
proposals
JUNE 24 Working
on papers.
JUNE 25 PAPER
#1 DUE
JUNE. 29 Individual
meetings
JULY 30 Individual
meetings
JULY 1 PAPER
#2 DUE
JULY 2 Individual
meetings
JULY 6 PAPER
#3 DUE
JULY 7 Proposals
due
JULY 8 Individual
meetings
JULY 9 Draft
I due; Editing and revising. Individual
meetings
JULY 13 Individual
meetings
JULY 14 Final
Draft Due
JULY 15 Discussion
JULY 16 FINAL