Course Syllabus
English 1A, Composition and Reading
Section #8869, Summer 2018
Course Description
You will be honing the skills that you have learned in previous years, learning to communicate better and more clearly in your writing as well as learning to both understand and analyze the written works of others. We will practice looking at the strategies that writers use to create and organize their works, with the goal of making it easier and more enjoyable for you to do the writing required in college and in most career fields.
We will be concentrating on several college skills and strategies for success:
- Analysis
- Paragraph Development
- Writing Process Strategies
- Revision & Reading Strategies
- Critical Reading Skills
Each lesson will work towards giving you information and strategies that you can use for more successful reading and writing, concentrating on one area per lesson.
Course Deadlines can be found by checking the SRJC Academic Calendar. You can also view the official SRJC course description and catalog information.
Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of the semester students will be able to:
- Write a comprehensive, well-developed, and coherent expository essay with a focused thesis and appropriate support.
- Recognize and correct errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
- Identify and analyze argumentative, stylistic, and narrative techniques.
- Locate, summarize, synthesize and employ research in a well-developed and documented research essay.
- Employ correct use of MLA format and formal citations.
- Read, annotate, summarize, and discuss all kinds of academic college-level non-fiction and fiction.
- Comprehend and use college-level vocabulary.
- Explain the conventions of advanced academic discourse, including style, tone, point of view, and the importance of original thought in developing oral and written arguments.
Content
The class is divided into four units, each of which culminates in an essay assignment, with each lesson focusing on a particular reading or writing topic. The schedule of units and topics is as follows (each lesson is one week in a normal-length semester class; there are two lessons per week in shorter terms such as summer):
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Unit #1 - Introduction to Writing
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Unit #2 - Advanced Topics In Writing
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Unit #3 - Creating & Supporting Arguments
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Lesson Overview
This course, although it is online, is not self-paced. The course is organized into regular Lessons (one per week for regular semesters and two per week in shorter terms such as summer) with assignments and due dates that must be met. Each Lesson you will begin by looking at the current Lesson Module, containing all the important information. The module page contains ALL information and links to all assignments and reading for that lesson.
Since this is a summer session class, there are TWO due dates each week! All assignments for odd-numbered Lessons are due by 11pm on Thursday (PST); All assignments for even-numbered lessons are due by 11pm on Sundays (PST). Due dates for all assignments are given in the Calendar and at the bottom of the syllabus. Assignments are due each Lesson, with two lessons per week in summer session: one due on Thursday and one due on Sunday. Each assignment also includes the due date at the bottom.
Regular Assignments
Each lesson, you will be expected to do the following:
- Complete assigned reading - you will usually have reading both from the textbook (College Composition and Reading) , as well as an essay from course reader. Later in the semester (starting Lesson 10), readings will include the novel (The Da Vinci Code). Many lessons will also include a required video lecture associated with the reading to be viewed after completing it.
- Watch Video Lecture and Complete Video Assignment. Not all lessons have a video, but most do. The videos are hosted on YouTube and each is embedded in Lesson Module. Detailed directions for completing a Video Assignment can be found on the Basic Information module.
- Complete short chapter quiz - for each chapter you read from the textbook (College Composition and Reading), you will take a short 10-question quiz, worth 10 points. The quiz contains multiple choice and true/false questions.
- Complete the Lesson Writing Assignment. Directions will appear on the Lesson Module. Some lessons, you will do a summary and response, or a writing journal, others you will create questions about the novel and answer others, some lessons you will have a unique assignment, and some you will be given a choice. See the Lesson Module to find out what the Lesson Writing Assignment is for that Lesson.
- Create a Discussion Post following the directions given on the Lesson Module, and reply thoughtfully to at least two other students' posts for that Lesson. Detailed Discussion Post directions can be found on the "Basic Information" module, with directions for each Lesson found on the Lesson module.
Assignment Descriptions
All assignments are described in detail in the Basic Information Module; the information given here is merely an overview.
Essays
The class is organized into four units, and each unit ends with an essay assignment. For the first essay, students will turn in the rough draft (25 points) one lesson, peer edit (20 points) during the following lesson while the teacher composes feedback on the rough drafts, and finally turn in the final draft (250 points) the lesson after that, having received both peer and instructor feedback.
The second essay will be extremely similar to the first, and you will use what you have learned to complete a final draft (250 points). There is no official rough draft assigned, though you are always encouraged to complete one as part of your writing process.
The third essay (a research essay) will have a rough draft (25 points) and will receive teacher feedback the following Lesson, but will not include peer editing. The Lesson after teacher feedback is given, the final draft is due (250 points).
For the fourth essay, only a final draft (250 points) will be turned in.
Essay directions for each essay will appear on an assignment of their own in relevant modules. Most essays are required to be about 1250 words, except the research essay (in Unit #3), which is about 1500 words.
Reading
Every Lesson Page will list the reading for the that Lesson, usually including at least two of the following:
- a chapter in the textbook, College Composition and Reading: Information and Strategies
- one or more essays from course reader
- reading on the Lesson Module itself
- reading from the novel, The Da Vinci Code
Video Lectures
Most Lesson Modules will include a link to a video lecture that should be viewed after doing the assigned reading for the Lesson. This video will go over the most important information from the reading with additional important discussion. The videos are required viewing and have closed-captioning available for hearing-impaired students or others who need it. You will complete a short assignment after watching the video.
Tests & Submissions
This class has one Final Exam. The final exam may only be loaded ONE TIME and may only be submitted ONE TIME for credit. This means that the first time you open the final, you must complete it. If you close it without completing it, you will receive a zero. If you take the exam additional times, only the first one will be counted for your grade and subsequent submissions will be ignored.
Final Expectations
1. Assignments are due on a weekly basis, and students are expected to complete all work by the due date (Thursdays and Sundays) at 11pm, Pacific Standard Time (PST), as specified in the schedule.
2. While this course does involve a great deal of solitary study, it also emphasizes construction of knowledge, skills and abilities through social interaction and communication; therefore, discussion posts are shared with the other students in the class. Once these posts are submitted, they will be available to everyone in the class.
3. It is extremely important that everyone be respectful toward the members of this class. If any member of this class has a problem with another student, please let me know immediately. More information about message board etiquette and consequences for noncompliance can be found on the "Basic Information" Lesson page.
4. If you encounter technical problems that prevent you from completing assignments, you need to let me know via email in a timely manner. I will do my best to help you troubleshoot the problem. Technical problems are not an acceptable excuse for not submitting assignments on time. If you are unable to post your work through the usual channels, you should submit a copy of your assignment to me as an email attachment.
Course Texts
- Main Textbook: College Reading and Composition: Information and Strategies, (4th edition) by L. Dawn Lukas; ISBN: 978-1-5249-4418-6 (Note: This is an e-text! A print version does not exist. In order to get this textbook, you must either purchase an access code card from the SRJC bookstore, or else follow the steps for purchasing online from the publisher, which are found by clicking here or by going to the "Basic Information" Module and reading the "Textbook Purchase Instructions" page.)
- Course Reader: The Contemporary Reader, (11th edition) by Gary Goshgarian; ISBN: 978-0321-87189-3
- Course Novel: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown; ISBN: 1-400-07917-9 (Note: This is the information for the edition of the novel that will be used and referenced in the course and sold in the bookstore; however, you are welcome to use any edition of the novel.)
You can locate and order the course reader and novel online via the SRJC Bookstore, while the main textbook must be purchased here. If your class is based out of Petaluma, your books will be listed on the Petaluma Bookstore web site.
Hardware and Software
Because this is an Internet-based class, students will need:
- Access to the Internet via a modem or high-speed connection such as cable or DSL A recent version of Web browser software (such as Firefox, Google Chrome, or Safari)
- An email account and the ability to access that account for sending and receiving messages
- The ability to watch YouTube videos (This means having Adobe Flash player; nearly all computers/browsers already have this installed. If you have watched YouTube videos before, you have it, but if you do not have it, you can download the free software from http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/)
- A sufficiently powerful computer with modern operating system capable of handling the above requirements.
Because this is an online class in which students will be uploading essays and receiving feedback from peers and the instructor, students will need:
- To be able to create and open/view Microsoft Word files (.doc or .docx) - many other programs have a "save as" feature by which you can convert. There is also a free program available called Open Office that can create and open MS Word files - you can get more information at www.openoffice.org
- The ability to view PDF files. Most browsers already have this capability, but if yours does not, you can get the FREE viewing program from adobe at http://get.adobe.com/reader
Grading
Points
This course consists of 2000 points divided in the following way:
| Writing Assignment | (16 x 20 points each) | 320 |
| Discussions | (16 x 20 pts) | 320 |
| Video Response Assignment | (13 x 10 pts) | 130 |
| Chapter Quizzes | (12 x 10 pts) | 120 |
| Essay Rough Draft | (2 x 25 pts) | 50 |
| Essay Peer Editing | (1 x 20 pts) | 20 |
| Essay Final Draft | (4 x 250 pts) | 1000 |
| Final Exam | (1 x 60 pts) | 40 |
Note: you must turn in a final draft for ALL FOUR essays. If you do not turn in a final draft for any of the five essays, you will automatically receive an "F" in the course.
Grades follow the standard scale:
| A = 90%-100% (1710 points or more) |
| B = 80%-89% (1520 - 1709 points) |
| C = 70%-79% (1330 - 1519 points) |
| D = 60%-69% (1140 - 1329 points) |
| F = 59% and below (1139 points or fewer) |
Grades should be available in the Canvas gradebook by one week after the assignment due date. I always post an announcement once all assignments for a Lesson are graded.
Late Assignments
I accept non-Discussion assignments only up to one week late with the following penalties:
- 1-3 days late: 10% penalty
- 4-7 days late: 25% penalty
- more than 7 days late: not accepted
No assignments will be accepted after 11pm one week after the due date. For summer classes, due dates are always Thursdays and Sundays at 11pm, although assignments can be completed at any time before the deadline as well.
Note: Discussion assignments will NOT be accepted late - this type must be done by the Lesson deadline to receive credit. No exceptions. If you are forced to miss one for some reason, you can submit extra credit to make up points (see below).
Extra Credit
Extra credit is available several ways:
- Doing additional thoughtful discussion post replies to your classmates in any discussions in the current Lesson Module before the Lesson deadline. No extra credit will be given for additional replies that are too short, posted after the deadline, or don't meet the discussion reply criteria (see the "Discussion Post Assignment Directions" content page of the Basic Information module for more information on this).
- Doing more than one of the options when you are offered a choice for the weekly assignment (for example, if you are asked to do either a summary & response or a writing journal, you will get extra credit for doing both).
- Doing a Writing Journal for any Lesson in which a chapter from College Composition & Reading: Information and Strategies is assigned, but a Writing Journal is not. Writing Journals are explained in the "Writing Assignment Directions" content page of the Basic Information module.
- When an assigned video lecture is broken into Part 1 and Part 2, you can do a separate Video Assignment on each of the parts, with the second one earning extra credit. (Normally, you would do a single video assignment drawn from the two parts combined.) Video Assignments are explained in the "Video Assignment Directions" content page of the Basic Information module.
- Doing extra Da Vinci Code discussion questions and/or answers. Do not include more than one separate question in a single post - each question must be in its own post.(This option only available in Lessons with a Da Vinci Code Q&A Discussion, at the end of the course)
- Doing extra peer editing responses, according to the guidelines (this option only available during Lesson Four)
You can earn approximately half the points for an extra credit assignment as are possible for that type of assignment when it is a required assignment. For example, a Writing Journal is normally worth up to 20 points, so doing one for extra credit can earn you up to 10 points. A Video Assignment is worth up to 10 points, so an extra one would be worth up to 5 points. A response to a classmate's message board post is normally worth up to 5 points, so you can earn up to 3 points for each extra. You may only earn extra credit points for up to five additional Discussion posts in any one Lesson. Extra credit submissions are not accepted late.
Assignment Retention
Submitted files will be retained for two weeks after the assignment due date. If there is some kind of mistake with your grade, you must contact me via email or private message within this time (all assignments will be graded and returned by a maximum of one week after the due date or when the assignment is submitted, whichever is later, which leaves you at least one week in which to get in touch with me for on-time assignments). Once the files have been deleted two weeks after the due date, no changes to your grade will be possible. Always check your feedback and comments!
Administrative Matters
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is vital for learning, so cheating or plagiarizing will not be tolerated. Plagiarism involves the representation of another's work as your own, for example: (a) submitting as one's own any material that is copied from published or unpublished sources such as the Internet, print, computer files, audio disks, video programs or musical scores without proper acknowledgment that it is someone else's; (b) paraphrasing another's views, opinions or insights without proper acknowledgment or copying of any source in whole or in part with only minor changes in wording or syntax even with acknowledgment; (c) submitting as one's own work a report, examination, paper, computer file, lab report or other assignment which has been prepared by someone else. If you are unsure about what constitutes unauthorized help on an exam or assignment, or what information requires citation and/or attribution, please get assistance. Violations will result penalties ranging from a zero for that assignment to a loss of points, depending on the severity of the infraction. For a second offense, penalties range from a zero on the assignment to failure of the course, and/or additional disciplinary actions.
View SRJC policy (3.11) on Academic Integrity and the Student Conduct Code, which is in the SRJC Catalog and part of Policy 8.2.8, Student Discipline. You do have a right to due process should you wish to contest an allegation or penalty that you have received. Some useful links:
Students With Disabilities
If you are student with a disability, if you have not done so, you are advised to register with the Disability Resources Department (DRD) as soon as possible in order to receive any accommodations that you qualify for. DRD is located in Analy Village on the Santa Rosa campus, and Petaluma Village on the Petaluma Campus.
Many additional links are available in the SRJC “Distance Ed Accessibility” page of SRJC Disability Resources Department (Click here to access the Distance Ed Accessibility page).
Every effort is made to conform to accessibility standards for all instructor-created materials. Students should contact their instructor as soon as possible if they find that they cannot access any course materials. Students with disabilities who believe they need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disability Resources (527-4278) or the website link above.
Dropping the Class
If you decide to discontinue this course, it is your responsibility to officially drop it. A student may be dropped from any class when that student's absences exceed ten percent (10%) of the total hours of class time. It is strongly advised that if you need to miss more than one class/homework deadline in a row that you contact the instructor to avoid being dropped from the class.
List of assignments
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
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