English 201 – College Reading and
Writing II
Fall 2009 Section 800 Online
Instructor: Ms. Ashley
Bissette
E-mail: bissettee@uncw.edu
Webpage: http://people.uncw.edu/bissettee
Office: MO
103B
Office
Hours: MW
1:00 – 2:00 and by appointment
Office Phone: 910-962-2539, Cell Phone: 910-232-3652
COURSE OVERVIEW
Required Texts and Materials:
You
should be able to order textbooks online through the UNCW bookstore. You will want to obtain your books as soon as
possible, as your first reading assignment will be due during the second week
of classes. The web address for the UNCW
bookstore is http://www.uncw.edu/ba/bookstore/
·
Durkin,
Diane and Lisa Gerrard. Seeking Common Cause: Reading and Writing in
Action. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008.
·
Lunsford,
Andrea. Easy Writer: A Pocket Reference.
3rd ed. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006.
·
Microsoft
Word and PowerPoint (If you do not have access to these, you can use “Tealware”
offered by UNCW - http://uncw.edu/itsd/services/hardware/tealware.html)
·
Technical
Requirements as listed at http://uncw.edu/ONLINE/techreq.html
·
A
saving device such as a flash drive
Course
Description: Prerequisite:
Eng 101 and sophomore standing.
College-level writing and reading, including continued practice in the
composing process, with emphasis on argumentation and research. Frequent projects in gathering, analyzing,
synthesizing and documenting information from sources.
Course Objectives:
The goal of English
201 is to facilitate the transition from writing and reading based on personal
experience to writing and reading for the variety of academic purposes students
will encounter at UNCW. Involved in that transition is the gradual acquisition
of the conventions of academic writing, such as an inquiring, balanced,
informed voice and a tolerant intellectual stance.
Course Requirements:
Discussion
Board – 10 points
Journal
Entries – 10 points
Quizzes
– 10 points
Image
Analysis Essay – 10 points
Textual
Analysis Essay – 10 points
Argument
Essay – 20 points
Research
Essay – 30 points
Final Grading Scale:
93-100
points – A 73-76 points – C
90-92
points – A- 70-72 points – C-
87-89
points – B+ 67-69 points –
D+
83-86
points – B 63-66 points – D
80-82
points – B- 60-62 points D-
77-79
points – C+ Below 60 points
– F
Getting Started:
We
will be using Blackboard as the platform for this course. For instructions on how to log in, go to http://www.uncw.edu/itsd/VISTAlogin.html
Once
you log in, you will be able to click on English 201. On the Home Page for our course, you will see
an icon that says, “Getting Started.” This is a learning module containing several
links to important information. You
should click on this icon for an overview of how this course will work.
Online Support:
If
at any point during the semester you have problems with Blackboard, you can
receive assistance from the Technology Assistance Center. The email address is tac@uncw.edu and the phone number is
910-962-HELP (4357). If you do email the TAC, be sure to put “Blackboard”
in the subject line. There is also a very useful online support center at
http://uncw.edu/bbsupport.
General Expectations:
Because
this is an online course, it is important that you keep yourself accountable
for weekly assignments and deadlines.
You will find it extremely important to stay organized and to check
Blackboard frequently. It is also a good
idea to maintain contact with me throughout the semester.
WEEKLY
ASSIGNMENTS
Readings
and Learning Modules:
Each
week you will be asked to complete readings and will be responsible for their
content. Readings should always be completed by Tuesday at 11:59pm
of that week. In addition, you will find weekly learning modules which
will contain corresponding lectures, PowerPoint presentations, activities
and/or worksheets. Students are always responsible for this
information. Learning Modules will also contain discussion board items,
journal prompts, and quizzes.
Completing
Discussion Board Items:
A
large part of your grade for this class will be participating in a dialogue
with classmates via discussion boards. Discussion boards for each week
will be located in the corresponding learning module. To read each
question, simply click on it. Click “reply” to complete your post.
Posts should be thoughtful and well written. Refer to “Netiquette” in the
“Getting Started” learning module for a list of guidelines. Posts should
also be at least one paragraph in length. Sometimes discussion board
items will be done as an entire class, but I will often put you into small
groups. When this happens, you will see “Discussion Group” and a number
listed next to the subject title. Discussion board items are typically
due by 11:59 p.m. each Tuesday, but you should refer to the Schedule of
Assignments for a complete list of deadlines.
Replying
to Discussion Board Items:
In
addition to your original responses, you should reply to at least two posts
from your classmates each week. When working in small groups, you’ll
respond to at least two posts just within your group. Replies are typically due
by 11:59 p.m. each Thursday. When replying to classmates,
you should be sure to be polite and open-minded. The discussion board is
a place where all students should feel comfortable expressing ideas. This
does not mean that you cannot disagree with your classmates; it means that you
should be conscious of your language and tone. I will alert you if your
dialogue is inappropriate, and you’ll be asked to re-do your replies for that
week. If this happens more than two times, you will lose points for your
discussion board grade.
*I
will often ask follow up questions to your posts. Check for these
questions when you post replies to classmates.
Journal
Entries:
Another
portion of your grade will be based on weekly journal entries. Prompts
for these entries will be located in the weekly learning modules. Entries
should be 3-4 paragraphs in length, and should follow the guidelines listed in
“Netiquette.” These will typically be due by 11:59 p.m. each Tuesday.
Quizzes:
Quizzes
will be given on a regular basis. These quizzes will cover material in the weekly
readings AND lectures and will be located in the weekly learning modules.
You will have 15 minutes to complete each quiz. Refer to the Schedule of
Assignments for quiz dates. During weeks that a quiz is given, the quiz
will be due by 11:59pm that Thursday. There will be a total of 10
quizzes.
ESSAYS
You
will be writing four formal essays for this class. You can find learning
modules for each essay assignment on the Home Page. Essays should be emailed
to my campus email address as a .doc or .docx attachment. Essays that
are not turned in as a .doc or .docx attachment will be considered late until
they are turned in correctly.
Conferences:
For
some essays, I will be requiring students to sign up for small group
conferences with me. These conferences will occur in “Ms. Bissette’s
Virtual Office” located on the Blackboard Course Homepage. Not only will
these conferences be a forum for me to discuss your progress and answer questions,
but they will also be a chance for you to discuss ideas with classmates.
Failure to sign up for or attend a scheduled conference will negatively affect
your essay grade, so be sure to plan accordingly.
The Writing Center:
I
encourage all students to obtain online help from the Writing Center for their
essays. http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/uls/writing_newconsultation.htm
Deadlines:
All
deadlines in this class are firm. Be sure to plan wisely and save all work in
at least two places. Formal essay assignments will always be due by 11:59
p.m. on the due date. For each day that an assignment is late, the
grade for that assignment will be reduced by 3 points.
Grading
Procedure:
I
typically take a maximum of two weeks to return essays. Regardless of how
long it takes, I will always have essays returned before you are expected to
turn in the next assignment. Essays will be returned with comments via
campus email.
COMMUNICATION
Announcements:
For
this course, you are required to access Blackboard often. I encourage
every student to click on “Announcements” under “Course Tools” each time they
log on to Blackboard, as that will be the first place I will post important
information such as changes in the schedule of assignments, directions for
activities, and answers to common questions.
Email
/ Phone:
Sometimes,
I will send information via campus email, so you should check your email often
as well. All students will be responsible for knowing this information. “I
forgot to check my email” is not an excuse. Email is also the best way to
contact me if you have questions throughout the course. While I do check
my email often, students should be aware that I will usually not check
email on Saturdays or after 6pm Sunday through Friday. Therefore,
it is a good idea to work on assignments ahead of time in case you have
questions.
My
cell phone number is listed at the top of this syllabus. Students are welcome
to call or text this number in cases when email is insufficient. Please
do not call or text this number on Saturdays or after 6pm Sunday through Friday.
FAQ:
If
you have general questions about the course or specific assignments, you should
post them to the FAQ on the Homepage. This way, if other students have
the same question, they will be able to see my answer easily. If you have
questions that pertain only to you, please email me at my campus email address.
Office
Hours:
I will
have office hours on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. If
you’d like to discuss something with me during office hours, you have a few
options.
1. Office Phone: 
910-962-2539
2. Email: bissettee@uncw.edu.
3. Ms. Bissette’s Virtual Office on the Blackboard Course Homepage
*If you are not
available to contact me during office hours, you can set up an appointment with
me.
Building Community:
I have created a Facebook group called “Ms.
Bissette's English 201 online! (Fall 2009)”. I encourage all students
to join this group. Not only will this allow us to have a name to a face
for each other, but we can also have informal discussions. Please note that this is not a requirement.
OTHER
POLICIES
Disabilities:
If
you have a disability and need special accommodations, you should let me know within
the first week of classes. You will also need to register with Disability
Services for proper documentation. The phone number for Disability Services is 910-962-7555.
Netiquette:
It is important that all students follow basic rules
of “netiquette” in any online course. You can find more information on
the netiquette rules specific to this course in the “Getting Started” Learning
Module.
Academic Honesty:
Plagiarism is unacceptable and is grounds for
failure for this course. Simply put: don’t do it. If you are unsure
of what constitutes plagiarism, feel free to see me. You can also read
the entire policy in the Code of Student Life, which can be found at the
following website: http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/doso/documents/Code.Of.Student.Life.pdf
I’ve included an excerpt here:
I-1 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY OFFENSES
Students who violate any of the
following standards will be subject to disciplinary action:
A. PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism means the appropriation, buying,
receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any means another person’s work and the
unacknowledged submission or incorporation of it in one’s own work. Plagiarism
is doubly unethical, since it deprives the true author of his/her rightful
credit and then gives that credit to someone to whom it is not due.
I-3 RESPONSIBILITY OF UNIVERSITY
COMMUNITY
A. GENERAL RESPONSIBILITY
It shall be the responsibility of every
faculty member, student, administrator and staff member of the university
community to uphold and maintain the academic standards and integrity of the
university. Any member of the university community who has reasonable grounds
to believe that an infraction of the Academic Honor Code has occurred has an
obligation to report the alleged violation.
SCHEDULE
OF ASSIGNMENTS (Tentative)
WEEK
1
Thurs. 8/21 Read the Syllabus carefully
Complete
all items in the “Getting Started” Learning Module.
Quiz
#1 - Syllabus
*Obtain all necessary texts and materials for the course if
you have not already done so.
IMAGE
ANALYSIS
WEEK
2
Tues. 8/25 Read: “Analytical Reading as Preparation for Argument” SCC p1-10
“Following
Conventions for email, discussion lists, and Web logs (blogs)” EW 37-41
“Academic Writing: Some Basic Dos and Don’ts”
Complete Week 2 Learning Module
* Image Analysis
Essay Prompt Available
Thurs.
8/27 Reply to Discussion Board Items
Quiz #2
WEEK
3
Tues. 9/1
Work
on Essays
Wed. 9/2 Email
Rough Draft to Peer Editing Group
Thurs. 9/3
Peer Reviews Due
TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
WEEK
4
Tues. 9/8 Read: “Analytical Writing as Argument” SCC p10-38
“Why
the M Word Matters to Me” SCC p182-185
“Deathblow
to Marriage” SCC p185-188
Complete Week 4 Learning Module
*Textual
Analysis Essay Prompt Available
Image Analysis Essay Due
Thurs.
9/10 Reply to Discussion Board Items
Quiz #3
WEEK
5
Tues. 9/15 Read: “The Merits of Meritocracy” SCC p224-228
“Forget Classrooms. How Big is the Atrium in the New Student
Center?” SCC p246-252
Complete Week 5 Learning Module
Thurs.
9/17 Reply
to Discussion Board Items
Quiz #4
WEEK
6
Tues. 9/22 Work on Essays
Wed. 9/23 Email Rough Draft
to Peer Editing Group
Thurs. 9/24 Peer Reviews Due
ARGUMENTATION
WEEK
7
Tues. 9/29 Read: “Making an
Argument” EW p22-31
“You’ve
Got Blog: How to Put Your Business, Your Boyfriend, and Your Life Online” SCC
p456-462
Complete Week 7 Learning Module
*Argument Essay Prompt Available
Textual
Analysis Essay Due
Thurs.
10/1 Reply
to Discussion Board Items
Quiz #5
WEEK
8
Tues. 10/6 Fall Break
Thurs.
10/8 Read: “Creating an Outline”
"In-Text
Citations: The Basics"
WEEK
9
Tues.
10/13 Read:
“Work Makes Life Sweet” p285-291
“Selection
from Nickel and Dimed” p322-327
Complete Week 9 Learning Module
Thurs. 10/15 Reply to Discussion Board Items
Outline Due
Quiz #6
WEEK
10
Mon. 10/19 Conferences
Tues.
10/20 Work on Essays
Conferences
Wed. 10/21 Email Rough Draft
to Peer Editing Group
Thurs. 10/22 Peer Reviews Due
RESEARCH
WEEK
11
Tues.
10/27 Read: “Library Support for Distance Learners”
“Conducting
Research” EW p168-176
Argument
Essay Due
*Researched Argument
Prompt Available
Thurs.
10/29 Reply to Discussion Board Items
Quiz
#7
WEEK
12
Tues. 11/3
Read: “Using Randall Library”
“Developing a Library Research Strategy”
“Evaluating
Sources and Taking Notes” EW p176-187
Complete Week 12 Learning Module
Thurs.
11/5 Reply to Discussion Board Items
Quiz #8
Annotated Bibliography Due
WEEK
13
Tues.
11/10 Read: “Integrating
Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism” EW p187-192
“Drafting,
Revising, and Editing” EW p192-193
Complete
Week 13 Learning Module
Thurs.
11/12 Reply to Discussion Board Items
Quiz
#9
Outline Due
WEEK
14
Tues.
11/17 Conferences
Wed. 11/18 Email
Rough Draft to Peer Editing Group
Thurs.
11/19 Peer
Reviews Due
WEEK
15
Tues. 11/24 Work on Essays
Thurs.
11/26 Thanksgiving Break
WEEK
16
Mon. 11/30
Researched Argument Essay Due