Catalog Course Search Details

 Department:    ENGL&

 Course #:    102

 Credits:    5

 Variable:     No

 IUs:    5

 CIP:    230101

 EPC:    n/a

 REV:    2018

 Course Description  

The planning, researching, and writing of a substantial academic paper based on a clearly stated thesis and using a variety of scholarly sources.

 Prerequisite  

Prerequisite: ENGL& 101 with grade of 2.0 or higher.

Contact Hours (based on 11 week quarter)

Lecture: 55

Lab: 0

Other: 0

Systems: 0

Clinical: 0

Intent: Distribution Requirement(s) Status:  

Academic Communication  

Equivalencies At Other Institutions

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the student will be able to:

1. Evaluate a topic and develop a thesis
   • Select a topic that meets the following criteria - Is narrow enough to be effectively organized in a 2000 word paper - Requires scholarly research - Can be considered objectively
   • Write a thesis statement (a claim) taking a position on an aspect of the topic
2. Use research techniques
   • Demonstrate the attitude of understanding, respect, and need for scholarship
   • Understand how to locate a wide variety of scholarly sources in college or university libraries, on electronic databases, and on the internet
   • Demonstrate the ability to correctly document all sources, including electronic sources, in MLA, APA, or other appropriate format
3. Demonstrate writing skills
   • Discriminate between a report and an argument
   • Sustain unity and coherence in an extended research paper the purpose of which is to state a claim and support it
   • Incorporate within the paper supporting material, which is a blend of appropriate paraphrase, quotation, and summary
   • Incorporate correct in-text citations for all borrowed material
   • Demonstrate understanding and application of the conventions of standard written English
   • Maintain a scholarly tone throughout the paper
4. Demonstrate critical thinking skills
   • Organize complex elements or argument in a logical, coherent fashion
   • Draw major and subordinate conclusions warranted by evidence, reasoning, and evaluation
   • Support conclusions with adequate evidence from a variety of credible sources
   • Demonstrate ability to understand and apply diverse perspectives

General Education Learning Values & Outcomes

Revised August 2008 and affects outlines for 2008 year 1 and later.

0. Application and Integration

Definition: Applying information from one or more disciplines and/or field experiences in new contexts (Outcome 0.1); developing integrated approaches or responses to personal, academic, professional, and social issues (Outcomes 0.2-0.5).

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
0.3 Identify and evaluate the relationships among different perspectives within a field of study and among different fields of study.

1. Information Literacy

Definition: Recognizing when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
1.1 Determine the extent of information needed.
1.2 Access the needed information effectively, efficiently, ethically, and legally.
1.3 Evaluate information and its sources critically.
1.5 Effectively integrate and use information ethically and legally to accomplish a specific purpose.

2. Critical Thinking

Definition: The ability to think critically about the nature of knowledge within a discipline and about the ways in which that knowledge is constructed and validated and to be sensitive to the ways these processes often vary among disciplines.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
2.1 Identify and express concepts, terms, and facts related to a specific discipline.
2.2 Analyze issues and develop questions within a discipline.
2.3 Identify, interpret, and evaluate pertinent data and previous experience to reach conclusions.
2.6 Recognize how the value and biases in different disciplines can affect the ways in which data is analyzed.

3. Communication

Definition: Understanding and producing effective written, spoken, visual, and non-verbal communication.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
3.1 Recognize, read, and comprehend academic and/or professional writing.
3.4 Produce academic and/or professional writing and integrate it into written and spoken projects.
3.7 Adapt communication to diverse audiences and media.

6. Individual Awareness & Responsibility

Definition: Understanding, managing, and taking responsibility for one’s learning and behavior in varied and changing environments.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
6.2 Demonstrate standards of professionalism in manner, appearance, and setting appropriate to the context, including the classroom, workplace, and community.
6.3 Apply successful organizational strategies of planning, goal setting, prioritizing, resolving conflict, and managing time to specific goals and/or projects.

10. Technology

Definition: Understanding the role of technology in society and using technology appropriately and effectively.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
10.3 Use technology appropriate to the context and task to effectively retrieve and manage information, solve problems, and facilitate communication.

Course Contents

1. The importance, scope, and use of scholarship both inside and outside academia
2. The content of and how to conduct research in college and university libraries, a variety of electronic databases, and on the internet; types of periodicals; the reliability and authority of different sources
3. Investigation of major print and electronic sources; how to identify bias in all sources, including media
4. The validity and credibility of arguments and reasoning, including the characteristics of sound arguments and fallacies in reasoning. The burden of proof.
5. The validity and credibility of evidence, including but ot limited to scientific data, statistics, and texts. This includes the use and misuse of data, stats, and texts, as well as inappropriate comparisons and how evidence is generated
6. Development and writing of an argument paper, to include: - selecting a topic - developing a bibliography - narrowing a topic - writing a thesis statement - developing an outline - taking notes - writing and revising rough drafts - incorporating in-text citations in the draft - avoiding plagiarism - avoiding errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation - writing a final draft that is neat, typed or word-processed, and proofread