Course Description
This is an intensive reading and writing course. It is designed for students who are preparing to do university transfer courses or who need support for the university transfer courses they are presently taking. Students will read academic material such as college-level textbook chapters and scholarly journal articles as well as journalistic sources. Emphasis will be on reading critically, developing a vocabulary to articulate ideas, and handling a college-level volume of reading. Skills covered will include summarizing text, and participating in and leading academic discussion. Students will learn how to utilize and organize information, avoid plagiarism, and follow conventions of documentation styles. As well, their written expression and editing skills will be an important focus. Students will learn to compose essays, analyze assignments, utilize and organize material, document sources, handle essay exams and use feedback to improve the expression of their ideas.
Course Content
Writing:
Throughout the process of producing a range of typical college assignments, students will receive instruction in how to improve their ability at the following core skills:
- Pre-writing:
- understanding assignments and academic expectations
- using strategies for getting started
- dealing with procrastination and writer's block
- choosing and narrowing topics
- composing thesis and topic sentences
- adjusting content and style of writing to suit purpose, audience and situation
- Drafting
- handling time and other constraints
- constructing beginnings and endings
- adjusting content and style of writing to suit purpose, audience and situation
- making connections and transitions between ideas in a text
- inserting quotations
- documenting sources and avoiding plagiarism
- composing essay-type answers in exam conditions
- Revising
- using feedback to revise drafts
- revising and editing work to improve content, organization, word choice, phrasing, grammar, sentence and paragraph structure, spelling and punctuation
- recognizing and editing for clichés, jargon, slang and wordiness
- using complex and compound sentence structures
- using parallel constructions and correcting misplaced or dangling modifiers
- developing advanced spelling strategies
- preparing final documents
- organizing information into a research assignment using appropriate documentation (MLA or APA)
- Writing paragraphs and essays in a variety of rhetorical modes such as cause and effect, comparison/contrast, and argument
- Writing a summary
- Writing a review of a book, movie, play, television program, documentary, piece of music, or other non-print material
- identifying, discussing, and evaluating literary elements (plot, theme, character, setting, conflict)
- Analyzing and responding to editorial comment, magazine articles, technical or investigative writing, or advertising
Reading:
Students will receive instruction in the following skills areas using materials selected from a variety of academic disciplines and reflecting a range of sources, organizational patterns, topics and points of view.
- Identifying main ideas and central themes
- Acquiring content area vocabulary and terminology
- Using context clues and word structure analysis (prefix, suffix, root) to determine meaning
- Using a dictionary and a thesaurus to expand vocabulary and to learn homonyms, antonyms, and synonyms
- Using in-book reference tools (index, table of contents, glossary)
- Using skimming and scanning techniques and developing flexibility in reading speed
- Reading to locate specific information
- Recognizing author's tone, intent, and point of view
- Recognizing illogical argument, fallacies, stereotypes bias and propaganda
- Using a variety of reference materials
- Developing notetaking skills
- Differentiating main ideas and themes from supporting details
- Distinguishing fact from opinion
- Making generalizations
- Analyzing organization of text structure as an aid to comprehension
Learning Activities
A combination of different instructional methods will be used in order to balance instructional efficiency with individual student needs.
These methods will include lecture presentation, large and small group discussion, learning activities, individual assistance (in scheduled appointments), computer-based learning, and student-directed learning.
Means of Assessment
Students will receive on-going feedback from the instructor throughout the course.
Students’ success will be graded, in accordance with the College policy and grading system.
Grading criteria will include:
- an essay which integrates several instructor-identified sources worth no more than 30%
- a summary worth no more than 10%
- an in-class essay worth no more than 10%
- an oral presentation on a central theme based on sources and worth no more than 20%
Integrated reading and writing assignments or examinations comprise 80% of the final course grade. Assignments will include essays, short answer tests, paragraphs, summaries, presentation, group work, and discussion.
Learning Outcomes
1. Critical and Creative Thinking
- recalling and interpreting information (identify subject/topic, main ideas, supporting ideas, and sequence)
- summarizing information
- making inferences
- using prior knowledge
- identifying purpose and audience
- evaluating information for accuracy, relevance, and importance
- recognizing underlying assumptions (bias and tone)
- synthesizing information
- comparing and contrasting
- classifying
- defining
- drawing conclusions
- responding to information (create solutions, identify impact of solutions, modify solutions)
- identifying and discussing examples of fact and opinion
2. Speaking and Listening
- asking questions to clarify meaning
- demonstrating effective listening skills and responding appropriately to listener feedback
- effectively using voice and body language
- providing useful input and feedback in a variety of situations (peer editing, group discussion, classroom participation)
- responding appropriately to thoughts, opinions, and work of others
- paraphrasing ideas
- delivering an effective oral presentation to inform
3. Reading, Research, Reference
- using context clues and word structure analysis (prefix, suffix, root) to determine meaning
- using a dictionary and a thesaurus to expand vocabulary and to learn homonyms, antonyms and synonyms
- using in-book reference tools (index, table of contents, glossary)
- using skimming and scanning techniques
- reading to locate specific information
- recognizing point of view, illogical argument, fallacies, stereotypes, bias, and propaganda
- developing note-taking skills
- critically evaluating, making inferences, and drawing conclusions
4. Written Communication
- using the steps of the writing process (prewrite, outline, draft, revise, edit)
- writing paragraphs and essays in a variety of rhetorical modes including exposition and persuasion
- writing a summary
- adjusting content and style of writing to suit purpose, audience, and situation
- revising and editing work to improve content, organization, word choice, phrasing, grammar, sentence and paragraph structure, spelling, and punctuation
- recognizing and editing for clichés, jargon, slang, and wordiness
- using complex and compound sentence structures
- using parallel constructions and correct misplaced or dangling modifiers
- developing advanced spelling strategies
- writing a review of a book, movie, play, television program, documentary, piece of music, or other non-print material
- writing paragraphs and essays on demand
- identifying, discussing, and evaluating literary elements (plot, theme, character, setting, conflict)
- analyzing and responding to editorial comment, magazine articles, technical or investigative writing, or advertising
- understanding and avoiding plagiarism
Textbook Materials
Students may be required to purchase a textbook, course pack, and usb.
Current editions of the following may be required:
Atwood, M. & Weaver, R. (Eds.). (1997). The Oxford book of Canadian short stories in English. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.
Connelly, M., Shilton, W. & Doran, G. (2009). The trans-Canada writer: A rhetoric, reader, handbook. Toronto, ON: Nelson Education.