Bulletin Description:

Guided practice in the reading and writing of various genres for different situations and audiences. Includes research on the web and in the library.

Outcomes:

English 110, Composition I, has been approved for the Communications category in general education in the North Dakota University System. Students in this course will be asked to meet two General Education Outcomes:


Students should learn to communicate effectively in a variety of contexts and genres for various audiences and a variety of situations (GE Outcome #1). English 110 will emphasize the transition from reading and writing everyday and high school genres to university genres. In order to achieve this outcome, students will
1. read a variety of genres of writing that have been produced for various audiences (especially genres that are used in everyday life and in academic settings) and develop an understanding of generic conventions within the context of audience and purpose.
2. write in a variety of genres for various audiences and purposes (e.g. writing for family and friends, writing for peers, writing for instructors, writing for a more general academic audience)
3. practice effective and efficient writing strategies, including generating, developing, and focusing ideas, sharing drafts of writing with peers and the instructor, revising and editing for clarity, consistency, and correctness.

Students should also understand that effective communication can only be defined within the context and situation of reading and writing tasks.

Students should learn to integrate knowledge and ideas in a coherent and meaningful manner (GE Outcome #6). English 110 will emphasize doing library and web research, and then successfully integrating that research into one's own writing, as an important part of learning and communicating in university courses. In order to achieve this outcome, students will:
1. respond to others' writing by identifying the ideas, motives, and effects writers employ (including thesis statements, claims, and evidence when appropriate)
2. locate basic library and online resources and incorporate information from those resources into their own writing, documenting them appropriately for their audience and situation.

The English department also has a specific content goal for this course. Students should come to understand that the definition of "literacy" continues to expand and encompass a wider range of skills, and increasingly specialized skills, in the 21st century. Reading and writing are not only fundamental skills for success in school and life, but they are skills that are flexible, varied, and require life-long practice and development. In order to achieve this content goal, students will be asked to:
1. Reflect on, and in some cases do research on, the meaning of "literacy."
2. Reflect on the work they have done in the course as a means of reflecting on their development of increasingly specialized and sophisticated literacy skills.

Questions regarding this course should be directed to Dr. Amy Rupiper Taggart, Director of the First-Year Writing Program, at 231-7148.