Syllabus

Science Prerequisites for Health Professionals

ENGL 1010: English Composition I – Fall 2024

Credits - 3

Description

English Composition I is a three-credit college writing course to prepare students for the fundamental knowledge and skills of college-level expository writing and critical thinking. Areas of focus include idea presentation and organization, audience, point of view, voice and tone, paragraph and essay coherence, precision and word choice, and technology-mediated evaluation of grammar, mechanics, and originality. Students are introduced to strategies for rhetorical writing, writing-as-process and product, and thinking-as-writing. An introduction to argument structure and writing from sources culminates in an academic essay as a comprehensive course assignment. 

Materials

Textbooks

Burrows, E., Fowler, A., Fowler, H., & Locklear, A. (n.d.). Composing ourselves and our world. https://www.oercommons.org/courses/composing-ourselves-and-our-world-simple-book-publishing/view CC BY 4.0 

Resources

N/A

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Program Outcomes

UNE Online’s science prerequisite courses provide students with a convenient and flexible approach to completing prerequisite requirements. Courses are specifically designed to meet prerequisite requirements for many graduate programs and other professional needs.

Course Objectives

  1. Demonstrate writing as iterative and process-oriented.
  2. Distinguish audience, context, and purpose for written communication.
  3. Apply rhetorical strategies for effective context-specific written communication.
  4. Evaluate writing for essential linguistic structures for grammar, mechanics, and originality using technology. 
  5. Construct a relevant and compelling argument essay supported by credible secondary sources.  
  6. Critically reflect on the development of new and current academic writing knowledge and skills.

SELF PACED DESIGN

On the course start date, students will have access to orientation. This must be completed to be able to gain access to the first module in the course. Students must complete the first module to gain access to the next one. We recommend that students spend about 15 hours per week to complete a course in 16 weeks. When trying to complete the course in less than 16 weeks, we typically see students do this successfully within 12-14 weeks. Instructors will be timely in grading and feedback, but it will not be instant.

Assignments

Four types of assignments within this course include 1) discussions and writing skills assessments, 2) self-reflective journal entries, 3) writing assignments, and 4) major assignments that culminate into the course comprehensive assignment, the Academic Essay. Assignment types are weighted in the Grade Breakdown below. See the Course Schedule for an itemized list of the weekly course assignments and learning materials. 

Discussions and Assessments allow you to define and examine the various concepts related to academic and research writing. You will also reflect on peer posts as you view how others respond to the discussion prompts. Writing skills assessments allow you to rate your writing skills foundation and conduct a post-reflection on initial goals established in Week 1 through an analysis of your improved writing skills foundation in Week 16. 

Self-Reflective Journal entries allow you to reflect on the specific new learning gained in each week throughout the course. Self-reflection will allow you to anchor and secure the new knowledge and skills attained and also allows for ongoing improvement of your writing skills knowledge base for future academic writing. 

Assignments involve various writing activities and reflection to strengthen your scholarly writing foundation, conduct library research, explore and apply the conventions of academic writing, library research, and argument structure. Major Assignments in the course are scaffolded assignments that allow you to construct the comprehensive course assignment, the Academic Essay. In the Major Assignments, you will craft and refine various sections, drafts, and a final Academic Essay.

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Assignment CategoryGrade
Discussions & Assessments20%
Self-Reflection Journal20%
Assignments30%
Major (Scaffolded) Assignments 30%
Total100%

Grade Scale

Grade Points Grade Point Average (GPA)
A 94 – 100% 4.00
A- 90 – 93% 3.75
B+ 87 – 89% 3.50
B 84 – 86% 3.00
B- 80 – 83% 2.75
C+ 77 – 79% 2.50
C 74 – 76% 2.00
C- 70 – 73% 1.75
D 64 – 69% 1.00
F 00 – 63% 0.00

Schedule

Week

Topic

Readings/Resources

Assignment Type

1

Writing Skills Pre-Assessment

Composing Ourselves and Our World

  • Chapter 1: The Composing Process
  • Chapter 2: Critical Concepts

Lumen Learning

  • Product- vs. Process-Based Writing 
  • Prewriting Strategies

UNC Writing Center

  • Brainstorming” 

Purdue OWL

  • Invention: Starting the Writing Process” 

Videos

  • Freewriting  
  • Brainstorming for Success: Freewriting and Looping  

Discussions and Assessments

Prewriting Activity: The Writing Community

Self-Reflection Journal

Writing as Process and Product

Assignments

2

Audience Analysis

  • Composing Ourselves and Our World
    • Section 15.3 Identifying and Understanding Your Audience and Purpose
    • Section 15.7 Mapping Your Topic

Writing Commons

  • Audience” 

UNC Writing Center

  • Audience” 

Purdue OWL

  • Purposes

Video

  • Writing With Your Audience in Mind 

Website  

  • MindMeister App 

Assignments

APA Essay Template Preparation

Assignments

Prewriting Practice

Assignments

Writing Purpose

Discussions and Assessments

3

Twitter and the Rhetorical Context 

Purdue OWL

  • Context

Lumen Learning

  • Rhetorical Context 

Videos

  • Rhetorical Situation 
  • What Is Context? 

Twitter

  • Explore 

Assignments

The Rhetorical Diagram

Assignments

Audience, Purpose, and Context

Self-Reflection Journal

4

Evaluating Paragraph Cohesion

Composing Ourselves and Our World 

  • Section 20.1 Revising Your Research Paper 

Writing Commons

  • Flow, Transitions, Coherence @ Paragraph Level 
  • Flow, Coherence, Unity

Videos

  • Paragraph Coherence 
  • Coherence and Cohesion in Academic Writing
  • How to Configure the Advanced Grammar and Style Settings in Microsoft Word
  • How to Use the Editor in Word for Microsoft 365

Assignments

Evaluation of Unity, Coherence, and Flow

Assignments

MS Word Proofing Settings

Assignments

Writing Tools for Revision Refinement 

Self-Reflection Journal

5

Academic Voice, Tone, and Style

Writing Commons

  • Academic Prose Style 
  • Demystify Writing Misconceptions  

UNC Writing Center

Purdue OWL 

  • Avoiding Plagiarism 

Videos

  • An Introduction to Academic Writing 
  • Authorship Originality and Plagiarism 
  • Avoiding Plagiarism 

Assignments

Academic Identity and Authorship 

Self-Reflection Journal

6

Academic Essay Topic Generation

Composing Ourselves and Our World 

  • Chapter 5: Composing Strategies 

Writing Commons

  • 21st Century Literacies and Writing Studies

Videos

  • Writing as Decision-Making
  • Writing Is Thinking

Major (Scaffolded) Assignments

Writing for Idea Presentation

Discussions and Assessments

Academic Essay Final Topic Selection

Major (Scaffolded) Assignments

Writing as Thinking

Self-Reflection Journal

7

UNE Library Academic Databases

Composing Ourselves and Our World 

  • Chapter 19: Citing Your Sources 

UNE Library Services

  • Getting Started
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Research by Subject

Videos

    • Finding Articles at UNE Libraries 
    • “Check Out” UNE Library Services 
  • Ask Us! Ask a Librarian! An Introduction to UNE Library Services

Major (Scaffolded) Assignments

Academic Essay Source 1

Major (Scaffolded) Assignments

Reference Citations in APA Format

Major (Scaffolded) Assignments

Library Research and APA Format

Self-Reflection Journal

8

Academic Essay Sources 2 and 3

Composing Ourselves and Our World 

  • Chapter 16: Researching: How, What, When, Where, and Why 

Purdue OWL

  • Evaluating Sources: General Guidelines 

UNC Writing Lab

  • Evaluating Print Sources 

Videos

  • Evaluating Sources: How to Evaluate Sources 
  • Evaluating Sources for Credibility 

Major (Scaffolded) Assignments

Academic Essay Source 1 Evaluation

Major (Scaffolded) Assignments

Academic Essay References

Major (Scaffolded) Assignments

Strategies and Tools for Library Research

Self-Reflection Journal

9

Thesis Prewriting Activity

Composing Ourselves and Our Worlds 

  • Section 5.2: Thesis / Purpose Statements
  • Section 15.6: Topic, Thesis, and Research Proposal

UNC Writing Center 

  • Thesis Statements 

Purdue OWL 

  • Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements 

Videos

  • How To Write An Essay: Thesis Statements  
  • Topic Sentences vs. Thesis Statements
  • Evaluating sources for Reliability/Credibility 

Major (Scaffolded) Assignments

Draft Thesis Statement

Major (Scaffolded) Assignments

Source Evaluation for Credibility and Reliability

Assignments

Writing as an Iterative Process

Self-Reflection Journal

10

Selected Source Summary

Composing Ourselves and Our Worlds 

  • Chapter 17 

Writing Commons 

  • Writing with Sources

UNC Writing Lab 

  • Summary: Using it Wisely  

Videos

  • How to Write a Summary

Assignments

Summary Grammar Check in MS Word

Assignments

Sources as Evidence

Self-Reflection Journal

11

The Essay Thesis Paragraph

Writing Commons 

  • Sticking Your Nose In: Positioning Yourself in Academic Writing

Purdue OWL 

  • Why and How to Create a Useful Outline

Videos

  • Writing a Persuasive or Argumentative Thesis
  • Writing an Effective Thesis Statement  

Major (Scaffolded) Assignments

Argument Structure as Topic Sentence Outline

Major (Scaffolded) Assignments

Academic Voice, Tone, and Style

Self-Reflection Journal

12

The Working Thesis Statement

Composing ourselves and our world 

  • Section 18.1 Creating Your Argument

Writing Commons 

  • The Guiding Idea and Argumentative Thesis Statement 

Video

  • Structuring Arguments: Writing a Cohesive Essay 

Discussions and Assessments

The Argument Map

Assignments

Prewriting Strategies for Academic Writing

Self-Reflection Journal

13

Accuracy and Precision with APA 7th ed. Format

Composing ourselves and our world 

  • Chapter 14 

UNC Writing Center

  • Getting Feedback 

Video

  • APA Style 7th Edition: Student Paper Formatting

Major (Scaffolded) Assignments

The Academic Writing Process

Self-Reflection Journal

14

Second Supporting Argument

UNC Writing Center

  • Reorganizing Drafts

Writing Commons 

  • Flow: Integrate Textual Evidence (Quotes, Paraphrases, Summaries) 

Video

  • Academic Essay: Structure and organization of information

Major (Scaffolded) Assignments

The Working Thesis Statement

Discussions and Assessments

Persuasion and Audience

Self-Reflection Journal

15

Academic Essay Full Draft

Composing ourselves and our world

  • Section 18.2 Synthesis 
  • Section 18.3 Drafting

Major (Scaffolded) Assignments

16

The Revised Academic Essay

Composing ourselves and our world

  • Section 20.1 Revising Your Research Paper

UNC Writing Center 

  • Revision Checklist

Writing Commons 

  • Revision

Video

  • Drafting and Revising

Major (Scaffolded) Assignments

Academic Writing Skills Post-Assessment

Assignments

Student Resources

Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you - they will monitor course progression and provide assistance or guidance when needed. Please don’t hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, course materials, billing, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.

Questions? Visit the Student Support Science Prerequisites page

Online Peer Support

Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.

Instructor and Support Contact Information

Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.

Student Lounge

The Student Lounge Discussion Forum is a designated support forum in which students may engage with each other and grapple with course content. Feel free to post questions, seek clarification, and support each other, but be mindful of UNE's Academic Integrity Policy.

Your instructor will monitor this forum. However, if you are seeking specific and timely answers to questions about course content or your personal grades, please contact your instructor via course messages. For questions about course materials, program policy, and how to navigate and proceed through the course, please contact your Student Service Advisor through the Student Portal.

Policies

Proctored Examinations

Your course may have proctored exams. The University of New England has contracted with ProctorU to provide students with the most convenient online exam proctoring system. This system provides a simple, no cost to the student, secure, online proctor for exams and allows the student to take all the exams at home and on their own schedule.

Upon enrollment into the course, each student will register with ProctorU and establish a login name and password. This will give the student access to all of ProctorU's services. When ready, students will schedule each of their proctored exams with ProctorU. Exams must be scheduled at least 72 hours in advance to avoid fees. Prior to taking their exams, students must be sure that they have downloaded any required additional software. They must also be sure their testing site's connection meets the minimum requirements by using ProctorU's "Test It Out" utility.

Upon the exam day and hour, students will log in to ProctorU and click on "exams". After following the procedures outlined at ProctorU's website, the student will log in to Brightspace and locate their correct exam. The proctor will then allow student access to that exam.

Students must follow all proctoring requirements for their exams to be credited. Please contact your instructor for specific feedback.

Exam Attempts Policy

Students will receive two attempts at all proctored examinations. The higher score of the two attempts will be calculated into the final grade. Students can schedule their second attempt by following the same ProctorU instructions as with the original exam.

All students are encouraged to utilize a second attempt on their exams in order to improve their overall performance in the course.

Course Discussions

Discussion topics cover events or materials related to this course that contribute to a deeper understanding of key concepts and allow you to interact with your classmates and the instructor. Each discussion topic may require you to conduct internet research, read additional materials, visit a specific webpage, AND/OR view a short video before writing a response following the specific guidelines in the discussion topic prompt.

To earn full credit you will need to post a response to the discussion topic, respond to the original posts of other students, and then contribute meaningfully to an ongoing discussion. You may need to post your initial response before you will see any posts from your classmates. For special cases where one or two students are accelerating faster through the course, the instructor will participate in the discussion so that everyone has the opportunity to interact.

Please see Brightspace for a full description, along with specific guidelines, for each discussion topic. Discussion board assignments should be completed, along with all other assignments in the course, in the order that they appear. Due to the course design, you may be unable to take a proctored exam if you do not complete all assignments that appear prior to that exam.

Please also refer to the Grading Policy/Grade Breakdown section of the syllabus to learn the percentage of your grade that each discussion is worth.

Technology Requirements

Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Programs: Technical Requirements

Course Length

A schedule of lectures and assignments is included in this syllabus. This is, however a self-paced course and you can complete the course in less time.

  1. Courses in the SPHP program are equivalent to one-semester courses designed to be completed in 16 weeks
  2. Enrollment in the course begins the day your section opens which is listed in the Academic Calendar found on the Student Success Portal.
  3. Course start and end dates are in respect to Eastern Time.

Withdrawal and Refund Policies

Please visit the enrollment page to review the withdrawal and refund policies.

Grade Policy

Students are expected to attempt and complete all graded assignments and proctored exams by the end date of the course. View the incomplete grade policy..

Transcripts

Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, only the student may request official transcripts. This may be done online by going to the University of New England Registrar website and following the directions on the page.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submission of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.

Using Generative AI When Completing Coursework

Generative AI (GenAI) applications (like ChatGPT) have proven to be powerful and effective tools, and students are encouraged to become familiar with and use them. However, as with any tool, students must use GenAI in ways that support learning, not replace it. Learning to use AI responsibly and ethically is an important skill in today’s society.

In their courses, students are not allowed to use advanced automated tools, such as generative AI tools, on assignments unless explicitly directed to do so. Each student is expected to complete each assignment, including labs and quizzes as applicable, without substantive assistance from others, including automated tools.

Using AI-content generators to complete assignments without proper attribution violates academic integrity. By submitting assignments in UNE courses, you pledge to affirm that they are your own work and you attribute use of any and all tools and sources.

Unauthorized Use

Unauthorized use of AI is treated as a violation of academic integrity.

Citing AI Use

If permitted, students should indicate and cite any use of AI tools. 

Instructor responsibility

Instructors should clearly reiterate, using UNE Online’s Policy, how students can use AI tools in their courses, and communicate this policy to students at the beginning of the semester. 

Student responsibility

Students must follow the academic integrity policy of the University of New England.