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

Demonstrate writing as iterative and process-oriented.
Distinguish audience, context, and purpose for written communication.
Apply rhetorical strategies for effective context-specific written communication.
Evaluate writing for essential linguistic structures for grammar, mechanics, and originality using technology.
Construct a relevant and compelling argument essay supported by credible secondary sources.
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 Category	Grade
Discussions & Assessments	20%
Self-Reflection Journal	20%
Assignments	30%
Major (Scaffolded) Assignments	30%
Total	100%

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 “Plagiarism” Purdue OWL “Avoiding Plagiarism” Videos An Introduction to Academic Writing Authorship Originality and Plagiarism Avoiding Plagiarism	Assignments
5	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
13	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
16	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? Submit your student support request.

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. Please see your course for full details, access, testing requirements, and guidelines.

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.

All students are encouraged to use 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.

Courses in the SPHP program are equivalent to one-semester courses designed to be completed in 16 weeks
Enrollment in the course begins the day your section opens which is listed in the Academic Calendar found on the Student Success Portal.
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:

Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
Multiple submission of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
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.