Syllabus

WR30: Fundamentals of Composition II
Instructor: Viola Olsen
Voice Mail: 665-2484
E-mail: Use Internal WebCT e-mail for all our communications.
Office Hours: By appointment only. Call 665-2484
E-Mail if you cannot log in to WebCT: volsen@roguecc.edu

Course Prerequisites: Placement in WR30 is determined by Placement Test scores or completion of WR 20.

Mandatory Orientation: This course requires a face-to-face mandatory orientation. Look in Distance Learning to find the Orientation dates.

Course Description: This online course focuses on the basic essay format while reinforcing basic sentence skills and paragraph development.  The main emphasis is on developing the ability to express ideas clearly and effectively.  It also develops critical thinking skills and the ability to write a composition in a timed situation.

Learning Outcome: At the end of the term, students in this class will demonstrate, through work submitted in a final electronic portfolio, that they can use the basic conventions of Standard Written English in a variety of coherent, unified, well-structured essay formats. Specifically, students will be able to write a five-paragraph essay, using a clear thesis statement, several supporting paragraphs with clear topic sentences, and a conclusion. They will be able to apply various revision and editing strategies to improve their own essays and to critique the essays of fellow classmates.

Required Textbook and Other Resources:

1. College Writing Skills with Readings, 6th Edition. John Langan

2. WebCT site: Attend one of the two face-to-face Orienations at RVC or RWC, and log in at least three times per week thereafter.

3. Online Reference Library: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, and News Center - Helpful site if you do not already own a reference library of your own.

4. A computer with Microsoft Word or MS Works, with Spell Check, Explorer or Netscape Browser.

Course Content: See summary of course content below.   You will see details in "The Classroom" in WebCT and at this Course Overview web site.

I. Essay Formats:   

• Narration   
• Illustration
• Argumentation  

II. Sentence Skills:

• Spelling Log for Spelling Errors/Corrections
• Easily Confused Words
• Parts of Speech
• Subject and Verbs and Identifying Prepositional Phrases in Sentences            
• Subject-Verb agreement  
• Fragments  
• Run-ons (Fused Sentences and Comma Splices)                        
• Pronouns: reference, agreement, point of view, case
• Punctuation, especially comma rules and apostrophes.
• Misplaced and dangling modifiers
• Parallelism 

III. Readings for Effective Writing - Three essays from the textbook anthology. Others may be added as the term progresses.

IV. Critical and Creative Thinking Skills: See the Weekly Exercises in the WebCT Virtual Classroom.

Grading Information: This is a proficiency course, or Pass/No Pass. In order to pass, you will need to fulfill each of these requirements in equal proportions. The instructor reserves the right to provide the final assessment, based on student performance and according to this criteria.

1. Final Sentence Skills test: A score of 70% or higher. The exam will be posted in WebCT during Week 11.
2. Final WPE: A score of 8 (4 points per reader, two readers) or higher on the timed, final Writing Proficiency Exam. The exam will be posted in WebCT during Week 10.
3. Electronic Portfolio containing specific revised and edited essays. Instructions are posted in WebCT and is due during the final week of the term. Weekly portfolio entries are to be submitted through the Portfolio Tool in WebCT.
4. Ten private journal entries in a Private Reflections Journal (located in the WebCT Bulletin Board)
5. Weekly participation on public topics in the Bulletin Board. Since this is a four-hour course, you need to log in three or four times per week, minimum, or 12 hours per week doing course work. (See explanation under "Online Participation" below.)

WPE Scoring Rubric: A WPE scoring guide is posted in WebCT, under the heading "Course Information."  Other scoring guides are also included in WebCT to help you with revisions and edits. In order to write a passing essay at the end of the term, I strongly suggest that you understand the standards used in the rubric.

Online Participation: WebCT keeps a record of your attendance. For success in WR30, you need to log on at least three times per week. This is the equivalent to attending a 4-credit face-to-face class. When working online, you are expected to participate in the following activities:

1. First, upon first logging in, always read the Announcement on the WebCT homepage. It is updated daily for your convenience.
2. Next, go to "The WebCT Classroom" to see the week's objectives and to download your Weekly Activity Worksheet.
3. Check for email messages and Bulletin Board postings.
4. Write a private journal entry in the space reserved for you in the Bulletin Board.
5. Respond to public discussion topics and questions provided by the instructor and other students.
6. Take the Langan online practice quizzes posted in the Langan textbook companion web site: The Online Writing Center.
7. Do the timed writings in the WebCT quiz tool by the deadline dates, as directed in the Quiz Tool. These on-demand timed writings will prepare you for the final Writing Proficiency Exam.
8. Maintain an electronic portfolio as directed in the Portfolio Submissions Component of WebCT. All these items, revised and edited will become part of your final Portfolio entry, which is due at the end of the term. By submitting your drafts on time, you will get my feedback in time for you to do the second draft. See the portfolio directions to get a clearer sense of the expectations.

SUCCESS MEANS PLANNING AND PERSEVERING

• This online course demands much reading and writing, more so than face-to-face classes. This is because reading and writing is our ONLY means of interacting. Therefore, the more you read and write, the more skillful you will become.
• Log in at least three times per week. We are a community of writers and therefore must be present to support one another. Each time you log in, be sure to read the announcement in the homepage.
• Create a special folder in your computer's hard drive to keep all portfolio drafts. Revise and save these drafts frequently as you learn new skills.
• Maintain your Private Journal in the Bulletin Board. This is a safe place for you go to solve writing problems, express your needs, vent, ask questions, and discover subjects for writing formal compositions. It is a private place for you to talk to your instructor, behind closed doors, so to speak. I will give you private feedback here, so you can be free express your fears, make mistakes, and ask for specific feedback.
• Participate in public group discussions and be willing to mentor, teach, and facilitate learning projects, especially peer reviews.
• Visit the Tutoring Center at RCC when you're in the neighborhood. Take a hard copy of your portfolio with you to help the tutor address specific problems in your writing.
• As you write, remember to use vivid word pictures and strong action verbs. Be clear, accurate, precise, relevant, thorough, and logical in your compositions. These are the intellectual standards that we will observe throughout the term.
• Explore the Langan web sites, and do the practice quizzes assigned during the week.
• Use e-mail to communicate privately with your classmates and me.
• Check your papers against the rubrics and scoring guides provided. Proofread and edit your own work. Learn to be self-sufficient as you learn the grammatical structures cited above in the Course Content.
• Practice educational honesty. Plagiarism is not acceptable and will result in a NO PASS. As I mentor you throughout the term, I tend to become very familiar with your writing style, your strengths, and your weaknesses. If you think you can have others write your papers for you, you need to have them sit in for you at Orientation, take the first writing sample exam, and then take the rest of the course for you. In this case, you will be paying good money for someone else to become a better writer, and you will have to live the rest of your life at the WR20 level. This is a waste of mind and money.
• Understand that success means hard work and that there are no shortcuts to becoming a skilled college writer.

Disability Accommodations:

If you feel that you may need an accommodation for any disability, such as vision, hearing, orthopedic, learning disabilities, psychological or other medical conditions, please contact the Support Services office. 

RCC Redwood Campus
Wiseman Tutoring Center, Room W17
3345 Redwood Highway
Grants Pass, Oregon
Email: Support Services

Phone: 541-956-7337 or 541-956-7338

Other Notes: Please see the RCC Academic Calendar for important dates, and add these to your personal calendar. Notice especially the last day to drop without penalty.

*** Login to WebCT and begin the course by reading the announcement at the top of the Homepage. ***