Course Information

Learning Objectives from the UWP Template/What You’ll Be Able To Do

• Identify an author’s claims and conclusions
• Recognize the structure of an author’s argument
• Assess the sources an author uses in order to construct his/her argument
• Identify the ways in which an author deploys sources (forwarding, countering, etc.)

#2 Locate, identify, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and employ information resources appropriate for and relevant to whatever writerly task is at hand

• Identify scholarly vs. non-scholarly sources
• Identify a peer-reviewed journal article
• Locate a book review
• Comfortably use the databases available from Gelman Library
• Understand how to deploy non-scholarly sources as both evidence and analysis

#3 Recognize and differentiate various genres of writing and types of audience that are common in the academic and professional worlds

• Write a proposal for a research paper
• Write an annotated bibliography/assessment of previous research
• Write a research paper employing a variety of sources from divergent fields
• Write a blog post
• Write a piece of fan fiction

#4 Recognize and apply rhetorical principles and stylistic conventions that prevail in whatever genre or discipline in which you are asked to write

• Identify an appropriate academic peer reviewed journal for their work
• Understand the documentation conventions required by different disciplines
• Be able to deploy different documentation styles as needed

#5 Formulate and implement an intellectually defensible agenda appropriate to a specific writing task

• Identify issues within a field of research
• Develop an appropriate research question based on those issues

#6 Proofread and edit carefully and effectively, through a deliberate process of drafting and revision

• Develop a rubric for effective writing in collaboration with classmates and instructor
• Apply that rubric in peer-review groups when assessing the writing of others
• Effectively employ that rubric to your own writing.

For a full view of the template that all UW20 sections share, please go here.

How Can You Succeed in This Course?

• Participate! – Look around you when you come to class.  We are few in number.  This means that for this class to work, all of us need to be pulling our weight.  Everyone  is expected to contribute.   
• Communicate! – It’s up to you to let me know if you are struggling, if you need help, if there are muddy concepts that need clarification.  There are many ways you can do this: ask questions in class; email me; come to my office hours. I may not know until you are very far down a dark and lonely path that you are lost and need a GPS. Don’t wait!
• All the World’s a Research Experience! – You are researching real world communities in real time.  S&%# will happen!  Developments may occur daily, weekly.  Keep on top of the community you choose for your project.  You can do this simply by checking your Twitter feed everyday, by going to your favorite Tumblr pages, by weighing in on discussions about the latest episode of a television series, the buzz surrounding the release of that new film, by following the response when a favorite author saying something about a beloved character (I’m looking at you J.K. Rowling).

Assessment
Assessment in this course is ongoing and happens in ways both large and small.  We will not take tests.  (OK – I lie, you’re going to take a quiz on the syllabus and policies).  Otherwise, you’ll engage in a loop of reading, research, writing, feedback, revision, more feedback, refinement and eventually, because we live in an imperfect world that never gives us enough time, the production of final products.

• Hybrid assignments (ongoing throughout the semester)  (30%)   The hybrid assignments are designed to familiarize you with tools that will facilitate your ability to do effective research and effective critical assessment of sources (a variety of Gelman Library’s databases, annotation tools such as Scrible, A.nnotate and Annotat.it, and bibliographic management tools such as Zotero, Refworks, and the tools available in Word).  
• Pre-Proposal Presentation in which you have the opportunity to identify an issue within your chosen fan community (5%). This is the first step in the process of producing both your Research Proposal and your final Research Paper. The presentation will focus on the issue you have identified, the previous conversation that has taken place aroound this topic, and the question you wish to address related to this topic.
• Research Proposal (15%) The proposal consists of four discreet sections and will be produced over the course of several drafts, a new piece added with each draft. Please note that sample proposals are available on Blackboard/Assignments/Proposal folder.  
• Peer Review – (20%)   Three rounds of graded peer review in which you will work with rubrics,  apply them to your peers’ work and ultimately apply them to your own work. You will be assessed on the quality of the feedback you provide to the other members of your peer review group as well as the application of the feedback you receive on your own work.
• Research Paper – (30%)  This 12-15 page (approximately 3000 word) paper is the culmination of your work over the semester.  You will have also written much of it before you sit down to work on your first draft.Please note that sample proposals are available on Blackboard/Assignments/Research Paper folder. 

For more information on  Policies and Student Resources see Course FAQ’s here.