College Writing II Outcomes

College Writing II courses will develop the following skills and abilities in students:

Primary outcomes

  1. Analysis and production of discourse according to the rhetorical model

    • To understand and apply basic principles of critical thinking, problem solving, and technical proficiency in the development of exposition and argument (EEO 5).

    • To understand the importance of specifying audience and purpose and to select appropriate communication choices (EEO 2).

  2. Proficiency with the basic elements of argument:

    • Thesis

    • Claims

    • Reasons

    • Support

    • Counterargument and concession

  3. Familiarity with other helpful persuasive strategies:

    • Rhetorical appeals

    • Classical argument

    • Toulmin argument

    • Rogerian argument

    • Examples and scenarios

    • Logical fallacies

    • Summary

    • Paraphrase

    • Quotation

  1. Experience using common genres of persuasive writing:

    • Position arguments

    • Evaluations

    • Explaining Causes and Effects

    • Proposing Solutions

    • Research-based academic argument

  2. Strategic employment of appropriate sources and successful documentation and citation of source material:

    • Understanding and avoiding plagiarism

    • Finding sources

    • Evaluating Sources

    • Organizing Sources

    • Documenting sources

  3. Metacognitive (reflective) recognition of writing moves and strategies:

    • Reflecting on completed writing and readings

    • Thinking critically about writing skills employed

    • Considering larger civic and social dimensions of writing 

Auxiliary outcomes

  1. Encourage students’ ability to persuade and argue using a variety of visual and other non-textual modes of communication 

  1. Provide students with frequent opportunities to interact collaboratively with others

    1. To participate effectively in groups with emphasis on listening, critical and reflective thinking, and responding (EEO 4). 

  1. Expand students’ vision of the social and civic contexts of writing 

  1. Extend students’ familiarity with proven processes of writing

    1. To understand and demonstrate writing and speaking processes through invention, organization, drafting, revision, editing, and presentation (EEO 1). 

  1. Challenge students to think critically about relationships among language, knowledge, and power 

  1. Expose students to a variety of styles

Means

  • Students will complete quizzes, discussion questions, in-class writing prompts, and other assignments and activities in order to develop skill in analyzing texts and producing appropriate writing

  • Students will write outlines, drafts, and multiple versions of their texts in order to develop strong editing and revision habits

  • Students will complete 7,500 words of “final draft” writing (about 25 double-spaced pages of text) over the course of the semester

  • Students will participate each week in a variety of modes of instruction including lectures, collaborative activities, class discussions, and small group editing sessions

  • Students will engage in research using a variety of outside sources, media, and modes in order to explore multiple perspectives on the topics about which they choose to write