Meeting Days: Wednesday and Friday
Meeting Room: FMH 313
Lecturer’s Office: Cullimore Hall 115D
(Inside Writing Center area)
Phone: 973-596-5472
Meeting Hours: 1:00 - 2:25PM
Lecturer: Prof. Waltz
Office Hours: By Appointment Only:
Tuesday and Thursday (10:30-11:30 AM)
Email: waltzcu@adm.njit.edu
Course Prerequisites and Next Recommended General University Requirement
Prerequisites: Entrance is determined by placement test score or completion of Hum 099 with a grade of C or better
Next Recommended Courses: HUM 101
Course Description
HUM 099 focuses on the development of reading, writing, and communication skills. Basic skills, which are necessary in order to excel in the communication exchange, will be covered in detail. Grammar, usage, mechanics and style modes will be reviewed. Organization, development, and vocabulary improvement will also be emphasized.
Mandatory writing workshops will be held in conjunction with the course. At the conclusion of the semester, students will be expected to demonstrate an improved command of basic skills in core competency areas.
These include: more focused reading skills, an improvement in writing, the ability to offer critical thinking patterns, and the ways and means of rhetoric. Students will also have a firmer grasp of the whole composing process and will be successful in regard to writing in electronic environments. Finally, students will feel more confident in giving oral presentations with precision and clarity.
Course Materials
Course Textbook: The McGraw-Hill Guide: Writing for College, Writing for Life. Duane Roen (Author), Gregory
Glau (Author), Barry Maid (Author) 3 edition
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 3 edition (April 30, 2010). Access to the course eTextbook may be purchased in the NJIT Bookstore or online. To purchase online at www.shopmcgrawhill.com, use this ISBN: 9780077376369. Hardcopies may also be purchased in the NJIT bookstore but are much more expensive.
Course Learning System: When The McGraw-Hill Guide: Writing for College, Writing for Life is purchased, access to Connect Composition is included. Connect will serve as the Course Learning System. There is therefore no cost for Connect.
Course Management System: The open source platform Moodle will serve as the Course Management System.
There is no cost for Moodle, and students may access at http://moodle.njit.edu/
Blogging Software. For course blogging tasks, NJIT hosts the WordPress Platform. WordPress may be activated at https://blogs.njit.edu/ocw/about/ There is no cost for the WordPress platform.
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Podcasting. For course podcasting tasks, NJIT hosts Camtasia Relay. The platform may be accesses at http://relaystart.njit.edu/There is no cost for Camtasia Relay.
Communication Tools from Microsoft Office. Students in this course will find a wide array of software available to enhance your communication studies. Microsoft Word, Power Point, and Excel will prove invaluable to you in this course. You may also want to explore Microsoft Publisher, the desktop publishing suite. We also recommend Microsoft Office Visio, a diagramming application that helps design and communicate complex ideas.
Academic Integrity
The University Code on Academic Integrity reminds us that NJIT is “an institution dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge through teaching and research. The university expects that its graduates will assume positions of leadership within their professions and communities. Within this context, the university strives to develop and maintain a high level of ethics and honesty among all members of its community.” Academic integrity is thus an integral part of the NJIT community. Each student is therefore required to sign the Honor Code Agreement.
The URL for University Code on Academic Integrity: http://www.njit.edu/academics/pdf/academic-integritycode.pdf The Honor Code Agreement in Part 2, Article III, Section 3, must be signed by each student.
Thematic Areas
Instructors at NJIT often focus a course around key concepts. These concepts, or themes, will vary according to your instructor. Some instructors select themes that are integral to the NJIT mission as New Jersey’s science and technology research university. These instructors choose themes such as the following: Digital
Environments; Sustainable Systems; Life and Healthcare; and Creative Design. Other instructors seek eek to examine the core of scientific reasoning with topics such as The Example of Science or Biological Science in the
Contemporary World. Other instructors focus on cultural studies with topics such as Art and Society, Culture
Gaps between Generations, and Connections between Writing and Literature. And still other instructors are broadly philosophical, advancing topics such as these: Uncertainty and Contingency; Identity Construction and
Sites of Social Engineering; and Aesthetics. Whatever themes your instructor encourages you to examine, your skills in information literacy will lead you to the best sources for your communication experiences in the course.
Information Literacy
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education defines information literacy as ‘‘an intellectual framework for identifying, finding, understanding, evaluating and using information. It includes determining the nature and extent of needed information; accessing information effectively and efficiently; evaluating critically information and its sources; incorporating selected information in the learner’s knowledge base and value system; using information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose; understanding the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and information technology; and observing laws, regulations, and institutional policies related to the access and use of information.’’ At NJIT colleagues from the Robert W.
Van Houten Library design, coordinate, teach, and assess the university information literacy initiative. In
Humanities 099, students are assessed on their ability to cite sources Modern Language Association style.
Students are expected to demonstrate evidence of independent research, to use sources appropriate to the topic at under examination, and to integrate information in order to deepen critical thought.
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Communication Studio
Beginning in the fall of 2010, the NJIT Communication Studio will be available to all NJIT students. This service is available for the campus-wide community, and all students and faculty are welcome. One-hour, individual appointments are available with Professional Writing Instructors to help you improve your communication and writing skills. Instructors can help with planning assignments, improving your writing, refining an essay or multimedia project, or other communication-based needs. Drop by the Studio, located in Cullimore Hall Room
115, to sign up for an appointment or to learn more about how we can help you.
Outcomes Assessment
By completion of this course, students will achieve competency in the reading, writing, and critical analysis experiences defined in the Framework For success in Postsecondary Writing
( http://wpacouncil.org/framework ). That is students will achieve proficiency in rhetorical knowledge, critical thinking, reading, and writing; composing process; knowledge of conventions; composing in electronic environments. In order to achieve proficiency in these outcomes, students will a) Demonstrate fundamental standards of college writing b) Develop expository essays exhibiting a coherent structure and , as appropriate, integrating research c) Develop revision and editing skills to be applied to multiple drafts of their essays d) Apply feedback from instructors and classmates to develop their writing and their writing process e) Developing writing-to-learn strategies (such as brainstorming, free-writing, and reading logs) to develop their understanding of course content and to think critically about that content f) Identify effective writing strategies to address a variety of audiences
Course Assignments & Late Assignments
As you begin this course, remember that you and your instructors will engage in a wide variety of writing assignments (or tasks) in this course. For each of the tasks you will encounter this semester, students should work with their instructors to ensure that each of the following elements is clearly understood before work is begun: Who is the real or imagined audience for the task? What is the aim of the task? What genre(s) will be used to present the completed task? What required and recommended readings, as well as required research, will be necessary for success? What rubric (or evaluative method) will be used to assess the task? What is the point value of the task within the scale used to establish final course grades? If students learn to ask these key rhetorical questions, each course activity will be more clearly understood, and success will be more readily achieved. Finally, map out the course assignments very carefully, paying special attention to due dates. The more you plan, the more successful you will be!
Late Assignments: All assignments are to be submitted on or before the specified deadline. Since most assignments are announced and completed in-class and/or as part of group work, there will be NO LATE
ASSIGNMENTS accepted after the initial deadline date.
Attendance Policy
Attendance is MANDATORY. Students are expected to attend all class meetings and need to be on time for each session. (Of course, there is the occasional illness and/or necessary absence, but this should NOT occur more than TWICE (which adds up to a week of instruction!) during the semester. Please take note of the following: if any student cannot attend the course on a regular basis, he or she would be wise to withdraw before the NJIT deadline date to avoid failure based on non-attendance and lack of participation.
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Help me, as your instructor, to keep the university standards high by attending this face-to-face Humanities course. Attend and be punctual. That is the way to make progress and move forward in mastering the subject matter.
Academic Calendar: November 6 – Withdrawal deadline and December 14-20 – Final Exams. For fall 2012
Common Quiz Dates go to http://www.njit.edu/registrar/exams/fall12exams.php
Course Requirements & Final Course Grades
Attendance/Participation (attending, speaking, peer reviews & writing in class) 20%
Observational Project (all stages)
Analysis Project (all stages)
20%
20%
Causal Argument Project (all stages) 20%
Position Project (all stages)
Total
20%
100%
***Essays equal 10pts each. Points will be deducted for misspelled words, lack of essay structure, and grammatical/mechanical errors in writing assignments.***
Final course grades will be determined according to the following scale:
A = 100-90 B+ = 89-85 B = 84-80 C+ = 79-75 C = 74-70 D = 69-60 F = 59-0
Calendar of Activities: Please read assigned reading prior to next scheduled class time . All Assignments MUST BE
SUBMITTED THROUGH MOODLE unless otherwise noted
Week One: 9/5 – Introduction to course, texts, Icebreakers/Reader’s Workshop: Read Chapter 1 [p.
5]/Laptop Navigation: Moodle Overview/Q&A/In-class Activity: Academic Honesty & Syllabus Quiz
Assignment – Read Chapter 2 [pg. 19]
9/7 – Review Chapter 2 [p. 19]/In-class Activity
Assignment – 1. Read Chapter 3 [pg. 33] and Chapter 4 [pg. 41]
Week Two: 9/12 – Review Chapter 3 [pg. 33] and Chapter 4 [pg. 41]/In-class Activity
Assignment – 1. Read Chapter 7 [pg. 111]
9/14 – Review Read Chapter 7 [pg. 111]
Assignment – 1. Observational Essay: Select ONE observation project from pp. 158-159 and type up your final project using double-spaced paragraphs. If you are doing a photo essay project, please print out your project, including pictures and captions. Be sure to bring four copies of the typed project draft to next class (due
9/19)
9/19 - Week Three: Review Chapter 5 [pp. 51]/In-class Activities: Peer review workshop
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Assignment – 1. Read Chapter 18 [pg. 553] & Chapter 22 [pg. 587] 2. Complete peer reviews of Observational
Essays, make a copy of each peer review, and bring all peer review copies to next class. Return each group member’s peer review and give a copy to instructor for grade (due 9/21)
9/21 - Review Chapter 18 [pg. 553] & Chapter 22 [pg. 587]/In-class Activities: Group Peer Review
Assignment – 1. Read Chapter 24 [pp. 605] 2. Revise Observational Projects based on peer review feedback and submit through Moodle (due 9/25)
9/26 - Week Four: Review Chapter 24 [pp. 605]/In-class activities
Assignment – 1. Read Chapter 8 [p. 161]
9/28 – Review Chapter 8 [p. 161] /In-class Activities
Assignment – 1. Read Chapter 19 [pg. 558] 2. Choose an Informative Project from pp. 220-221 and type up your final project using double-spaced paragraphs. If you are doing the informative audio podcast, type up the script and content of your podcasts using double-spaced paragraphs as well. Bring all Informative Projects drafts to next class (due 10/3)
10/3 - Week Five: Review Chapter 19 [pg. 558]/In-class Activities: Paired Peer Reviews
Assignment – 1. Read Chapter 16 [pg. 545] 2. Complete Paired Peer Reviews and make one copy of peer’s essay with your review to give to instructor. The original peer review with essay will go back to classmate.
Bring both to next class (due 10/5)
10/5 - Review Chapter 16 [pg. 545]/In-class Activities: Paired Peer Review
Assignment – 1. Read Chapter 14 [pg.531] 2. Revise Informative Projects based on paired peer review feedback and submit through Moodle (Due 10/9)
10/10 - Week Six: Review Chapter 14 [pg. 531]/In-class Activities:
Assignment – 1. Read Chapter 9 [pg. 223]
10/12 – Review Chapter 9 [pg. 223]/In-class Activities:
Assignment – 1. Read Chapter 23 [p. 593] 2. Read instructions for Analysis Project: Analytical Presentation on pg. 275, type and print your final project. Be sure to bring four copies of the typed project draft to next class and bring in laptop, USB, etc. for visual aid setup, which will be reviewed by peers for feedback for next class
(due 10/17)
10/17 - Week Seven: Review Chapter 23 [p. 593]/In-class Activities: Group Peer Reviews
Assignment – 1. Bring in laptop, USB, etc. for visual aid setup of Analytical Project, which will be reviewed by peers for feedback for next class 2. Complete peer reviews of Analytical Projects, make a copy of each peer review, and bring all peer review copies to next class. Return each group member’s peer review and give a copy to instructor for grade (due 10/19)
10/19 - In-class Activities: Group Peer Review/Student Conferences
Assignment – 1. Revise Analytical Projects based on group peer review feedback and submit through Moodle
(Due 10/23) 2. Analytical Project Presentations will be conducted next class. Be sure to in laptop, USB, etc. for visual aid setup. (Due 10/24)
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10/24 - Week Eight: Analytical Project Presentations (5-8 minutes)
10/26 - Analytical Project Presentations (5-8 minutes)
10/30 - Week Nine: Analytical Project Presentations (5-8 minutes)
Assignment – 1. Read Chapter 10 [pg. 277] 2. Bring in your laptops for next class
11/1 - Review Chapter 10 [pg. 277]/In-class Activities:
Assignment – 1. Read Chapter 15 [pg. 537] 2. Read instructions for Causal Argument Web Site on pg. 347, type and print your final project. Be sure to bring a copy of the typed project draft to next class and bring in laptop,
USB, etc. for visual aid setup, which will be reviewed by peers for feedback for next class (due 11/7)
11/7 - Week Ten: Review Chapter 15 [pg. 537]/In-class Activities: Paired Peer Review
Assignment – 1. Read Chapter 12 [pg. 402] 2. Complete peer reviews of Causal Argument Web Site Projects, make a copy of two copies your peer review, and bring all peer review copies to next class. Return peer review with draft to classmate and give another copy of peer review with draft to instructor for grade. Bring your laptop, USB, etc. for visual aid setup of Causal Argument Web Site Project, which will be reviewed by instructor and peers for feedback (due 11/9)
11/9 – Review Chapter 12 [pg. 402]/In-class Activities: Paired Peer Review/Student Conferences
Assignment – 1. Position Project Presentation: Select a position you wish to rebuttal. Please read “Rebuttal
Argument” on pg. 460. You will refute your chosen issue by creating a brochure like that in “Position Argument
Brochure” on pg. 461. The goal is to have the rebuttal argument presented as a brochure, which you will present to the class on 11/28 (due 11/28). 2. Revise Causal Argument Web Site Projects based on group peer review feedback and submit through Moodle (Due 11/13) 3. Causal Argument Web Site Projects will be presented to peers in next class. Be sure to bring laptop, USB, etc. for visual aid setup of project for next on
11/14)
11/14 - Week Eleven: Causal Argument Web Site Presentations (3-5 minutes)
11/16 – Causal Argument Web Site Presentations (3-5 minutes)
11/21 - Week Twelve: Causal Argument Web Site Presentations (3-5 minutes)
11/23 – no class
Assignment – 1. Position Presentations due next class, and bring 5 copies of the brochure. (11/28). Please bring laptop, USB, etc. for visual aid setup of presentation. 2. Submit all presentations online through Moodle
(due 11/27)
11/28 - Week Thirteen: Position Presentations (5-8 minutes)
11/30 – Position Presentations (5-8 minutes)
12/5 – Week Fourteen: Position Presentations (5-8 minutes)
12/7 – Position Presentations (5-8 minutes)
12/12 – Week Fifteen: Final student conferences
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