Course Design Guide
COM/156 Version 5
Copyright © 2011, 2010, 2009 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.
Course Description
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This course builds upon the foundations established in COM/155. It addresses the various rhetorical modes necessary for effective college essays: narration, illustration, description, process analysis, classification, definition, comparison and contrast, cause and effect, and argumentation. In addition, requirements for research essays, including the use of outside sources and appropriate formatting, are considered.
Policies
Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents:

University policies : You must be logged into the student website to view this document.

Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum.
University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality.
Course Materials
McLean, S. (2011). Writing for success . Irvington, NY: Flat World Knowledge, Inc.
Sample Paper (APA and Writing & Style Guidelines)
Grammar and Writing Guides: APA Reference and Citation Examples
All electronic materials are available on the student website.
Objectives
Reading
Details
1.1 Explain the purpose of research writing.
1.2 Identify the steps in the research-writing process.
1.3 Complete a research plan based on a chosen topic.
Read Appendix A.
Due Points
Reading Read Appendix B.

Reading
Participation
Discussion
Questions
Nongraded
Activities and
Preparation
Narrowing a
Topic &
Narrowing the
Focus
Nongraded
Activities and
Preparation
Clauses
Individual
Research Plan
Read the following sections in Ch.11 of Writing for Success :

Section 1.1: Why Research?

Section 1.2: Steps of the Research Writing Process

Section 2.1: Choosing a Topic

Section 2.2: A Plan for Research

Section 2.3: Writing Your Own Research Proposal
Participate in class discussion.
Respond to weekly discussion questions.
Watch the following videos located on your student website:

Narrowing a Topic

Topics: Narrowing the Focus
Complete the “Clauses” exercise link on the materials page in
MyWritingLab
®
:
Resources: Appendix A and Appendix D
Select a general topic for your research paper from the following list.

Animals

Cancer

Colonization

Consumerism

Culture

Drugs

Environment

Education

Generation X

Hate crimes

Healthy eating


Literacy
Media

Music censorship

Recycling

Technology

Television and children

Vegetarianism

War

Another topic of your choosing, as approved by the instructor
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Use Appendix D to complete this assignment.
Details
Objectives 2.1 Identify strategies for gathering reliable information.
2.2 Evaluate the credibility of sources.
Reading Read the following sections in Ch. 11 of Writing for Success :

Section 4.1: Locating Useful Resources

Section 4.2: Evaluating Research Resources

Section 4.3: Strategies from Managing Source Information
Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
Reading
Participation
Discussion
Questions
Nongraded
Activities and
Preparation
Library Tutorial
Complete the University Library tutorial.
Log on to your student website.
1. Click the Library tab.
2. Click University Library .
3. Click View the Research Tutorial , which is under Library
Services.
4. Choose Complete the University Library Interactive Tutorial .
Follow the prompts to complete the tutorial.
Nongraded
Activities and
Preparation
Evaluating
Internet Sources
Complete the Toolwire ® Learnscape: Academic Credibility: Proving
Your Point by selecting the link located on the student website.
Nongraded
Activities and
Preparation
Evaluating
Sources &
Narrowing the
Search for
Locating
Sources
Individual
Participate in class discussion.
Respond to weekly discussion questions.
Watch the following videos located on your student website:

Evaluating Sources

Sources: Narrowing the Search for Locating Sources
Resource: Appendix E
Due
2
1
Points
5

Strategies for
Gathering and
Evaluating
Sources
Locate three to five sources for your research paper. Select at least two of these sources from the University Library.
Consider the following questions when selecting sources for your research paper.

Is the author affiliated with any organization related to the subject of the article? (Does he or she have an ulterior motive?)

What is the author’s experience with the subject, including academic or professional credentials related to the subject of the source article? (Is he or she qualified to interpret and explain the complexities of the subject?)

Does this article report on information experienced by the author, or is it a summary or retelling of information from other sources?
(How close is the author to the actual information?)

Is the information current? When was the information published or last updated? (Might there be resources with more current information?)

In general, does the information in the source article match with information found in other sources, or is it different or unique?
(Can this information be confirmed by more sources than just this one?)

Does the source make any claims without evidence to support them?
Explain what makes each of your identified sources credible or not credible. In addition, explain what information you think you might be able to use from each of the credible sources.
Complete Appendix E.
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Details Due Points
Objectives 3.1 Identify the major components of the Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association style guide.
3.2 Demonstrate how to summarize, paraphrase, and quote research sources according to Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association .
3.3 Apply Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association style guidelines for citing and referencing sources.

Reading
Reading
Participation
Discussion
Questions
Nongraded
Activities and
Preparation
Citations
Nongraded
Activities and
Preparation
Avoiding
Plagiarism
Tutorial (APA)
Read the following sections in Ch. 12 of Writing for Success :

Section 1.2: Using Source Material in Your Paper

Section 1.3: Documenting Source Material

Section 1.4: Using Primary and Secondary Research

Section 1.5: Avoiding Plagiarism

Section 1.6: Academic Integrity
Read Ch. 13 of Writing for Success.
Participate in class discussion.
Respond to weekly discussion questions.
Resource: Center for Writing Excellence, located under the Library tab of the student website

Click Library .

Go to the Center for Writing Excellence .

Click Tutorials & Guides .

Click the Grammar and Writing Guides under Grammar
Tutorials.

Click Plagiarism under the Grammar and Writing Guides.
Complete the Avoiding Plagiarism Mastery Test. Ensure that you review the definition and rules.
Watch the following videos located on your student website.:

Avoiding Plagiarism (APA): Quotation: What is Quotation?

Avoiding Plagiarism (APA): Paraphrase: What is Paraphrase?

Avoiding Plagiarism (APA): Summary: What is a Summary?
Nongraded
Activities and
Preparation
Attribution
Exercise
Complete the following exercise links on the materials page in
MyWritingLab
®
:

Attribution Exercises: Citations, Quotations, Paraphrase, and
References
Individual
Quoting,
Summarizing, and
Paraphrasing a
Source
Complete Appendix F.
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Objectives
Details
4.1 Develop a thesis statement for a research paper.
4.2 Identify primary support materials related to a thesis.
4.3 Analyze source materials to determine how they support or refute the thesis statement.
Read Appendix G.
Due
Reading
Reading
Reading
Participation
Discussion
Questions
Nongraded
Activities and
Preparation
Thesis Review
Read the following section in Ch. 8 of Writing for Success :

Section 2.2: Writing a Thesis Statement
Read the following section in Ch. 11 of Writing for Success :

Section 5.1: Selecting Useful Information
Participate in class discussion.
Respond to weekly discussion questions.
Nongraded
Activities and
Preparation
Thesis
Statement
Individual
Thesis
Statement
Resource: Center for Writing Excellence, located under the Library tab of the student website

Click Library .

Go to the Center for Writing Excellence .

Click Tutorials & Guides .

Click the Grammar and Writing Guides under Grammar
Tutorials.

Click Writing Style on the left hand side of the page.

Click Thesis .
Review the information provided.
Watch “Thesis Statements: Writing a Thesis Statement” video located on your student website.

Resource: Appendix G
Use the following thesis equation in this week’s reading to develop a thesis statement for your research essay: limited topic + controlling idea, point, attitude, or slant = thesis statement.
Post your completed equation and thesis statement for your instructor’s approval and feedback.
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Points
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Details
Objectives
Reading
Reading
Participation
5.1 Construct an outline for a research paper.
5.2 Develop and organize appropriate support for a thesis in a research paper.
Read the following sections in Ch. 8 of Writing for Success :

Section 2.1: Selecting Useful Information

Section 2.2: Writing a Thesis Statement

Section 2.3: Writing and Outline
Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
Participate in class discussion.
Due
Discussion
Questions
Nongraded
Activities and
Preparation
Developing
Outlines
Respond to weekly discussion questions.
Watch the “Developing Outlines” video located on your student website.
Individual
Outline
Resource: Appendix H
Review the criteria for outlines in the “Developing Outlines” video on the student website.
Create an outline that includes details that support your thesis.
Outline only the body of your paper. Remember to avoid bias to strengthen your writing and present a balanced case for your thesis.
Explain in a short paragraph why you decided to sequence your paragraphs as you did. Your explanation must be at least 150 words in length.
Use the template in Appendix H to develop your outline.
Details Due
Objectives 6.1 Create the body paragraphs of a research paper from an outline.
6.2 Use sentence variety, sentence clarity, and parallel structure appropriately.
6.3 Apply Publication Manual of the American Psychological
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1
Points
5
Points

Association style guidelines to writing, citations, and format.
Reading
Reading
Reading
Participation
Discussion
Questions
Nongraded
Activities and
Preparation
Writing Style
Nongraded
Activities and
Read Ch. 7 of Writing for Success.
Read the following sections in Ch. 12 of Writing for Success :

Section 1.1: The Structure of a Research Paper

Section 1.2: Using Source Material in Your Paper

Section 1.3: Documenting Source Material
Read Ch. 13 of
Participate
Respond
Writing for Success.
in class discussion.
to weekly discussion questions.
Resource: Center for Writing Excellence, located under the Library tab of the student website


Click Library .
Go to the Center for Writing Excellence .

Click Tutorials & Guides .

Click the Grammar and Writing Guides under Grammar
Tutorials.

Click Writing Wizards , which is on the left hand side of the page under Wizards and Tutorials.

Click Writing Style on left.

Click Active and Passive Voice .
Complete the Skill-and-Drill Quiz found at the bottom of the page.
Repeat the following steps listed above for the Skill-and-Drill Quiz for the following:

Clarity

Parallelism

Sentence Variety

Using Concise Language
Submit a screen shot of your results page :

Press Alt + Print Screen on your computer keyboard to create a screenshot.

Open a blank Microsoft
®
Word document.

Press Ctrl + V on your keyboard to paste the screenshot into the document.
Access the Toolwire ® Learnscape: Plagiarism Review at the CWE through the link located on the student website.
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Preparation
Plagiarism
Nongraded
Activities and
Preparation
Citing Sources
Complete the Learnscape Activities.
Access the Toolwire
®
Learnscape: Citing Your Authoritative Sources through the link located on the student website.
Complete the Learnscape Activities.
Individual
Body
Paragraphs
Resources: Center for Writing Excellence, the Plagiarism Checker, and the Sample Paper (APA and Writing & Style Guidelines) and the
Grammar and Writing Guides: APA Reference and Citation Examples which can be found on your student website.
Create the body paragraphs of your research paper by converting your outline into the body of your paper. You write the introduction and conclusion in Week Seven. Move smoothly from one idea to the next and from one section of your paper to the next by adding transitions. The rough draft must be a minimum of 800 words and must be complete enough for the facilitator to provide constructive feedback.
Use aappropriate sentence variety, sentence clarity, and parallel structure in your writing.
Format your body paragraphs consistent with APA guidelines.
Review APA guidelines in the Center for Writing Excellence.
Submit a copy of your body paragraphs to the Center for Writing
Excellence and to the Plagiarism Checker for review.
Post your body paragraphs as well as results from the Center for
Writing Excellence and the Plagiarism Checker as a single attachment.
Details Due
10
Points
Objectives
Reading
Reading
Participation
7.1 Write an introduction for a research paper.
7.2 Write a conclusion for a research paper.
Read Appendix I.
Read the following sections in Ch. 9 of Writing for Success :

Section 4.1: Methods of Attracting Interest in Your Introductory
Paragraph

Section 2.2: Writing a Conclusion
Participate in class discussion. 2

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Discussion
Questions
Respond to weekly discussion questions.
Nongraded
Activities and
Preparation
Introduction and
Conclusion

Watch the following videos located on your student website:

Essays: Introductions and Conclusions

Essay Introductions, Conclusions and Titles: Introductions

Essay Introductions, Conclusions and Titles: Conclusions
Individual
Introduction and
Conclusion
Resource: Appendix I
Consider the components of an effective introduction and an effective conclusion outlined in this week’s reading and the Associate
Program Material: Introductions and Conclusions.
Write an introduction for your research paper. Use techniques to draw readers into your thesis.
Write a conclusion for your research paper that effectively summarizes your paper.
Details Due
1
5
Points
Objectives
Reading
Reading
Participation
Discussion
Questions
Nongraded
Activities and
Preparation
Transitions
8.1 Apply feedback and writing tools in the revision process.
8.2 Apply organization, cohesion, and transitions correctly.
Read the following sections in Ch. 12 of Writing for Success :

Section 2.1: Revising Your Paper: Organizations and Cohesion

Section 2.2: Using a Consistent Style and Tone

Section 2.3: Editing Your Paper
Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
Participate in class discussion.
Respond to weekly discussion questions.
Resource: Center for Writing Excellence, located under the Library tab of the student website

Click Library .

Go to the Center for Writing Excellence .

Click Tutorials & Guides .

Click the Grammar and Writing Guides under Grammar
Tutorials.

Click Writing Wizards under Wizards and Tutorials.
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Individual
Revision
Analysis

Click on Writing Style on the left hand side of the page.

Click Transitions.
Complete the Skill-and-Drill Transition Quiz on Transitions found at the bottom of the page.
Submit a screen shot of your results page.
Resource: Appendix J
Write a 300- to 400-word response to the following:

Describe, in detail, the feedback you received from WritePoint SM , from the Plagiarism Checker report through the Center for Writing
Excellence, and from your facilitator.

Explain the changes that you will make to revise your own paper based on this feedback.
Review Appendix J. Explain whether you have met each item listed in the appendix. If you answered yes, explain what you have done in your paper to meet these criteria. If you responded no, explain what changes you will make to successfully complete that requirement before submitting your final draft. Respond to every item in the appendix.
Submit your assignment as one document.
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Details
Objectives 9.1 Write an academic research paper.
9.2 Use appropriate style, tone, and mechanics, and correct
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
( APA ) formatting in a research paper.
Reading
Reading
Read Ch. 11 of Writing for Success .
Read Ch. 12 of Writing for Success .
Reading
Participation
Read Ch. 13 of Writing for Success .
Participate in class discussion.
Discussion
Questions
Nongraded
Activities and
Preparation
Writing
Academic
Papers
Respond to weekly discussion questions.
Resource: Center for Writing Excellence, located under the Library tab of the student website

Click Library .

Go to the Center for Writing Excellence .


Click Tutorials & Guides .
Click the Grammar and Writing Guides under Grammar
Tutorials.

Click Writing Wizards , which is on the left hand side under
Wizards and Tutorials.

Click Guidelines for Writing Academic Papers .

Click Download the Complete Guidelines for Writing
Academic Essays .
Review the information provided on p. 11 of the Complete Guidelines for Writing Academic Essays.
Individual
Research Paper
Resource: Appendix A and Appendix K
Use the checklist in Appendix K to proofread your final draft. If you cannot answer yes to an item in the proofreading checklist, revise your paper accordingly.
Compose a 1,450- to 1,700-word research paper.
Include the following elements in your research paper:

Title page

Introduction with a thesis statement

Body paragraphs with supporting evidence, including in-text
Due
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
Conclusion

Reference list of citations containing at least three to five sources — at least two from the University Library
Review Appendix A to ensure you have completed every step required for the final project.
Format you paper consistent with APA guidelines.
Post your final completed research paper as an attachment.
Optional Discussion Questions
Week One Discussion Questions

People often come across research in everyday life or are curious about a topic and decide to conduct their own research. Identify a time you wanted to research something and explain how you performed the research and what you learned as a result. How can you apply this experience to your own academic research?

Review Ch. 11, Section 2 of Writing for Success . What are the suggested methods for selecting a research topic? What method do you think will work best for you and why?

Consider the time management tips you have learned in previous courses. What types of information should you include in your project schedule? How do you plan to manage your research and writing to ensure your project is completed on time?

Is it important to have a research question when writing a research paper? Why?

What type of information would you include in a research plan? How will this information guide you as you begin your project?
Week Two Discussion Questions

What websites do you normally frequent? Are these websites credible? When is credibility more important and when is it less important? Support your answers with specific examples.

What should you consider when searching for useful sources? How do you know when sources are reliable? What are some red flags that indicate you should avoid a particular source?

Is it difficult to determine a source ’s bias? What difficulties might you face as you critically read and analyze a source?

Does the opinion of an expert in the field carry more weight than the opinion of someone that is not? Why or why not?

What is the difference between current sources and relevant sources? Is it possible a source might fit one category, but not the other? How?
Week Three Discussion Questions

Course Design Guide
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
What is a style guide? Is adhering to a style guide important? Why or why not?

University of Phoenix selected the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association as a resource for all academic writing. The manual is the style guide most often used for writing in disciplines such as business and education, though some other fields have their own style guides. Do you think the university was wise to choose a style guide for the entire university? Why or why not?

Imagine the impact of sending a business letter or memo that is improperly formatted. In particular, think about rules or standards that must be followed at your place of business. Do you think the reasons for rules and tradition for communication at your workplace apply to academic writing? Why, or why not?

What is the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing? How do you know when to use each properly in an academic paper?

Which strategies will you apply when integrating sources for your academic papers? Why did you pick the strategies you did?

Quotations can add authority to any project. However, too many quotations can be distracting. As a general rule, no more than 15% to 20% of your paper should contain directly quoted materials. Do you agree with this rule? Why? What will you do to ensure that you stay within appropriate limits?
Week Four Discussion Questions

A good thesis statement helps guide the rest of your paper. Do you think this is true? Is it true of a poor thesis statement as well? Why?

Identify two key concepts that will help you write an effective thesis statement. Why did you choose these two concepts?

Do you think the following is a weak or strong thesis statement: “The subject of this paper is my experience with teaching elementary school children ”? If yes, why is it weak? How could you improve it? If no, what qualities do you think it has that make it adequate?

What are some of the characteristics or types of sources you intend to pick for your research paper? Why do you think those particular types are effective choices to support your point of view?

To make supporting points, it is important that one finds relevant, accurate, and reliable sources. What should you consider when looking for helpful sources? What are some red flags that indicate you should avoid a particular source?
Week Five Discussion Questions

The video “Developing Outlines” provides an overview of the purpose of planning an outline. Does an outline make the writing process go more smoothly? How?

In our assigned article, Tips on Honing Your Writing , we are told “the outline is the most important step in writing – it is the architecture of writing; words and sentences are just the interior decoration (p. 103).” Does this statement surprise you? Why or why not? Why is the outline the most important step — even more that the actual draft?

In the writing process you use developing an outline, planning topic sentences, and identifying supporting points in planning and writing your final essay. Do you think these steps are essential? Why or why not?
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
There are several common approaches to organizing an outline. Which do you think would work best for your research paper? Why?

Does outlining prepare you for the next stage in the writing process? If yes, how? If no, why not?
Week Six Discussion Questions

It is important that an essay not be a series of quotes or paraphrased material; one’s own analysis must be part of the essay. How can you create a balance between your own analysis and the source material?

Choose one of the following scenarios: o The leadership role of women in national politics has changed dramatically in the last 60 years. o Teachers and parents are concerned with whether standardized tests are a good indicator of a child's intelligence. o A healthy diet and regular exercise improve health and lower health care costs.
Is there one best way to support each of these topics? If yes, which one, and why? If no, why not?

Parallelism, sentence variety, and sentence clarity are necessary to effectively complete your body paragraphs. Why? How might you use them?

What do you think are the two most common mistakes a writer might make that could cause his or her writing to be ineffective for readers? What steps might you take to avoid these mistakes?

What challenges did you encounter implementing APA guidelines during the drafting phase? What were they? Can you overcome these challenges? How?
Week Seven Discussion Questions

Ch. 9, Section 4 of Writing for Success explains the role an effective introduction should have in a paper.
What aspect of writing an introduction do you anticipate may be a challenge for you? Why?

What type of introduction do you plan to write for your paper? Why did you choose this type of introduction?

One purpose of the introduction is to draw readers into your topic. Is that important? Why or why not?

The purpose of a conclusion is to summarize all your support and to state how they combine to substantiate your thesis. In this way, the introduction and conclusion are like bookends on a shelf, with the supporting statement like the books in between. What kind of conclusion do you think would be best for your research paper? Why?

How can you summarize your main points without sounding repetitive? How does the conclusion effectively summarize your paper? Explain your answer.
Week Eight Discussion Questions

What was your experience using the Center for Writing Excellence in the past? In addition to the Center for
Writing Excellence, what other writing tools are available for revising a research paper?

In addition to the Center for Writing Excellence, what other writing tools might you rely on for revising a research paper?
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
In which areas do you think you need to improve? How will you make these improvements?

How do you know when to accept feedback from another source? What makes feedback valuable? Should all feedback be considered valuable?

It is sometimes difficult to be your own critic and to see clearly the changes that must be made to a paper.
There are several reasons for this, including the effort you’ve put into the paper. Can you become your own editor and review your writing with a critical eye? How?

How do transitions help with the flow of an academic paper? Do certain transitions affect the main point of your essay? Why or why not?
Week Nine Discussion Questions

This course has provided you with several writing strategies and skills you can use to improve your writing.
Which strategies or skills from the do you think will be most helpful as you develop as a writer and researcher? Why?

The introduction in this course of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association as a resource for writing was to increase your confidence when using it. Was that goal accomplished? Why or why not?

What is still your biggest challenge with APA formatting? How might you overcome it?

Do you think using the PlagiarismChecker and the Turnitin
®
service will help you be an ethical academic writer? How?

Are there university resources you have learned about in this course and others that will be useful to you in the ongoing development of your grammar and writing skills? Which ones? How might they help you?

Writing is something that improves with practice and focus. What steps will you take to ensure that your writing continues to improve throughout your college experience?
Copyright
University of Phoenix® is a registered trademark of Apollo Group, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.
Microsoft®, Windows®, and Windows NT® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Use of these marks is not intended to imply endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation.
Edited in accordance with University of
Phoenix® editorial standards and practices.
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