Core Course Review Documentation
Foundational Component Area: COMMUNICATION
Component Area Option?
No
Proposed Course: English 1123: Academic Research and Writing
Credit Hours: 3.0
Proposed by: Kristen Garrison
Date: September 18, 2012
Please document how the proposed course meets each of the following requirements. (You
may provide a written explanation or copy and paste the appropriate information from the
syllabus.)
Content: Courses in this category focus on developing ideas and expressing them clearly,
considering the effect of the message, fostering understanding, and building the skills needed to
communicate persuasively.
As stated in the 2012-14 Undergraduate Catalog, this course provides
Continued training in skills involved in the writing process through composition and reading with
the addition of particular skills needed for thoughtful research, including selection, analysis,
integration, and documentation of both print and electronic sources. Preparation of a research
paper of moderate length demonstrating these skills. (280)
SKILLS: Courses involve the command of oral, aural, written, and visual literacy skills that enable
people to exchange messages appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience.
In English 1123, students will






Apply knowledge of rhetoric to make decisions about written communication
Engage in a writing process that includes invention, drafting, and revision
Write thesis-based academic arguments that provide strong support and specific details
Find, evaluate, and synthesize credible sources in support of a research paper
Use sources ethically and in contextually appropriate ways and follow a designated style guide
Demonstrate proficient use of Standard Written English
ASSESSMENT OF CORE OBJECTIVES: Assessments should be authentic, intentional and
direct. The following four Core Objectives must be addressed in each course approved to fulfill this
category requirement:
The primary purpose of English 1123 is to prepare students to write academic arguments. Consequently,
the final research paper will be used to assess students’ performance in the following skill areas.
Critical Thinking Skills - to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation
and synthesis of information
Learning Activities: Students will be given instruction in argument and prompted to identify an
issue or problem that deserves attention. They will spend one class meeting in the library computer
lab to receive instruction on using research databases, and they will be required to collect research
that represents different perspectives on the issue they choose. Based on instruction about how to
select reliable, valid, and accurate sources, they will read articles that enable them to draw
informed conclusions on the issue, which they will articulate and support clearly in the research
paper.
Assessment of Critical Thinking Skills (see attached Researched Academic Argument Rubric): Each
student will write a 5-7 page research paper in which s/he
 expresses a specific position on a clearly defined issue,
 analyzes the issue/problem,
 provides evidence from sources
 and acknowledges alternate perspectives.
Communication Skills - to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas
through written, oral, and visual communication
Learning Activities: Students will be given an overview of rhetorical theory, with an emphasis on
how to construct a persuasive, formal argument. They will learn about the specific conventions of
academic writing, especially with regard to crafting a clear thesis statement and building coherent
and well-supported body paragraphs. Based on students’ diagnostic essays, instructors will
provide instruction on grammar and mechanics as needed; additionally, students will learn
strategies for revising their writing for more sophisticated prose style.
Assessment of Communication Skills (see attached Researched Academic Argument Rubric): Each
student will write a 5-7 page research paper in which s/he
 provides a clear thesis statement in the introduction,
 presents body paragraphs that focus on one idea and support it with examples and details,
 demonstrates an understanding of the rhetorical purpose and audience,
 and demonstrates proficient use of standard written English
Teamwork - to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with
others to support a shared purpose or goal
Learning Activity: To emphasize the importance of multiple-stage drafting, peer response, and
revision, the instructor will organize students into Peer Review Teams; each team will include
writers with varying levels of engagement and ability. Students will be given training in responding
constructively to their peers’ writing.
Assessment of Teamwork Skills (see attached Peer Review Form and Peer Review Teamwork
Rubric): Members of each Peer Review Team will distribute copies of drafts to each other on a date
designated by the instructor and indicated on the course syllabus. Students will be expected to
read all team members’ drafts prior to the next class meeting, at which time they will participate in
a Peer Review Workshop and complete a Peer Review Form designed and distributed by the
instructor. The Peer Review Form will stay with the draft and the writer, who will submit both with
the final essay. The instructor will monitor Peer Review Workshops, keep attendance records, and
evaluate the Peer Review Form. To develop and demonstrate teamwork skills, students will
 provide copies of drafts for their peers on the designated due date,
 read their peers’ drafts to prepare for the Peer Review Workshop,
 participate actively to help peers improve their texts and facilitate a positive Workshop
experience,
 and offer respectful, constructive, and specific feedback that helps the writer improve
his/her text.
Students who do not meet these objectives will first receive instructor feedback; if performance
does not improve, the student will lose 10% from the Research Paper.
Personal Responsibility - to include the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to
ethical decision-making
Learning Activity: A key ethical issue in academic argument is intellectual property and plagiarism.
Students will review the MSU Code of Conduct, and the instructor will explain why plagiarism is an
ethical issue. Students will receive instruction on using a specific documentation style, as well as
strategies for using their sources in ethical and appropriate ways to support an academic argument.
Assessment of Personal Responsibility (see attached Researched Academic Argument Rubric): Each
student will write a 5-7 page research paper in which s/he
 demonstrates correct use of MLA to format a list of Works Cited,
 demonstrates correct use of MLA to cite sources used within the essay,
 and uses sources ethically and in contextually appropriate ways.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Provide any additional information supporting course
inclusion in the core (optional).
PLEASE ATTACH THE FOLLOWING
1. Syllabus
2. Assessment for Critical Thinking Skills
3. Assessment for Communication Skills
4. Assessment for Teamwork
5. Assessment for Personal Responsibility