ENGL 111x
Introduction to Academic Writing
Aug
30th
– Dec
14th,
2012
http://engl111s.community.uaf.edu
Instructor:
Romina Kline (UX1)
rmkline@alaska.edu
Katherine Stealey-Bouta (UX2)
stealeybouta@gmail.com
Rachel Alonzo (UX3)
rjalonzo@alaska.edu
office hours & location: all instructors are by
appointment via email
Course Description:
English 111x offers instruction and practice in written communication and critical reading and
concentrates on research methods and techniques. The main objective is to introduce you to writing as
a way of developing, exploring, and testing ideas. It concentrates on research--methods and
techniques.
The reading and writing assignments work fairly closely together. The instruction you receive from the
textbooks often replaces the course lectures you would normally receive in the face-to-face classroom.
Therefore, it’s extremely important that you read what is assigned to you. You will be
responsible for understanding the concepts in the book by demonstrating your
mastery of the knowledge in your formal paper assignments.
111x, a core requirement, is a “W” course, meaning that it is Writing Intensive. You should expect to
spend no less than 9 hours of reading/writing time for each lesson and perhaps significantly
more if you are a slow reader or a reluctant writer. These hours reflect the 3 hours of class time and 2
hours per hour of class time as homework required of any college course.
Textbooks & Materials:
You should have (or be able to access) the following texts:
• Hacker, Diana. A Writer's Reference, 7th Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011.
• Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, Vols. 1 & 2. Eds. Charles Lowe and Pavel Zemliansky. West
Lafayette: Parlor: 2010. (available for free online and for sale via hard copy)
Web readings are mentioned and sometimes linked where appropriate in the Assignments section.
Course Goals & Student Outcomes:
By the end of the semester you should be able to write a properly formatted 7-9 page research paper
that displays a comprehensive understanding of solid academic research, standardized citation styles,
and logical argumentation with support from authoritative sources.
Instructional Methods:
This is an online course and therefore the instructional methods vary from Blackboard instruction, to
email, to online group discussions and conferencing methods. Your course is located at
http://engl111s.community.uaf.edu.
Course Schedule:
This course runs from Aug 30th – Dec 14th, 2012. Make sure you are adhering to the schedule of
assignments, due dates, and recommendations located on the course website.
Classroom Policies, Participation, and Late Work:
Due dates are due dates. Even online. This course is divided into 15 lessons. Your lessons will be
graded and commented upon to give specific suggestions for improving your work, so turning in
lessons regularly is required. Turning in 1 or 2 lesson per week will help you earn enough points to
pass the course within a semester. Your instructor will make every effort to grade your lesson within 3
days. If a lesson has been submitted in Blackboard for more than 72 hours, please send an email to
your instructor.
Plagiarism and Academic Integrity:
Honesty is a primary responsibility of you and every other UAF student. The following are common
guidelines regarding academic integrity:
1. Students will not collaborate on any quizzes, in-class exams, or take-home exams that
contribute to their grade in a course, unless the course instructor grants permission. Only
those materials permitted by the instructor may be used to assist in quizzes and examinations.
2. Students will not represent the work of others as their own. A student will attribute the
source of information not original with himself or herself (direct quotes or paraphrases) in
compositions, theses, and other reports.
3. No work submitted for one course may be submitted for credit in another course without the
explicit approval of both instructors.
Alleged violations of the Code of Conduct will be reviewed in accordance with procedures specified in
regents' policy, university regulations and UAF rules and procedures.
Grading Policies:
You will be graded on a 1000 point system.
(20%) 10 20-point writing exercises or quizzes
(30%) 10 30-point discussion board entries.
(30%) 3 Short Papers: 100 points each
(20%) 1 Longer Research Paper: 2 50 point drafts and 1 final draft
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600-699 points for a D;
700-799 for a C;
800-899 for a B,
and 900 or more for an A.
Instructor Feedback and Checking Your Grades:
Inquiries from students will be acknowledged promptly — often within the same day. Lessons will be
graded within one week after the due date. To check your grades for assignments and find comments
from your instructor, you should see Blackboard: to check your grade average overall, click on the My
Grades link in the sidebar menu of the course shell in Blackboard.
The UAF Writing Center:
The Writing Center is a student-staffed, student-oriented service of the English Department. Tutors
can assist you in all phases of the writing process, including the following: brainstorming and
generating topics, organizing ideas, developing research strategies, use of citation styles (MLA, APA,
and Chicago), and editing for clarity and correctness. Tutors collaborate with each student on a oneto-one basis in any phase of the writing process: planning, drafting, or revising. They also help writers
discover ways of improving grammar, mechanics, and punctuation.
Appointments at the Writing Center are 30 minutes long. Call or stop by to make an appointment.
Walk-in sessions are often available, but in the last half of the semester they are often booked.
The Writing Center also features a computer lab with 18 computers and free printing for up to 25
pages. Technicians and tutors are on hand to assist with computer-related questions.
Located on the 8th floor of the Gruening Building
Phone: (907) 474-5314
MON
TUE
WED
THUR
FRI
SUN
10 a.m. – 4
10 a.m. – 4
10 a.m. – 4
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10 a.m. – 1
1 p.m. – 6
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
7 p.m. – 10
7 p.m. – 10
7 p.m. – 10
7 p.m. – 10
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
No Basis (NB), Incomplete (I) and Instructor Withdrawal (W):
This course adheres to the Center for Distance Education Procedure regarding the granting of NB
Grades. The NB grade is for use only in situations in which the instructor has No Basis upon which to
assign a grade. In general, the NB grade will not be granted.
Your instructor follows the University of Alaska Fairbanks Incomplete Grade Policy:
“The letter “I” (Incomplete) is a temporary grade used to indicate that the student has satisfactorily
completed (C or better) the majority of work in a course but for personal reasons beyond the student’s
control, such as sickness, he has not been able to complete the course during the regular semester.
Negligence or indifference are not acceptable reasons for an “I” grade.”
Successful, Timely Completion of this Course Starting and establishing your progress through this
course early can help to encourage your successful completion of the course. Toward this end, this
course adheres to the following Center for Distance Education Procedures:
1. The first contact assignment five days after the first day of instruction. Failure to submit this
assignment within the first two weeks of the course could result in withdrawal from the course.
2. Failure to submit the first content assignments (Assignments 1, 2 and 3) by the deadline for
faculty-initiated withdrawals (the ninth Friday after the first day of classes) could result in
instructor initiated withdrawal from the course (W).
Student Support Services:
UAF eLearning’s Student Services helps students with registration and course schedules, provides
information about lessons and student records, assists with the examination process, and answers
general questions. Our Academic Advisor can help students communicate with instructors, locate
helpful resources, and maximize their distance learning experience. Contact the eLearning Student
Services staff at 907- 479-3444 or toll free 1-800-277-8060 or contact staff directly – for directory
listing see: http://distance.uaf.edu/cde-staff/ .
Disability Services:
The UAF Office of Disability Services operates in conjunction with UAF eLearning. Disability Services,
a part of UAF's Center for Health and Counseling, provides academic accommodations to enrolled
students who are identified as being eligible for these services.
If you believe you are eligible, please visit their web site (http://www.uaf.edu/apache/disability/) or
contact a student affairs staff person at your nearest local campus. You can also contact Disability
Services on the Fairbanks Campus by phone, 907-474-7043, or by e-mail (fydso@uaf.edu).
Course Schedule:
Please note that the following schedule is subject to change.
Lesson 1: Aug 30- Sept 2
“What is Academic Writing?” by Lennie L. Irvin in Writing Spaces, Vol 1.
Pp. 355-369 in A Writer’s Reference
*“Pastoral Romance” by Brent Cunningham in Lapham’s Quarterly
*“Eating Myself Silly” by Adam Platt in Conde Nast Traveler
Discussion 1
30
1-Page Introduction (Submitted to Blackboard) and email your instructor (WA 1)
20
Lesson 2: Sept 3- 9
“Beyond Black on White: Document Design and Formatting in the Writing Classroom” by
Michael J. Klein and Kristi L. Shackelford in Writing Spaces, Vol 2.
Pp. 408-412 in A Writer’s Reference
* “Treasure Hunt” by Alain de Botton in Lapham’s Quarterly
* “State of Play” by Mike Deri Smith in The Morning News
Discussion 2
30
MLA Quiz (WA 2)
20
Lesson 3: Sept 10- 16
“Everything Changes, or Why MLA Isn’t (Always) Right” by Janice R. Walker in Writing
Spaces, Vol 2.
* “Hitting Bottom” by Chris Norris from The New York Times
Discussion 3
30
Paper 1 (Analysis Essay)
100
Lesson 4: Sept 17- 23
“The Sixth Paragraph: A Re-Vision of the Essay” by Paul Lynch in Writing Spaces, Vol 2.
Section C4 in a Writer's Reference, pp. 24-37
* “What Defines a Meme?” by James Gleick in Smithsonian magazine
Discussion 4
30
Paragraph Exercises (WA 3)
20
Lesson 5: Sept 24- 30
“Critical Thinking in College Writing: From the Personal to the Academic” by Gita DasBender
in Writing Spaces, Vol 2.

“Confessions of a Former Environmental Skeptic” by Michael Shermer

Wikipedia entry on “Logical Fallacies”
Discussion 5
30
Paper 1 Revision
variable
Lesson 6: Oct 1- 7
“From Topic to Presentation: Making Choices to Develop Your Writing” by Beth L. Hewett in
Writing Spaces, Vol 1.
“Taking Flight: Connecting Inner and Outer Realities during Invention” by Susan E. Antlitz in
Writing Spaces, Vol 1.
* “Darkness Too Visible” by Megan Cox Gurdon in the Wall Street Journal
* “Why the Best Kids Books are Written in Blood” a response to Ms. Gurdon by Sherman
Alexie in the Wall Street Journal
Discussion 6
30
Topic Exercise (WA 4)
20
Lesson 7: Oct 8- 14
“On the Other Hand: The Role of Antithetical Writing in First Year Composition Courses” by
Steven D. Krause in Writing Spaces, Vol 2.
* “The Huffington Post is Crazy About Your Health” by Rahul K. Parikh in Salon
Discussion 7
30
Paper 2 (Comparison Essay)
100
Lesson 8: Oct 15- 21
Pp. 123-160 in A Writer’s Reference (Section W)
* “The Ecstasy of Influence: a Plagiarism” by Jonothan Lethem in Harper’s Magazine
* “It's Not Plagiarism. In the Digital Age, It's 'Repurposing'” a response to Lethem by Kenneth
Goldsmith in The Chronicle
Discussion 8
30
Lesson 9: Oct 22- 28
Why Visit Your Campus Writing Center?” by Ben Rafoth in Writing Spaces, Vol 1.
* “The Gospel According to Andrew Carnegie” From "Wealth," an article published in the
North American Review.
Discussion 9
30
Paper 2 Revision (Comparison Essay)
variable
Lesson 10: Oct 29- Nov 4
“Finding the Good Argument OR Why Bother With Logic?” by Rebecca Jones in Writing
Spaces, Vol 2.
Section A-2 in A Writer's Reference (pp. 67-90)
* “Consider the Lobster” by David Foster Wallace from Gourmet Magazine
Discussion 10
30
Paper 3 (Argumentative Essay)
100
Lesson 11: Nov 5- 11
“Walk, Talk, Cook, Eat: A Guide to Using Sources” by Cynthia R. Haller in Writing Spaces, Vol
2.
* “Annoying Ways People Use Sources” by Kyle D. Stedman in Writing Spaces, Vol 2.
Individual Student Research
Research Paper Topic Proposal (WA 5)
20
Research Samples (WA 6)
20
Lesson 12: Nov 12- 18
“Reading Games: Strategies for Reading Scholarly Sources” by Karen Rosenberg in Writing
Spaces, Vol 2.
Pages 1-8 in "Crafting Your Query by using Special Characters" Pages 1-8 are linked on the
main page.
Purdue OWL's entry on "Annotated Bibliographies" and the "Bibliography Samples"
Individual Student Research
Annotated Bibliography (10 sources) (WA 7)
20
Paper 3 Revision (Argumentative Essay)
variable
Lesson 13: Nov 19- 25
“Introduction to Primary Research: Observations, Surveys, and Interviews” by Dana Lynn
Driscoll in Writing Spaces, Vol 2.
Individual Student Research
Research Paper Draft 1
50
Annotated Bibliography (5 additional sources) (WA 8)
20
Lesson 14: Nov 26- Dec 2
“Wikipedia Is Good for You!?” by James P. Purdy in Writing Spaces, Vol 1.
“Googlepedia: Turning Information Behaviors into Research Skills” by Randall McClure in
Writing Spaces, Vol 2.
Individual Student Research
Research Paper Draft 2
50
Research Paper Outline (WA 9)
20
Lesson 15: Dec 3- 9
“Reflective Writing and the Revision Process: What Were You Thinking?” by Sandra L. Giles
in Writing Spaces, Vol 1.
Research Paper Final Draft
100
Reflective Memo (WA 10)
20
Lesson 16: Dec 10- 14
Finals Week.