English 1020: First Year Writing
This course places considerable emphasis upon the relationship between reading and writing, the development and evaluation of information and ideas through research, the genres of analysis and argumentation, and the use of multiple technologies for research and writing. At times this course is taught utilizing contract grading (a version with grade contract is included here).
English 1010: Developmental Writing
English 1010 is Wayne State’s Developmental Writing course. Since Fall 2020, all students have had the choice whether to enroll in ENG 1010 (directed self-placement) if they feel that an additional semester of writing practice will be a benefit.
ENG 1010/1020: Stretch FYW
In this piloted course, I combined the curriculum of ENG 1010 and ENG 1020, creating a year-long course in which students would write the main genres of First Year Writing (ENG 1020) while having additional time to practice the foundational concepts typically taught in ENG 1010. The benefits of Stretch courses include extended time with one professor and peer group (to establish rapport), and the opportunity to learn core academic genres like Argument with ample support and practice time (instead of having to transfer foundational practice skills from a separate developmental course).
Throwback syllabi:
ENG 1010 – Composing and Learning through Self-Direction: (Fall 2012)
This section of English 1010 will set out to achieve the learning objectives for the course through the principles of self-directed learning. The definition of self-directed learning is as follows:
“In its broadest meaning, ’self-directed learning’ describes a process by which individuals take the initiative, with our without the assistance of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes” (Knowles 1972).
For the purposes of our course, assignments and instruction will be approached with these principles in mind. In other words, at several points throughout the course you will be asked to produce and reflect on work that involves you in planning and collaboration efforts to determine how the goals of English 1010 meet your needs as a student and individual both inside and outside of the classroom.
course schedule ENG 1010 Fall 2012
ENG 1010: Basic Writing (In Digital Environments) – Winter 2013
In the Winter of 2013, I piloted a section of Basic Writing in one of the department’s computer classrooms typically reserved for ENG 1020 courses. The purpose of this course was to determine, anecdotally at first, whether basic writers were affected significantly by the use of computers in the classroom. Specifically, I was interested in whether editing workshops were more useful, productive, and beneficial and whether students were able to learn more about word processing functions through our in-class writing/editing workshops. **
**This section description does not differ from other ENG 1010 courses I’ve taught because I did not submit IRB for the classroom. Therefore, I felt it unnecessary to communicate to students any uniqueness/difference in their course that semester (from that of any other basic writing course). Nonetheless, the course is significant in terms of its course schedule, assignments, and utilization of workshop time and classroom affordances.