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English 1C Online (3 Units)

Critical Thinking and Composition (ENGL 1C)

Instructor: Michelle James, M.A.

INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION:

Ms. Michelle James, M.A.

mjames@bcconline.com

Text: Cultural Conversations: The Presence of the Past (2001 edition) by Dilkes, Hansen and Parfitt.

3.5" floppy disk to save and back up assignments.

Regular access to a computer with an Internet connection. Regular access to the computer and Internet means a minimum of 3 times per week. There are computers in the Barstow College labs, and the Ft. Irwin lab is also available for your use. You can also usually access public use computers at local libraries, schools and copy centers.

Regular access to an email account. Regular access to email means a minimum of 3 times per week.

Access to a computer with Microsoft Word.

Email Updates

One of the primary methods of contact in an online course is email. Your college is capable of extracting student names and email addresses from our registration system. The purpose of extracting this information is two fold. The information will be used by the instructor to remain in contact with the class in order to provide information necessary for the students' academic success. The information will also be used to send emails to the students from the college administration. The emails sent by the college administration will consist of links to course surveys which will be used to improve our online courses, important announcements for students, and links to college surveys, which will be used to satisfy requirements placed on the college by the California Community College Chancellor's Office. The college will not use this information to advertise any products and will not share student email addresses with any other organization.

In the box below type the following information:

As a student I understand it is my responsibility to ensure my email address is up to date in the registration system, and that failure to do so can seriously impact my ability to successfully complete my courses. Further, I consent to receive email communication from my instructor and from the college administration. This consent will remain in force until it is revoked in writing or I am no longer taking classes with the college. Upon submitting the syllabus, I agree to enter the registration system, check my email address and change it if necessary. I understand a tutorial is available to assist me with this procedure. I also understand I can contact 760-252-2411 x7236 to receive additional assistance if I encounter any difficulties when attempting to change my email address.

Reading and evaluation of English prose in a critical and logical way. The emphasis will be on critical analysis and upon the student's development of effective written arguments. Degree Applicable. UC/ CSU

You must fill out this syllabus if you intend to take the course. You must be officially registered for the course in order to submit this syllabus. Syllabus should be submitted no later than the third day of class. No work will be graded until Syllabus is submitted correctly with this form page. Failure to submit this Syllabus will result in being dropped from the course. Read through the following syllabus and follow all directions.

You must also complete the student orientation requirements, which are located at http://www.bcconline.com/orient/ prior to starting the class materials. This area was created to help students move through the course website more effectively.

1. Students will evaluate readings for rhetorical appeals, bias, propaganda, and logical fallacies.

Assessment method: A. Pre and post test B. Methods may include writings, discussions, and exercises.

2. Students, given appropriate context, will use critical thinking skills to evaluate arguments and compose arguments. Assessment method:

A. Methods may include writings, class discussions, and debates.

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

1. Read and critically evaluate college-level prose.

2. Identify and analyze the structure of arguments underlying the texts they read.

3. Evaluate the validity and soundness of arguments.

4. Distinguish fact from judgment.

5. Identify propaganda and emotional appeal.

6. Identify and define the various rhetorical devices used in writing.

7. Recognize, define, and be able to utilize the forms of critical thought in writing.

8. Bring to bear critical thinking skills in the generation of college-level papers.

English 1A or English 1A Plus.

See Required Materials section of syllabus.

Student must understand the intensity of a 9 week course and be prepared to keep up with the fast-paced schedule. Failure to keep to the schedule in any way can result in being dropped by the instructor or late penalties.

It is your responsibility to email the instructor if you have any problems or do not understand this syllabus.

It is your responsibility to confirm your enrollment either via the Internet at https://bcregweb.barstow.edu  or by calling (760)252-2411 extension 7236 if you are having problems accessing the course material. After you have confirmed your enrollment go to http://www.bcconline.com/orient/ and read the password link. Following this procedure will ensure you are helped in the fastest manner possible.

By enrolling for this class, the assumption is that you possess the necessary skills to read at the college level, to enter and perform research on the internet, to email using proper email etiquette and to post to the discussions.

When emailing your instructor (mjames@bcconline.com) include your full name in the body of the email, or else you will not receive a reply and/or your assignment will not be graded. Send all email with the name of the course in the subject line. Email without an appropriate subject line will be deleted and will not be read. With the current high incidence of viruses and unsolicited email, I automatically delete all email without appropriate subject lines. You will not be notified if your email is unopened or deleted.

Example subject line: "ENGL1C".

Please allow up to 48 hours for response to any email. Forty-eight hours response time does not include Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Always allow for 48 hours, excluding Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

Email assignments will have a one week turnaround time for scoring, and you should not expect an answer to a successfully submitted and completed assignment before the end of the one week turnaround time period. This means you should always wait 7 days from the due date for response.

Important Note: Although it is convenient to quickly send an email to an instructor the moment you have a question or comment, please keep in mind that instructors have many students sending email to them. Send email in the same manner you use to make phone calls, office visits, or send letters. Carefully plan and write the messages you do send and use everyone’s time wisely.

There is an instructor’s message board at the top of the discussion page. Be sure to check this at least three times a week for messages and clarifications. Do not post in the instructor's posting area. Should you have a concern with your class please email me your question. It is not appropriate for students to post their concerns in the instructor's posting area. Students who post in the instructor's posting area will receive a warning and their posting will be deleted unanswered. Students who ignore the warning and post again to the instructor's posting area will be dropped from the class.

At the conclusion of the class students may find out their grades by going on the Internet at https://bcregweb.barstow.edu. I do not email or post student grades and will not respond to inquiries about grades at the conclusion of the course.

You will not officially start this course until you complete the orientation sessions at http://www.bcconline.com/orient/. No course work should be started or completed until after you have reviewed the orientation area. The orientation area will answer many frequently asked questions (FAQs) about online instruction and will also provide tutorials on common problems students encounter while participating in online courses. If you are experiencing technical difficulties and/or need to learn how to use courseware, you should first check the orientation area thoroughly and carefully to see if the answer to your technical question is there. If your technical question is not answered on the website you may then send an email to webmaster@bcconline.com with your question.

If your question pertains to class materials you should email the instructor at mjames@bcconline.com. The webmaster cannot answer course related questions, and Ms. James does not answer technical questions. See email instructions and guidelines on the previous page.

Online classes are administered under the Distance Education division and as such there are no regular class meetings. Sometimes the terminology and/or the breadth of the class may seem daunting or overwhelming to you. If so, you may request a tutor for your class by emailing bctutorial@bcconline.com. You can also use http://www.bcconline.com/orient/ for technical assistance.

Read each assignment carefully and submit work as required. Various assignments will be posted online, submitted online or sent by email. All papers must be submitted using the interactive forms provided with each lesson. Any work at all sent in an incorrect format will not be accepted or graded.

There will be online "discussion" sessions throughout the course. All work and participation in these discussions is required and must be conducted within the time frame stated. The instructor will comment intermittently; no postings to the discussion group will be graded after the instructor posts that a discussion is closed.

There may also be on-line quizzes throughout the course that you will take. Each quiz must be taken by the deadline. No late quizzes will be accepted.

There will be one on-campus meeting for the final exam. If you cannot attend the exam meeting you will have to find a proctor approved by the instructor--for example, a librarian or education officer, and an approved testing site, such as a library or an education center, to take the exam. Send the instructor the name, location and fax number of the proctor. The computer labs at Barstow College will be proctoring your exam if you come to campus. The Barstow College Library does not proctor exams. Proctors for this course must have access to a working fax number, and proctor information must be received by the end of the third week of class.

Grades will be calculated as follows:

Major Writing Assignments:  500 points

Research Paper:  200 points

Discussions and Participation: 90 points

Midterm and Final Examinations: 200 points

Total Points (subject to some minor variations)

990 points

• The thesis statement or topic sentence is clear and well-defined. The introductory paragraph of the essay is excellent.
• Body paragraphs and supporting sentences show logical development and clear relationships. Body paragraphs contain topic sentences. Transitions are used effectively. Ideas are illustrated with specific examples.
• The conclusion paragraph or concluding sentence signals the end of the essay or paragraph by summarizing points or ideas.
• The writer follows all of the specific requirements for the assignment.
• The written piece shows a superior writing style and originality in presenting ideas.
• The writing contains no writing errors or few writing errors that detract from the content.

B

• The thesis statement or topic sentence is obvious, but may need development. The introductory paragraph of the essay is above average.
• Body paragraphs or supporting sentences show good development and relationships. Body paragraphs contain topic sentences and supporting details. Transitions are used. Ideas are illustrated with examples.
• The conclusion or concluding sentence signals the end of the essay or paragraph. The concluding paragraph summarizes the major points of the essay.
• The writer follows the requirements of the assignment.
• The written piece shows an above average writing style.
• The writing may contain a few errors that detract from the content.

• The thesis sentence or topic sentence is apparent, but may be vague or too general. The introductory paragraph of the essay may need some improvement.
• Body paragraphs or supporting sentences may show loose development or lack sufficient examples. Body paragraphs may contain undeveloped topic sentences. Transitions could be used more effectively.
• The conclusion or concluding sentence may lack a signal of the end of the essay or paragraph. The conclusion may lack a summary of major points.
• The writer follows most of the requirements for the assignment.
• The written piece shows an average writing style, but lack of original thought.
• Writing errors may detract from the content.

• The thesis sentence or topic sentence is unclear or undeveloped. The introductory paragraph of the essay may be in need of improvement..
• Body paragraphs or supporting sentences may lack development. Examples are not used to support ideas. Body paragraphs may lack topic sentences. Transitions are not used effectively.
• Conclusion or concluding sentence may be lacking.
• The writer may not have followed the requirements of the assignment.
• The written piece may show below average writing style.
• Writing errors detract from the content.

• The thesis or topic sentence is ineffective or lacking. The introductory paragraph of the essay is in need of major improvement.
• Body paragraphs or supporting sentences are undeveloped or incoherent. Information is not presented in a logical manner. Transitions and topic sentences may be undeveloped or lacking. Ideas lack development.
• The conclusion or concluding sentence may be lacking.
• The writer does not follow the requirements of the assignments.
• The piece shows an immature writing style.
• Serious writing errors detract from the content.

Plagiarism is presenting the work of another as your own and is a crime punishable by failure in the class, expulsion from the college, and legal action. It is the student's responsibility to learn how to give proper credit for materials taken from other sources.

All work submitted is subject to a plagiarism search. All work must be original compositions written for this course. Any occurrence of plagiarism for any reason will result in automatic failure of the assignment and possible automatic failure in the course. Plagiarized work may not be resubmitted.

Prompt completion and submittal of all assignments is vital to the learning process and required. Late assignments will affect a student's grade. Late work (no matter the cause of lateness) may not be accepted at all at the discretion of the instructor. In some situations, late work will be accepted (at the discretion of the instructor) with late penalty deductions.

Instructors have the authority to establish standards for class participation. It is each student’s responsibility to meet these requirements or the instructor may lower the grade or drop him/her from the course.

If the student misses more than 10% of all class assignments for any reason, he or she may be dropped by the instructor. Remember, it is the student’s responsibility to drop a class, not the instructor’s. If the student does not drop, but remains on class roll, a grade of F may result.

It is suggested that each student on campus or online employ effective time management skills and protect the time schedule necessary to do well in this course. You may find it helpful to construct a "master" time schedule for the forthcoming semester (include study periods) and share it with your family and friends so that they will know in advance of the semester what to expected of you. There are no make-ups. Be sure to schedule the midterm and the final in your personal scheduler. Do not plan to move, get married, go on vacation or any other such activity during this class unless you are a great time manager. Only hospital emergencies or TDY (for military) which are documented and/or verifiable will allow you to make up work or perform an extra project. The midterms and the final are a substantial portion of your grade.

The standard length for essays is a minimum of about 850 words. To receive credit for the course, all major essays and exam essays must be successfully completed and submitted on time. All papers should be in MLA format.

Written reports, presentations, quizzes and class exercises will be executed with proper grammar in accordance with standards expected at Barstow College. Points will be deducted for incorrect spelling and improper grammar.

Major assignments are due on the designated dates listed on the front page of this course and will not be accepted after the date listed for the assignment.

Dates are subject to change, but any changes will be given at least a week in advance. In addition, you may have short writing assignments, quizzes and discussion questions.

Taking the midterm examination on time is mandatory.

Taking the final examination on time is mandatory.

There will be an on-campus final exam. The test will also be available at Fort Irwin. If you cannot attend the exam, you will have to find an approved proctor--for example, a military educational officer, a clergy member, a librarian or an educational official--and an approved testing site, such as a military educational center, a church, a library or a school, to take the exam. Your proctor and testing site must be approved before the 4th week of class.

Read and use the information on the websites listed below about electronic research. Each site has excellent information you can use to evaluate all your sources.

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html 

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Evaluation.html 

All dates are subject to change with notice.

A syllabus is not a contract between instructor and student, but rather a guide to course procedures on attendance, requirements, grading, and objectives. The instructor reserves the right to amend the syllabus when emergency circumstances dictate. Students will be duly notified.

9 Week Term

IMPORTANT: Additional assignments not listed below and further instructions are posted on the course website for each week of the course. You are responsible for accessing these areas (with your assigned username and password) and submitting work by due dates listed on front page of course.

Lesson 1

Read & submit completed syllabus.
Complete online student orientation.

Lesson 1 Lecture includes all assignment details and additional reading assignments.

Post 2-3 paragraph introduction and respond to two other students’ posts.

Cultural Conversations: read pages 210-221 by Helen Keller.

Lesson 2 Lecture includes all assignment details and additional reading assignments.

Post Lesson 2 discussion thread assignment and respond to two other students’ posts.

Cultural Conversations: read pages 64-76 by bell hooks.

Lesson 3 Lecture includes all assignment details and additional reading assignments.

Post Lesson 3 discussion thread assignment and respond to two other students’ posts.

Statement of Position essay due by date posted on front page of course website.

Cultural Conversations: read pages 19-42 by Virginia Woolf.

Lesson 4 Lecture includes all assignment details and additional reading assignments.

Post Lesson 4 discussion thread assignment and respond to two other students’ posts.

Cause/Effect essay due by date posted on front page of course website.

Lesson 5 Lecture includes all assignment details and additional reading assignments.

Movie Analysis due by date posted on front page of course website.

The midterm study guide is listed on the Lesson 5 page.

Online Midterm Exam due by date posted on front page of course website.

Cultural Conversations: read pages 511-523 by Michael Nagler.

Lesson 6 Lecture includes all assignment details and additional reading assignments.

Post Lesson 6 discussion thread assignment and respond to two other students’ posts.

Argumentative essay due by date posted on front page of course website.

Cultural Conversations: read pages 471-486 by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lesson 7 Lecture includes all assignment details and additional reading assignments.

Post Lesson 7 discussion thread assignment and respond to two other students’ posts.

Research Paper Proposal & Outline due by date posted on front page of course website.

Lesson 8 Lecture includes all assignment details and additional reading assignments.

Research Paper due by date posted on front page of course website.

The final exam study sheet is listed on the Lesson 9 page.

Final Exam Due