COURSE DESCRIPTION AND GRADING SCALE

ENGLISH 302-H01

Advanced Composition

SPRING 2007

Online Instruction

Instructor: J. Johnston

Office: Robinson A 455

(H and Fax) 703.368.1704 (W) 703.368.1160

E-MAIL: jjohnsto@gmu.edu

OFFICE HOURS: Monday 3:30-4:30 PM in INN 223 or by appointment

This section of English 302 focuses on advanced writing and research skills in such fields as modern and classical languages, English, history, philosophy and religious studies, art history, art studio, dance, music, theatre and communication. Students should endeavor to develop a flexible, literate writing style appropriate to a mature mind both in and out of these areas. Development of an individual, yet field-appropriate vocabulary and tone are primary, as is development of audience awareness. Familiarity with research techniques and sources--whether cyber, human or paper--is also essential.

MATERIALS FOR THIS COURSE

• The primary text for this section is Writing in the Humanities (2nd edition), by Robert DiYanni (United States: Pearson, 2004, ISBN 0-13-183049-X) This text can be ordered online through the GMU Bookstore.
• Regular access to computer with e-mail and World Wide Web capabilities, plus printer with DARK ribbon or cartridge. The computer may be either on- or off-campus. Since assignments are often constructed and/or critiqued in class, off-site work should be in a format compatible with the software loaded in our classroom. All assignments are available both on the instructor's website at URL's linked to the syllabus and on the course folder in WebCT. Text versions of all assignments are therefore available at all times, complete with goals, instructions and grading criteria. Assignments are submitted to WebCT unless other instructions are specifically provided by the instructor.
• GMU computer account (free to students) with user ID and password, or other working e-mail account. Students who do not begin the semester with an account should apply on-line or in person on the Fairfax campus at Thompson Hall BEFORE the first class meeting. Students not familiar with GMU's computers--or computer use in general--are strongly encouraged to attend the free teaching sessions provided by UCIS. (IMPORTANT NOTES: any student not regularly using his or her GMU e-mail account must set that account to forward to the student's preferrred e-mail address. Failure to do so will mean that the student will not receive any class notices or the web links needed for class work, which are sent to the class list maintained by the Registrar's Office. Also, students regularly using their GMU mail should clean out their Inbox, Sent and Trash folders to avoid using up all their available storage capacity and thus not receiving class notices.)
• Willingness and ability to use GMU's libraries in Fenwick, the Johnson Center, and if necessary the Prince William and Law School campuses, plus possibly the Washington Research Library Consortium. Students new to GMU's libraries may receive free orientation sessions, which the library staff provides near the beginning of each semester. See the calendar of orientation sessions. These sessions may also be used as an Event credit. Our class will also visit the library on our campus early in the semester for a training session.

Optional materials include:

• A research handbook, either the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (5th ed.) for students in the humanities or the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.) for students in the sciences or social sciences. Both are available on-line if preferred (links are given in the syllabus) or can be purchased from the GMU bookstore, Barnes and Noble, Waldenbooks, Borders, etc. Please be aware that since this is a humanities section, instruction will be provided for MLA format ONLY; APA, CBE and Engineering formats will not be taught. Students are responsible for correct MLA or APA format for all papers, whether or not the text is purchased.
• The User's Guide to Mason is available in the Copy Shop (Room 117 in the Johnson Center) for those unfamiliar with GMU's computer support, at a cost of about $1.00.
• Diana Hacker's A Writer's Reference is recommended for those seeking a highly readable handbook of correct grammar and English usage. Her A Pocket Style Manual is an abridged but cheaper version of the same thing.

NOTE: In addition to the reader for this course; some readings are on-line. They are listed on the syllabus or sent out by e-mail, and are no less required than paper texts. Therefore, failing to check links provided means not only missing instruction, but also missing needed readings.

Grammar will be taught in this class only occasionally, on an as-needed basis for the whole group. Please contact the instructor if a particular grammar question plagues you.

COURSE OVERVIEW

This course falls roughly into four sections:

An opening exercise exploring the library, personal, professional and Internet materials specialized to each student's field of study. If not familiar with research in the GMU l;ibraries, it is strongly suggested that you attend a free class session with a university librarian. Library skills will produce the first paper of the semester, the Publication and Authority Paper, as well as a review of the materials needed for the second paper, Writing About Metaphors in Your Discipline.

A section comprising three short essays exploring different disciplines within humanities: (1) theatre, (2) concert music and (3) art, sculpture and architecture.

A research component, including a brief proposal for research leading to an independent research project. related to the impact of technology upon each student's field of study or career choice. A student may subsititute a dual submission to another class in his/her major for this project with completion of a form indicating the other professor's permission, and

A virtual poster presentation prepared as a group and involving all group members, exploring an unresolved ethical issue now confronting professionals in the field.

PLEASE NOTE: since the English Department requires a research component in all sections of English 302,

anyone not completing the research project will FAIL THE CLASS.

Students will also participate in a writing group online, using WebCT. Groups will, as much as possible, be determined by field of study, so that members can develop a shared frame of reference with a strong virtual support group. Participation will count as 10% of the course grade. The virtual poster projects will be the final productsof the writing groups.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

As explained in "General Education at George Mason University," English 302 is an integral part of the general education curriculum at George Mason. The mission of the General Education Program is to educate, liberate, and broaden the mind, and to instill lifelong love of learning. In conjunction with each students' major program of study and other electives, minors, or certificates, this program seeks to produce graduates with intellectual vision, creative abilities, and moral sensibility, as well as the skills to assure a well-rounded and useable education. The General Education Program seeks four specific goals: 1. General education courses should first ensure that all undergraduates develop skills in information gathering, written and oral communication, and analytical and quantitative reasoning. 2. General education courses should expose students to the development of knowledge by emphasizing major domains of thought and methods of inquiry. 3. General education courses should enable students to attain a breadth of knowledge that supports their specializations and contributes to their education in both personal and professional ways. 4. General education courses should encourage students to make important connections across boundaries (for example: among disciplines; between the university and the external world; between the United States and other countries).

This advanced composition course is designed to help you develop effective written communication and analytical skills, which are critical to the learning of every well-educated student. In addition to requiring a minimum of 3500 written words from each student, the English Department has identified the following objectives for English 302:

• >To prepare students for the diverse demands of writing in a major and in the workplace by building upon the objectives noted for 100/101
• >To introduce students to ways of thinking, organizational techniques and formats typical in certain disciplines through more specialized sections in Business, Humanities, Natural Sciences and Technology, and Social Sciences
• >To help students identify and use research resources (print and electronic) and documentation styles preferred in their major
• >To guide students to appropriate support services, including the Career Development Center and those services listed under goals for 100/101

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION

Principal methods of instruction in this class will include:

INSTRUCTIONAL TYPE	EXAMPLE
Direct instruction	Online tutorials, instructional web sites, online writing lab handouts
Guided Practice	Online workshops on writing skills, citation formats, analysis of journal articles, grammar and punctuation as needed, etc. These are provided by online writng labs such as Purdue's or GMU's.
Online tutorials and mastery exercises	various university web site materials on plagiarism, editing, and documentation
Guided and independent research	library orientation with hands-on practice, location of appropriate articles for research review and nonfiction study
Group processing activities	editing student drafts, proofreading citation entries, preparation of virtual poster presentation on ethics

COURSE REQUIREMENTS/GRADING POLICY

In all General Education English classes (English 100, 101, 201 and 302), students must achieve a grade of C or higher to receive credit for the course. Students with averages of C- or lower will receive an NC (No Credit) for the course.

Assignments will carry the following percentage values:

Online quiz on Plagiarism 5%

Online quiz on Netiquette 5%

Artistic Analysis 10%

Theatre or Concert Review 10%

Writing Group Participation 10%

Design, Imagescape and Subtext in Public Spaces 10%

Publication and Authority Paper 15%

Group Poster Presentation 15%

Research Paper 20%

Again, anyone not completing the research project will FAIL THE COURSE

Essential outlines of each assignment, along with goals and grading criteria, are provided as links to the syllabus, which is available both as links from the instructor's home page and on WebCT. For several assignments, it will be essential to have closely read the textbook, which contains both direction and essential questions.

LATE ASSIGNMENTS

All work is due on the date specified in the syllabus. Unless by prior arrangement with the instructor, late work will be penalized one letter grade for each week or portion thereof and two letter grades thereafter. This penalty cannot be removed from work resubmitted or revised.

In addition, late work may be delayed in being graded and returned to you; delay is usually one week but may be more. Please keep this in mind if planning to resubmit a paper, especially near the end of the semester. No work will be accepted after the date indicated on the syllabus as the last day to submit rewritten assignments.

ATTENDANCE

Since this is an online section, there is no attendance requirement for the class. However, missing any substantial art of writing group activities has the following disadvantages that the student is responsible to overcome:

• missing editing of writing assignments
• lack of workshop preparation in formatting and writing skills
• nonparticipation in writing and presentation groups
• serious lack of consideration and support for other members of one's writing group

Anyone who must unavoidably miss time away from class activities is advised to notify both the instructor and other writing group members as promptly as possible to avoid falling behind and to minimize inconvenience to others

Be aware that writing is a time-intensive activity. It is thus very difficult to make up any significant amount of lost time.

POLICY ON PLAGIARISM

In a research and writing course, it is especially important that students respect the intellectual property of others. Especially in thesciences, integrity of results falls under acute scrutiny from fellow professionals. All students are therefore expected to scrupulously observe all GMU policies as well as individual instructors' guidelines. Please read and observe the English Department's Statement on Plagiarism below.

Plagiarism means using the exact words, opinions, or factual information from another source without giving that source credit. Writers give credit through the use of accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical citation, footnotes, or end notes; a simple listing of books, articles, and websites is not sufficient. Plagiarism is the equivalent of intellectual robbery and cannot be tolerated in an academic setting.

Student writers are often confused as to what should be cited. Some think that only direct quotations need to be credited. While direct quotations do need citations, so do paraphrases and summaries of opinions or factual information formerly unknown to the writers or which the writers did not discover themselves. Exceptions to this include factual information which can be obtained from a variety of sources, the writers' own insights or findings from their own field research, (what has been called common knowledge). What constitutes common knowledge can sometimes be precarious; what is common knowledge for one audience may be so for another. In such situations, it is helpful to keep the reader in mind and to think of citations as being "reader friendly." In other words, writers provide a citation for any piece of information that they think their readers might want to investigate further. Not only is this attitude considerate of readers, it will almost certainly ensure that writers will not be guilty of plagiarism.

Distance learning relies upon mutual communication and trust, both student to student and student to instructor. It is especially dependent upon students' intellectual honesty and comitment to do their own work without inappropriate assistance. If, however, that trust appears it to have breached, it is with greatest reluctance that the instructor will submit student work for analysis by Turnitin.com, with which GMU has a current contract. Turnitin uses phrase matching software to determine whether information in a student's writing has been attributed to its source(s). If results show consistent lack of attribution, appropriate academic penalties will be applied.

FORMAT

All graded work must be submitted by uploading to the Assignments section of WebCT unless the class has been specifically instructed to do otherwise.

Each assignment has related instructions in a link to that assignment in the online version of the Syllabus. The format for each assignment is presented in the file of instructions. Please refer to the Syllabus itself at http://mason.gmu.edu/~jjohnsto/syllh01s07.htm or find it on our WebCT course file.

Except for the poster project, assignments submitted electronically MUST be in Word (.doc) or Acrobat (.pdf) format, especially if sent as attachments. WebCT and GMU's e-mail will not read Mime, NotePad or WordPerfect documents, and regards zipped documents as possible viruses. Graphic files submitted with or embedded into assignments should be in GIF, TIF or JPEG formats. Any material sent in any of these formats cannot be accepted and may not even arrive.

Finally, any correspondence should be directed to the instructor's GMU e-mail: jjohnsto@gmu.edu. A Google or other search will reveal other e-mail addresses, but all GMU-related correspondence is handled through that address and only that address.

Mail sent to the instructor at other addresses will receive no response.

NOTE: Be careful when responding to mail sent to the class list. The Registrar's Office provides the capability to e-mail the whole lass from its online registration site, but requires the sender to use whatever mail program is resident on the machine (s)he is using rather than GMU's mail program, which is web-based. DO NOT reply to the mail address used for class mailings, but to the GMU address above.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

In accordance with English Department policy, each student will submit a minimum of 3500 words in the course of the semester, which will serve as the basis for the course grade. Any student with a documented disability which could impact the completion of this requirement should give the instructor a faculty contact sheet at the beginning of the course so that appropriate arrangements can be made in a timely fashion. Students in need of documentation are urged to contact the Disability Resource Center at 703.993.2474. Documentation is required to obtain course adaptations to ensure that students receive appropriate support and assistance for success in the class.

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SYLLABUS

ENGLISH 302-H01

CRN 12797

Advanced Composition

SPRING 2007

Online Instruction

Instructor: J. Johnston

Office: Robinson A 455

(H and Fax) 703.368.1704 (W) 703.368.1160

E-MAIL: jjohnsto@gmu.edu

OFFICE HOURS: Monday 3:30-4:30 PM in INN 223 or by appointment

NOTE: All assignments, including textbook read assignments, are DUE on the dates specified. Late papers will be penalized one letter grade the first week and two letter grades thereafter.

DATE	ASSIGNMENT DUE	READING DUE	ACTIVITIES
1/22-26 (Week 1)	Complete preterm questionnaire at end of e-mail letter from instructor by 1/24; e-mail response to instructor		Receive welcome letter from instructor; contact instructor by e-mail if added to course after 1/22 to receive make-up work and have your name added to the course folder in WebCT
			Plan ahead: select a theater or music performance to attend. See Week 10 for parameters.
		DiYanni, chapter 1, pp. 1-18	If necessary, activate GMU E-mail account to receive class mailings; set forwarding if preferred. If using GMU mail, remember to check it reguarly throughout the semester.
			The Writing Center and links to other writing centers
			Review instructions for Publication and Authority Paper
			For Publication and Authority paper, review “What is a Scholarly Journal?”
			Plan ahead (long-term): Read instructions for research paper. Decide whether to dually submit the research paper ONLY to this and another class. If so, print out dual submission form, have other professor complete it, and send scanned version to instructor. If not exercising the dual submission option, begin thinking of a topic for this paper.
			Plan ahead (short-term): if not familiar with WebCT, consult the Student QuickStart Guide
1/29-2/2 Week 2)	Complete draft of Publication and Authority Paper by end of week	Writing Exercises: Conducting a Peer Review Click on Writing Exercises, then click Cancel, then Conducting a Peer Review	Receive e-mail from instructor forming peer writing groups by major, with names and e-mail addresses
	By midnight 2/2, read Netiquette Guidelines and The Core Rules of Netiquette. Then take the Netiquette Quiz. While viewing score screen, push Print Screen key. Open a Word document. Go to Edit menu, then Paste the screen shot into your document. Save document and submit to WebCT Assignments under Netiquette Quiz.	GMU guides to writing in the disciplines if applicable to your field	Determine students' major concentrations on the GMU website or individual departmental websites; Robinson professors
	Compose and post a self-introduction, 1-2 paragraphs long, to your writing group on WebCT. See Instructions for posting to groups if needed.		Finding professional associations and other resources (Click on link to Associations Unlimited)
			Read Tips for Evaluating Sources as well as Web Guides and Tools to aid in selecting appropriate sources for the Publication and Authority paper
			Plan Ahead: select and visit a public space for the upcoming Design, Image and Subtext in Public Spaces paper . Take digital photos, collect brochure(s) and/or locate online photographs and maps of the space.
2/5-9 (Week 3)	By midnight 2/5, post COMPLETED draft to writing group on WebCT. BEFORE posting, prepare the draft for comments using the Comment function (see “Beginning Your Document.”)		Download or copy each group member’s draft to Word before reviewing. Review instructions for using the Comment function in Word to critique others’ papers. Finally, return critiques by attaching each to a message within the writing group. Make sure the message title indicates the author of the draft. (Example: Susie’s critique of Jim’s draft)
2/6	LAST DAY TO DROP COURSES WITHOUT TUITION LIABILITY; LAST DAY TO ADD
	By midnight 2/7, critique each other's drafts in WebCT Writing Groups, using the same revision questions plus any other helpful suggestions		After receiving input from writing group members, revise Publication and Authority Paper using revision questions
	Publication and Authority Paper due to WebCT Assignments by midnight 2/9; see link		Plan Ahead: Choose a work of art or sculpture from a list of major museums or a museum in the Virtual Library of Art Galleries for Artistic Analysis paper. Make an electronic copy to submit with your artistic analysis paper after spring break
2/12-16 (Week 4)		DiYanni, ch. 2, pp. 19-36	Documenting research: MLA format for the humanities. APA Style Resources for hard and social sciences
			Review Tutorial for MLA or APA style as appropriate. Correct documentation format will be expected for all papers in this course from this date forward.
		DiYanni, ch. 3, pp. 53-57	Introduce Design, Image and Subtext in Public Spaces paper.
2/19-23 (Week 5)	Only after practice, take online test on plagiarism, due by midnight 2/23. While viewing score screen, push Print Screen key. Open a Word document. Go to Edit menu, then Paste the screen shot into your document. Save document and submit to WebCT Assignments under Plagiarism Quiz. Your research project will NOT be accepted without completion of this test of academic integrity.	Read articles on design, subtext and imagescapes	Work on Design, Image and Subtext in Public Spaces paper. Visit site, observe and finish collecting graphic items. To understand subtext, read “Look Out Below: At the Movies, Subtext Plays a Summer Role,” by Stephen Hunter, in The Washington Post on August 18, 2002, p. G01. To understand design and imagery in public spaces, read “Next Step Marine Land,” by Philip Kennicott, in The Washington Post on July 31, 2006, p. C1. Both articles are available through the GMU library website in the Factiva and LexisNexis Databases.
		"What is Plagiarism?"	Gain an overview of Intellectual Property
			Review Copyright, ethics and intellectual property law; The Copyright Website
			Publication and Authority Papers returned. See instructions for viewing graded work with comments in WebCT.
			Plan ahead: orient yourself to the process of critical analysis to assist with assignments in weeks 6-11.
2/23	LAST DAY TO DROP
2/26-3/2 (Week 6)	Post COMPLETED rough draft of Public Spaces paper to WebCT Writing Group by midnight on Monday, 2/26	DiYanni, ch. 3, pp. 37-58
	By midnight on Wednesday, 2/28, critique each other's drafts in WebCT Writing Groups, using the Comment function	Web Sites for Critical Analysis
	Public Spaces Paper due to WebCT Assignments by midnight 3/2; see link
3/5-9 (Week 7)	select one piece of art or sculpture for artistic analysis paper	DiYanni, ch. 3, pp. 37-54	Review instructions for artistic analysis; make electronic copy of work if you have not already done so
			Refer to help files for analyzing art and sculpture
			Write draft of Artistic Analysis, approximately 500-750 words
3/12-16 (Week 8)	SPRING BREAK
3/19-23 (Week 9)	Post COMPLETED rough draft of artistic analysis to WebCT Writing Group by midnight on Monday, 3/19
	By midnight on Wednesday, 3/21, critique each other's drafts in WebCT Writing Groups, using the Comment function
	Artistic Analysis (approximately 500-750 words), with image file attached, submitted to WebCT Assignments by midnight on 3/23; see link		Plan Ahead (longterm): Choose topic for research paper. Beginning with a research question, develop a thesis for your paper
3/26-30 (Week 10)	Note that instructions for the Theatre or Concert review are found in DiYanni; there is NO online instruction file for this assignment	If writing a concert review, read DiYanni, ch. 4, pp. 59-70. If writing a theatre review, read DiYanni, ch. 6, pp. 91-110	Select either one concert or one theater performance to attend. GMU options include The Center for the Arts and Today@Mason as well as GMU Players. If desired, you may attend a performance outside the university between January. 1, 2007, and March 30, 2007
			If writing a concert review, follow instructions in DiYanni under Exercises, pp. 62-63. If writing a theatre review, follow instructions for a Double Column Notebook (DiYanni pp. 102-104) and for Exercise #2, p. 110. Both are required as part of the theatre review.
			Learn about reviews of music and drama
			Plan ahead: Identify and consult research guides in your major to assist with the research paper. Review instructions for Research Proposals
4/2-6 (Week 11)	Post COMPLETED rough draft of theatre/concert review to WebCT Writing Group by midnight on Monday, 4/2		Refer to criteria for evaluating play reviews for assistance in critiquing drafts.
	By midnight on Wednesday, 4/4, critique each other's drafts in WebCT Writing Groups, using the Comment function		Refer to criteria for evaluating music reviews for assistance in critiquing drafts
	Theatre or Concert Review submitted to WebCT Assignments by midnight on Friday, 4/6
4/9-13 (Week 12)		DiYanni, ch. 8, pp. 119-137	Review instructions for the Research Project; clarify the difference between analytical vs. argumentative papers
4/16-20 (Week 13)	E-mail Research Proposal to instructor by midnight on Monday, 4/16. See link. Your research project will NOT be accepted without completion of this. You are urged to complete this requirement much sooner!	DiYanni, ch. 9, pp. 149-158	Instructor feedback on research proposals by midnight on Wednesday, 4/18
			Identify the appropriate GMU research guide for your major or other outside research guides to assist in selection of appropriate sources
4/23-27) (Week 14)	Post complete draft of research paper by midnight on Monday, 4/23
	Respond to group members' research drafts by midnight on Wednesday, 4/25
	RESEARCH PROJECT DUE to WebCT Assignments by midnight 4/27; see link		Plan ahead: writing groups select a topic for the virtual poster presentation . Review resources for Preparing Powerful PowerPoint Presentations
4/30-5/4 (Week 15)	Absolutely last day to submit rewritten paper of your choice by midnight on Friday, 5/4		Work with Writing Group on poster presentation. Select topic, divide responsibilities, establish timeline, decide on method(s) of communication.
			Evaluate posters using the 60-Second Poster Evaluation before finalizing
5/7-8	READING DAYS UNTIL 4:30 P.M. ON TUESDAY
5/14-18 Exam Week (Week 16)	By midnight 5/15, one member of Writing Group post Poster Project to WebCT Assignments; notify instructor		Complete university course evaluations at link provided by instructor
5/18			Final course grades computed and submitted to registrar by instructor, no later than this date. Available to students on WebCT

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