Communication

AMBERTON UNIVERSITY e-COURSE SYLLABUS

COM4441.E1 Effective Writing Skills Spring 2021 PROFESSOR INFORMATION: Name: Dr. Jim Richey Phone Number: 972-279-6511 ext. 210) Email Address: JRichey @Amberton.edu COURSE INFORMATION: COM4441.E1 Effective Writing Skills Level: Undergraduate Beginning Date of Session: Saturday, March 13, 2021 Ending Date of Session: Thursday, May 20, 2021 Student access available to the Student Portal: Saturday, Saturday, March 13, 2021. Students enrolled in distance learning courses are not assessed any additional fees for security or identity verification. COURSE PREREQUISITES: None TEXTBOOK(S) AND REQUIRED MATERIALS: Title: Successful College Writing Author: Kathleen T. McWhorter Publisher: Bedford/ St. Martin's Year Published: 2018 Edition: 7th ISBN: 10: 978-1-319-05859-3 or 13: 978-1-319-05859-3 Price: Available at http://amberton.ecampus.com Amberton University has an agreement with eCampus.com to provide a full-service online bookstore to students. The Amberton University Virtual Bookstore is accessible through the University’s website, www.Amberton.edu. There is also a bookstore link in the Student Portal. The AU Virtual Bookstore provides an easy to use interface, online buyback of books, and same day shipment of most titles with an average delivery time of 2-3 days depending on the student’s location. Textbook options include new, used, rental, and electronic media as available. Since no books are sold on campus, students should plan accordingly and purchase their books in advance of the first day of class, allowing time for shipping. Be certain you are enrolled in the course before purchasing your book(s). All textbook information (Title, Author, ISBN, etc.) is available in the course syllabi so students can shop competitively. Most textbooks can be purchased from many different textbook vendors. Some textbooks may only be available on the University’s Virtual Bookstore. Students should be careful to obtain the exact resource(s) required for the course. APA Requirement APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences. This resource, revised according to the 7th edition, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page. For more information, please consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, (7th ed.). All coursework at Amberton University will comply with the standards contained in the APA Publication Manual. COURSE COMPETENCIES:

The course teaches students to write to their intended readers in a concise and readable style. It is a good refresher-writing course for those who need to brush up on basic writing skills. Topics include writing basics, as well as editing, choosing subjects, organizing documents, using library sources and APA citation. UPON COMPLETION OF THE COURSE, THE STUDENT WILL BE COMPETENT IN:

1. Organizing and implementing the appropriate rhetorical patterns for developing an idea in written communication.

2. Identifying the major types of readers and addressing the subject of the document to them. 3. Organizing a unified document into its three component parts: introduction, text, and conclusion. 4. Presenting a statement of purpose developed by means of the major rhetorical strategies of written

communication: description, analysis, and persuasion. 5. Writing objective, subjective and thematic descriptive essays. 6. Analyzing a subject by means of comparison and contrast and according to the point-by-point

(alternating) or subject-by-subject (dividing) patterns of exposition. 7. Describing a subject showing cause and effect relationships. 8. Analyzing a subject according to strategies of classification and extended definition. 9. Developing a personal vocabulary that precisely expresses the writer’s thinking in written form. 10. Editing the writer’s documents to eliminate grammatical and stylistic errors. 11. Implementing corrective procedures for revising a document for presentation in a professional setting. 12. Editing compositions for punctuation, emphasis (style), and low-information content. 13. Transforming expository information into alternative modes of expression. 14. Composing summaries of expository information. 15. Identifying techniques of persuasion in compositions. 16. Identifying the elements of argument. 17. Distinguishing between stated and implied premises and conclusions in argument.

COURSE POLICIES: You will be required to check your Amberton email and messaging daily, and submit assignments or tests to me at least once a week. You will usually have at least a week to complete each assignment. Do not get too far ahead and do not think of the date and time as the due date; think of it as the last possible date and time I will accept it. Do not procrastinate! Expect the unexpected. "Murphy's Law" is always in place: “If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong.” I will give you plenty of time to do each assignment. Please do not wait until the last minute to submit it to me. If you have computer problems etc., I will not be able to help you. Neither Amberton nor the professor guarantees your personal computer, electricity, or internet connection to function properly. Give yourself at least 24 hours (before the final due date) per assignment. Remember computers crash, cars break down, flash drives fail, etc. Plan for these things to happen! Once the deadline date and time for the assignment or test has expired, I will not accept it late. Student’s Responsibilities This syllabus contains information, policies and procedures for a specific course. By enrolling, the student agrees to read, understand and abide by the policies, rules, regulations, and ethical standards of Amberton University as contained in the current university catalog and schedule of classes. Attendance Policy: Regular and punctual class attendance and engagement is expected at Amberton University. In case of an absence, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the professor as soon as possible. If a student intends on withdrawing from a course, it is the student’s responsibility to follow the university’s policy on formally withdrawing from a course. Ceasing to attend classes does not constitute an official withdrawal. Attendance in a lecture course is defined as punctual arrival to, and engagement in, a full lecture session. Attendance in a distance learning course is defined as active participation in the weekly online class sessions. “Active participation” can be defined as: submitting an academic assignment, taking an exam, engaging in an interactive tutorial, participating in an online discussion forum (or chat session), or initiating (or responding to) a communication with a faculty member about an academic assignment or the subject matter of the course. A student not meeting these requirements may be dropped at the discretion of Amberton University.

Plagiarism Policy Plagiarism is using another person’s work as your own. Plagiarism is a violation of the University’s code of student ethical conduct and is one that is taken seriously. Amberton University operated on an honor system, and honesty and integrity are essential characteristics of all who are associated with the institution. All Amberton University students are expected to abide by the honor system and maintain academic integrity in all of their work. Amberton University and its instructors monitor student work for plagiarism and reserve the right to submit such work to technology-based anti-plagiarism services and applications at any time. COURSE OUTLINE AND CALENDAR: You have until the day and time (Central Standard Time) listed on the assignment to submit the work to me in Moodle as a Word (.doc) attachment. Points will be deducted if this is not the case. Each assignment should be submitted in chronological order during each availability period. It is also extremely important to check your class email and messages daily. Below is a list of assignments/tests and the corresponding deadline dates for all graded work in this class. You may submit your assignment or test anytime between the respective availability dates for each assignment. Note all deadlines are on Central Standard Time Week Topic Assignment Competencies

Covered Due Date

1 Student Introductions, Goals, and read chapters

Discussion Board Post AND Goals Essay

1, 2, 3,10 3/22/21

2 Description Descriptive Essay 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 3/29/21 3 Process Analysis Discussion post 1, 4, 9, 14 4/5/21 4 Process Analysis Process Essay

(TEST) 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14

4/12/21

5 Comparison and Contrast

Comparison and Contrast assignment

1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14

4/19/21

6 Cause and Effect Cause and Effect assignment

1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14

4/26/21

7 Argumentation and Persuasion

Discussion post 1, 4, 15, 16, 17 5/3/21

8 Argumentation and Persuasion

Peer Review 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

5/10/21

9 Argumentation and Persuasion

Argumentative Research Paper (TEST/Final Exam

1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

5/17/21

GRADING CRITERIA: All assignments (quizzes, discussion posts, and others) will be averaged together for a total of 60 percent of your final grade. I will, however, drop your lowest assignment grade (does not include tests). There will be at least two test grades this semester. All tests (including the final) will be averaged together for a total of 40 percent of your final grade. I do NOT drop the lowest test grade. One of the problems with online writing is the breakdown in nonverbal communication about certain comments. It is very difficult to get each and every mistake in an assignment to the student in great detail. That is why for my online classes I grade the assignment holistically, which means I take everything into consideration: grammar, format, organization, following directions, attention to detail etc. and all of that determines the final grade. So, if you see general comments about your assignment such as “Watch the grammar in places,” it means just that. If you want a breakdown of your assignment, line-by-line etc., you will need to set up a conference time with me (by phone), and we will go over your assignment together. But, I will not get into grammar specifics through email; it is too tedious)

Undergraduate 90 – 100 A 80 – 89 B 70 – 79 C 60 – 69 D Below 60 F GRADE NOTIFICATION AND INSTRUCTOR FEEDBACK: A successful distance learning experience requires a flow of communication between instructor and student throughout the session. Instructor comments are considered essential to the learning process. Therefore, each assignment/exam submitted will be reviewed, graded and returned to the student in a timely manner along with the appropriate commentary. Students should carefully review all comments. Final grades are mailed approximately one week after the last day of the session to the student’s address of record. Amberton University staff will not post or release grades over the phone. University instructors will not leave a message with comments or grades in any type of media that is not secure. For questions regarding grades after the semester has ended, students should use their University email account and contact the instructor at the faculty email address as provided above in Professor Information area. Incomplete Grades An “I” (incomplete grade) is given at the discretion of the professor and may be given only when an emergency or illness prevents the student from completing course requirements. Should an “I” be granted, the student has 30 days from the end of the session to complete the conditions of the incomplete. An “I” which is not properly removed within 30 days following the session enrolled will become an “F” grade. How To Withdraw From a Course To be official, the class withdrawal must be in writing and signed by the student requesting the withdrawal; no withdrawal is accepted verbally. Please review the “Schedule of Classes” (online or in-print) for procedures for class changes or withdrawals and the refund policy and schedule. COURSE DELIVERY METHODOLOGY: This course is offered as a distance-learning course through the Moodle Learning Platform. Amberton’s distance learning courses, called e-Courses, are identical to classroom courses in terms of learning outcomes, competencies, and instructor expectations. A student choosing to take an e-Course must have the following skills and technical capabilities:

1. Access to the Internet 2. General knowledge in:

Internet browser settings and configuration e-mail and file attachments Uploading and downloading files Using a word processing package

3. Ability to conduct on-line research Students who have not mastered these skills should not enroll for this course, but should consider enrolling in MIS2110 Computer Concepts and Internet Technologies for instruction in these areas. HOW TO ACCESS YOUR COURSE: Through the Amberton University Student Portal

Students enrolled in distance learning courses using the Moodle Learning Platform may access the course through the Amberton University Student Portal. The site may be accessed through the University’s main page (http://www.Amberton.edu) or at http://apps.Amberton.edu. After selecting the “Student Portal” link, you will be prompted for a Username and Password.

Use your assigned username and password (AUID) as described below to enter the AU Student Portal:

Username = your capitalized firstname initial+lastname+last 3 digits of your SSN. * Use your name exactly as it is listed on the University’s records, including any suffixes or

hyphenations, such as Jr, Sr, or II, as a part of your username.

For example: James Jones, Jr. SSN: 123-45-6789 Username: JJonesJr789

Password = your Amberton University ID# (AUID) including the dashes

For example: 04-999-999

Once your login has been validated, you may select from a variety of menu options, including your individual E-Course, email account, Remote Research, General Tools, all Syllabi, Research Tutorials and Electronic Instructor Folders (FTP). If you are accessing the Student Portal from a public or shared computer, close the browser completely when finished, or click on the Logout button. For security purposes, no other person should have access to your Username or Password. If you feel your information has been compromised or if you experience technical difficulties, contact the e-course system administrator at: [email protected] If you have lost or do not know your Amberton ID#, please contact the Student Services Office 972/279- 6511 or [email protected] for a replacement AUID card. You must know your Amberton ID# to gain access to the course and to send email to your professor.

Through the Amberton University Moodle Website

Students enrolled in distance learning courses using the Moodle Learning Platform may also access the course by going to: http://moodle.Amberton.edu For those utilizing Moodle for the first time, the username and password for the Moodle Learning Platform will be emailed to the student’s University email account prior to the start of the course. For those returning to Moodle who do not remember their username and password, click on the link “Forgotten your username or password” available on the Moodle log in page (http://moodle.Amberton.edu). Otherwise use the same username and password as previous session.

Moodle Tutorial: Upon successful log in and access to the Moodle learning platform, there is a Student Moodle Tutorials course available, to learn about the basics of Moodle. Simply click on the link for the Student Moodle Tutorials and read through the various learning topics: Navigating; Communicating; Assignments & Exams; Grades; and Student Resources. COURSE COMMUNICATIONS: Students will communicate with faculty through the Moodle Learning Platform or the Amberton University email system. Each student enrolled is assigned an Amberton email account, which gives the student access to the Amberton email system (my.Amberton.edu). This email account is provided by Google Apps for Education. Students are encouraged to check their email regularly for University news, notices, and to communicate with instructors. The student’s assigned email address would be [email protected] Example: [email protected] The student Username is determined by:

firstname initial+lastname+last 3 digits of student ssn. For example: Linda Jones-Smith SSN: 123-45-6789 Email Address = [email protected] Students will be prompted for a Username and Password when accessing their email account. Use the Username portion of the email address as the username (Example: LJones-Smith789) and your Amberton ID# (including the dashes) as the password. If you already have a Google gmail account, you might be prompted to add this account to your current account. Click ‘Yes’ and you will be logged into your my.Amberton.edu email account. It will be a separate email account from your personal gmail account. If you need assistance with your email account, please visit https://support.google.com/mail Students are responsible for reviewing the “Communication Guidelines” provided on the individual E- Course for specific instructor requirements. Upon completion of a session, all communication and course specific information is removed from the Moodle system. If a student needs to maintain a record of communications or assignments, the student is strongly encouraged to print out or download these items to a disk for their own records. FORMAT AND SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS: Assignments are to be submitted to the appropriate assignment Drop Box in the Moodle system. Specific directions and guidelines for submission of assignments are located on-line in the “Communication Guidelines” of the e-course. Due to compatibility issues, Office 2007 files cannot be read by earlier versions of Microsoft Office. Before submitting an exercise file, confirm the file is in the proper format for grading by the instructor. INSTRUCTOR/COURSE EVALUATION: Each session, all Amberton students are provided with the opportunity to evaluate their courses and instructors. The evaluation process is an important one and provides students with an anonymous and confidential way to give meaningful feedback to the University. Summary information and comments are provided to faculty after the close of the session. All information provided is anonymous. The Instructor/Course Evaluation will be open for completion during week 9 of the session. An evaluation assignment will be placed in week 9 of the Moodle course, along with the instructions on how to complete the evaluation. Prior to week 9, the University will send out an email containing instructions and dates for the evaluation period. ACADEMIC HONESTY/PLAGIARISM: Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s information as though it were your own. If you use another person’s words, ideas or information, or if you use material from a source – whether a book, magazine, newspaper, business publication, broadcast, speech, or electronic media – you must acknowledge the source. Failure to do so violates Amberton University’s ethics policy. RESEARCH RESOURCES: The student is encouraged to use the Amberton Electronic Library as a research resource for this course. The Electronic Library provides access to full-text and abstract articles as well as links to a variety of remote research tools. Students can search Amberton Library Resource Center holdings through the on-line public access circulation system. The physical library contains a specialized collection of research materials specifically chosen to support the degrees and courses offered at Amberton. Interlibrary loan and document delivery services are available. The TexShare Card offers borrowing privileges in libraries all across the state of Texas. Students with research questions or questions about Library services are encouraged to visit the Library or email their questions to [email protected].

RESEARCH TUTORIALS: Online research resources are available through “Research Tools Database”, accessible through the Student Portal. (For additional assistance, students may access the “Research Tutorials” link located in the General Tools area on the Student Portal.) Access the Portal by clicking “Student Portal” from the University’s website. You must know your Amberton ID to access the Portal. Library Live Chat Feature The website allows for a live chat feature with librarians on the library pages. This service allows students to connect with librarians on questions regarding resource assistance, searching data bases and access to library services. www.amberton.edu/current-students/library/index.html