5 pages writing

Unit 4: Essay

Due Sunday by 11:59pm Points 130 Submitting a file upload File Types doc, docx, and pdf

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Higher Education for the Twenty-First Century: Re-designing Student Success

For essay #3, perform a significant revision to last unit's essay. Revise your work by doing the following:

• Include at least two additional outside perspectives on the future of higher education. (You will discover these outside perspectives by conducting

library research, and you will include them via quotation, paraphrase, and/or summary, which we will practice in this unit's discussion.)

• Argue for specific recommendations about how higher education could be re-designed for the students of the twenty-first century.

As you revise last unit's essays to meet these new goals, you may also expand, edit, restructure, and delete from your second essay, in order to make a

clear, effective argument about how to adjust college education for today's students. This unit's essay should not merely be last unit's with a few new

paragraphs tacked on, but should be a re-envisioned essay.

You might begin by designing a working thesis about how higher education needs to change. Then, begin researching what other writers have said

already about your ideas. Start with an search on your subject using the Park University McAfee Memorial Library’s Pirate Search feature

(http://www.park.edu/library/) , but also consider consulting Google Scholar (http://scholar.google.com) . We will spend time this unit discussing and

analyzing sources together.

Think about what you would like to teach your readers about how higher education should change. Consider making precise, practical

recommendations. Be sure to provide explicit reasoning, and describe the implications of your ideas for today's college students of history. Make sure

that every paragraph of Essay #3 points your readers toward your particular focus and argument.

Some of you may find it possible to use some material from essay #2, and others will simply use essay #2 as a launching off point. Either way, I will be

looking for a revised thesis, enhanced supporting arguments, incorporation of new research, etc. Remember the difference between revision and

editing; this is a revision project, not an exercise in editing essay #2. In short, although you will use essay #2 as a basis, essay #3 should be a significant

re-envisioning, with a revised thesis and development. Essay #3 should have a new title to reflect this revised content.

Please craft a short description (this can be in bulleted list form if you would like) of the changes and transformations you made in revising essay #2 to

create essay #3. Submit this description as either a second file or as a new page (after Works Cited) at the end of your essay #3 file. Failure to submit

this required information will result in a letter grade deduction from essay #3.

Guidelines for Essay #3

Length/Due Date: approximately 1,000 words, due Sunday midnight Central Standard Time (CST).

Style/Format: This, as all essays in EN106, should be formatted in a standard scholarly format. (Most students follow MLA or APA guidelines, which are

outlined in Easy Writer.) No matter what format you follow, be sure to do the following:

• Use 12 point, Times New Roman font, double-spaced.

• Use 1-inch margins top, bottom, and sides.

• Although no cover page is needed, you should include your name, my name, the course number/title, and date at the upper left-hand corner of the

manuscript.

Research & Documentation: Because you will rely on the work of others to make your argument, this essay must include formal references to not only

the assigned readings but also the sources you locate via research. Use your skills of quotation, paraphrase, and summary to incorporate these other

writers' perspectives, and be sure to provide in-text citations using a standard scholarly style outlined in Easy Writer, such as MLA or APA.

File format: Please submit your essay as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file. These formats are available in most word processors, including Google Docs and

Open Office, and will ensure that your instructor is able to comment on your work.

Works Cited/References: Your essay should include an appropriate bibliography, with an entry for each individual source you reference in the body of

the essay. See Easy Writer for directions on how to create appropriate entries for works appearing in an anthology and articles archived in a database.

(Hint: Look for the terms "anthology" and "database" in the directories for models in Easy Writer.)

Titles: Include a descriptive title at the beginning of your essay that tips your readers off to your thesis. Do not format your title with quotation marks,

boldface, underlining or italics. Quotation marks or underlining are only appropriate if the title borrows words from another source.

Deadline: Submit your final draft essay no later than Midnight CST on Sunday at the end of this unit.

Use of essays for future courses: Please understand that your essay may be used— anonymously—as a sample for future EN106 students and

instructors unless you expressly request that it not be used. Your work, of course, will only be used for educational purposes.

EN 106 Online Rubric (Essay #3)

Assessment: See the Grading and Assessment content item under Course Information.

Criteria Ratings Pts

25.0 pts

40.0 pts

40.0 pts

25.0 pts

Focus view longer

description

Exceeds Standard: The essay

is clearly focused around a

creative and insightful central

thesis/message. The writer lays

out clear reasons/points that

contribute to the overall central

thesis/message. Everything in

the essay contributes to the

development of the message.

25.0 pts

Above Standard: The essay is

clearly focused around a

creative and insightful central

thesis/message. There are

several interesting points that

support it. One place may

wander a bit or need more

development, but otherwise

the focus is clear and

interesting.

21.0 pts

At Standard: The essay is

focused around a central

thesis/message. Parts of the

essay might stray from this

focus, but the overall

message is there. The focus

of the essay might be

simplistic or obvious—it might

be hard for the reader to feel

engaged.

19.0 pts

Below Standard: There is no

clear central thesis/message,

or the focus is split across a

variety of topics in a way that

works against a specific focus.

The overall point might be

unclear, confusing, or the writer

might indicate a focus, but little

in the essay supports this

focus.

15.0 pts

No evidence

/ no

assignment

submitted

0.0 pts

Development view longer

description

Exceeds Standard: There is a

variety of support (anecdotes,

quotes, description, examples,

etc.). The support is vivid,

concrete, and connects clearly

to the message of the essay.

The essay raises well-thought

out questions, or pursues a

line of reasoning in an

unexpected or unusual

direction. The language and

examples are clear and

interesting. There are

connections to other texts or

examples that make the

writer’s argument more vivid

and clear.

40.0 pts

Above Standard: There is a

variety of vivid support that

illustrates and explains the

points the writer makes. The

evidence could be expanded

in one or two places. The

essay raises interesting and

creative questions about a text

or topic, and/or makes

interesting connections with

material. There are places

where an idea is undeveloped

or remains obvious, but the

writer is clearly working toward

moving beyond the obvious.

35.0 pts

At Standard: There are

supporting details for many of

the claims, but some parts of

the essay may be overly

general and vague. Some

evidence might be

unnecessary or distracting

(doesn’t support thesis). The

essay moves slightly beyond

summary or pointing out the

obvious, but the essay might

still have a vague or generic

voice. The essay may lack

figurative language or details

that would enhance the

writer’s message.

30.0 pts

Below Standard: Details that

would support the claims the

writer is making are vague or

missing. In key places, the writer

has not effectively shown what

he/she means. Almost all points

remain abstract or general. The

essay only touches upon the

surface of a reading or topic,

perhaps remaining only a

summary, or only pointing out

the immediately obvious about a

topic. The wording is vague, and

there is little evidence that the

writer invested significant time

or thought into the essay.

26.0 pts

No evidence

/ no

assignment

submitted

0.0 pts

Organization view longer

description

Exceeds Standard: The

introduction and conclusion

creatively tie the message

together. Each paragraph is

focused and effectively developed

around an individual point. The

overall paragraph organization is

effective and creative. Transitions

are effective and establish

complex relationships between

points.

40.0 pts

Above Standard: There is

an engaging and well-

organized introduction,

body, and conclusion.

Individual paragraphs are

well-organized and

developed. Essay may

need paragraph breaks or

more effective transitions.

35.0 pts

At Standard: There is a clear

introduction, body, and

conclusion. Several places in

the essay need more effective

transitions and/or paragraph

breaks. Some paragraphs may

need to be moved. Individual

paragraph organization may be

confusing in one or two places.

30.0 pts

Below Standard: No sense of

introduction, body, and

conclusion. There might be a

clear middle, beginning and

end with the content, but

paragraph breaks don’t make

sense or are missing. Overall

organization of points might

be confusing or jumpy.

26.0 pts

No evidence

/ no

assignment

submitted

0.0 pts

Mechanics view longer

description

Exceeds Standard: The

sentences are complex and

effective, and the word choice is

sophisticated. The writer uses

sentence structure and word

choice in creative ways to

establish tone and meaning.

There may be one or two very

minor errors, but no patterns of

error. All words and ideas from

sources external to the writer are

accurately documented via

standard academic

documentation guidelines (i.e.,

MLA or APA.

Above Standard: The essay is

clear with complex sentence

structures. There may be a

minor grammar problem such

as misplaced apostrophes or

missing commas in certain

places, but the rest

demonstrates a mastery of

conventional grammar. Word

choice might be off in one or

two places. Documentation is

essentially complete and

accurate.

21.0 pts

At Standard: The essay is

generally clear, but sentence

structure may be simplistic

and/or slightly repetitive. There

are several grammar error

patterns but nothing that

seriously interferes with

reading, perhaps a few comma

splices and fragments. Word

choice might be confusing in

one or two places.

Documentation is missing in

some areas or incorrectly

applied.

19.0 pts

Below Standard: There are

several grammar patterns

that seriously inhibit

understanding, perhaps a

pattern of fragments or run-

ons throughout. Wording

and sentence structure are

confused to the point where

they interfere with the

reader’s understanding.

Documentation is incorrect

or absent.

15.0 pts

No evidence

/ no

assignment

submitted

0.0 pts

Total Points: 130.0

Criteria Ratings Pts

25.0 pts