205 outline 2021 winter 071 PDF

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DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH SSH 205: Academic Writing and Research Winter 2021 Instructor: Kari Maaren Virtual Office Hours: Friday 10 – 12 via Zoom (procedure TBA); also during third hour of official class hours (appointments made via Google calendar; exact instructions TBA) Email: [email protected] (please allow up to two days for a response) This is a required course for Arts students. The Faculty Course Survey will be administered between: March 19 and 29, 2021 The Final Exam period is: Monday, April 19, 2021 to Saturday, May 01, 2021 (Saturdays and Sundays included) Special Notice Winter 2021: This course fulfills the emergency remote teaching mandate supported by the University due to the COVID-19 pandemic and follows guidelines established by the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) to effectively support student learning despite the absence of traditional in-class learning. Teaching will be delivered in synchronous and asynchronous formats that may include the following: synchronous and pre-recorded lectures, break-out discussion groups, Q & A sessions, online discussions and chats, shared slides and course notes, and more. Students are responsible for checking D2L frequently, keeping up with assigned readings and supplied lecture material/notes, and submitting assignments on designated dates. Students are expected to regularly refer to the Ryerson COVID-19 https://www.ryerson.ca/covid-19/ page for updates on the University’s response to COVID-19 and how it impacts their studies. Zoom, Video, and Recording: Lectures and discussions may be delivered via Zoom or other video formats. The Student Code of Non-Academic Conduct reflects the expectation that students will conduct themselves in a manner consistent with generally accepted standards of behaviour, University regulations and policies, departmental policies, and in compliance with federal, provincial and municipal laws, as well as professional standards and codes of ethics. It is important to follow your instructor’s instructions about remote course delivery decorum; they will advise you about when to turn your camera and microphone on or off, how to ask questions, and so on. Inappropriate or disrespectful language will not be tolerated. The host/co-hosts (TA/GA, Faculty, or Instructor) reserve the right to remove anyone from University digital spaces who does not behave appropriately. 1

Online sessions may be recorded. If you do not wish to be seen or heard, keep cameras or microphones turned off, or use an avatar. Participants joining by phone will have their phone numbers masked for privacy. Consult your instructor if you have any questions or concerns. Academic Integrity and Remote Learning: Course material, including original materials posted on D2L or delivered through video conferencing, are subject to copyright legislation as well as Ryerson’s Senate Policy 60 - Academic Integrity. Any attempt to share course materials with third parties outside of the course may be subject to disciplinary measures. Career Readiness: Skills and abilities that are likely to be important across Canada’s labour market in coming years include: instruction, persuasion, service orientation, brainstorming, and memorization. This course prepares you with discipline-specific knowledge and skills that correlate with these labour market demands. Through critical reading, research, and other modes of production in the Humanities, you will also encounter practical, career-ready skills in communication, project management, and document analysis which can help you excel in fields including professional writing, journalism, politics, education, library sciences, politics, human resources, or public relations. For career development support, visit the Ryerson Career & Co-op Centre: https://www.ryerson.ca/career-coop/ Lecture schedule Section 071: Monday 3 – 6 pm (synchronous component 3 – 4:30) Section 061: Wednesday 9 am – 12 pm (synchronous component 9 – 10:30) Section 051: Thursday 9 am – 12 pm (synchronous component 9 – 10:30) Specific to the winter 2021 session: This term, course content will be delivered both asynchronously and synchronously. The weekly synchronous meeting is non-mandatory but strongly recommended. It may, in a given week, be between 1 and 2 hours in length. The 1.5 hour estimate under “Lecture Schedule” above is a rough guideline. Ideally, meetings will not go longer than 1.5 hours, but last term, some meetings were closer to 2 hours in length because students wished to continue the discussion. Attendance is not taken, and students may drop in and out if necessary. Participation marks are not dependent on attendance at the weekly synchronous meetings. Each synchronous meeting will generally take the form of a workshop or Q&A based on the material covered in that week’s readings, asynchronous lectures, and homework. Meeting activities will vary depending on student need but may include troubleshooting, discussion of readings, clarification of assignment instructions, and workshopping of homework assignments, thesis statements, and other student-produced materials. Students are encouraged to bring their questions to these meetings. Synchronous 2

sessions will not introduce brand new material but will provide opportunities for students to work with concepts they have already encountered asynchronously. Students who attend the meetings should be familiar with the week’s readings and asynchronous lecture material. After the synchronous meeting has ended, the instructor will be available to meet with students one on one or in groups. NB: Students must attend their RAMSS-assigned lectures (and seminars/tutorials). [Note: this little notation is included in all course outlines. It isn’t saying that you have to attend the synchronous meeting; it’s saying that if you do attend the synchronous meeting, it has to be the one for your section of the course, not some other section run by the same instructor or a different instructor.] Calendar Description This interdisciplinary writing-intensive course takes writing itself as its theme, and explores some of its social and cultural implications. Students learn the essentials of argument-based essay writing, including research and interpretive skills. By examining a variety of texts, many of which address the interface of culture, technology, and communication, this course asks how and why we write. Detailed Description This course emphasizes the significance of critical thinking and reflective reading as the foundation for sound research and writing practices. Students develop skills in analyzing and interpreting images and readings on many subjects, including current events, communication technologies, and popular culture. Interdisciplinary in scope, this course covers varied areas of interest and genres. The course is writing intensive as it encourages the students to (re)consider the writing process, to develop best essay writing practices, to conduct and utilize meaningful research, and to prepare themselves to enter the ongoing academic conversation. Course Goal Students learn the essentials of writing analytical papers and develop foundational skills in critical reading, analysis, writing, and research; they also reflect on the repercussions of media and technology on their reading, writing, and education. Student Learning Outcomes  Outcome 1. Students establish a debatable claim/interpretive thesis about the meaning of a text and develop a well-structured argument in an essay that demonstrates critical thinking, close reading, and analytic skills. 

Outcome 2. Students listen and respond to the interpretive claims of others and present their own interpretations clearly and persuasively in class discussions.

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Outcome 3. Students use MLA or APA format for citation and respond critically to selected secondary sources.

Required Texts Available at the Ryerson Bookstore: Rosenwasser, David, et al. Writing Analytically With Readings. 2nd Canadian ed., Nelson, 2013. Note: This edition is also available as an ebook (which is considerably cheaper than the print edition). You may buy the Writing Analytically ebook version here. Students not physically in Canada may encounter problems buying the ebook, but it can be done. You will, I believe, need to enter your country as “Canada”; if you do that, the book should be accessible. If you run into difficulties, please contact the publisher. Online: Brown, John Seeley, and Paul Duguid. “The Social Life of Documents.” First Monday, vol. 6, no. 1, 1996, www.firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/466/820. Carr, Nicholas. “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” The Atlantic, July/August 2008, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-usstupid/306868/. (The Atlantic allows you only a certain number of free articles per month. There are a few ways of getting around the paywall: 1) switch to a different browser; 2) switch to a different device; 3) delete your cookies; 4) access The Atlantic via the Ryerson library database. Please download and save the article so you can continue to access it.) Ellis, Lindsay. “Death of the Author.” YouTube, 31 December 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGn9x4-Y_7A. Essaying the Essay (supplementary SSH 205 website). https://essayessaying.wordpress.com/. Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL). https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html. (OWL is our official course style guide; please consult it instead of using Google to find citation rules on random websites. If you can’t find an answer on OWL, either consult the full MLA or APA style guide or approach me. There is a lot of incorrect citation information online.) Tucker, Aaron, and Paul Chafe. Write Here, Right Now. [Excerpts: Chs. 8 and 13.] https://pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca/writehere/

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These documents are also linked from the course schedule (see below). *Please do not buy the first edition of Writing Analytically (red cover) or any of the American editions. The content of these editions is quite different from that of the Canadian second edition. D2L Brightspace Students are expected to consult the course pages on my.ryerson.ca (D2L Brightspace) for scheduling changes, relevant assigned readings and assignments pertaining to the lecture on a weekly basis. It is the student’s responsibility to check D2L regularly for announcements and to print out the Course Outline, online readings, handouts (under Documents), and assignments (under Assignments). This section is bolded because it’s very important. I won’t be sympathetic if you approach me late in the term and tell me you forgot you were in the course and have accidentally missed all the due dates. Student e-mail policy: Students must maintain and use a “ryerson.ca” e-mail address. All correspondence must come from the student’s “ryerson.ca” address; other mail may not be read or answered. This is University policy. You can expect to have a reply within two days of me getting your e-mail. (I usually reply more quickly than this, but at certain points in the term, the number of student e-mails I receive is truly overwhelming. Please be as patient as you can.) Please do not submit anything to me through e-mail unless I indicate that you may do so. I will not mark any major assignment until I have a Turnitin copy. Since this is an exceptional term, I understand that it may sometimes be necessary for you to ask more complex questions via e-mail. However, I ask that where possible, you save longer questions for office hours (either the scheduled weekly office hours or the office hours I’ll be holding during your scheduled class time). If you do have a longer question you need to ask via e-mail, that’s fine, but please limit yourself to no more than one per day. If you have a question related to the course schedule, course format, or assignment instructions or due dates, please check the course outline, website, and assignment sheets before you contact your instructor. Assessment Assignment

Due Date

Value

Participation/Homework Note: the participation mark is based on the

Weeks 2, 3, 4, and 7

10%

completion of four small homework exercises (worth 2.5% each)

Take-Home Midterm Essay / Close-Reading Assignment (750 – 1,000 words) 5

Week 6

25%

Research Essay Proposal

Week 8

10%

Research Essay (1,800 – 2,500 words)

Week 11

30%

Take-Home Final Exam

1 week after final class

25%

Midterm Essay Draft Exchange

Week 5

+2.5%

In-Class Research Essay Draft Exchange

Week 10

+2.5%

Bonus Assignments

Participation grade based upon timely completion and submission of FOUR homework exercises: 1. Complete Evidence List and Observational Paragraph on “MSN Spoken Here” (2.5%). To be submitted to our D2L Brightspace site before our Week 2 class. 2. Three-Storey Thesis on “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” (2.5%). To be submitted to our D2L Brightspace site before our Week 3 class. 3. Three-Storey Thesis and (optional) essay blueprint on Selected Midterm Article (2.5%). To be submitted to our D2L Brightspace site before our Week 4 class. 4. “Library Visit Homework” handout (2.5%). To be submitted to our D2L Brightspace site before our Week 7 class. These assignments are described in more detail under the “Homework” tab on D2L. Bonus Assignments: Please note that the two Draft Exchanges will be the ONLY Bonus Assignments offered this term. These are not “make-up” assignments. There will be no offers of or negotiations for additional bonus/extra-credit/make-up assignments. Assignment Information Assignments should be word-processed and double-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font. They must be submitted on the due date by the official start of class time (i.e., if the class officially starts at 9:00 a.m., the assignment is due online at 9:00 a.m.). Graded assignments generally will be returned within two weeks of the due date, though the fact that we are living in a strange new world in which everything is scary and wrong may cause delays. The grades will be posted on D2L after all the assignments have been marked, but comments, filled-in rubrics, and grades on individual papers may appear on D2L before they appear in the Grade Centre.

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Extensions will be granted only in exceptional circumstances (i.e., in cases of documented illness or bereavement) and must be negotiated. “I’ve got a lot on my plate right now” does not count as a case of documented illness or bereavement, and I am not going to change the posted rules because you ask. Students with accommodations allowing them extra time on assignments must still ask ahead of time for extensions, either directly or via their assigned advisors. Extensions can never be taken for granted. Procedure for requesting an extension due to documented illness or bereavement: 1. As soon as you know you will need an extension, contact the instructor. Except in cases of an accident or emergency, this will almost always be before the assignment is due (preferably well before, not ten minutes before and certainly not five days after). 2. Your e-mail should briefly explain that you are requesting, not assuming you will be given, an extension. It should also explain that you are in the process of submitting your academic consideration form to your programme department. Do not wait until you get your documentation before contacting your instructor. If there will be a delay in getting your documentation, you can explain this to the instructor. You are not expected to reveal to the instructor the reason for your request, but you need to make it clear that you are working on submitting the form. (If you are able to get your documentation quickly, feel free to submit the form before you contact the instructor, but do also contact the instructor.) 3. Submit your academic consideration form to your programme department, not to your instructor. You will find the online academic request portal via the Ryerson Senate’s “Resources” page. 4. Once your departmental secretary has sent you and your instructor an e-mail confirming that your documentation has been not just received but also verified, contact your instructor again, confirm whether or not the instructor will be granting the extension, and continue the process of setting up your new due date. It is very important that you take this step. If you submit the form but do not contact your instructor at all to request or confirm the extension, you will not have an extension. Turnitin.com is a plagiarism prevention and detection service to which Ryerson subscribes. Students agree by taking this course that their written work will be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of comparing the similarity of such papers. Use of the Turnitin.com service is subject to the terms-of-use agreement posted on the Turnitin.com website. Students who do not want their work submitted to this plagiarism detection service must, by the end of the second week of class, consult with their instructor to make alternate arrangements. 7

Description of Assignments/Assessments Participation (10%): Students receive participation marks based on timely completion and submission of four homework assignments (worth 2.5% each). Homework assignments are not accepted after the fact. If your homework is not in on time, you will not receive credit for it. Please check out the “Homework” folder on D2L for further information. In-Class Midterm Draft Exchange (+2.5% bonus mark): The midterm draft exchange is a bonus assignment that takes place one week before your Midterm Essay is due. You must submit a complete introductory thesis paragraph and at least one body paragraph to exchange with two other students. The material must fill at least one page. If you don’t submit the draft on time or comment on the work of your peers, you won’t get the bonus mark. Take-Home Midterm (25%): Students demonstrate that they can compose a clearly written, strongly supported, thesis-driven essay (750–1,000 words) based on their interpretation of an assigned reading (not previously studied in class). The assignment serves as an evaluation of the close-reading skills students have been practising throughout the semester. A-level work will demonstrate a clear and unique thesis statement that responds analytically to the specific methods, details, and observations of the text. Final Essay Proposal (10%): Students complete six tasks that will allow them to provide a short write up of their topic, including their evolving thesis (at whatever stage of evolution), a summary of their developing ideas and the purpose of their research, and a brief look at some proposed secondary sources. The proposal worksheet includes a working bibliography in MLA or APA format. Essay Draft Exchange (+2.5% bonus mark): For this assignment, students exchange their current essay drafts with two of their peers and offer feedback based on the principles of essay writing as studied throughout the term (worksheet to be provided by the professor). Your draft should contain your introductory thesis paragraph and at least three body paragraphs and must be at least 3 pages in length (typed and doublespaced in 12-point Times New Roman font with one-inch margins). This means that you need enough material to get you to the top of page 4; it does not mean that two pages and one line on page 3 will get you your 2.5%. The paper must also start at the TOP of page 1, not halfway down, and must contain no gaps between the paragraphs. Basically, don’t try to trick me. Just write three pages, please. Your paper will be read by two other students, and you will read two papers yourself, then answer a series of questions about your peers’ paper and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of both those papers and your own.

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Final Essay (30%): Students devise a well-researched paper (1,8...