Course Essentails

Course Description from the Antelope Valley College Catalog:

This course is designed to promote standard college-level writing and awareness of academic formats, conventions, and expectations. Readings and written assignments encourage and facilitate the use of critical thinking skills, textual analysis, rhetorical strategies, and informational literacy. The course includes a documented research paper and prepares students for academic coursework across the disciplines and in transfer institutions. (CSU, UC, AVC)

Why This Course is Important to You:

The skills that you develop and hone in this course will be essential for your success in other college courses.  Being able to think and read critically, to research thoroughly, and to write effectively will be required in almost all courses you take in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.  Furthermore, the ability to express your ideas effectively in writing is a skill that will be an asset to you in both your professional and personal life.  Some of the knowledge that you gain in college may not be needed once you enter the real world, but you will probably write something--even if it is a quick email or a post on social media--every day for the rest of your life. The ability to write well is invaluable.

Course Objectives:

Below is a list of the course objectives; I have designed the assignments and activities in the course to guide you towards achieving these objectives. Each assignment you complete in this course will contribute to your growth towards meeting these goals. After this class has ended, it is my hope that you will use these skills in future classes to reach your academic goals but also that you will use them in your daily life.

 Upon completion of this course the passing student will be able to:

• Understand the role of the college student as one typified by critical awareness, open-mindedness, and the effective expression of ideas.

•  Write a thesis-driven argumentative or persuasive essay that engages a college-level audience .

• Develop and structure an essay with attention to clarity, transition, and grammatical control .

• Identify rhetorical strategies designed to engage and sway an audience.

• Read, comprehend, analyze, and evaluate a variety of college-level textual materials. 

• Distinguish summary from critical analysis and be able to compose both.

• Write a proficient, grammatically controlled essay in a timed setting.

• Locate and evaluate relevant critical sources for essay and research assignments

• Incorporate outside critical voices, via quotations and paraphrases, respectfully and effectively.

• Compose cited essays and a research paper according to MLA guidelines.

• Understand and comply with all rules prohibiting plagiarism.

• Adhere to the conventions and expectations of academic writing.

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Produce critical essays that demonstrate an understanding of academic context, purpose, and detail.

• Produce critical essays that demonstrate college-level textual analysis and explication

• Produce a substantial MLA-formatted research paper that reveals the abilities to locate, select, retrieve, assess, incorporate, cite, analyze, and explicate various critical sources and textual materials.