In this chapter…
Composition II is the second half of the two-semester, college-transfer composition sequence at Johnson County Community College. Composition II continues the skills acquired in Composition I, but it moves to a focus on academic writing and writing from readings. Summary, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of source material are heavily emphasized, and students are expected to move from more limited uses of research (field research, general information gathering, documentation of interviews) to research-based writing. Students not only synthesize outside material into their own writing, but they also learn to assess the credibility of sources while investigating the controversies, complexities, and nuances of their research topics. Ultimately, they are expected to present original analysis supported by this research.
Composition II is required for most degree seeking and transfer students.
Along with learning to apply an ethical research writing process when working with texts, students in Composition II likewise are expected to learn how to cite primary and secondary sources, hone their skills in responding to various rhetorical situations, create controlling ideas (thesis statements) supported with reason and evidence, and to assist their peers to make significant revisions in the organization and development of ideas. Students continue to develop a written style using the conventions of standard edited prose, and they should leave the class likewise able to demonstrate the ability to read and think critically about a variety of texts, particularly academic ones.
It is vital that new instructors to our department understand how Composition I and Composition II differ, however. Both Professor Werkmeister and Professor Alexander sum up those differences effectively:
“Composition I helps student writers transition to writing for a college audience while working toward a college-level research project. Composition II focuses on the research process with the aim of helping students become self-sufficient in the practice of research-driven, academic writing” (Steve Werkmeister, Professor of English).
“Composition I focuses on versatility in writing, regarding various changing tasks and audiences. It includes research, but research is merely one of several focal points in the course. Composition II focuses on scholarship—reading and analyzing sources, critiquing sources, responsibly handling sources, synthesizing sources and engaging in arguments in various professional fields of study” (Danny Alexander, Professor of English).
Both articulations underscore the importance of understanding the educational objectives of this course and how it course differs from Composition I.
Composition II students can learn how to read and think critically about texts through a variety of assignments:
Writing summaries and responses to assigned readings that grow in complexity
Participating in small and large group discussions about the readings and the research
Collaborating with classmates on readings-based projects or writing assignments
Submitting research logs or journals
Composition II students can practice the ethics of research writing through a variety of assignments:
Locating and selecting online, library database, and primary sources relevant to a topic
Drafting evaluations of potential sources for biases and reliability
Composing an analysis of resource and literary texts with a focus on their rhetorical elements (higher order thinking skills that should be covered in Composition II)
Synthesizing new concepts and ideas found through research with the students’ existing knowledge while including appropriate citation and documentation
Developing arguments or positions using the principles of logic and rhetorical appeals
Revising and editing their own work and offering suggestions on the work of others
Based on JCCC’s Student Learning Outcomes, Composition II plays a particularly vital role, one that our English Department faculty must consider when devising assignments:
Demonstrate information literacy by finding, interpreting, evaluating, and using sources.
Apply problem-solving strategies using appropriate disciplinary or cross-disciplinary methods.
Communicate effectively in a variety of contexts.
Demonstrate knowledge of the broad diversity of the human experience and the individual’s connection to the global society.
Process numeric, symbolic, and graphic information to draw informed conclusions.
Comprehend, analyze, and synthesize written, visual and aural material.
Course Outline available at http://catalog.jccc.edu/coursedescriptions/engl/#ENGL_122
Syllabus Template available at https://canvas.jccc.edu/courses/28369/files/14857237?module_item_id=4169961
Composition II is a rewarding and challenging course to teach. The students are more experienced writers, and, perhaps more importantly, more experienced students. While Composition I students might need an introduction to the college experience and some reassurance they are able to complete a college-level writing course, Composition II students already have that confidence. Most have some idea of their academic path, and many have already picked transfer institutions and programs of study. For some, this is their last semester at JCCC, so they are particularly motivated to do well.
At times, however, this class presents unique challenges. Because these students have completed Composition I, they may have a static idea of what is expected of them, and they may find the leap to more challenging readings and more rigorous research overwhelming. If they did well in Composition I, they may feel resentful if they struggle to do as well in Composition II.
Offering reassurances that even though the class is rigorous it is quite manageable can help. Pointing out that many students do well in the class and offering extra conferencing times to look over drafts before submission is also reassuring to many students.
Occasionally, a student in Composition II might feel frustrated that the writing assignments are research based and not experience based. They may have been able to quickly write short papers in Composition I and have never been faced with writing situations that require extensive reading, research, analysis, and synthesis, or for that matter, have been faced with demonstrating expert control over using exclusively a third-person voice. Stressing to students that these skills are critical thinking skills as well as writing skills vital for future academic work helps reassure students that this work is difficult but rewarding. Professor Andrea Broomfield likes to tell her students that Composition II is akin to mental boot camp, and that she is their sergeant determined to keep her troops safely on the path forward, avoiding various tripwires and booby traps that can damage the morale of the entire platoon.
Finally, Composition II may also include students who barely passed Composition I, and they are not prepared for the rigor of the class. An early diagnostic and frank feedback can sometimes help encourage these at-risk students to start working early with the Writing Center and even consider retaking Composition I. For these reasons, it is vital that Composition I instructors think seriously about the inevitable problems that result for students when they assign a final grade of D, particularly a D minus.
To help English 106 students meet the goals and expectations, instructors are encouraged to draw on numerous college resources, including the Writing Center, Academic Achievement Center, and courses in the College Success division that involve study skills, note-taking, and career-life planning.