Course Syllabus
Course Name: Composition I | Term/Session: Winter 2015 |
| Course Number: ENC1101 | Reference Number: 507432 |
Table of Contents
Faculty Contact Information
| Instructor Name: | Dr. Kristin Berkey-Abbott |
| Office/Dept. Phone: | 954-201-7900 |
| BConline Campus Phone: | 954-201-7900 |
| Fax: | 954-201-7937 |
| Email: | Please use BConline (D2L) email. Use my BC email ONLY if you are unable to access the course email: kberkeya@broward.edu |
| Office Hours: | Office: Campus / Bld. / Room: Days/Time:As online faculty, I have no onground office. But I will be online multiple times a day, most days. |
| Online Office Hours: | Day(s): I am likely to be online most mornings and periodically throughout the day. Time: For a specific meeting time, let's make an appointment. Meeting Location: Chat, Discussion, Pager |
| BC Safety Phone #: | 954-201-HELP (4357) |
Course Description
ENC1101 is a university parallel course in which the student writes expository themes in various modes. Research methods and library skills are introduced and a documented paper is required. Each student is encouraged to use the writing lab [or other relevant supplemental resources] to strengthen writing skills. Placement in ENC1101 is determined by both standard and departmental assessment tests. A student must earn a grade of "C" or higher to meet the requirements of the Gordon Rule. Please refer to the Student Guide to the English Department for more details. Click BC Course Outlines for more details.General Course Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:- Compose units of discourse and provide ideas and information suitable to the purpose and the audience.
- Transmit ideas and information in effective written language by employing good diction, conventional sentence structure, and standard written American English grammar and usage.
- Locate and evaluate primary and secondary sources and incorporate the relevant information into a paper documented internally and bibliographically via MLA Format.
- Analyze written texts so as to discuss their content, artistic merits, logical progression, and thoroughness of citation (if any).
Course Prerequisites
To maximize your chances for success in this course, make sure that you meet the following course prerequisites:
- Course Prerequisites and Co-requisites: Eligibility for ENC1101. If you attended a Florida high school, you are likely exempt from taking the PERT exam and therefore cannot be required to take a college-prep English course. However, if you know that you struggle with grammar skills, it may be in your best interest to take ENC0015 and/or ENC0025 before taking ENC1101.
Course Attendance and Participation Policy
Regular, active, and meaningful participation in online learning activities is a critically important component of this course and is essential to your success. It is recommended that you check into the course site several times during the week. Frequency and quality of participation will significantly effect your chances for success.Participation:
- The Discussion Board is the primary venue for interaction with your peers and your professor. You are highly encouraged to regularly participate in the discussion board so as to better understand the assigned readings, course lessons, and assignments. Students who earn passing grades in this course tend to be those who regularly read what has been posted within the discussion board and participate in the on-going discussions.
- You must also login to the course website regularly to read the course lessons, practice grammar skills, take online quizzes/tests, and check your “BC Online” email.
- Post questions in the discussion board topic labeled "Ask Questions here" or email your instructor via “BC Online” email.
| During the first week of class, you must complete the Syllabus Quiz or you will be withdrawn from the course. Simply logging into the course will not satisfy your attendance during this time. As with an on-campus course, students who are reported for non-attendance in an online course and are withdrawn are still responsible for paying for the course. If you do not complete the requirements of the first week of class, you should drop the course by the official drop/add deadline or expect to pay for the course.It is very important for you to actively participate in this online class. If you stop participating in class discussions, do not submit assignments, or fail to take quizzes or tests prior to the withdrawal date, you will be withdrawn from class and receive a W or, if it is your third attempt, an F. If you stop participating after the withdrawal date, you will receive an F. To avoid this situation, you should remain an active learner in this class and always communicate extenuating circumstances to your instructor. Ongoing communication with the instructor is critical to your course success. Completion of tests, assignments, and other class activities are used as indicators of your participation in order to satisfy this reporting requirement. |
General Policies and Technical Requirements
You are responsible for being familiar with all BConline policies and procedures related to your activity in this course.Broward College Policies
- Review the Broward College Policies on topics including disability services, academic honesty, privacy, and critical event procedures.
- Review the General Course Policies page for topics including rules for netiquette, definition of participation, and other information.
- Students taking an online course are expected to be moderately proficient in using a computer. Please go to the Technical Requirements page for a complete list of computer skills and technical requirements.
Communication and Faculty Response Policy
Communication
- Use the course email tool only for private, personal, one-to-one communication with a specific individual, or groups of individuals. Do not send course related emails to the instructor's BC email address.
- In the event that the course communication tools are unavailable for more than 24 hours, the instructor will communicate with students (if necessary) via their BC email address. Access your BC email account at http://www.outlook.com
- Course emails and discussion posts will be answered within 48 hours. Emails and submissions sent on Saturday or Sunday, or holidays may not be answered until the next school day. It is recommended that you post course-related questions in the discussion area. Other students may have the same questions as you or may even be able to answer your questions. If you need info related to a test or assignment, plan ahead and submit your questions well ahead of the due date. Additionally, you can contact your instructor during their online office hours or schedule an online meeting. Your instructor is not online 24 hours per day, so please allow time for responses.
Course Materials
| No Required Textbook Recommended Resource:  | There are no required textbooks in this course. However, you may find the following optional resource worthwhile: OPTIONAL RESOURCE: A Pocket Style Manual, 6th Edition, by Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers. The physical book can be purchased at Amazon.com or elsewhere. The eBook version can be purchased from the publisher or via CourseSmart. This optional text includes detailed information on grammar, punctuation, mechanics, usage, clarity, research, MLA & other citation formats. |
Methods of Instruction
English Composition I (ENC1101) is a required English course in which you will learn how to write intelligent, sophisticated college-level essays. To succeed in this class, it is crucial that you complete all required readings and assignments by their respective deadlines.This is a 3 credit hour course. Normally, a three credit hour course would meet two or three times each week (during a 16 week term) for a total of 3 hours per week or 48 hours per term. In this class, we will conduct learning via students completing the assigned textbook readings, participating in the “BC Online” asynchronous discussion board, reading posted course lessons, completing online quizzes/tests, and submitting writing assignments in the Assignments section of the course. Therefore, this is a fully online course. On average, you should expect to spend between 4 to 6 hours a week on the coursework.
See the course schedule (on the last page of this syllabus) for a detailed description of learning activities/assignments. Students are responsible for regularly reviewing the course schedule and completing all required class assignments.
Course Schedule and Assignments
Read and refer to this section regularly. It will tell you what assignments you should complete, and how to complete them. Deadlines for assignments, assessments, discussions, quizzes, tests, and all other graded and non-graded activities are posted in the course schedule. Submitting work late will be permitted only under extenuating circumstances and only with prior notification and documentation (original funeral notice, original doctor note, etc.).This course is divided into 5 “Learning Units.” The contents of these learning units can be found within the “Course Lessons” folder on our course homepage. At the beginning of each Learning Unit, make sure to view the “Learning Unit Overview” document included within the unit folder for greater detail on the assignments and readings to be completed.
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Below is the course schedule that we will follow. You are highly encouraged to print this section of the syllabus in order to regularly refer to these deadlines.
| COURSE SCHEDULE | |
| Orientation Module: Date to Date | Activities |
| Learning Outcomes By the end of the orientation students will be able to:
| 1. Read the Course Introduction, Syllabus, and BC Online Orientation within the "Course Introduction and Syllabus" folder in the Content portion of this course. 2. Post an introduction of yourself under the "Introduce Yourself" topic within the discussion board. 3. Take the Syllabus Quiz You MUST complete the Syllabus Quiz by this date or you will be withdrawn from the course as having "never attended." |
| Learning Unit # 1: Grammar and Sentence-Level Skills (DATES) | Activities |
| Learning Outcomes By the end of this module students will be able to:
| 1. Complete the Diagnostic Grammar Test (in the Assessments portion of the course). This test does not count towards your grade, but it must be taken (or you will lose 10 points from your final course grade). The purpose of this test is to determine how much study you will need in order to successfully master the grammar skills covered in this unit. 2. Read Modules 1 through 8 within Learning Unit #1. 3. Optional: You may complete the "Practice Exercises" within this unit, but they do not have any impact on your course grade. These are merely meant to help you practice and improve on the specific grammar skills studied. 4. Optional: If you purchase the Pocket Style Manual, pages 19 through 86 will be helpful to review these key concepts of grammar, punctuation, and sentence mechancs. 5. Complete the Grammar Skills Exam. You may re-take this exam up to four times (the questions will change each time). Only the best score out of four will count towards your grade. You are encouraged to take this test at least once by the end of Week 2 of the course. The last date for all attempts at this exam is .
|
| Learning Unit # 2: College-Level Essay Writing DATES | Activities |
By the end of this module students will be able to:
| 1. Read all lessons within Module 1 & 2 of Learning Unit #2. 2. Read the Paper #1 Assignment (found within Learning Unit #2). 3. Participate in the discussion board conversations. While these are not graded, they are your best chance to engage with your teacher and your classmates to better understand the course material. 4. Take Quiz #1 on Academic Tone. 5. Take Quiz #2 on Essay Structure & Thesis Statements. 6. Submit Paper Topic Paragraph. 7. Take Quiz #3 on the Use of Logic in Persuasive Essays. 8. Take Quiz #4 on Paper #1 Assignment. 9. Submit the Outline Worksheet. 10.Optional 1st Draft of Paper #1. 11. Submit the final draft of Paper #1. |
| Learning Unit # 3: Analyzing a Text DATES | Activities |
By the end of this module students will be able to:
| 1. Read all lessons within Module 1 & 2 of Learning Unit #3. 2. Read the Paper #2 Assignment (found within Learning Unit #3). 3. Participate in the discussion board conversations. While these are not graded, they are your best chance to engage with your teacher and your classmates to better understand the course material. 4. Take Quiz #5 on the readings within Module 2. 5. Take Quiz #6 on the Paper #2 Assignment. 6. Submit Paper Topic Paragraph. 7. Submit the Outline Worksheet. 8.Optional 1st Draft of Paper #2. 9. Submit the final draft of Paper #2. |
| Learning Unit # 4: Using Research to Support an Analysis DATES | Activities |
By the end of this module students will be able to:
| 1. Read the selections within Module 1 of Learning Unit #4. 2. Read all lessons within Module 1 & 2 of Learning Unit #4. 3. Read the Paper #3 Assignment (found within Learning Unit #4). 4. Participate in the discussion board conversations. While these are not graded, they are your best chance to engage with your teacher and your classmates to better understand the course material. 5. Take Quiz #7 on the Module 2 lessons. 6. Take Quiz #8 on the Module 3 lessons. 7. Submit Paper Topic Paragraph. 8. Take Quiz #9 on the Paper #3 Assignment. 9. Submit the Outline Worksheet. 10.Optional 1st Draft of Paper #3. 11. Submit the final draft of Paper #3. |
| Learning Unit # 5: A Reflective Analysis on Writing Process & Skills DATES | Activities |
| By the end of this module students will be able to:
1. Formulate an effective thesis statement and topic sentences.
2. Develop an analytical essay to include an effective structure, adequate logical support, and appropriate tone.
3. Compose effective sentences by employing good diction, conventional sentence structure, and standard written American English grammar and usage.
| 1. Read the Paper #4 Assignment (found within Learning Unit #5). 2. Participate in the discussion board conversations. While these are not graded, they are your best chance to engage with your teacher and your classmates to better understand the course material. 3. Take Quiz #10 on the Paper #4 Assignment. 4. Submit Paper #4. No late papers will be accepted. 5. Read the OPTIONAL Paper Revision Project Assignment (found within Learning Unit #5). 6. Submit the OPTIONAL Paper Revision Project. No late papers will be accepted. |
Grading and Exam Policy
Below is further explanation of how the course assignments will be graded:Writing Assignments:
Paper Assignments: The major writing assignments of this course will be fully explained in the "Learning Units" section of the website. In order to earn a quality grade, it is ESSENTIAL that you follow the assignment's directions and apply all the knowledge that you've gained through our lessons and the textbook readings. Grammar, spelling, and spelling all influence your grade significantly. You MAY NOT use additional research sources for these assignments except in those assignments where research is specifically required within the assignment explanation (doing so may result plagiarism which would result in failure of the course). The deadlines for each assignment are listed in the Course Schedule section syllabus. Any assignment submitted late will have 10 points deducted per day late.Exams & Quizzes:
All of these writing assignments must be saved as Microsoft Word Files (as a .doc, .docx, or .rtf file) and uploaded into the course’s Assignments section (which can be found in the blue toolbar near the top of your screen) by the required deadline. Once submitted in the Assignments section, all assignments will be checked for plagiarism by TurnItIn. TurnItIn is an online tool that has been fully integrated into our BConline course. It checks student assignments for any incidents of plagiarism by comparing these writings against hundreds of millions of texts available in print, online, and in academic databases. If you object to this procedure, you should withdraw from this course before the Friday of the first week of class (in order to receive a full refund).
Optional 1st drafts: Certain 1st drafts are ntoed as optional within the syllabus. You are encouraged to submit 1st drafts by the listed deadlines so as to receive feedback on the writing and thinking skills that have been demonstrated. While not all elements can be discussed within this feedback, major errors in structure and/or logic will be discussed within this feedback. If you choose to submit 1st drafts, you should approach them as your best attempt at the finished product, not a "sloppy copy." These optional DO NOT COUNT towards your overall course grade. However, a numeric grade will be given to each 1st draft submitted so that you can determine the level of revision necessary while crafting your final draft.
Optional Paper Revision Project: During the final week of the course, you will be given the opportunity to revise and resubmit ONE of the previous papers written during the course. This revision will be given a new grade and the two grades (on the initial paper plus the revision paper) will be averaged together. For example, if you earned a 60% on Paper #1 and then decide to revise and resubmit a new version of this paper for the Paper Revision Project, earning an 80% on the revision, a grade of 70% will be recorded as your grade for Paper #1 in calculating your final course grade.
Quizzes: These will consist of multiple choice, true/false, matching, short answer, and fill-in-the-blank questions. Quizzes MUST be taken by the assigned deadline, so please portion your time accordingly. In order to allow for the possibility of technical difficulties or error, at the end of the semester, your lowest quiz grade will be dropped.How your Grade will be Determined
Grammar Skills Exam: During the first half of the semester, you should use the grammar resources available in Learning Unit #1. You may take re-take the Grammar Skills Exam up to 4 times. The best score will count towards your overall course grade.
Practice Exercises: Within some of the learning units and in the Assessments section, you will find hundreds of "Practice Exercises." These have been provided by Bedford/St. Martins Press, the publisher of A Pocket Style Handbook. These exercises are OPTIONAL and are not related to your course grade in any way. They are simply ways for you to independently practice your skills.
| Assessment | Percent of Final Grade |
| Paper #1 | 15% |
| Paper #2 | 15% |
| Paper #3 | 25% |
| Paper #4 | 15% |
| Quizzes (10) | 10% |
| Grammar Skills Exam | 20% |
| Total | 100% |
| Grading Scale | |
| Grades | Percentage |
| Grade = A | 90-100% |
| Grade = B | 80-89.9% |
| Grade = C | 70-79.9%> |
| Grade = D | 60-69.9%> |
| Grade = F | 59.9%-0.0% |
Additional Grading Policies
- According to state requirements, students must earn a grade of "C" or higher in order to pass this course.
- Paper #3 is considered a "Research Paper" and will require the use of outside sources that you will find through library research. During this semester, we will discuss the research process and the specific requirements for this paper.
- All assignments must be submitted by the day they are due. Your grade will be lowered 1 letter grade (-10 points) per day if a paper is turned in late. No papers will be accepted beyond 4 days past their due dates.
- If you have taken this course twice before, you do not have the option to receive a "W" in this course by withdrawing before the withdrawal deadline. College rules further state that you may not attempt this course more than 3 times.
- If a paper is never submitted, you will automatically fail the course. No papers will be accepted beyond 4 days past their due date.
- Cheating includes, but is not limited to: copying the work of another person (plagiarism) or permitting your work to be copied by another person, discussing test answers or questions with people who have not completed the test, distributing assignment materials to other students, possessing course materials that have not been formally released to students in the course, using books, notes, or other resources while taking the quizzes/exams, and collaborating on the completion of assignments not specifically designated in the syllabus as being "group projects".
- ANY clear incident of plagiarism will result in immediate failure of the course. To ensure the authenticity of writing assignments, the Literary Interpretation Paper will be subject to submission to a plagiarism tracking program powered by www.turnitin.com. TurnItIn is an online tool that checks student assignments for any incidents of plagiarism by comparing these writings against billions of texts available in print, online, and in academic databases. When any writing assignments are submitted in this course, they are automatically checked for plagiarism by the TurnItIn tool integrated into the course. You do not need to submit any of your writings to a separate TurnItIn account, as this is automatically done when you upload anything in the Assignments section of our course.
- If you object to your writing being checked for plagiarism via the TurnItIn database, you should withdraw from this course before the Friday of the first week of class (in order to receive a full refund).
- IT IS A VIOLATION OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY to "recycle" or reuse portions of written work produced in another course, regardless of whether that course was taken at Broward College or elsewhere. Doing so will be considered a form of plagiarism and will result in failure of this course. Instead, you are expected to produce new, original writing within this course.
- Cheating will be considered a breach of Broward College's Code of Conduct Policy and will result in failure of the course, disciplinary action, and/or a referral to the Dean of Student Affairs.
- Papers will lose 10 points per day late except under extreme, documentable circumstances. Computer/online access problems do NOT qualify as excused circumstances. If your internet connection fails, find a connection at places like FedEx Office, Starbucks, the local library, or Broward College's library.
- Required pre-writing steps such as the Paper Topic Paragraphs or Outline Worksheets will not be accepted more than 1 day late. If submitted late, each will result in 5 points deducted from the paper grade itself.
- Quizzes cannot be completed after the due date and time. Make sure to allow ample time before the deadlines to complete quizzes.
- There will be no makeup assignments available except under extreme, documentable circumstances.
- These quizzes can be taken any time during the open time period (usually 3 to 4 days) prior to the closing date, and may be taken via any computer with an Internet connection.
- Collaboration between students and discussion of quiz answers are NOT permitted.
- You may NOT use the book, notes, internet sources, course lessons, or other parts of our course website while taking the graded quizzes. In order to maintain the best approximation of an on-campus course, it is important that you adhere to the basic expectation of academic integrity. So these are NOT "open-book" or "open-note" quizzes. If you have any questions about this, please email your instructor.
- All quizzes and exams are timed. You are only permitted a limited amount of time to take the quiz from the moment that you open it. Keep an eye on the timer clock as you are taking these quizzes. Make sure to click "Save Answer" after each question so that if you accidentally close the window or time runs out, the answers you've saved will still be submitted. If time runs out and you've not chosen "save answer" after each question, none of your answers will be submitted (which will result in a 0%) grade.
- You will only be able to attempt each quiz once. Allow time to complete each quiz before the closing date and time. Make sure you have a solid Internet connection. If your ISP disconnects you during a quiz, that will count as an attempt and you will not be able to repeat the quiz.
- Online quiz, exam, and assignment grades can be seen by viewing “Grades" in the toolbar. However, the best place to see the grades and feedback on the writing assignments is to look within the Assignment section itself and then click on that individual assignment.
- Online quiz grades will be posted within 2 days after the quiz deadline.
- Grades for writing assignments will be posted within 4 days of the closing date of the assignment. Feedback on 1stdrafts or other required pre-writing steps will usually be provided within 2 days.
- Your final course grade will be posted on the final day of the course.
Technical Resouces
Password Reset- If your password does not work or you forgot it, click this link to reset it: Student Password Reset.
- If you need further support, please contact the BC helpdesk at 954-201-7521 or helpdesk@broward.edu.
- If you need help using BConline (D2L), you can review the step-by-step tutorials
- For year-round, 24 hour technical assistance, please visit the 24/7 Help Desk page.
