Monday, June 3, 2013

Learning Objectives of English Composition online course

Since I am now finishing the course about writing I decided to share the list of learning objectives set for us by professor Denise Comer. Here you can see what we have been working with and what were the goals.

Course Learning Objectives

  • Summarize, analyze, question, and evaluate written and visual texts
  • Argue and support a position
  • Recognize audience and disciplinary expectations
  • Identify and use the stages of the writing process
  • Identify characteristics of effective sentence and paragraph-level prose
  • Apply proper citation practices
  • Discuss how to transfer and apply your writing knowledge to other writing occasions

Project 1 (Weeks 1-3): Critical Review
How do we become experts? I will ask you to draft and revise a critical response to an article about expertise by Daniel Coyle. Specifically, we will focus on how to:

  • read critically;
  • summarize, question, analyze, and evaluate written text;
  • engage with the work of others;
  • understand the stages of the writing process;
  • workshop writing;
  • respond towards revision;
  • incorporate reader feedback;
  • integrate quotes/evidence;
  • cite the work of others; and
  • craft effective titles.

Project 2 (Weeks 4-5): Analyzing a Visual Image
What does expertise look like? How do we define it? I will ask you to select a visual image depicting your selected area of expertise and then explicate that image in order to make an argument about what expertise looks like and how it can be defined. Specifically, we will continue to work with the elements we learned in Project 1, as well as build on them by focusing on how to:

  • summarize, questions, analyze, and evaluate visual texts;
  • argue and support a position;
  • use evidence;
  • achieve cohesion;
  • develop paragraph unity;
  • revise; and
  • edit.

Project 3 (Weeks 6-9): Case Study
What can we learn about expertise in a particular area? What does it take to succeed? I will ask you to research a particular example of expert achievement in your selected area and, drawing on multiple resources, make an argument about expertise. Specifically, we will continue to work with the elements we learned in Projects 1 and 2, as well as build on them by focusing on how to:

  • conduct research;
  • write an extended argument;
  • develop an intertextual conversation;
  • understand popular sources and scholarly sources;
  • create effective introductions; and
  • write strong conclusions.


Project 4 (Weeks 10-12): Writing an Op-Ed
What do you think people need to know about expertise in your selected area? In this fourth and final project, we will turn to a more public form of writing as I ask you to write an op-ed (opposite the editorial page) about your selected area of expertise for a publication of your choosing (you do not actually have to submit it to that publication, but I encourage you to do so). We'll also be working together to collaboratively crowdsource a bibliography of potential resources. Specifically, we will continue to work with the elements we learned in Projects 1,2, and 3, as well as build on them by focusing on how to:

  • write for more public audiences;
  • write concisely;
  • edit and proofread thoroughly;
  • decide whether to use active or passive voice; and
  • transfer the knowledge, practices, approaches and skills we learned in this course to new writing contexts.
Here you can see that mooc courses are much more than just an easy way to certificate. I have been writing a lot, learning a lot and giving so much feedback that it is a whole special chapter of this online learning experience.  

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