COLONNADE PROGRAM COURSE PROPOSAL FOUNDATIONS CATEGORY (WID) Writing in the Disciplines ENG 300 or approved Writing in the Discipline course (3 hours) Writing in the Disciplines courses give students advanced instruction and practice in writing and reading essays within an academic discipline and make students aware of how disciplinary conventions and rhetorical situations call for different choices in language, structure, format, tone, citation, and documentation. Students conduct investigations into writing and reading conventions in their fields and receive advanced instruction in planning, drafting, arranging, revising, and editing discipline-specific essays. Students will demonstrate the ability to: 1. Write clear and effective prose in several forms, using conventions appropriate to audience (including academic audiences), purpose, and genre. 2. Find, analyze, evaluate, and cite pertinent primary and secondary sources, including academic databases, to prepare written texts. 3. Identify, analyze, and evaluate statements, assumptions, and conclusions representing diverse points of view, and construct informed, sustained, and ethical arguments in response. 4. Plan, organize, revise, practice, edit, and proofread to improve the development and clarity of ideas. 5. Distinguish among various kinds of evidence by identifying reliable sources and valid arguments. *NOTE: Departments wishing to develop Writing in the Disciplines (WiD) courses are strongly encouraged to consult with the English Department in developing writing and assessment assignments that are consistent with recognized best practices in composition instruction.
Please complete the following and return electronically to colonnadeplan@wku.edu. 1. What course does the department plan to offer in Foundations: Writing in the Disciplines? COMM 200: Communication Foundations 2. How will this course meet the specific learning objectives for this category? Please address all of the learning outcomes listed for the appropriate subcategory. COMM 200: Communication Foundations (3 hours) meets the five learning objectives included in Writing in the Disciplines section of the Colonnade Plan. As documented in this section, COMM 200 offers students advanced instruction and practice in writing and reading essays within the Communication discipline and makes students aware of how disciplinary conventions and rhetorical situations call for different choices in language, structure, format, tone, citation, and documentation. Students conduct investigations into writing and reading conventions in the Communication field and receive advanced instruction in planning, drafting, arranging, revising, and editing papers within the Communication discipline. Students will demonstrate the ability to: 1.Write clear and effective prose in several forms, using conventions appropriate to audience (including academic audiences), purpose, and genre. Students in COMM 200 will demonstrate the ability to write clear and effective prose in several forms, using conventions appropriate to writing in the Communication discipline. Students will have a variety of writing assignments including application papers, a research report, and a literature review. First, student will write four application/response papers for which the professor will pose application topics/questions or students will respond to a journal article. For each application, students must provide a thoughtful1 ½-2 page paper on the topic/question posed or journal article selected. Students will provide arguments (supported by ideas/findings from relevant course readings) and apply the content to their own experiences. These papers give students a chance to develop stances towards specific topic areas and to apply the concepts of the course to their own experiences. Second, in preparation for the literature review, students will write a research report. In this brief report, students will identify their topic and cite at least one primary or secondary academic source citation relevant to their topic. In addition, students will provide an APA formatted reference list which includes at least 10 potential primary or secondary academic sources they can use in an academic literature review. For the purposes of COMM 200, academic sources refer to essays in peer-reviewed, scholarly communication journals or academic books in the Communication discipline or fields related to communication (e.g., public relations, leadership, sociology, psychology). Third, students will write and edit an academic literature review in a format consistent with
the Communication discipline. Students will select a communication context, concept, or theory that they are interested in studying further throughout the course of the semester and locate, analyze, and incorporate key research findings from primary and secondary academic sources into their literature review. In the final literature review students will be required to incorporate at least six sources and the paper must be 5-6 pages in length. 2. Find, analyze, evaluate, and cite pertinent primary and secondary sources, including academic databases, to prepare written texts. Students in COMM 200 will demonstrate the ability to find, analyze, evaluate, and cite pertinent primary and secondary sources, including academic databases, to prepare written texts. In COMM 200, students are taught to research, evaluate, and incorporate supporting material in their writing. For the literature review, students learn how to use the academic databases to find journal articles as well as how to analyze and cite these sources in their paper. Using library databases to collect academic scholarship within the Communication discipline is a primary objective of the course. Students write a research report, which is aimed at giving them initial practice in finding articles using academic databases (10 related to the topic for the final literature review), citing a source related to the topic for the literature review, and writing a bibliography in APA format. This prepares students to properly incorporate sources in their literature review which requires students to incorporate a minimum of six primary and/or secondary sources cited within the text of their paper (primarily communication journals and books located within the academic databases). Students also learn proper APA source citation techniques and paper formatting, as is standard in the Communication discipline. In COMM 200, students are trained to understand, analyze, and summarize the contents of academic scholarship in the Communication discipline. 3. Identify, analyze, and evaluate statements, assumptions, and conclusions representing diverse points of view, and construct informed, sustained, and ethical arguments in response. Students in COMM 200 will identify, analyze, and evaluate statements, assumptions, and conclusions representing diverse points of view, and construct informed, sustained, and ethical arguments in response through the application papers. During the course of the semester, the professor will select application topics/questions/journal articles for students to respond to in a 1 ½-2 page paper. For example, in one application paper students must select a persuasive text (e.g., a speech, brochure, news editorial, print ad, commercial) given/published/aired in the previous month and construct an argument regarding the effectiveness of the persuasive strategies used in the text, applying one of the rhetorical theories and readings covered in the course. In doing so, students have to argue how the strategies either would/would not be persuasive to the intended audience, taking into account the diversity of audience needs and values. In other application papers, students will construct an argument aimed at evaluating an intercultural, organizational, or interpersonal theory and apply the theory to their own experiences.
Additionally, for all written assignments in the course (and hopefully throughout the major) students are taught how to ethically incorporate primary and secondary sources as part of the supporting materials used in the text of their papers. 4. Plan, organize, revise, practice, edit, and proofread to improve the development and clarity of ideas. In COMM 200, students are taught the process of writing an academic literature review from the planning stages which includes finding relevant primary and secondary sources to the process of revising, practicing, editing and proofreading of their paper to improve the development and clarity of their ideas through writing. Students go through several stages of the writing and research process starting with the research report in which students find 10 academic sources they could potentially use in their final papers, practice citing one of these sources in the text of their research report assignment and practice writing a bibliography in APA format. This process will allow students to receive feedback from their professors, including suggestions for other sources which may be relevant to their paper and initial feedback on their writing and APA source citation. Next, students write an abbreviated literature review (2-3 pages) explaining why their topic represents an important area of study or is important to the understanding of the communication discipline (citing at least one academic source to back up your claim) and summarizing the major/most interesting findings/criticisms on their topic that they uncovered from at least two academic sources in a literature review format, using APA formatting and source citation (complete with title and reference pages). One of their sources must be a primary research study. Once again, this gives students practice with academic writing in the Communication discipline and provides feedback which helps students to begin to edit and revise their work as they begin to work towards writing their final literature review. Last, students will write a final literature review which is an expansion of their abbreviated literature review, consisting of at least six total sources and must be 5-6 pages in length. Students must edit and revise any elements noted by their professor on their abbreviated literature review and expand their paper to include the integration of at least four additional sources. This approach to teaching students how to write a literature review requires them to go through a step-by-step process which involves planning, finding academic sources, incorporating academic sources into their writing, and go through stages of editing, revising, and proofreading. 5. Distinguish among various kinds of evidence by identifying reliable sources and valid arguments. A major emphasis in the course is teaching students to use library databases to collect academic scholarship and for them to be able to understand, analyze, and summarize the contents of academic scholarship in the communication discipline as well as to distinguish among various kinds of evidence by identifying reliable sources and valid arguments. The literature review project requires students to locate reliable academic sources and to incorporate them into their written work. In the application papers, students will use various types of evidence to identify and construct valid arguments.
3. In addition to meeting the posted learning outcomes, how does this course contribute uniquely to the Foundations category (i.e., why should this course be in Colonnade)? Discuss in detail. This course should be in the Writing in the Disciplines portion of the Foundations Category because this course was uniquely adapted as a course for students to take early in their major to introduce them to academic writing within the discipline and how to find, analyze, and incorporate Communication research articles into their own writing. This move has allowed us to develop COMM 200 into a course that already meets the learning objectives in the Colonnade Plan for a writing in the disciplines course. 4. Syllabus statement of learning outcomes for the course. NOTE: In multi-section courses, the same statement of learning outcomes must appear on every section s syllabus. Students will: Write clear and effective prose in several forms, using conventions appropriate to audience (including academic audiences), purpose, and genre. Find, analyze, evaluate, and cite pertinent primary and secondary sources, including academic databases, to prepare written texts. Identify, analyze, and evaluate statements, assumptions, and conclusions representing diverse points of view, and construct informed, sustained, and ethical arguments in response. Plan, organize, revise, practice, edit, and proofread to improve the development and clarity of ideas. Distinguish among various kinds of evidence by identifying reliable sources and valid arguments. Be able to understand, analyze, and summarize the contents of academic scholarship in the communication discipline. Write and edit an academic literature review in a format consistent with the communication discipline. Learn proper APA source citation techniques and paper formatting. Gain a clear understanding of the communication discipline, including its various definitions and paradigms. Understand the history and development of communication theory. Be able to discuss the main components of communication theories. Familiarize themselves with some of the most practical communication theories. Be able to apply theoretical principles to real world situations, interactions, and messages. Understand the communication process and human relational interaction in increasingly complex and diverse environments.
Understand multiple theoretical and philosophical perspectives of communication as reflected in its history. Understand the role of ethics in communication. Demonstrate competency in analyzing definitions of communication. Demonstrate competency in analyzing and interpreting mediated communication (i.e., CMC, organizations, mass media, politics etc.). Demonstrate competency in analyzing and interpreting the role of communication within organizations. Demonstrate competency in adapting communication across contexts and diverse communities. 5. Give a brief description of how the department will assess the course beyond student grades for the Colonnade learning objectives. The literature review will be assessed to measure the learning objectives. 25 papers will randomly collected from COMM 200 each calendar year for assessment. The papers will be assessed by an assessment team using a rubric which assesses organization, writing (grammar, effectiveness, and analysis), research (incorporation of supporting materials, quality and quantity of primary and secondary sources, APA format (in-text citations)), and explanation of topic area. Each area will be scored on a 5 point scale (5 -Excellent ; 4 - Good; 3 - Satisfactory; 2 - Poor; 1- Fail). The scores will be assessed on the following scale (all four areas assessed on 5 point scale): 20-18 Excellent, 17-16 Good, 15-12 Satisfactory, 11-8 Poor, 7 or less Fail. The goals will be as follows: 70% of students will score at the satisfactory level or better. 50% of students will score at the good level or better. 6. How many sections of this course will your department offer each semester? 1 large section (50-60 students) to 2 (25-30 students) 7. Please attach sample syllabus for the course. PLEASE BE SURE THE PROPOSAL FORM AND THE SYLLABUS ARE IN THE SAME DOCUMENT. COMM 200: Communication Foundations Syllabus Course Description: This course serves as a survey of the communication discipline. It allows students to understand the breadth and depth of the discipline as well as the theoretical frameworks that guide communication research in a variety of areas. It also serves to teach
students how to use their knowledge of communication theory to analyze and interpret a variety of communication phenomena. Further, it teaches students how to read academic scholarship and write for the discipline. Goals: Students will: Write clear and effective prose in several forms, using conventions appropriate to audience (including academic audiences), purpose, and genre. Find, analyze, evaluate, and cite pertinent primary and secondary sources, including academic databases, to prepare written texts. Identify, analyze, and evaluate statements, assumptions, and conclusions representing diverse points of view, and construct informed, sustained, and ethical arguments in response. Plan, organize, revise, practice, edit, and proofread to improve the development and clarity of ideas. Distinguish among various kinds of evidence by identifying reliable sources and valid arguments. Be able to understand, analyze, and summarize the contents of academic scholarship in the communication discipline. Write and edit an academic literature review in a format consistent with the communication discipline. Learn proper APA source citation techniques and paper formatting. Gain a clear understanding of the communication discipline, including its various definitions and paradigms. Understand the history and development of communication theory. Be able to discuss the main components of communication theories. Familiarize themselves with some of the most practical communication theories. Be able to apply theoretical principles to real world situations, interactions, and messages. Understand the communication process and human relational interaction in increasingly complex and diverse environments. Understand multiple theoretical and philosophical perspectives of communication as reflected in its history. Understand the role of ethics in communication. Demonstrate competency in analyzing definitions of communication. Demonstrate competency in analyzing and interpreting mediated communication (i.e., CMC, organizations, mass media, politics etc.). Demonstrate competency in analyzing and interpreting the role of communication within organizations. Demonstrate competency in adapting communication across contexts and diverse communities. Required Text: Thompson, B., Jerome, A., Payne, H., Mize Smith, J., Ishii, K., & Chai, S. (2013). Communication Theory: The Interactive Experience.
***Any other required readings will be made available via Blackboard, e-mail, or on Reserve at the Cravens Library. Course Requirements and Policies Attendance: The assignments in this class are designed to achieve course goals. Assigned readings, class lectures, in-class activities, assignments, exams, and presentations will not only provide you with information about major course concepts, but will also allow you the opportunity to experience the concepts. Therefore, regular attendance in this class is necessary for students to become knowledgeable in the basic concepts and theories of the communication discipline. Daily attendance will be taken. Excessive absences (read: more than two unexcused absences) will reflect poorly on a student s class discussion/participation score. Also, assignments cannot be made up/turned in late unless accompanied by written documentation that fits the excused absence policy described below. Further, the professor and teaching assistant are NOT responsible for assisting students in obtaining class notes/assignments or for making students aware of changes to the course schedule/assignments announced during a missed class unless the student s absence is both excused and documented. In-class activities CAN NOT be made up, but if an excused absence is accrued the day of the activity, the professor will consider that when calculating final grades. EXCUSED ABSENCE POLICY Absences may be excused for illness of student or serious illness of an immediate family member, death of an immediate family member, trips for members of student organizations sponsored by an academic unit, required trips for university classes, trips for participation in intercollegiate athletic events, and major religious holidays. Some leeway may be given for other circumstances, but the circumstances must be discussed with the professor IN PRIVATE and must be accompanied by credible documentation. For any absence to be excused, students must: Notify me (via face-to-face communication or electronic mail) on or before the day of the absence if possible. Provide me with written documentation regarding the absence ON THE FIRST DAY THE STUDENT RETURNS. An e-mail telling me you are sick or attending a university function will not count as documentation. The absence will not be excused without written documentation from a recognized authority which includes the dates/times for which the student should be excused and contact information from the author of the documentation. If an assignment was due during the absence, the written documentation should be stapled to the front of the assignment when it is turned in for credit. Assignment Due Dates: All assignments must be completed by the beginning of the class period the day they are due. By beginning, I mean BEGINNING. The day assignments are due, they will be collected on a table at the front of the classroom. I will accept assignments up until the
point that the door of the classroom closes. YOU are responsible for putting your assignment on the table before the door closes. If you come in after I shut the door, please SIT IN THE FIRST AVAILABLE SEAT NEAREST THE DOOR. You may come in, but do not try to put your assignment on the table. Any work due by a student who is tardy must be held until class is over and you have a PRIVATE discussion with the professor concerning the reason for your tardiness. It will not be accepted unless your tardy was pre-approved by the instructor or comes with a documented excuse as noted above. All assignments must be turned into the instructor hardcopy. NEVER, and this means NEVER, e- mail me an assignment without prior approval. Written Work: All written work must follow the APA Publication Manual (6 th Ed.). Failure to follow these guidelines will result in a grade deduction. Academic Dishonesty: I expect that all of the individual assignments you complete for COMM 200 (and in all of your other courses) are always your own work. Please read the information on plagiarism and cheating from your student handbook for your own clarification on what constitutes these offenses. Aside from copying work, plagiarism includes incorrectly citing sources or presenting someone s information as your own, without crediting the source. In written form, you must use quotation marks when referring to another s work. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for telling your audience or reader whether you are: 1. directly quoting from a source (quotation marks should be used along with a complete parenthetical citation) 2. paraphrasing closely from a source, which means using significant portions of another source s sentences, language, or ideas (requires parenthetical citation) 3. citing a primary source from a secondary source ***Complete examples of each will be provided during course lectures. Western Kentucky University and the Department of Communication are committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct and academic excellence. Any student found guilty of plagiarism, fabrication, using the same assignment in more than one class without the written permission of BOTH professors, cheating on an exam, or purchasing papers, speeches, or other assignments may immediately receive a failing grade on the assignment and in the course, and may be reported for disciplinary action. Falsified medical excuses and presenting another student s work as your own fall within the guidelines of this academic integrity policy. As you can see, these are extreme measures for academic offenses that we believe are serious. If you have any questions about whether you may be plagiarizing in your work, please be sure to contact me well in advance of the due date for your assignment. Plagiarism Detection: In this course, your instructor may use an electronic plagiarism detection tool, SafeAssign (available via Blackboard), to confirm that you have used sources accurately in your assignments. All assignments are subject to submission for text similarity review. Assignments
submitted to SafeAssign will be included as source documents in SafeAssign s restricted access database solely for detecting plagiarism in such documents. If your professor chooses to use this software, she will provide specific instructions in class on how to submit your assignments for electronic plagiarism review. Student Disability Services: In compliance with university policy, students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for Student Disability Services in DUC A-200 of the Student Success Center in Downing University Center. Please DO NOT request accommodations directly from the professor or instructor without a letter of accommodation from the Office for Student Disability Services. Electronics Policy: Due to recent advances in technology, cell phones, ipods, pagers, etc. will not be allowed out during class time. Cell phones shall not be used for any purpose during class time. Any student with a cell phone in hand or on his or her desk during class time will be asked to leave class and will be counted absent for that day. This policy applies during student presentations as well as during lecture and discussion. Any student using a cell phone during an exam will receive a zero on that exam and may be subject to other university discipline. Laptops also will not be allowed out during class without the permission of the instructor. ASSIGNMENTS ASSIGNMENT Exams (3) Application Papers (4) Comprehensive Writing Project/Presentation Research Report (25 points) Abbreviated Literature Review (50 points) Final Literature Review (100 points) In-Class Activities, Homework, Discussion/Participation GRADING SCALE A=90% & Up B= 80-89% C= 70-79% POINTS POSSIBLE 225 Points (75 points each) 100 Points 175 Points 100 Points
D= 60-69% F= 0-59% Assignment Descriptions Exams: The make-up of course exams will be discussed in-class. Application Papers: During the course of the semester, the instructor will pose application topics/questions/journal articles. For each application, students must provide a thoughtful, typed, double-spaced, 1 ½-2 page paper on the topic/question/journal posed. In some instances, more than one topic will be offered, allowing each student to pick the topic/question that most significantly resonates with his/her own experiences/thoughts. In-Class Activities, Homework, Discussion/Participation: The professor intends for this class to be interactive. For it to be so, all course readings need to be completed by every student. Your input is expected for both course discussions and activities. Blackboard discussions may also be required during the course. If so, guidelines will be issued for those during the course of the semester. While your grade in this area largely is based on participation in-class activities, homework, and discussion/participation, the professor reserves the right to administer popquizzes on course readings if she suspects students are not reading. Comprehensive Writing Project: Each student will select a communication context, concept, or theory that they are interested in studying further throughout the course of the semester. The topic must be preapproved by your professor prior to completing your research report. No more than two persons may write about the same topic unless approved by your professor; therefore topic selection will happen on a first come, first served basis. A list of potential topics will be provided on blackboard. There are THREE parts to this project: Research Report (25 points): In one paragraph, state what your topic is and why you selected your topic (complete with at least one ACADEMIC SOURCE citation to support the relevance of your topic to the study of communication). In addition, you will provide an APA formatted reference list which is to include at least 10 potential ACADEMIC SOURCES you could use in an academic literature review. For the purposes of this course, ACADEMIC SOURCES refers to essays in peer-reviewed, scholarly communication journals or academic books. There may be instances where valuable information lies in the content of peerreviewed scholarly journals or academic books of fields related to communication (e.g., public relations, leadership, sociology, psychology). Those are fine to use so long as the concepts discussed in them are clearly communication-related. This process will allow your professors to suggest other sources which may be relevant to your paper. Abbreviated Literature Review (50 points, 2-3 pages): Using your knowledge of literature review writing learned in class, you will begin your final project by explaining why your topic represents an important area of study or is important to the understanding of the communication discipline (cite at least one academic source to back up your claim). Then, you will be summarizing the major/most interesting findings/criticisms on your topic that you uncovered from at least TWO ACADEMIC SOURCES in a literature review format, using APA formatting and source citation (complete with title and reference pages). One of your sources MUST be a primary research study. When you turn in your abbreviated literature review, you MUST also turn in copies of the sources you
used electronically. Directions for this will be given in class. ***Papers which are turned in without the proper number/type of sources, in-text citations, a reference page, and/or without a primary research study cited within the paper may start with a 70%! Papers whose sources haven t been sent electronically by the due date may receive a 0. Final Literature Review (100 points): Your final literature review will be an expansion of your abbreviated literature review, consisting of at least six total sources (the two from your abbreviated literature review may be used in this count unless instructed otherwise by your professor) and must be 5-6 pages in length. First, fix any mistakes noted by your professor on your abbreviated literature review. Then, expand it by integrating at least four additional sources. Three of the new sources must be from ACADEMIC SOURCES. One source may be from a credible popular press source (e.g., Advertising Age, Communication World, Broadcasting and Cable, PR WEEK). Your textbook does NOT count as one of the six required sources. A grading rubric for the paper will be posted on Blackboard later in the semester. Note: If you are instructed by the professors to change one or more of the sources used in your abbreviated literature review or if you choose to change one or more of the sources you used in the abbreviated literature review for some reason, please make sure your final literature review still contains 6 total sources, at least 5 from ACADEMIC SOURCES (at least one of which is a primary research study). When you turn in your final literature review, you must also turn in the GRADED copy of your abbreviated literature review so that your professors can assess the changes you made. You MUST also turn in copies of the sources you used electronically. Directions for this will be given in class. ***Papers which are turned in without the proper number/type of sources, in-text citations, a reference page, and/or without a primary research study cited within the paper may start with a 70%! Papers not turned in to turnitin.com or whose sources haven t been sent electronically by the due date may receive a 0.