Course Description

Through the critical engagement of a variety of texts, including written, oral, and visual, this course prepares students to become careful readers, critical thinkers, and skilled writers. Drawing upon rhetorical theory, it emphasizes the practices of analytical reading, informed reasoning, effective writing, and sound argumentation. The course requires 4,000 words of writing in no fewer than five writing projects, three of which are argumentative essays incorporating external sources.

Rationale

Reading and writing are essential for success in college and in life. In English 101, the student will further develop his/her skills in analyzing texts, processing that information in the context of his/her worldview, and articulating his/her conclusions clearly to a particular audience.

Measurable Learning Outcomes

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

1. Understand and practice reading, writing, and rhetoric within the context of a biblical worldview.
2. Apply methods of sound reasoning (induction and deduction) and argumentation in writing.
3. Proceed independently through the various stages of research and integrate sources accurately and effectively.
4. Apply the process approach (especially writing an effective thesis, outlining, drafting, revising, and editing) to write competent essays.

Foundational Skills Learning Outcomes (FSLO): Communication and Information Literacy Outcomes (CIL)

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

1. CIL 1: Discover and evaluate information to accomplish a specific purpose.
2. CIL 2: Communicate information effectively in the English language, orally and/or through writing, for a variety of purposes, using technology when appropriate.
3. CIL 3: Analyze and assess various forms of information and expression to determine their meaning, employing technology when relevant.
4. CIL 4: Demonstrate a basic understanding of the role of research and scholarship in order to apply it to various contexts.
5. CIL 5: Relate communication and information literacy to participation in God’s redemptive work.

Foundational Skills Learning Outcomes (FSLO): Critical Thinking (CT)

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

1. CT 1: Determine the validity and logical consistency of claims and/or positions, using reading comprehension strategies when relevant.
2. CT 2: Structure an argument or position using credible evidence and valid reasoning.
3. CT 4: Plan evidence-based courses of action to resolve problems.

Course Assignment

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus at Liberty University, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (2)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, for each Discussion assignment, the student will address the instructor’s given topic. Then, the student will create one reply to a classmate’s thread. (MLO: A, B, C; FSLO: CIL 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; CT 1)

Essay Thesis/Outline Assignments (3)

In preparation for writing each essay, the student will complete a Thesis/Outline for each essay demonstrating an understanding of credible research and correct documentation style usage. (MLO: A, B, C, D; FSLO: CIL 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; CT 1, 2, 3)

Essay Assignments (3)

The student will write 3 essays throughout the course. The first will be a proposal argument of 1,000–1,200 words. The second will be an ethical argument of 1,000–1,200 words. The third will be a cause and effect argument of 1,200–1,500 words. (MLO: A, B, C, D; FSLO: CIL 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; CT 1, 2, 3)

Composition Practice Assignments (8)

The student will complete 8 Composition Assignments. Each Composition Practice Assignment is an interactive resource that provides students with information about the topics related to argumentative essay development while accessing their knowledge. MindTap is built around the concept of a “test to learn” in which students are given immediate feedback. The student is allowed to do each question 3 times within each assignment with the highest counting for a grade. (MLOs: A, B, C, D, E, F, G)

Grammar Practice Assignments (6)

The student will complete 6 Grammar Practice Assignments to prepare them for the 2 Grammar Quizzes. (MLOs: F, G)

Quizzes (2)

The student will complete 2 open-note quizzes covering the grammar concepts in each module. Each quiz consists of 25 true/false and multiple-choice questions and can be taken up to 3 times with the highest score counting for the grade. (MLOs: F, G)