Professor Pat Swenson, English 305OL

Page Description

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Contact Information

Prof Pat Swenson

Sierra Tower 812

Phone: 818.677.3410

Office Hours: T 1-2pm

Campus Email:
pat.swenson@csun.edu

ProfPat's Main Page

ProfPat's Education Links

ProfPat's Art Gallery

Course Links

Course Assignments

Three Major Essays

First drafts need to be posted in your WebCT small group forum for peer feedback (see Peer Workshop Guidelines). Second and third drafts need to be posted on our Turnitin page. NOTE: You are only required to write a third draft for two of these essays.

WPE Practice Exams

Please post your exams in our WebCT whole-class WPE forums by the due dates listed in the schedule. Only one draft is required.

Our Book & Films

Please EMAIL these assignments to the Instructor by the due dates listed in the schedule. Paste each analysis into the body of your email!!! Only one draft is required. NOTE: In addition to the below assignments, you will be required to post an analysis for our book and our two films in a WebCT whole-class forum.

Essays About Writing

Post in the WebCT Writing Self-Audit by the end of week one. The Writing Process Essay WebCT post is due the last week of class! Only one draft is required.

Response to the Peer Workshop questions need to be posted in your small group WebCT workshop forum for all three workshops.

Lectures & Readings

For our four readings, you will be required to post a response in a WebCT whole-class forum:

Required Materials

INTO THE WILD
by Jon Krakauer

Online Nature Readings
(see links in schedule)

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
a film by Al Gore

CAST AWAY
a Tom Hanks film

Course Policies

Attendance & Late Work

Please come to our online discussions on time and prepared! Every absence will lower your overall grade. Should you miss more than three weeks of class (excused or unexcused) you will not be allowed to pass the course. Late papers and forum posts will be marked down one full grade per week and will adversely affect your overall class grade.

Grading

Your final grade is based on the quality and completeness of all written assignments, your effort to improve your writing, forum and chat participation, attendance, class activities and workshops.

1. Three Major Essays
Workshops & Drafts: 30%

2. Written & Oral Analyses of Reading Selections: 15%

3. Written & Oral Analyses of our Book: 15%

4. Written & Oral Analyses of our Two Films: 30%

5. Practice WPE: 10%

Academic Dishonesty

According to the CSUN catalogue, plagiarism is the act of “intentionally or knowingly representing the words, ideas, or works of another as one’s own in any academic exercise,” and will result in a failing grade for the assignment. In addition, it may result in a failing grade for the course and disciplinary action on the part of the university. Internet software is available to assist CSUN faculty to scan student writing. ALL student assignments will be scanned for plagiarism.

Please adhere to the CSUN Student Conduct Code for all course activities, including email, forum and chat discussions, and written and oral analyses.

Accessibility

CSUN is actively revamping its Web presence to make the content universally accessible. It is the policy of the CSU to make information technology resources and services accessible to all CSU students, faculty, staff and the general public regardless of disability.

The California State University System is undertaking an unprecedented and coordinated effort to bring the CSU into compliance with federal and state laws pertaining to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Under Section 508, agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information that is comparable to the access available to others.

Students concerned with accessibility to digital course materials should contact the Center on Disabilities (COD) for assistance.

Accessibility Links

Course Description & Requirements

English 305OL - Intermediate Expository Writing

Course Number: 13479

Tuesday 7:00-9:45 p.m.

Course Prerequisites:

Completion of the lower-division writing requirement. Not allowed for credit in the English major and minor.

Enrollment Procedures

CSUN regularly enrolled students register for online courses in the same manner as they register for any course. If you wish to add the course after the semester begins, you must email the course Professor for a permission number.

Students must email the instructor and receive an acknowledgement to complete the enrollment procedure. Directions will be given by the instructor about how to access the course website and complete the specific enrollment requirements for the course.

Students from other CSU Campuses who wish to enroll, must submit the Concurrent Enrollment Form to their home Campus. Anyone in the world may take the Online Courses through CSUN's Open University!

Student Learning Objectives

This course provides preparation for the Upper Division Writing Proficiency Exam (UDWPE), satisfies the writing requirement in the Liberal Studies major, and provides an additional opportunity for students to review, reassess, and further develop their writing and research skills. Important aims of the course:

1. Discovering your own "voice."

2. Developing a variety of writing styles.

3. Developing a sensitivity to the impact of language.

4. Improving your ability to use appropriate research methods and materials.

5. Improving skills in standard written English.

6. Developing Computer & Internet Competency.

7. Developing an understanding and appreciation of Nature!

Course Requirements

Welcome to English 305OL, an intermediate course in expository writing available to students who have completed their lower division writing requirement. This course is not available for credit in the English major and minor.

NOTE: This class will meet LIVE online EVERY Tuesday from 7:00-9:45pm. Please check your availability BEFORE registering for this course. This is a live discussion-based course, so please plan to be online for the entire 2 3/4 hour class meeting!

During the semester you will be asked to produce a variety of writing, including short written responses to the readings, multiple drafts of three major essays, an analytical essay on your writing process, practice WPE exams, a written response to our book, and written responses to our films.

Carefully read each homework assignment -- our week to week schedule will vary. For some papers, you will be required to respond in a whole-class WebCT forum, email your work to the Instructor, or you will be asked to post on our Turnitin page. For our two films and one book, you will be asked to post in a WebCT forum and send an additional paper via email. You will receive a letter grade for each assignment sent to the Instructor via email.

Whole-class forum postings will be graded 'A' for effort and thoughtfulness. Please leave yourself enough time to read and respond to your peers. Note that each whole-class forum has its own question and posting instructions.

NOTE: The class will also be divided into PERMANENT SMALL GROUPS for the purpose of our three workshops. You may use these forums to communicate with your groupmates throughout the semester. If you wish to work with a particular person(s) please let me know by the end of the first class session.

Assignments that need to be emailed to the Instructor:

*** Into the Wild Analysis

*** Cast Away Analysis

*** An Inconvient Truth Analysis

Assignments that need to be posted on Turnitin:

*** 2nd Drafts of Three Expository Essays

*** 3rd Drafts of Two of the Three Expository Essays

Technical Requirements

Students will need to have access to the Internet, either Microsoft Explorer, Firefox, or Safari, and an active CSUN email account to access the WebCT system. To activate your CSUN e-mail address or reset its password use the account utility page. You will also need to establish a Turnitin account on our designated Turnitin course page. I will post our Turnitin information on our WebCT course page.

Can't login? If you see the main WebCT login screen repeatedly, despite entering a valid e-mail address and password, then you may need to enable cookies in your web browser's options or preferences area. WebCT requires access to cookies and will not allow a successful log-in until and unless your web browser has them enabled. Since Chat is a Java applet, you should visit the WebCT browser tune-up page to check your computer settings.

Instructions will be provided for all computer activities; you may visit CSUN's Office of Online Instruction site for information on online courses and programs. CSUN also provides information on computer resources and availability. Please be familiar with CSUN's online applications, particularly WebCT, prior to our first meeting.

NOTE: For chat preparation install Java before using chat!!! Because of a legal dispute between Microsoft and Sun, recent versions of Internet Explorer / Windows do not come bundled with Java, a program that WebCT chat relies on. If you try to use a Java-based program and Java has not been installed on your system, you will see a message indicating that you need to download "JAVA Virtual Machine." You may download and install Java directly from Sun at http://www.java.com/en/index.jsp (click the big yellow Get It Now button on that page). Follow the directions for installation, closing your web browser and/or restarting your system as it suggests. Once Java has been installed you should encounter no further trouble with WebCT chat.