BELLEVUE COLLEGE

ENGL 201: The Research Paper

Winter 2013: (5 credit hours)

Instructor:  Elisabeth Kraus

Office:  off-campus

Email: elisabeth.kraus@northwestu.edu

Students can expect responses to emails within 48 hours, M-F. 

Students may also expect responses over the weekends; however, I cannot guarantee a specific return period

 

Course description:

The purpose of this course is to help you develop professional research and writing skills. These skills are essential in preparing you for the academic writing you produce, not only in college, but also the writing you will do in your careers beyond BC. It is a course designed to teach you how to critically evaluate others’ arguments and mount logical and ethical arguments of your own. Ultimately, you should learn to be a better thinker, writer, and communicator – someone who thinks critically about topics, other people, and yourself, one who analyzes specific situations, adjusts your writing to fit accordingly, and expresses ideas effectively.

 

Course outcomes:

Upon completion of English 201, you will be able to

 

Course textbooks:

The Curious Researcher, 7th edition, by Bruce Ballenger    

The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th edition, Modern Language Association

 

 

COURSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Deadlines & due dates:

All homework assignments – forum posts, weekly responses, essays, etc. – are due by 6 PM (PST) every Friday.  It is your responsibility to meet this deadline every week.  I accept no late assignments.  If you miss a deadline, the grade for that assignment is F (0 points).

 

Participation:

Bertrand Russell once said, "Most people would rather die than think – and most do!"  I think that this is a bit of an exaggeration, but I do believe that thinking and reflecting are essential for the development of optimal writing skills, and the best way for you to sharpen your capacity to think is for you to actively contribute to class discussions and to participate in peer review exercises in a productive manner.  Practically speaking, this means that you are expected to actively contribute to weekly class discussions. However, just as a classroom instructor will not require students to raise their hands a certain number of times each session, I do not require a certain number of weekly forum posts; that said, I will gauge your weekly participation in these discussions and determine whether or not you have significantly and positively contributed to our “classroom culture.” Doing so will you require you to dialog with your classmates multiple times throughout the week; after all, merely answering a question while not discussing it with your peers does not constitute productive dialog.  Be sure to demonstrate thoughtfulness, both in your initial response to the topic at hand, and in your responses to fellow classmates. Ask questions! Give strong answers! Give specific feedback! Engage with the materials and with your peers!

 

Failure to participate in every weekly discussion

will negatively affect your final grade.

Students who fail to engage in the weekly class discussions

will earn no higher than a C in the class.

 

 

Bellevue College email:

All students registered for classes at Bellevue College are entitled to a network and e-mail account. Your student network account can be used to access your student e-mail, log in to computers in labs and classrooms, connect to the BC wireless network, and log in to MyBC. To create your account, go to:  https://bellevuecollege.edu/sam.  BC offers a wide variety of computer and learning labs to enhance learning and student success. Find current campus locations for all student labs by visiting the Computing Services website.

 

Disability resource center:

The Disability Resource Center serves students with a wide array of learning challenges and disabilities. Please visit the DRC if you have any questions about classroom accommodations – whether you are a student or a faculty member. If you are a student who has a disability or a learning challenge for which you have documentation or have seen someone for treatment and if you feel you may need accommodations in order to be successful in college, please contact the DRC staff as soon as possible. The DRC office is located in B132 or you can call our reception desk at 425-564-2498.  Deaf students can reach us by video phone at 425-440-2025 or by TTY at 425-564-4110. Please visit our website for application information into our program and other helpful links at www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc.  Remember if you are someone who has either an apparent or a non-apparent disability and you require assistance in case of an emergency situation, such as a fire, earthquake, etc., please meet with your individual instructors to develop a safety plan within the first week of the quarter.

 

Learning environment:

What follows is the Bellevue College Arts & Humanities Division policy on classroom behavior:

The college's ‘Affirmation of Inclusion’ is posted in each classroom (even online ones) and sets forth the expectation that we will all treat one another with respect and dignity regardless of whether or not we agree philosophically. This expectation is in line with the principle of free speech in a free society:  we have the right to express unpopular ideas as long as we don't show disrespect for reasonable people who might believe otherwise. In an on-line [or hybrid] course, you will be expressing ideas through the medium of the course site rather than face to face in the classroom. In that case, these expectations refer to the courtesy with which you communicate with one another through e-mails and e-discussions. Part of this respect involves professional behavior toward the instructor, colleagues, and the class itself. Disruptive behavior is disrespectful behavior. The Arts and Humanities Division honors the right of its faculty to define "disruptive behavior," which often involves such things as arriving late, leaving early, leaving class and then returning, talking while others are trying to hear the instructor or their group members, doing other homework in class, wearing earphones in class, bringing activated beepers, alarm watches, or cell phones into class, inappropriate comments or gestures, etc. In on-line courses, ‘flaming’ anyone in the class is also considered disruptive behavior. Such behavior interrupts the educational process. When you are in doubt about any behavior, consult your instructor during office hours. We recognize the judgment of the instructor as the final authority in these matters.

When disruptive behavior occurs, instructors will speak to or e-mail the students concerned. Those students are then responsible for ending the disruptions at once.  Failure to do so may result in removal of the students from class.

Writing lab:

Please make use – often – of the Bellevue College Writing Lab. The lab offers tutoring and help (both personal and computerized) on grammar and basic skills. The Writing Lab is a place where students can work on developing college-level writing skills. Students can come to the Writing Lab (not more than once per day) for individual help on revising their writing for class, college applications, or personal projects. Tutors can listen to ideas and ask questions to help students focus on one topic, correct and avoid punctuation and grammar errors, and review papers to ensure they are clear and follow the assignment instructions. However, tutors do not edit papers!  The Writing Lab is located in D-204.  Check the website for hours of availability: www.bellevuecollege.edu/writinglab.  While students can drop in any time the Writing Lab is open, it is better to make an appointment at least two days before a paper is due by calling 425-564-2200. If students do not have an appointment and all of the tutors are busy, they may have to wait or come back later.

 

Academic honesty:

In this class, any student who plagiarizes fails the course automatically. I have absolutely no tolerance for this behavior. Plagiarism, or academic dishonesty, is the act of using another writer’s words or ideas as your own. It is also the act of using a paper written for another class and submitting it in this one.  According to the Bellevue College Arts & Humanities website, plagiarism “may take many forms, including, but not limited to, using a paper written by someone else, using printed sources word-for-word without proper documentation, and paraphrasing or summarizing the ideas of others without acknowledging the source.  Plagiarism can also occur when non-written ideas are taken without documentation--using someone else's design or performance idea, for example.  In short, plagiarism is passing off someone else's ideas, words, or images as your own; it amounts to intellectual theft--whether or not it was your intention to steal.”

 

 

ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTIONS

A Comprehensive Assignment Schedule can be found on Canvas.

PLEASE REMEMBER:

All weekly assignments – forum posts, readings, weekly responses, essays, etc. – are to be submitted to our Canvas site by 6 PM (PST) on Friday afternoons.  Late assignments will not be accepted and will therefore earn 0 points.  Emergency situations should be communicated to the professor BEFORE the assignment is due if the student would like the instructor to consider an exception to this rule. 

 

Please note: Unless otherwise noted, I require you to use proper MLA format for all written assignments. This includes not only the way the paper actually looks on the page, but also in-text citations and a Works Cited page. You should have learned MLA format in high school, but if for some unknown reason you are unfamiliar with MLA, refer to The MLA Handbook, which is a required text for this class. 

 

All assignments should be submitted as Word documents.  I cannot accept any other format. 

Assignments submitted in other formats will not earn credit.

 

Evaluation:

Topic Proposal                                                                        50 points

Critical summary                                                                      50 points

Completed rough draft of research essay in MLA format        25 points

Completed rough draft of Annotated Bib. in MLA format         25 points

Annotated bibliography (10 sources minimum)                       100 points

Final draft of research essay in MLA format                            100 points

Weekly class discussions                                                       10 points each (100 total)

Response Papers                                                                   10 points each (100 total)

 

TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE =                                               550 points

 

I reserve the right to adjust the number and type of assignments, depending on class progress. In the event that adjustments prove necessary, I will modify the final grading scale to reflect those changes.

                       

 

Final grade scale:

A          =          94-100%                                             

A-         =          91-93%                                                                       

B+       =          88-90%                                                           

B          =          84-87%                                                           

B-        =          81-83%                                                           

C+       =          78-80%                                                           

C         =          74-77%                                                           

C-        =          71-73%                       

D+       =          68-70%                       

D         =          64-67%                       

D-        =          60-63%                       

F          =          59% & below              

 

Reading (LS[1]):

It is impossible to successfully complete this course without purchasing the textbook and completing each assigned reading on time. Furthermore, it is essential that you complete the assigned readings before attempting to discuss them in the class forum or to complete the assignments pertaining to that information.

 

Forum Discussions (LS):

As noted before, you are responsible to participate in online discussions.  These discussions will center on the material that we are reading and about which we are writing.  I will post specific discussion questions and/or topics, and ask that you contribute meaningfully each week.  Take time to ask questions, begin explorations and respond to the comments/observations made by a classmate. When posting, please keep in mind that this is an English class; as such, your posts should reflect good paragraph organization and correct grammar.  Posts that do not reflect proper conventions (i.e. capitalization, spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, etc.) will not earn credit in this class. 

 

Response Papers (LS):

Throughout the course, I will ask you to participate in a variety of writing experiences that will help you to process what you are reading and learning, respond to it, and create action plans to implement when writing your formal essays.  Instructions will be given for each specific assignment, so be sure to view the “Start Here” documents posted at the top of each module.

 

Topic Proposal (HS):

Students will choose the topic about which they will write, and for this assignment, will propose that topic along with a rationale, suggested audience, beginning research, and plan for gathering further information.  A grading rubric and comprehensive assignment sheet (with all details) are already posted on Canvas.  You will be prudent to review those carefully in order to fully understand the criteria by which your writing will be assessed. 

 

Comprehensive Summary (HS[2]):

Students will begin their research by locating a 15-20 page, peer-reviewed journal article from the library databases.  Newspaper articles and books are not acceptable for this project.  Students will then objectively summarize the content of the article in no more and no less than 250 words (excluding the header, heading, title and Works Cited page).  Students will receive a 5-word grace allotment which allows them to be 5 words under OR over the required 250 words.  A grading rubric, comprehensive assignment sheet (with all details), and explanative lecture are already posted on Canvas.  You will be prudent to review those carefully in order to fully understand the criteria by which your writing will be assessed. 

 

Drafts (LS):

Throughout the course, I will ask you to complete multiple drafts of your formal research paper and your annotated bibliography.  You will then participate in peer review exercises that will allow you to receive feedback from your classmates.  If you fail to submit a complete draft (partially completed essays do not count), you will be ineligible to receive the points allotted.   Please understand that I do not “mark up” rough drafts, though I will provide general comments designed to help you to improve.  You will, therefore, receive full credit for submitting a complete draft on time. 

 

Research Paper (HS):

Over the course of the quarter, you will write a formal research paper that requires substantial research and substantial revisions.  All other assignments in this class lend to the completion of this paper. The paper should be 10-12 pages long, including the Works Cited page.  You should be very careful to follow all instructions and should be sure to use correct grammar, avoiding such issues as sentence fragments, run-ons, comma splices, misplaced modifiers, etc. (yes….I will help you with this J). A grading rubric and comprehensive assignment sheet (with all details) are already posted on Canvas.  You will be prudent to review those carefully in order to fully understand the criteria by which your writing will be assessed. 

 

Annotated Bibliography (HS):

In addition to the formal research paper, students will complete a 10-source annotated bibliography that objectively documents at least 10 of the sources that the student includes in his or her paper.  Each entry should include both the MLA-formatted documentation as well as s complete summary of the source.  Summaries should be approximately 100-150 words for every 5-7 pages.  A grading rubric and comprehensive assignment sheet (with all details) are already posted on Canvas.  You will be prudent to review those carefully in order to fully understand the criteria by which your writing will be assessed. 

 

WRITING GUIDELINES:

 

1.               Learn to spell – and don't depend on a computer program to do it for you. Human beings program spell check functions. Many of those anonymous human beings cannot spell (and know very little about grammar). Do not trust those anonymous individuals with your grade in this class.

In a research setting, credibility is of the utmost importance.

Your personal credibility depends not only on the quality of research you collect, but also the responsibility you take to communicate that information accurately and carefully.

For this reason, any essay that includes an error that a quick spell check would have remedied will earn a grade no higher than “D,” and the student will be unable to resubmit the paper.

 

2.         Do not submit a paper to me that you have not proofread carefully. In fact, do not submit a paper to me that has not been edited by at least three other people who know much more about writing, editing, and proofreading than you do – and you’re certain that they know what they are doing.

           

3.         Follow all of directions that I give you for each assignment. I give them for a reason. Read each assignment thoroughly. You ignore or skim instructions at your grade’s peril.

 

4.         Essay content is important. However, I cannot get to the content if you do not pave the way for me. Translation? If you fill your paper with sentence fragments, run-ons, comma splices, incorrect punctuation, agreement problems, UFPs (unidentified flying pronouns), etc. — that  is what I will see first. I will never get beyond those errors to the rich, deep content in your words. 

           

5.         Some of you do not know what a sentence fragment is. Some of you do not know how to recognize comma splices or run-on sentences. Some of you have never learned how to use an apostrophe to indicate possession. Some of you do not know how or why or when or if to use a comma. Some of you would not recognize a coordinating conjunction if it walked up to you in broad daylight, clapped you on the shoulder, shook your hand, and called you by name. However, it's time to learn. Papers filled with these errors will never rise above a grade of D in this class. 

 

6.         Please understand that you are entering a college-level writing course.  Grades previously earned do not impact the grades earned in this class. What is important to me is the quality of the writing you submit to me now, during this quarter, in this class.

 

 

7.         Know now that in English 201:

 

A         means             EXCELLENT  

            B         means             GOOD WORK

C         means             AVERAGE WORK 

            D         means             POOR WORK 

            F          means             UNACCEPTABLE COLLEGE LEVEL WORK

 

8.         I do not “give” grades.  Students earn their grades.  Final grades are just that:  final.  I do not change

final grades for any reason.

 



[1] LS = low stakes: This is an informal assignment for which you may receive full credit by submitting a complete assignment on time and according to the instructions)

[2] HS = high stakes: This is a formal assignment that will be graded according to the posted rubric and/or grading criteria.