General Information

Bruce Closser
Nethery Hall 116
closserb@andrews.edu
471-3172 (office); 473-5480 (home)

Lauren Matacio
Library 233
matacio@andrews.edu
471-6062 (office)
 

Kirszner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell. The Pocket Wadsworth Handbook . Third edition. Boston, MA: Thomson, Wadsworth, 2006.

Various readings from professional journals selected by class members or provided by the instructor.

A researcher's notebook. A three-ring binder in which you store your research working bibliography, reading notes, paper drafts, photocopies of your internet and journal sources and other sources not available in the JWL.
 

ENGL215 is the second semester of the general education required writing course. Writing tasks emphasize summarizing, analyzing, synthesizing, reading critically, and writing source-based compositions. After successfully completing the course, you will:

1. Employ critical reading skills in response to academic sources.

2. Enlarge and adapt your composing processes (including pre-writing, drafting, revision, and editing) to various academic writing tasks.

3. Respond to academic texts with writing that analyzes, synthesizes, interprets, and assesses meaning and significance.

4. Respond to the rhetorical demands of various academic writing tasks.

5. Realize the power of academic writing to foster discovery and learning.

6. Produce finished papers which conform to the guidelines of a documentation style manual (in this case, APA).

7. Present finished papers which conform to standard written American English.

Over the course of this semester, you will study how to write several kinds of source-based essays. You'll have an opportunity to practice the skills associated with research writing in a variety of in- and out-of-class writing tasks and assignments. The course is divided into two segments. In the first segment you'll practice the skills you need to do longer researched projects. I'll assign the topic (the nurse-patient relationship) for the first segment. During the second segment, you'll employ your research skills to write a longer project on a topic of your own selection, so long as it comes from the nursing field.

The eight major writing assignments, each of which provides you with an opportunity to develop and practice skills essential to research writing, are described below. Specific instructions will be provided for each assignment as necessary. Assignments are due when indicated in the Tentative Schedule of Activities which appears below.

Diagnostic Essay   (1-page minimum) In class, write an essay in which you reflect on your relationship (or that of someone you know well) with a health care provider. Recall a time when you (or someone you know) were a patient. What sort of experience did you have? How did the experience measure up to your expectations before the experience? How did you feel about this experience afterwards? If you could change anything about this experience, what would it be? This essay will be kept on file as a measure of your writing abilities and will be used to diagnose writing problems to be addressed during the semester.

Summary Essay  (2-page minimum) Using an electronic database, locate an article dealing with the nurse-patient relationship. Summarize the main points of this argument. Publish this essay on the class web page. This essay is intended to provide you with practice in a) using a database for finding journal articles, b) summarizing in writing material you read, a skill vital to taking notes for future research projects, and c) documenting journal articles in American Psychological Association (APA) style.

Review Essay   (2-page minimum) Watch the movie, WIT ; study how it portrays the relation between the patient and her (in this case) health care providers. Comment on how the film affects the way you see the nursing profession. After watching the film, do you find that your sense of what it means to be a nurse has changed? How? What sort of nurse should you be if you want to be successful as a nurse? What does it mean to be a successful nurse? Incorporate information from your summary (or your research colleagues' summaries, available on-line) into your report. Publish your essay on the class web page. This essay is intended to a) sensitize you to the sort of relationships that can develop between patients and health-care providers, b) allow you to develop skills in reviewing (analyzing) sources, c) show you how to document movie/DVD and Web page sources in APA style and d) help you develop questions to ask during the interview you will conduct when you write your case study.

Case Study   (3-page minimum) Locate someone who has intimate knowledge of the health care industry (a nurse, doctor, or other provider) or who has been a patient (a recent cancer patient, for instance). Interview this person about his/her experience as a health-care provider or patient. Write up your results and publish your essay on the class web page. This essay will a) introduce you to the standard format for a scientific/pseudo scientific paper, b) help you develop your interview and note taking skills, and c) teach you how to document an interview in APA style.

Claim Essay   (3-5 pages) Using material from your case study and from the case studies written by your research colleagues, write an essay in which you make a claim about the state of health care (in terms of its relationship to its consumers) today. Publish your essay on the class web page. This essay is intended to help you distinguish between a) primary and secondary research and b) between claim and support. In addition, the essay will help you c) appreciate what it means to belong to a research community and d) fairly represent the work of other writers and researchers in this community.

Annotated Bibliography   (3-5 pages) Develop an annotated bibliography of at least fifteen (15) sources relating to a subject you wish to research in your Analysis Essay (see below). Document each entry on your Reference list in APA style. At least half of the articles on your working bibliography must come from print sources (as opposed to web pages; print sources means that the articles appeared first in a professional journal, though you may be reading them on the Internet). For each entry write one paragraph (75-100 words) detailing the major points of the article. This assignment is intended to a) encourage you to locate and begin reading sources you may use in your longer research writing, and b) help you learn to write the precis.

Analysis Essay   (8-page minimum, not counting title, reference or supporting pages). Identify a question you'd like to try to answer pertaining to some aspect of the nursing profession (the relationship between diet and diabetes, the effects of higher insurances costs on treatment effectiveness, etc) Research your question in the library, on the Internet, or through interviews with knowledgeable individuals. Take careful notes and use them to write an extended essay. Document the sources you use to develop and illustrate your essay in APA style. This task will help you develop and practice your ability to use and document sources in your writing and give you an opportunity to write a longer researched essay. Publish your essay on the class web page.

Final Examination   (Minimum 1 page) Watch a short passage from the film, Patch Adams . Assess/respond to Adams' ability as a medical professional to establish an effective patient rapport. This essay will give you an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to support your observations with references, properly cited and documented in APA format, to any reading and research you or your colleagues have done during the semester. You may bring any of your notes, photocopies, or books to the test.
 

The following policies will apply during this semester:

1. Attendance   Your attendance is required and expected. If you must miss a class period for any reason, make prior arrangements. University policy allows teachers to fail students who miss twenty percent or more of required class appointments (Andrews University 2005-2006 Bulletin , p. 28).

2. Sharing and Publishing   Class activities will include discussions, small group meetings, conferences, and library research. Since this is a source-based writing course, much of your time will be spent gathering ideas to be used in the different essays you will write. In the course of writing these essays, you'll have opportunities to share drafts of, or ideas from these essays with class members and with me in conference and small group activities, and to publish the final results of your writing on the class web page where it will be available for use by other members of your research community.

3. Protecting Your Work   Since computers do malfunction, make a practice of saving your work regularly in multiple locations. It's wise to print hard copies periodically and store them in your researcher's log. It is your responsibility to keep copies of your work until the final grade is submitted and recorded.

4. Formatting and Submitting Your Work   All written work completed out of class must be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point, Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins. Page numbers and running heads must appear in the upper right-hand corner. Material must be documented in APA style. Basic APA guidelines are available in the textbook and will be reviewed in class. Please include the official Andrews University cover page (see below) with each essay you submit. Written work is due when announced in the Tentative Schedule of Activities. If you are unable to meet a due date, please make prior arrangements. Submit a hard copy of each writing project for evaluation and a disk copy in html code for publication on the class web page for use by all members of the research community. Simple instructions for inserting html code will be provided.

Andrews University accepts and appreciates diversity in its students, including students with disabilities. Accordingly, students with documented disabilities are encouraged to inform the University of their disability and enter into a dialogue regarding ways in which the university might reasonably accommodate them. If you qualify for accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please see the instructor as soon as possible for referral and assistance in arranging such accommodations.
 

The English Department faculty have formulated and approved the following response to plagiarism problems.

Plagiarism is an offensive act of academic dishonesty. Individuals who present someone else's writing as their own not only steal the original writer's work but also avoid engaging in learning of their own. Such behavior is unacceptable.

Students are responsible to ensure that each piece of writing they submit conforms to the standards of academic honesty. When using printed or electronic sources, students are required to document those sources appropriately. Should ownership of a piece of writing be questioned by an instructor, it is the student's responsibility to demonstrate adequate proof of having written the entire paper. Such proof could include but not be limited to notes, rough drafts, sources, or writer's journal.

A plagiarized paper will receive a grade of F with a score of zero. There will be NO opportunity to rewrite the paper to change the grade. That is, plagiarism is not a way to extend deadlines. The instructor may, according to university policy, record a grade of F for the course.* The instructor will provide a written report of the plagiarism problem to the department chair.

Should the instructor or the department chair determine that the plagiarism is not an isolated case (e.g. another paper has been plagiarized for the same class or another class or there is more than one student involved), then the department chair will convene a committee to decide on a department response. The committee will consist of at least two instructors from the English department, including the instructor(s) of the course(s) where the plagiarized paper was submitted, the department chair, one faculty member from a department other than English selected by the department chair (if the student is enrolled in a school other than CAS, the chair will select a representative from that school), and one staff or faculty member suggested by the student.

At the time of the meeting set by the department chair, the student will be given the opportunity to speak to the committee, and members of the committee will have the opportunity to ask the student questions. When that process is complete, the student will be asked to leave the meeting and the committee will decide on the consequences, which may range from a minimal reprimand of a failing grade on the assignment(s) to requesting that the academic vice-president expel the student.*

The department chair will report the decision of the committee in writing to the student, the dean of the school in which the student is enrolled, the student's advisor and to the academic vice-president.

There is no statute of limitations on plagiarism. Grades can be changed should evidence of plagiarism surface after the completion of a course.*

* See "Academic Dishonesty" in AU Working Policy 2:444-445, current Bulletin, and current AU Student Handbook.
 

Your grade for this course will consist of points earned for in-class activities and attendance and for points you earn on your written compositions. I will evaluate your writing using the form which follows. Each essay or writing project you write will be worth 100 points. Your grade, based on the total number of points possible, will be determined according to this scale: A (95-100%) A- (90-94%) B+ (87-89%) B (84-86%) B- (80-83%) C+ (75-79%) C (70-74%) C- (65-69%) D (60-64%) F (below 60%).
 

The following schedule indicates what we cover at each class period. You are responsible for reading in advance any material assigned for the next class period. Written assignments are due by 5 pm on the days indicated in the schedule. Any changes to this schedule will be announced.

WEEK 1
M (8/29) Course Overview. Discuss importance/nature of research. Assignment: Informally interview five individuals, two of whom must be faculty or staff. Discover what you can about their experiences with the medical profession. Take any notes you wish and bring to class.

W (8/31) In-class Diagnostic Writing: Explore your experience with the medical profession. What sort of experience have you had with the medical profession? Based on your interviews, to what extent do you feel that your experience is typical? Assignment: Become familiar with your textbook. Scan through its contents; note the different sections; identify sections you are most likely to refer to again. In particular, study Chapter 31 (pp. 169-172) and prepare for a quiz.

F (9/2) Quiz. Incorporating/citing sources in your text. Documenting journal articles in APA style. Writing Summaries. Using CINHAL. Assignment: Using CINHAL, find one article dealing with compassion, sensitivity, bedside manners, or some other patient-relations issue in the medical profession. Write a 1-page summary of this article.

NOTE : You are encouraged to take your Summary to the Writing Center for a reading. Make an appointment by calling 3358. Allow time to use the consultant's suggestions to make revisions.

WEEK 2
M (9/5) Labor Day Holiday. No Class. Assignment: Read chapter 32 (pp. 173-177) Avoiding Plagiarism.

W (9/7) Submit summary. Avoiding Plagiarism. Consequences. Quiz and exercises. Assignment: None

F (9/9) Writing Reviews. Anticipating the film. Assignment: Begin reading from the assigned articles.

NOTE : You are encouraged to take your Film Review to the Writing Center for a reading. Make an appointment by calling 3358. Allow time to use the consultant's suggestions to make revisions.

WEEK 3
M (9/12) Watch movie WIT . Take notes in preparation for writing a review. Assignment : Continue reading from the assigned readings.

W (9/14) Watch movie WIT. Take notes in preparation for writing a review. Assignment : Finish reading from the assigned readings.

F (9/16) Finish watching WIT. Discuss the film. Relate film to assigned readings. Documenting a film/DVD. Review incorporating sources in your text. Assignment : Write a review of the film; incorporate at least two sources from any reading you've done so far; prepare to share your draft at the next class period.

NOTE : You are encouraged to take your Film Review to the Writing Center for a reading. Make an appointment by calling 3358. Allow time to use the consultant's suggestions to make revisions.

WEEK 4
M (9/19) Small group work over reviews. Assignment : Use suggestions from small group work to revise review .

W (9/21) Writing case studies. Conducting interviews. Documenting interviews in APA style. Assignment : Identify and interview subject for case study (subject may be one of the individuals you interviewed for the diagnostic writing. Read Chapter 1 (pp. 2-5).

F (9/23) Submit revised film review. Quiz. Understanding purpose and audience. Assignment : Write case study. Read Chapter 2 (pp. 6-18

NOTE : You are encouraged to take your Case Study to the Writing Center for a reading. Make an appointment by calling 3358. Allow time to use the consultant's suggestions to make revisions.

WEEK 5
M (9/26) Quiz. Writing essays. Assignment : Read Chapter 3 (pp. 19-24)

W (9/28) Quiz. Writing paragraphs. Assignment : Complete case study.

F (9/30) Submit case study. Thesis Statements, claims and evidence. Writing the Claim Essay. Assignment : Read Chapter 28 (pp. 124-147).

NOTE : You are encouraged to take your Claim Essay to the Writing Center for a reading. Make an appointment by calling 3358. Allow time to use the consultant's suggestions to make revisions.

WEEK 6
M (10/3) Quiz. Overview/Review of the research process. Taking Notes. Assignment : Read Chapter 34 (pp. 232-260).

Sign up for a conference over your case study in the writing center this week. Have someone look over your case study. Make any revisions recommended, then submit your revised case study on Friday by class time. Submit a hard copy and an electronic copy (either a floppy disk or an attachment to an email.

W (10/5) Claim Essay instructions. Quiz and practice APA documentation style. Assignment: Complete claim essay and submit.

F (10/7) MSubmit revised Case Study, hard and electronic copies. Quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing practice. Assignment: Write out five possible research topics, issues, problems, or questions you might like to investigate in your longer researched project. Sign up for Claim Essay and Topic Selection Conferences. Bring draft of claim essay and list of five topics to the conference next week.

WEEK 7
M (10/10) Fall Recess. NO CLASS.

W (10/12) NO CLASS Claim Essay and Topic Selection Conferences. Assignment: Read Chapters 29-30 (pp. 148-168) before Library Lectures.

F (10/14) NO CLASS Claim Essay and Topic Selection Conferences. Assignment: Read Chapters 29-30 (pp. 148-168) before Library Lectures.

WEEK 8
M (10/17) Submit Claim Essay (hard and electronic copies). Quiz over reading. Begin library lectures. Meet in the JWL classroom. (Mandatory)

W (10/19) Continue library lectures. Meet in the JWL classroom. (Mandatory)

F (10/21) Complete library lectures. Meet in the JWL classroom. (Mandatory)

NOTE : During this week you will begin developing a working bibliography with a minimum of fifteen (15) sources on the area you will be researching. Your working bibliography must be documented in APA format.

WEEK 9
M (10/24) Writing annotations. Meet in the JWL classroom.

W (10/26) Library Work Day. Locate sources, read, take notes.

F (10/28) Library Work Day. Locate sources, read, take notes.

NOTE : During this week, sign up for a source conference with Matacio to resolve any difficulties you are having collecting sources. Continue taking notes.

WEEK 10
M (10/31) Thesis statements/outlines. Submit annotated bibliography.

W (11/2) Thesis/Outline Conference (Full credit for thesis and outline)

F (11/4) Thesis/Outline Conference (Full credit for thesis and outline)

NOTE : During this week you should begin reading and taking notes. At your thesis/outline conference show at least 5 full pages of notes you have taken so far.

WEEK 11
M (11/7) Preparing for the Discovery Draft Conferences

W (11/9) Discovery Drafts (Full credit for minimum of 4 written pages)

F (11/11) Discovery Drafts (Full credit for minimum of 4 written pages)

NOTE : At this conference you will be expected to show your researcher's log with a minimum of 10 pages of notes taken in whatever format you develop.

WEEK 12
M (11/14) Preparing for the Rough Draft Conferences.

W (11/16) Rough Draft Conferences. (Full credit for completed draft)

F (11/18) Rough Draft Conferences. (Full credit for completed draft)

NOTE : At this conference you must bring all of your sources or photocopies thereof for source checks.

WEEK 13
M (11/21) Catch-up day.

W (11/23) Thanksgiving Break

F (11/25) Thanksgiving Break

WEEK 14
M (11/28) Final Draft Conferences (No credit without full draft)

W (11/30) Final Draft Conferences (No credit without full draft)

F (12/2) No Class. Submit research projects at instructor's office by noon.

WEEK 15
M (12/5) Grade Conferences (Return graded projects)

W (12/7) Grade Conferences (Return graded projects)

F (12/9) Final Exam Preparation (Optional)

WEEK 16
M (12/12) Final Exam 12:45-2:45. Submit revised projects. (Optional.)
 

For all writing projects you submit, please use the official Andrews University Cover page which must include this information: