English 1100 & 1200Fall 2010

Instructors’ meeting for

Curriculum Announcements Include Course Outcomes on Syllabus

(SACS)English 1100 Discover significant questions to explore and address via writing Explore the many different purposes of writing, including writing to reflect,

analyze, explain, and persuade Practice drafting and revising Increase awareness of organizational strategies and the ability to apply them Become attentive to how audience and purpose affect content, tone, and

style Incorporate sufficient and appropriate details and examples from experiences

and from secondary research Express ideas with clarity and with effective syntax and punctuation Gain competence in using computer technology in the writing process Schedule and meet deadlines

Curriculum Announcements Include Course Outcomes on Syllabus (SACS)English 1200 Formulate significant research questions Craft a strong research proposal Establish work plans and timelines Locate and evaluate a variety of sources, including field-based, print, and

electronic sources Apply research and use writing to achieve a variety of purposes Convey the results of research to a variety of audiences Organize source materials Integrate outside source materials—field-based, print, and electronic—into

writing Cite sources accurately and responsibly in order to avoid plagiarism Identify and explain writing strategies used in the writer’s own work as well as

in the work of experienced writers

Policy Announcements

Necessary Information for Syllabus, Overview from Faculty Manual (Part V, section M)“The syllabus should make clear the goals and

content of the course and what will be expected of students in the course. A course syllabus should specify the instructor’s policies for class attendance, grading, civility in the classroom, and academic integrity. The syllabus should also include a schedule for tests, and assignments.”

Policy Announcements AttendanceYou set the attendance policy, as long as1) You accept university-excused absences (students are required to make

up work).2) You count absences from the day that a student registers for the class. 3) You normally accept written medical excuses from licensed medical

professionals.

W. Class Attendance and Participation Regulations A student’s participation in the work of a course is a precondition for receiving credit for the course. Students are expected to attend punctually all lecture and laboratory sessions and field experiences and to participate in course assignments and activities as described in the course syllabus. Absences are counted from the first class meeting after the student registers. Students registering late are expected to make up all missed assignments in a manner determined by the instructor.

Policy Announcements Attendance

W. Class Attendance and Participation Regulations Student Health Services does not issue official written excuses for

illness or injury, but will, upon request at the time of the visit, provide a note confirming that the student has received medical care. In the event that the student is seriously ill or injured at the time of final examinations the Student Health Service or the Center for Counseling and Student Development, on request of the student, may recommend a medical incomplete. Instructors should normally honor a written medical excuse from a licensed medical or psychological practitioner that states the student was too ill or injured to attend class and provides the specific date(s) for which the student was unable to attend class due to the medical or psychological problem.

Policy Announcements

Attendance (cont.)If you plan to have a system in which students’

grades will suffer after a certain number of absences, put this policy in writing in the syllabus.

It is recommended that you avoid a “3-strikes and you fail the class” kind of policy.

Require presence rather than punishing absence.

Policy Announcements

Office Hours 5 hours, regardless of how many

sections you teach. Should be spread out over different

days/times of day.

Policy Announcements Academic Integrity/Plagiarism

StatementBe clear about your penalties. See the sample

statement on GTA/Recommended syllabus. In addition, explain the importance of citation and

the consequences of plagiarism to your students. Feel free to use the slideshow in the “class downloads” area: http://core.ecu.edu/engl/fyw/writing/index.htm

Make sure you follow the process: http://www.ecu.edu/studentlife/osrr/conduct-process2.cfm **

Policy Announcements Disruptive Students/Class Conduct

Include details in a written document (as part of an online/electronic version of the syllabus) about what appropriate classroom behavior entails and what it excludes.

Call campus security if students become threatening or abusive in class or in your office.

For less aggressive, but still disruptive, behavior (such as texting repeatedly in class, reading the newspaper, holding repeated side conversations, etc.) follow the procedure outlined in the Faculty Manual, Part V, Sect. Y (http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/fsonline/customcf/facultymanual/manual.htm).**

Disruptive Academic Behavior

“Students who repeatedly violate reasonable standards of behavior in the classroom or other academic setting may be removed from the course by the instructor following appropriate notice. Students removed from a course under this policy will receive a ‘drop’ according to university policy and are eligible for tuition refund as specified in the current tuition refund policy. ”

-ECU Faculty Manual, Part V, Section I-Y.

Disruptive Academic Behavior Process OverviewThe Steps 1. Private verbal warning describing the behavior of

concern to the student, explaining that it is inappropriate, and asking the student to stop

2. Written warning indicating that the student will be removed from the course if the behavior does not cease

3. Discussion of the situation with the Department Chair or designee.

4. Meeting with student, Chair/designee, and instructor, if it is decided to remove the student from the course.

5. Written notification of the decision to remove the student from the class, with a copy forwarded to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities.

***Please see Part V, Section I-Y of the faculty manual for more details.

Policy Announcements Grade Appeals (Faculty Manual, Part V, Section I-J)

Appeals will not be considered unless based upon one or more of the following factors: An error was made in grade computation. Standards different from those established in written

department, school or college policies, if specific policies exist, were used in assigning the grade.

The instructor departed substantially from his or her previously articulated, written standards, without notifying students, in determining the grade.

Only the final course grade may be appealed. The grade assigned by the instructor is assumed to be correct and the student appealing the grade must justify the need for a change of the grade assigned.

Grade Appeal Process

The Steps 1. Student meets with instructor to discuss grade

within 21 calendar days of the semester (not incl. summer) after final grade is assigned

2. Student submits the following in writing to the Department Chair or designee:▪ A statement addressing how the appeal meets one or more of

the three criteria necessary for a formal appeal▪ A description of the outcome of the informal discussion

process▪ Any relevant documents the student would like to be reviewed

as part of the appeal process▪ A copy of the course syllabus and assignment descriptions

Grade Appeal Process

The Steps (cont.)1. The instructor has 14 calendar days to respond in writing to the

materials provided by the Chair or designee. The Chair or designee will also meet with the instructor to discuss the response.

2. The Chair will report, in writing, the outcome of this step within 7 calendar days after receiving the instructor’s response.

3. The student may then submit the complaint material to the College Dean or designee within 7 calendar days. This appeal step follows the same course as the step involving the Department Chair or designee.

4. The student may request that a Grade Appeal Committee be formed by the College Dean. This committee shall include three faculty members from the college: one selected by the student, one selected by the instructor of record, and one appointed by the Dean. A majority shall prevail in the committee. The Grade Appeal Committee can either uphold the grade assigned or require that it be changed. (See FM, Sect. I-J for full details)

Assessment Results—Diction and Usage

English 1100, Fall 2008

English 1100 Assessment Procedure A sample of 250 student papers was

collected from across 35 sections of English 1100.

These were papers composed as the final assignment in English 1100 sections.

Papers were assessed by three trained scorers using a shared rubric.

1100 Diction and Usage Rubric Each paper was rated on a scale of

1(low) -4 (high) in the following 4 categories: Correct word choice (accuracy) Appropriate word choice (level of

formality, tone with respect to audience and purpose)

Sentence completeness—fragments (1=more than four fragments; 4=no fragments)

Sentence completeness—run-ons (1=more than four run-on sentences; 4=no run-on sentences)

English 1100 Assessment ResultsCriterion Average ScoreCorrect Word Choice 2.64Appropriate Word Choice 3.65Sentence Completeness-Fragments

3.45

Sentence Completeness-Run-ons 3.22

• The standard deviations for the two lowest-averaging criteria-- “Correct Word Choice” and the “Run-ons” -- were at .9 or above.

•The standard deviation for “Fragments” was .75.

Implications & Recommendations Upon completion of English 1100, students

seem fairly adept at determining appropriate tone and style for an audience.

Even after one semester of college composition, students struggle to find the most accurate words to say what they mean.

The standard deviations in the “Correct Word Choice,” “Run-ons,” and “Fragments” categories suggests that our students complete 1100 with significantly varied levels of ability in these areas

Implications & Recommendations Students might benefit if instructors of English 1100 spent more

time discussing common academic vocabulary (Academic Word List resource: http://www.uefap.com/vocab/select/awl.htm) and providing students with practice in identifying and learning this vocabulary, particularly as it relates to their intended future majors.

The variety of skill levels--as demonstrated by the standard deviations--in the areas of fragments and run-ons suggests that, rather than spending class sessions focusing on these two issues, a more effective use of instructional effort might involve individualized instruction for the particular students who struggle with these aspects of sentence completeness. Good online resources for these issues can be found here: http://www.ecu.edu/first_year_studio/workshops/Workshop%20List.htm

#grammatical_sentences http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/598/02/ http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/620/1/

Assessment Results—Integrating Sources

English 1200, Spring 2010

English 1200 Assessment Tool Five-question, use-of-source quiz,

administered to 24 sections of English 1200 at the start of the semester and again at the end of the semester

Two-part questions Identify if there is a problem (acceptable

vs. unacceptable use of source) If there is a problem, rewrite to fix it

Sample QuestionOriginal Source:

These two minds, the emotional and the rational, operate in tight harmony for the most part, intertwining their very different ways of knowing to guide us through the world.

—From page 3 of the book Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman

Use of Source:According to Daniel Goleman, two different minds, one emotional and one rational, function in close harmony and mix their different ways of knowing to help us through the world (3).

__Acceptable_X_Unacceptable [Paraphrase is too close to the original]

Rewrite (if applicable):

Overall Identification and Error Rates

Pre-test 58.19% correct identification 2.12 rewrite errors per quiz

Post-test 60.43% correct identification 1.88 rewrite errors per quiz

Identifying Source-Use ProblemsPercentage change (pre to post test) of correct identifications per quiz item

#1 (improper paraphrase)-3.96%

#2 (missing source information--author and page) +6.06%#3 (improper paraphrase) +5.24%#4 (improper direct quotation) +2.78%#5 (correct-no error) +1.04%

Addressing Source-Use Problems

Notable attempted rewrite success, pre-to-post test: Entirely correct rewrites increased by

22.39% Entirely incorrect rewrites decreased by

6.12%Notable rewrite error-rate decrease,

pre-to-post test: Insufficient information for in-text citation

errors decreased by 10.84%

Addressing Source-Use Problems

Rewrite error increases, pre-to-post test (continued): Errors in punctuation involving

parenthetical citations and direct quotations increased by 4-5%

Errors in paraphrasing in which the wording or structure was too close to the original increased slightly more than 3%

Limitations of the Assessment Fewer post tests (attrition)—507 pre-

tests and 427 post-tests Decrease in student investment at

the end of the semester Decrease in student investment due

to lack of grade and decontextualized work.

Lessons of the Assessment Students seem to know something about

integrating sources at the end of 1100 Students in 1200 are getting the message about

what needs to be included in in-text citation Room for improvement in 1200

Paraphrasing—looking at examples and practicing repeatedly, especially with changing the structure of a source writer’s ideas as well as his or her individual words.

Editing/Proofreading skills, especially around source use areas.

Reminders

Thursday AM GTA meetings (9:30) in the Studio (Bate 2005)—All are welcome!

Composition Committee Professional Development Workshops—possible topics for fall (dates & details forthcoming) Integrating/Using Sources Using Ethnic Studies in English 1200