109 S21 Denton

University of Waterloo

Department English Language and Literature

ENGL 109 --  041

Introduction to Academic Writing

Spring 2021

Remote Delivery

Instructor Information 

Instructor: Dr. Stacy Denton

Office: MS Teams

Office Hours:  by appointment

Email: sdenton@uwaterloo.ca (will receive a response within 24 hours)  

Course Description (ENGL 109 Catalogue Description)

The course will explore a variety of issues in academic writing such as style, argument, and the presentation of information. English 109 is designed to get you comfortable writing in an academic context. You will learn about different forms of academic writing, as well as the processes that great writers engage in to create their best work. You will read texts to learn more about how they were written, and thus to improve your own writing. Because we value learning as a social activity, and thus recognize that writers and readers learn from one another, much of your work in English 109 will involve different kinds of collaboration with your peers.

Course Description (specific to our section)        

A central component of the work that we do in this course will focus on honing your ability to contribute to a larger scholarly “conversation” surrounding different topics in different contexts. Towards this end, we will analyze and engage with various kinds of texts – both written and visual – as individuals and as collaborators, in both verbal and written forms. As a starting point, for the first half of the semester, we will use a content-specific lens (the intersection of sports and society) through which to strengthen these modes of expression. Using a collection of case studies, we will analyze the discourse surrounding sports, especially as they intersect with larger social issues, and you will have the opportunity to bring in your own interests and perspectives to further develop this analysis. In the second half of the semester, we will diverge from this content-driven corpus as you conceptualize, research, and implement your own academic interests in a research paper that follows Humanities conventions. *Note: this research paper can be on anything that you are interested in – it can relate to “sports and society,” to your own discipline, or to anything else that you would like to explore in this academic context*

Course Goals and Learning Outcomes     

From “English 109 Learning Outcomes and Teaching Guide” created by Dr. Frankie Condon, English Language and Literature Department, UWaterloo, with section specific goals.

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Think critically and communicate effectively;
   • Section Specific: Over the course of this semester, you will be given the opportunity to explore social issues through a variety of texts, and you will be able to analyze these issues in both verbal and written forms, both in and outside of class.
2. Learn and practice a variety of strategies for inventing, drafting, and editing texts; •        Section Specific: Over the course of this semester, you will be given space to independently and collaboratively work through your ideas in scaffolded assignments and small participation exercises that will occur within and outside of class.
3. Learn and practice writing in a variety of academic genres;
   • Section Specific: Over the course of this semester, you will be asked to develop writing in different areas of academic writing, including personal reflection, critical analysis, and the research essay.
4. Learn to read critically;
   • Section Specific: Over the course of this semester, you will engage thoughtfully with different kinds of readings and viewings, including general reader and academic texts, as well as independently explore texts related to your relevant academic interests.
5. Learn to write persuasively by effectively employing elements of formal argumentation;
   • Section Specific: Over the course of this semester, you will hone your ability to contribute to an academic “conversation” that utilizes conventions surrounding organization, research, and citation.
6. Give and receive useful feedback on writing for the purposes of revision;
   • Section Specific: Over the course of this semester, you will work in peer groups in order to strengthen your ability to provide thoughtful commentary on other’s work and to implement peer feedback into your own writing.
7. Learn and practice communicating to a variety of academic audiences.
   • Section Specific: Over the course of the semester, you will use both written and verbal forms in order to convey ideas in both informal and formal settings, recognizing the need to adjust tone and style for the purpose of each unique assignment.

Required Texts 

• Library Course Reserves – E-Reserve
• Articles and viewings linked through LEARN
• Concussion. Directed by Peter Landesman. Columbia Pictures, 2016. (currently on Netflix; rent or buy on iTunes).
• Head Games: The Global Concussion Crisis. Directed by Steve James. Dogwoof, 2014. (can rent or buy on iTunes).

*There is no textbook per se* -- all textbook costs will be related to printing and possibly renting/streaming films.

Readings and Viewings Available on LEARN (see syllabus and LEARN for details) Course Requirements and Assessment  

As per the “English 109 Learning Outcomes and Teaching Guide” created by Dr. Frankie Condon, all sections of ENGL 109 will produce “15-20 pages (4500-6000 words) of revised and polished prose over the course of each term.” This requirement will be fulfilled in different

Weeks #1-6 Freewrites (8 in total)  – 16%

There will be at least one freewrite activity associated with the first six weeks of the course. Each of these freewrites should take 5 minutes maximum. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term, freewrites are meant to get you thinking about a particular concept, topic, or viewing. These writings are merely exercises and are not meant to be perfect pieces of writing centred on fully formed ideas, so do not worry about making your writing perfect! If you complete them by the due date, you receive full credit.

Weeks #1-6 Discussion Forums (5 in total) – 10%

Discussion forums will be part of almost all of our weekly activities and are meant to promote participation amongst your peers. There is no strict word count for these entries, but you do want to demonstrate that you have thought about the question that is being asked in relation to a source (whether that source is media, text, or peer-based). Make sure to pay close attention to the due dates, as there may be multiple responses required for particular weeks; if you complete these responses by the due date, you receive full credit. Suggested guidelines can be found under “Activities and Assignments” on our LEARN page.

Personal Reflection (8%) (2 pages or 500 words)

The goal of this writing is to use personal experience as a way to shed light on the prevailing conversation surrounding a given issue. Towards this end:

Choose something that came up in week #1, either related to the Abdul-Jabbar article or to the discussion forum that your group worked with and reflect upon your own

observations/experiences as they may or may not relate to this topic, either as an athlete, nonathlete, spectator, consumer, or as someone who eschews athletic enterprise.

Requirements

-You need to demonstrate the larger “conversation” that surrounds this topic. Over the course of your essay, you will need to include reference to the Abdul-Jabbar article and one source that was brought up in the discussion forum. These two sources will help you frame the topic that you are responding to. 

-You can discuss your “personal experience” in any way that you like. Perhaps you want to make this an opinion-oriented piece based on your observations relating to the sports world (at any level), or maybe you want to directly draw on a personal anecdote to help shed light on the topic that you are going to discuss. *Remember: in addition to myself, some of your peers will read a (miniature) first draft, so do not feel compelled to share personal anecdotes, unless you want to do so.*

-You can structure your essay in any way that you choose. Keep in mind, though, that you are trying to connect with a reader, and so you need to consider how that is best accomplished in regard to organization and expression. Academic conventions will be required for the rest of the semester, but feel free to approach this assignment as you think fit.  

-However, you will need to provide a works cited list, following MLA or APA conventions as close as possible. 

-In addition to this essay, you need to include a brief reflection (no more than 250 words) on what you did and/or did not incorporate from your peer's feedback and explain why you made those decisions.

Peer Review Workshop #1 (3%)

Please follow the template provided in week #2 in order to provide constructive feedback on your peer’s“Personal Reflection” draft. This workshop will be an introduction to the more formalized and in-depth peer review process that you will encounter in Peer Review Workshops #2 and #3.

Critical Analysis (12%) (4 pages or 1,000 words)

In our unit on CTE in sports, we studied a variety of different “texts,” including journalism, scholarly articles, documentary, and narrative film. In light of this material, I want you to analyze the discourse surrounding CTE, from whatever angle you choose. The challenge of this essay is to narrow your focus to a specific element of this unit that interested you, and to do so in such a way that draws across different kinds of texts. *Remember: you can take this essay in any direction that you like, as long as you fulfill the requirements.*

Requirements:

-You must discuss two assigned readings and one assigned viewing in your essay;

-You must include one source discussed in your discussion forums;

-You must include one outside source, either scholarly or non-scholarly;

-You must follow academic conventions in organizing and expressing your ideas (in short: intro, thesis, body, conclusion, properly cited evidence, etc.).

-In addition to this essay, you need to include a brief reflection (no more than 250 words) on what you did and/or did not incorporate from your peer's feedback and explain why you made those decisions.

Peer Review Workshop #2 (5%)

Please follow the template provided in week #7 in order to provide constructive feedback on your peer’s“Critical Analysis” draft. This workshop is a more formalized and in-depth peer review process that you will follow for workshop #3 as well.

Research Project Participation Activities (8%)

As you build your idea for the research project, you will be asked to engage with a variety of activities, including freewrite, an informal quiz, discussion forums, and an external module related to library resources and focused research practices. These activities will take place between weeks #8-10, and will have clear instructions and due dates within LEARN. As with our other informal activities in the first half of the semester, if you complete these activities on time, you receive full credit.

Research Proposal (5%) (1 page, or 250 words)

Your proposal is a one-page description of the topic that you would like to explore for your research project, the importance of looking further into the topic (i.e. the “so what?” that drives this project, or in other words: a kind of thesis statement), a brief overview of some preexisting scholarship (at least two initial sources of your choosing) that will help contextualize your potential approach to the project, and an explanation of why your approach is unique to the topic at hand (i.e. what you plan to contribute to a particular “conversation”). In addition to this proposal, you must submit entries for 3 sources (one book, one scholarly journal article and one reputable website), cited in MLA or APA style. You may find that you draw on all three of these sources in your proposal, but it is not a requirement. 

Annotated Bibliography (8%) (approximately 2-3 pages, depending on how you annotate your sources)

The annotated bibliographyconsists of 8 sources (including one book, two scholarly journal articles and one reputable website). For each source, you must give a brief summary of the content and your own evaluation of its importance to your paper (more in-depth details are posted on LEARN).

Research Essay (20%) (Synthesizing Sources: 2 pages (500 words); Draft: 4 pages (1000); Final draft: 6-8 pages or 1500-2000 words)

As you build towards your final essay, there are a couple of additional steps leading to your workshop #3. First, you need to start composing a miniature draft, using at least three sources gathered from your research. This draft will be a two page draft of any part of your research paper, and you will also provide a brief outline of how you think you will organize your Research Essay as a whole. You can start from the beginning (i.e. starting with your introduction), or you can decide to write up a particular sub-section of your research paper. This draft and outline are a lead in for your group meeting with me. Second, you must build on this assignment towards a draft of approximately 4 pages; this will be submitted for the workshop #3 which will follow the same procedures as workshop #2. Your final version must be 6-8 pages, not counting your bibliography, on any topic of your choice (it does not need to relate to “sports and society,” although you are more than welcome to explore something from this unit for this paper. I will be looking for essay structure, how well you present and substantiate your argument, and proper referencing within the body of the essay. In addition to the 6-8 page paper, you must also hand in your correctly cited bibliography (not annotated).

-In addition to this essay, you need to include a brief reflection (no more than 250 words) on what you did and/or did not incorporate from your peer's feedback and explain why you made those decisions.

Peer Review Workshop #3 (5%)

Please follow the template provided in week #7 in order to provide constructive feedback on your peer’s Research Essay. This workshop is a more formalized and in-depth peer review process that you followed for workshop #2.

Course Outline         

*The instructor reserves the right to alter the course schedule as she sees fit*

Group Work 

In some form, group work will occur in every single week of this course. For the most part, group work will be graded on a pass/fail basis (i.e. if you are contributing to the group, you will receive full credit).

Assignment  Submission Requirements                    

All assignments must be submitted in various forms through our LEARN course management site. You will receive grades and feedback through LEARN and/or email, but the grade book is not set up for this section of ENGL 109, so you will need to independently keep track of your marks and feedback. 

Late Work             

A “late work” is defined as an assignment that is handed in after a deadline and is not cleared with me. There are different policies regarding late submissions based on the type of assignment that is being graded. Here is a breakdown of late submission policies and the assignments that correlate with them:

                -No late submissions accepted: Participation Assignments (Freewrites and Discussion Forums); Peer Review Feedback

                -Rolling Grade Deductions: A 1/2 a letter grade per day that a paper is turned in after the due date. For example, if you write a “B+” paper but hand it in 2 days after the due date, you will now receive a “C+.”

*Important*: If you find that you are having a hard time meeting a deadline, please contact me ASAP so that we can discuss your situation. Speaking with me doesn't guarantee an extension, but at the same time, I understand that things can arise that make meeting a particular deadline difficult, so please do not hesitate to get in touch. YOU DO NOT NECESSARILY NEED A NOTE from a doctor, the university, etc., but as mentioned above, if you know that you are having a serious medical and/or personal issue that will impact your academic work, it is an excellent idea to speak to the proper people and receive the necessary documentation.

Grading         

One of the most stressful things about postsecondary education is receiving grades. This course is set up to encourage you to take risks with your intellectual life without wrecking your GPA. Having said that, I do not just simply hand out As, but it is also difficult to fail. For example, if you do all or most of the assignments and give an honest effort, you will receive at least a C for this course. Most likely, though, if you are giving an honest effort as well as completing all assignments, you will be doing far better than what I perceive of as a “C student” and will most likely fall in the B-range. If you are an excellent student, you will most likely receive a grade in the A-range. I will provide a generalized rubric for those students who feel more comfortable with this kind of document.

If at any point you are unhappy with your grade or have further questions about feedback, do not hesitate to email or speak with me after class so that we can set up an appointment to discuss your concerns!! I feel that I am an approachable person, and I would never hold a grudge against a student who may not be happy with their grade (or the course content for that matter).

I will give you letter grades on your assignments, and based on Waterloo's grading system, here is a breakdown of the numerical value associated with each letter grade:

A+  95; A  89; A-  83; B+   78; B  75; B-  72; C+  68; C  65; C-  62; D+  58; D  55; D-  52; F+  46; F  38; F-  32

Information on Plagiarism Detection                 

We will not use plagiarism detection technology in this course.

Institutional-required statements for undergraduate course outlines approved by Senate Undergraduate Council, April 14, 2009 Academic Integrity       

In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of 

Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility.  See the UWaterloo Academic Integritity webpage and the Arts Academic Integrity webpage for more information. 

Discipline     

A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing academic offences, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Undergraduate Associate Dean. When misconduct has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under Policy 71 – Student Discipline. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71 - Student Discipline. For typical penalties check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties (https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariatgeneral-counsel/policies-procedures-guidelines/guidelines/guidelines-assessment-penalties). 

Grievance    

A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4 (https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat-general-counsel/policies-proceduresguidelines/policy-70). When in doubt, please be certain to contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.

Appeals

A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances (other than a petition) or Policy 71, Student Discipline may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes he/she has a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72, Student Appeals

(https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat-general-counsel/policies-procedures-guidelines/policy-72). 

Note for Students with Disabilities  

The AccessAbility Services office, located on the first floor of the Needles Hall extension (NH 1401), collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the AS office at the beginning of each academic term.

Mental Health Support        

All of us need a support system. The faculty and staff in Arts encourage students to seek out mental health support if they are needed.

On Campus

• Counselling Services:  counselling.services@uwaterloo.ca / 519-888-4567 ext. 32655
• MATES:  one-to-one peer support program offered by Federation of Students (FEDS) and Counselling Services
• Health Services Emergency service: located across the creek form Student Life Centre

Off campus, 24/7

• Good2Talk:  Free confidential help line for post-secondary students. Phone: 1-866-925-5454
• Grand River Hospital: Emergency care for mental health crisis. Phone: 519-749-4300 ext. 6880
• Here 24/7: Mental Health and Crisis Service Team. Phone: 1-844-437-3247
• OK2BME: set of support services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning teens in Waterloo.  Phone: 519-884-0000 extension 213

Full details can be found online on the Faculty of Arts website

Download UWaterloo and regional mental health resources (PDF)

Download the WatSafe app to your phone to quickly access mental health support information

Territorial Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that we are living and working on the traditional territory of the Attawandaron (also known as Neutral), Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes ten kilometres on each side of the Grand River.

For more information about the purpose of territorial acknowledgements, please see the CAUT Guide to Acknowledging Traditional Territory (PDF).

Academic freedom at the University of Waterloo      

Policy 33, Ethical Behaviour states, as one of its general principles (Section 1), “The University supports academic freedom for all members of the University community. Academic freedom carries with it the duty to use that freedom in a manner consistent with the scholarly obligation to base teaching and research on an honest and ethical quest for knowledge. In the context of this policy, 'academic freedom' refers to academic activities, including teaching and scholarship, as is articulated in the principles set out in the Memorandum of Agreement between the FAUW and the University of Waterloo, 1998 (Article 6). The academic environment which fosters free debate may from time to time include the presentation or discussion of unpopular opinions or controversial material. Such material shall be dealt with as openly, respectfully and sensitively as possible.” This definition is repeated in Policies 70 and 71, and in the Memorandum of Agreement, Section 6.