English Composition Assessment, Goals, and Outcomes

Assessment

Because ENC 1101 and 1102 are intended to teach university-level writing skills (not Freshman Level skills), students will probably need to work hard to make the adjustment from high school to the university. Because student success is the cornerstone of FGCU's philosophy and mission, instructors must remember to be encouraging and flexible in their teaching strategies in order to allow students to reach this high level of expectation. Regarding individual assignments, we expect that the student meets the deadlines and follows the restrictions, mandates, and instructions set by the teacher. If an essay fails to satisfy all the requirements of an assignment, the instructor may return the essay ungraded to the student, not accepting the essay until it fulfills those requirements. To satisfy the Gordon Rule requirements, a student must earn a grade of C or better in ENC 1101 and ENC 1102.

ENC 1101: Writing Assignments

In ENC 1101, students will write four to six out-of-class essays and two in-class summary-response essays (at least one of which must be graded) comprising a total of 6,000 words of graded work. The emphasis in the out-of-class essays will be on audience and purpose. While students may lean towards using one particular mode in an essay, more often they will utilize a variety of modes in order to effect their purpose. Students will also share their writing in group and one-on-one workshops and in conferences with the instructor. Instructors may also require students to maintain journals for reading responses, drafting, exercises, and the like. Instructors may also require students to maintain their work in "portfolios."

In addition, the course will include two timed summary-response essays that act as the midterm and the final for the course. The emphasis in these assignments will be on the ability to read critically, to summarize the central idea and support of an essay, and to respond to this idea. Instructors should look for the following components of a good Summary-Response essay: reference to the author and title of the work; clear summary of the thesis and main points of development of the essay; clear thesis in their response to the essay; strong development in their response (using personal experience, reference to others' experiences, and allusions to literary and other texts); and good organization and coherence.

ENC 1102: Writing Assignments

In ENC 1102, students will continue to develop their university-level writing skills by engaging a variety of writing situations in a process-centered environment. This course will reinforce the basic components of effective writing (focus, unity, coherence, development, and mechanics) and introduce more advanced writing concepts such as tone and style. The assignments, too, will extend students' exposure to research methodologies, requiring students to use both MLA and APA documentation during the semester and to use resources selectively and effectively. Students will write three or four out-of-class essays and two in-class summary-response essays. The emphasis in the out-of-class essays will be on audience and purpose and on process. The two timed summary-response essays will act as the midterm and the final for the course. Students will share their writing in group and one-on-one workshops and in conferences with the instructor. Instructors may also require students to maintain journals for reading responses, drafting, exercises, and the like. Instructors may also require students to maintain their work in "portfolios."

In addition, students will begin to establish broader communication skills by participating in the development and presentation of ideas in speeches or in multimedia software or web pages. In addition to the essays, students will write and present one speech (while the presentation will form the basis of the grade for the speech, students must provide a written copy of their presentation beforehand) or participate in developing one group project (which can take many formats, video, web, PowerPoint or other software, but which must include some form of oral presentation for each student).

Goals and Outcomes for ENC 1101 and ENC 1102

Students should be able to:

• write essays that demonstrate an understanding of the importance of audience and purpose;
• write out-of-class essays that emphasize the process of writing, including inventing, sustaining, revising, and editing their writing, that leads to effective final written products;
• write essays that demonstrate basic writing skills: a focused thesis or central idea, unity throughout the essay, coherence between paragraphs and ideas and within the essay as a whole, strong development that supports the thesis, and skill over mechanics;
• write essays that demonstrate appropriate grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and spelling, and accurate citation and documentation of research using the MLA style;
• write in-class essays that emphasize the ability to respond to an assignment within a timed framework;
• analyze texts in order to discern the thesis, the method of development, and the strength of the evidence;
• evaluate the effectiveness of various rhetorical strategies as applied in different contexts and from different perspectives;
• build on their critical reading abilities through composing clear and effective summaries of and critical responses to texts from different disciplines;
• use technology in effective communication, including the use of word processing to develop out-of-class essays, e-mail to communicate, and the Internet and database resources for developing research skills.

Additional Goals and Outcomes for ENC 1102

Students should be able to:

• compose and deliver clear and focused oral presentations;
• work collaboratively to produce and present a unified group presentation;
• write essays that demonstrate appropriate grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and spelling, as well as accurate citation and documentation of research using both MLA and APA styles;
• write essays that reflect critical literacy over multi-media, cross-disciplinary, and/or multicultural texts.