Course Description
Advanced study of writing as process and product, focusing on particular discourse situations or kinds of texts. Topics might typically be advanced technical communication, academic writing for literary scholars, or text and hypertext.
Athena Title
Advanced Studies in Writing
Non-Traditional Format
This course is writing intensive, which means that the course will include substantial and ongoing writing assignments that a) relate clearly to course learning; b) teach the communication values of a discipline—for example, its practices of argument, evidence, credibility, and format; and c) prepare students for further writing in their academic work, in graduate school, and in professional life. The written assignments will result in a significant and diverse body of written work (the equivalent of 6000 words or 25 pages) and the instructor (and/or the teaching assistant assigned to the course) will be closely involved in student writing, providing opportunities for feedback and substantive revision.
Prerequisite
Two 2000-level ENGL courses or (one 2000-level ENGL course and one 3000-level ENGL course) or (one 2000-level ENGL course and one 2000-level CMLT course)
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Course goals are: 1. Advanced study of writing as process and product; 2. Intensive focus on particular discourse situations or kinds of writing; 3. Theoretical and practical experience with the discourses focused on in each version of the course. Since this is a topics course, its subject will vary; however, in all instances, the course is taught as writing-intensive, which means that students should expect to compose at least 20 pages of written work and to revise that work in consultation with the instructor. Depending on the focus of the course, this written work may take the form of group and individual writing projects, or print or web publications.
Topical Outline
Since this is a topics course, its subject varies very much from semester to semester and from teacher to teacher. Some of the topics that might be addressed in this class include: 1. Advanced studies in Technical Communication 2. Writing for the World Wide Web 3. Ecological Writing 4. Hypertext and Hypertextuality 5. Autobiography and Personal Writing