Syllabus

Required Textbook and Supplies:
· Sunstein and Chiseri-Strater. Fieldworking: Reading and Writing Research. 3rd Ed. Bedford/St. Martin’s
· Jumpdrive (or other file storage)
· Binder (for research proposal)
· Paper
· Pens or Pencils

Course Description:

Further instruction in composition with an emphasis on writing longer essays. Includes assigned readings. Further instruction and practice in research methods. Prerequisite: English 101, 102; or ENG 103; or appropriate combination of SAT verbal or ACT English scores and academic index. Credit Hours: 3.

Course Rationale:

English 104 applies the fundamentals of rhetoric to the research process. This class introduces students to the methods of research; the rhetorical nature of research; and the elements, strategies, and conventions common to research writing, including the visual as well as the verbal organization of new knowledge.

At the completion of English 104, students should be able to achieve the following goals:

- Create and complete research projects. This involves generating a research question, engaging in critical/analytical reading, developing an argument with evidence collected from both primary and secondary research, and documenting sources appropriately.

- Align research questions with appropriate research methods

- Employ critical thinking in evaluation, speculation, analysis, and synthesis required to evolve and complete a research project

- Use a variety of strategies to gather and organize information appropriate for the context and persuasive to the intended audience

- Use the university research library to forward their research agenda

- Engage in collaborative research

- Employ format, syntax, punctuation, and spelling appropriate to various rhetorical situations in a stylistically sophisticated manner

- Collect, analyze, and organize research information in verbally and visually compelling ways

Take initiative for the development and completion of individual and joint research projects

Course Goals:

The content and format of English 104 are designed to enable students to achieve the course goals; specifically, students in English 104 will:

- Discuss, analyze, and respond to texts composed in a variety of media that develop an argument by relying on different kinds of research and that are addressed to diverse academic audiences

- Analyze the connections among research questions, research methods, audience, and style

- Design various research projects that involve generating a question, collecting data, analyzing data, and interpreting the analysis.

- Conduct research projects that rely on various means of gathering data, including but not limited to fieldwork, online research, and library research.

- Analyze data collected through a variety of methods

- Compose proposals, progress reports, and final research reports for individual projects.

- Compose final research reports that are persuasive and appropriate for the intended audience and context

- Compose research reports in multiple drafts, involving peer feedback, self-reflection, instructor’s written comments, and teacher-student conferences

- Reflect regularly on the choices available and the decisions made in the creation and completion of research projects

University Core Curriculum Goals and Objectives:

The University Core Curriculum component of the Undergraduate curriculum is designed to develop the knowledge, skills, and values, that should be held in common by all graduates of the university. The central purpose of University Core Curriculum is to enable men and women to live rich and satisfying lives and to undertake the broad responsibilities of citizenship in a free society.

Although The University Core Curriculum seeks to discover and nurture individual talents, its primary emphasis is preparation for roles people share as human beings and as members of family and community groups.

Through their core curriculum courses, students will be able to

- Engage in lifelong education by learning to acquire knowledge and to use it for intelligent ends.

- Communicate at a level acceptable for college graduates.

- Clarify their personal values and be sensitive to those held by others.

- Recognize and seek solutions for the common problems of living by drawing on a knowledge of historical and contemporary events and elements of the cultural heritage surrounding those events.

- Assess their unique interests, talents, and goals and choose specialized learning experiences that will foster their fulfillment.

Expectations:

This semester you are going to be busy writing, developing an understanding of culture, analyzing a specific culture and deepening your understanding of research. Because we will each be researching a different culture and discussing our cultures in class, I expect that each of you will respect your classmates’ comments and keep an open mind. This is a safe environment where we can explore ideas and concepts. There may be things that you do not agree with, do not attack the person because you do not agree with them. I will not tolerate you disrespecting your classmates’ views and I will ask you to leave the classroom if such behavior occurs.

I expect that each of you come to class prepared – reading the readings, completing your homework, and participating in class discussions. You will need to keep up with the homework assignments. Each assignment builds upon the previous assignment, all leading up to your final mini-ethnography. It will be difficult, but not impossible, to catch up if you continuously miss class or do not do your homework.

I want each of you to succeed and grow as writers and I will do whatever I can to help you. Please contact me if you have any questions. Stop by my office if you don’t understand an assignment or if you are experiencing writer’s block.

Attendance Policy:

You are expected to attend each class session. I understand that periodically throughout the semester circumstances will prevent you from attending class; therefore, you have 3 excused absences throughout the semester. After 3 absences, your grade will be lowered by 1/3 (B- to C+, A to A -, etc.)If you miss 7 or more classes you will automatically fail the course. It is your responsibility to keep track of your attendance; however, you may check with me throughout the semester if you would like to know your attendance.

Tardys: If you are more than 10 minutes late to class it will count as a tardy, after 3 tardys it counts as an absence. If you constantly leave class early, you will also be marked tardy.

Internet/phone: If you are checking your e-mail, on Facebook or Myspace, playing games, talking on your cell phone or engaging in other activities that are not related to class, I will count you as absent since you will not be engaged with the rest of the class. I will also periodically ask you to turn off your monitor during in-class activities.

Conferences: Twice during the semester I will cancel a class period to hold individual student conferences. The purpose of the conference is to talk one-on-one about your mini-ethnography project to help keep you on track and to discuss your work in the classroom. If you miss your conference time, it will count as two absences. We will have sign-ups in class a week before hand.

Late Work Policy:

I will not accept late work. If you are absent, you need to have your homework posted on your blog by the end of class or it will not be counted. If it is a major assignment, an electronic copy should be sent to my email account (nicaswell@bsu.edu) before the end of the class period. You will then need to turn a paper copy in to me during the next class period.

Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty:

I will not tolerate plagiarism or academic dishonesty in my classroom. Ball State University has a complete definition in the Code of Student Rights 7.2 and 7.2.2.

Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:
Using notes on exams and quizzes, copying from others, selling work, taking a quiz for someone, submitting an assignment that is not yours, using ideas of others and presenting them as your own, submitting a previous written paper of your own again.

Special Needs/Accommodations:

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible.

Assignments:

Assignment 1: Culture Exploration 100pts

Your first assignment is a culture exploration paper where you will explore a possible culture for your mini-ethnography. You will examine your fixed, subjective and textural positions in relation to your culture as well as what you know about your site currently. 4-6 pages. MLA format.

Assignment 2: Annotated Bibliography 100pts

Your second assignment is an annotated bibliography. You will summarize and evaluate possible sources for your final project. What information do the sources provide? How will the information help you explore your culture? We will visit the library in preparation for this assignment. 10-12 sources. MLA format.

Assignment 3: Research Proposal with literature review 100pts

Your third assignment leading up to the mini-ethnography is a research proposal with a literature review. The literature review will be an extension of your annotated bibliography and covers what sources you plan on using in the final paper and how those sources work together to help explain your culture. The rest of the proposal will cover information such as: What do you know about your site so far? What members of the culture have helped you? What questions will you ask during your interview? What questions are you trying to answer? What challenges do you see? 6-8 pages. MLA format.

Major Assignment: Mini-ethnography 200 pts

Your major assignment of the semester is a mini-ethnography. All in class work, blog entries and previous assignments will lead up to this final assignment. In this paper you will synthesize your fieldwork and integrate your research into a 12-15 page essay. You will attempt to answer your research question, reevaluate your fieldwork descriptions, interpretations, and analysis. You will represent the subculture in which you have become a participant-observer and the informants you have come to know. MLA format.

Website and presentation: 100pts

During finals week we will have in-class presentations on your findings from your cultures. Each presentation will be about 5 minutes long and accompanying your presentation will be a website. On your website will be parts of your mini-ethnography and other information from your research portfolio.

Research Portfolio: 100pts

Accompanying your mini-ethnography will be your research portfolio. Your portfolio will be a collection of items you have collected all semester, including: fieldnotes, interview transcripts, paper drafts, final papers, artifacts, articles, photos, etc. Your portfolio will be a representation of your entire research process. Included with your portfolio will be a table of contents and a 2 page portfolio/ethnography reflection. How you organize your portfolio is up to you.

Other Assignments:

Blogs: 10pts per post (1 per week), 5pts per response (2 responses per week)

Each week I will post a question that will help guide your culture exploration. You will need to do a blog post (150-200 words) answering my question and then respond to two of your classmates’ post. You should respond (75- 100 words) to two different classmates each week. I will post questions on my blog by Tuesday at noon. Your answer to my question is due by Friday at midnight. Your responses are due by Sunday at midnight.

Homework: 10pts per assignment

Throughout the semester you will have written homework assignments in addition to reading. Most of your homework assignments will be posted to your blog. You will need to post your homework before the class period that it is due. Homework assignments that require you to bring in a paper copy will be due at the beginning of the class period. If I feel that you are not doing the reading assignment I will give pop quizzes that will be counted as homework assignments.

In-class Fieldworker: 20 pts

Starting the 5^th week of class we will have 2 in-class note takers to practice taking fieldnotes. The class will be split in half and each note taker will record their fieldnotes for their half of the class. The fieldnotes will then need to be posted to my blog. If you miss a class period, read over the fieldnotes on my blog before emailing me with questions. You will only do this once throughout the semester.