EXPOSITORY WRITING. Page 1 5 COURSE DESCRIPTION

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1 COURSE DESCRIPTION The Expository Writing Course is designed for students enrolled in the Renaissance Engineering Programme (REP) at NTU. The main objective of the course is to help develop the REP students into potential industry leaders by equipping them with effective writing skills so that they will be able to manage the challenges of engineering and entrepreneurship in the 21 st century. The pedagogical approach is student-centered and students will learn-bydoing. COURSE OBJECTIVES This course aims to equip students with skills in expository writing, including effective use of rhetoric, critical reading and thinking as well as research writing. In addition, the students will also develop competencies in the writing process. The course focus is on providing assignments that will require them to read, analyse, and respond to texts critically, address world issues such as social responsibility, intercultural diversity and the environment by using well-researched evidence to develop and present their arguments. The assignments will include writing a critique, a longer research-based term paper, and an oral presentation of the term paper proposal. Students will be required to observe ethics, appropriate rhetoric, and practice the generic conventions of writing accurately, logically, and clearly. COURSE DETAILS Acad Units: Two Prerequisite: Nil Date of implementation: Sem 1 AY 2011/12 Mode of instruction: Face-to-face Seminars Writers circle including peer review Small group discussions Use of online resources and authentic materials DESIRED OUTCOMES Upon completion of the course, the students should be able to: 1. Write appropriately to targeted audience and successfully achieve their specific purposes based on the given contexts of communication. 2. Evaluate ideas, arguments and credibility of sources through critical reading and thinking and be resourceful and creative in responding to real-life world issues. 3. Write persuasively using well-researched evidence-based argumentation while ensuring clear and logical organization and presentation of ideas. 4. Write up their research findings which are supported by logical arguments and creditable evidence while observing ethical principles. 5. Adopt appropriate discourse conventions and linguistic features of different genres in their writing. Page 1 5

2 COURSE CONTENT Topics: Written Communication model: analysis of purpose, audience and understanding the context of communication Writing as a process: brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading, and peer reviewing Genre analysis: Rhetorical patterns and control of (academic) writing conventions Ethics: plagiarism, intellectual property rights, with specific focus on writing literature reviews Critical thinking and using evidence-based reasoning / argumentation Dealing with controversial claims; debating issues on current affairs; questioning and discussing intellectual issues on society, culture, environment, and current affairs Academic Writing: research articles, critiques, experiment reports ASSESSMENT The assessment for this course is based on continuous assessment and the breakdown of the various assessment components follows. Continuous Assessment 100% 1. Critique 30% 2. Oral presentation of Term paper proposal 10% 3. Term paper 45% 4. Class participation 15% Total 100% RESOURCES Textbook: Expository Writing: Customized for Renaissance Engineering NTU Resources: Pharr, D.; Buscemi, S.V. (2008). Writing Today: Contexts and Options for the Real World. (2 nd Ed.). Boston. McGraw- Hill Higher Education. Seyler, D.U. (2010). Read, Reason, Write: an argument text and reader (9 th Ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Moore, B. N.; Parker, R. (2011). Critical Thinking. (10 th Ed.). Boston. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Finkelstein, L. (2008). Pocket Book of Technical Writing for Engineers and Scientists. (3 rd Ed.). Boston. McGraw-Hill International Edition. Additional Resources Newspapers; TED videos; Internet sources, and other forms of media Page 2 5

3 REFERENCE BOOKS Bourton, L.W.; McDonald, D. (2008). The Language of Argument. (12 th Ed.) Boston New York. Houghton Mifflin Company. Chaffee, J., Stout, B., & McMahon, C. (2008). Critical thinking, thoughtful writing: A rhetoric with readings (4 th Ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Hirschberg, S., & Hirschberg, T. (2007). Arguing across the disciplines: A rhetoric and reader. New York: Pearson/Longman Wilhoit, S. (2007). A brief guide to writing from readings (4th ed.). New York: Pearson Longman. Page 3 5

4 WK SEMINARS DISCUSSIONS ASSIGNMENTS 1. Introduction to course; Communication model: PAC (Purpose-Audience-Context); characteristics of effective writing; PAIBOC Annotating reading sources: rationale and what to include 1. Different rhetorical patterns focusing on content elements and language 2. Writing to the audience to achieve one s purpose within a given context; critiques, arguments, processes Term paper Assignment 3 seminar: Introduction to theme-social Responsibility; discussion of assignment requirements & instructions: Secondary research process: gathering information; summarizing; synthesizing; paraphrasing; using quotations; preparing for writing the literature review 3. Critical reading and writing: examining strategies of argumentation and persuasion; analyzing evidence-based writing Assignment 1 seminar 4. Critical reading and writing: reading sample critical writings; identifying fallacies; and writing counterarguments 5. Dealing with Controversial claims: Corporate crimes; Financial accountability; humanitarian issues Practice: Summarizing and synthesizing Self-editing and Peer editing practice tasks Discussion Analyses and critiques based on given samples and extended readings on environmental issues; alternative energies Practice: Critiquing skills Sample exercises on identifying fallacies Assignment 2 Presentations of readings for Assignment 3 6. E-Learning week: self directed research on Current affairs: Responding to policies; questioning and challenging social issues relating to Assignment 3 ; Social responsibility 7. Assignment 2: Seminar by students on group proposals On research done in weeks 3 to 5: Oral presentations and discussions Q & A Self-study: Writing as a process: focus on prewriting, focusing, organizing, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading Read textbook pp 22-49; Self-directed: Form groups of threes Read extensively on the theme of term paper. Practice summarizing and synthesizing readings. Annotate reading sources. More reading on environmental issues: papers and watch Inconvenient Truth video Alternative energies; Topics/issues related to Social Responsibility Prepare for Assignment 2 Critique Assignment 1 submission R E C E S S 8. Dealing with current issues; important social concerns: Culture/intercultural and education issues Sample texts Feedback: On Critique assignment 1 Page 4 5

5 9. Academic writing conventions; ethics of research and writing; plagiarism issues; documentation -in-text citations and end of text references 10. Conferencing: Progress of Term Paper; consultations on first draft Practice: Literature review exercise to practise proper documentation and avoid plagiarism 11. Technical lab report writing Structuring a technical report 12. Feedback on Term Paper assignment Course review 13. No lesson Self-directed: Consult OWL (Online Writing Purdue University, and other related web-sites on documentation and avoiding plagiarism Term Paper Assignment 3 Submission Page 5 5