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English 830: Teaching Composition Chapter 4 — Composition Course Design

Chapter 4 Required Materials and Tasks

Due July 9 Tuesday: Required Readings–The College Composition Course

Due July 9 Tuesday: Collect Sample Course Syllabi

  • Find 3 different syllabi for college composition courses
    • Bring links/digital copies to share with the class
    • You may use syllabi from other students in the CAL Program (anyone not in this course), from any colleagues you work with at your home university, from a textbook, or from an online source
    • If you wish to use an old course syllabus of yours, it should be one that is quite different from any courses you currently teach (i.e. it should be an old course syllabus who’s design you abandoned)

Chapter 4 Class Activities

Section 1

Part 1. Syllabi Analyses (5 minutes)

I asked you to bring in 3 syllabi, so we will do 3 types of analysis on them:

  • A tone analysis–We will explore how the syllabus invites students into the course
  • A writing analysis–We will explore the kind of writing the course asks students to do
  • A philosophy analysis–We will try to unpack the teaching philosophy behind the design of the course

Working in teams, we will use 1 syllabus from each team member for doing this analysis.

Part 2. Small Group Syllabi Analysis: Syllabi Tone (30 minutes)

  • As a group, analyze 3 syllabi (one from each member)
  • Describe the tone of the syllabi
  • What are the learning objectives for the syllabi?
  • What language do the syllabi use?
  • What graphics do the syllabi use?
  • What policy language do the syllabi use?
  • What sort of environment is that likely to create for learners?

Part 3. Full Class Discussion (30 minutes)

Section 2

Part 4. Small Group Syllabi Analysis: Course Writing (20 minutes)

  • As a group, analyze 3 more syllabi (one from each member)
  • What kind of writing are students asked to do in this course?
  • How does the course define good writing?
  • Does the course discuss the writing process?
  • What sort of tasks/projects are required in the courses?
  • Does the course discuss argument, rhetoric, narrative, or genres?

Part 5. Full Class Discussion (20 minutes)

  • Each group will report back on what they learned about the course designs

Part 6. Journal Writing: Your Learning Style (15 minutes)

  • Think of something you have recently had to learn
  • How did you go about learning this?
  • How would you describe yourself as a learner?
  • What methods do you use to learn things?
  • What methods do you prefer?
  • What sort of environment helps you learn best?
  • How might we learn from this in designing a composition course?
  • What sort of pedagogy might help you learn the best?

Part 7. Composition Pedagogies (10 minutes)

Part 8. Break (10 minutes)

  • We will take a short break to re-energize everyone

Section 3

Part 9. Small Group Discussion (15 minutes)

  • As a group, discuss what you learned about learning styles
  • What common elements are there?

Part 10. Small Group Syllabi Analysis: Teaching Philosophy (20 minutes)

  • As a group, analyze 3 more syllabi (one from each member)
  • What teaching philosophies are these courses grounded upon?
  • What indicates this thinking?
  • Do the assignments match the philosophy?
  • How do the syllabi conceptualize learning?

Part 11. Full Class Discussion (30 minutes)

  • Each group will report back on what they learned about the teaching philosophies

Part 12. Journal Writing: Learning to Write (10 minutes)

  • Let’s start with your own thoughts about learning to write
  • What does a person need to learn in order to be able to write well?
  • What’s the hardest part of learning to write?
  • How did you become a strong enough writer to go to graduate school?
  • What things do you think are most important to focus on in a college composition course?

Part 13. Assignments Overview (5 minutes)

  • Dr. Pagnucci will take time to go over the weeks assignments and answer any questions

Part 14. Parting Thoughts (5 minutes)

Assignments

For July 10 Wednesday: Meet @ Commonplace Coffeehouse

  • For this Wednesday class, we will meet at Commonplace Coffeehouse
  • Commonplace Coffeehouse
    • Location: 1176 Grant Street; Indiana, PA 15701
    • Phone: 724-465-6529​
    • The coffeehouse is located near the Subway at the edge of campus (down the hill from Jane Leonard Hall)
    • The coffeehouse is inside a large building called Campus Edge
    • There is free parking outside
  • Commonplace has great coffee and nice breakfast food
    • You don’t have to buy anything if you don’t want to
  • We will meet in the outer atrium just outside the coffeehouse
    • Who ever arrives first, please grab the big table
  • This will be a more casual and slightly noisier experience, but hopefully you will enjoy it

Due July 10 Wednesday: First Draft of Your Composition Course Syllabus

  • Create or Revise a Syllabus for a College Composition Course Syllabus
    • If you have taught college composition before, go over your syllabus and decide how you might improve it
    • If you have never taught college composition, create a new basic syllabus for the course
    • If you wish to work on a syllabus for a different course, you may do so, but the course must require students to do substantial writing
    • You may plan your syllabus for a specific semester or just organize it by weeks (Week 1, Week 2, etc.)
    • You don’t need to include every last detail for your syllabus, but create enough of the course syllabus so we can understand your general plan for the course
    • We will discuss the first draft of your Course Syllabus in class