Mason English 302 Open Educational Resources

Literature Review Assignment

Psyche Z. Ready — 2018-08-16

In this final paper assigned to students in English 302M, students are asked to select 6 credible sources on a topic of their interest within their discipline, and to synthesize their findings in a researched Literature Review paper. Two items are included in this submission. This assignment and the activities leading up to it support the English 302 Learning Outcomes: critical reading strategies; identify, evaluate, and use research sources; recursive writing; supporting arguments with evidence.

Included files: The Instructor's Notes (ReadyInstructorsNotes), which detail how to incorporate this assignment into the 302 classroom and the assignment prompt distributed to students (ReadyAssignment), which includes instructions for the final paper and for two preliminary activities--the proposal and the poster presentation--as well as an overview of the suggested structure for the paper.

Research Interests Narrative

Sara King — 2018-08-16

The Research Interests Narrative essay is assigned at the beginning of the semester, along with the Discipline Awareness Project, and is usually due by Week 4, providing the foundation for the major research project in the class, a literature review. The paper evolves from class discussions of assigned readings*, small group work with students of related majors, and in-class writing, all of which encourage students to reflect on experiences that have shaped their current academic or professional interests and to identify questions that have motivated and guided them, including one that they would like to pursue for their literature review. This assignment is suitable for all versions of English 302, but may be particularly meaningful to 302M students, who often lack significant research experience in their major or have some ambivalence about their major. It is designed to help students identify a research topic that truly interests them early in the semester so that they are engaged and invested in the work required for their major research assignments. It supports the core English 302 SaS learning outcome: âArticulate and refine a question, problem, or challenge.â

Included files: Research Interests Narrative essay assignment (KingAssignment), Instructorâs Notes, including suggestions for assigned readings (KingInstructorsNotes), a handout guiding students through consideration of the assigned readings (KingActivity1), and a prompt for the in-class writing exercise (KingActivity2).

Discipline Awareness Essay Assignment: Professional Discourse Community Analysis

Margaret J Scolaro — 2018-08-16

In this first major (two-part) paper assigned to students in all versions of English 302, students are asked to apply the six defining criteria from John Swalesâ (1990) scholarly article, âThe Concept of Discourse Community,â to a personal interest group to which they belong and then to a professional organization in their disciplines. The personal response is ungraded, but required for full credit on the graded professional discourse community analysis (DCA), in which students carefully and closely analyze the professional organization and Swalesâ six-point definition, then write a 1,000- to 1,250-word essay, identifying examples of each Swales point in an area of the organization found on its official website: common goals, mechanisms of intercommunication within the group, the organizationâs use of these participatory mechanisms to provide information and feedback to group members, the use of specific genres, âlexisâ (shared vocabulary), and membership requirements for novices and experts. When explaining the genres used by the organization, students must provide three examples, one genre per paragraph, analyzing the intended audience, purpose, writing style of each genre, explaining the writing distinctions between the chosen genres and how each genre furthers the organizationâs common goals. In the conclusion, students explain the benefits for professionals in their disciplines who join this organization. This assignment supports the English 302 core requirements of a discipline awareness project and rhetorical analysis. It also supports the English 302 Learning Outcomes: critical reading strategies; identify, evaluate, use research sources; and analyze rhetorical situations.

Included files: Instructorâs Notes on how to incorporate the assignment into the 302 Classroom (ScolaroInstructorsNotes), Assignment Prompt (ScolaroAssignment), and Discourse Community Analysis Essay Structure handout (ScolaroActivity).

Professional Association Activity and Rhetorical Analysis of Scholarly Genre

Virginia Hoy — 2018-08-16

This rhetorical analysis paper is assigned early in the semester and would be appropriate for any version of English 302. It draws on a prior, in-class activity that asks each student to identify, and provide an overview of, a professional association in their discipline. It requires them to apply what they have learned about rhetorical contexts and genre during the first several classes of the semester to scholarly work in their individual area of study. Students identify the mission statement of their association, examine the group's scholarly journal in detail, and select a peer reviewed article to determine how the author(s)' choice of genre helps to advance the goals of their discourse community. This involves a detailed rhetorical analysis as well as biographical information on the lead author and the journal's editor. The professional associations activity and discussion of the paper take one class period and the latter is due the following week; it may be revised within one week after the original paper is graded.

This assignment is designed to support learning outcomes set by the English Department and the Students as Scholars (SaS) program, including adding to students' understanding of how knowledge is created and transmitted in their field and of the generic conventions governing its dissemination.

Files included: prompt for the Professional Associations Activity (HoyActivity), the Rhetorical Analysis assignment (HoyAssignment), and Instructor's Notes (HoyInstructorsNotes).

Discipline Awareness Exercise

Ben David Orlando — 2018-08-16

For this discipline awareness exercise, students apply foundational components of their disciplines to real-world contexts. They then collaborate with students in other disciplines to create a cohesive action plan. For example, a psychology student might use the skills and core values of a psychologist or social worker to tackle some aspect of the homeless problem in the United States. For the second part of the exercise, that same student might work with a political science major and a kinesiology major to create an action plan that blends all three ideas.

This exercise touches on various SaS and 302 goals. By applying their disciplines to real-world issues, students see beyond the theoretical. They begin to consider how they might conduct research for a real purpose. Through this exercise students also practice creating and refining research questions. Additionally, through their collaborations students learn to transmit complex ideas to audiences outside their discipline, and by working across disciplines, students gain new perspectives that will help them later add to the ongoing conversations in their fields.

I use this exercise early in the semester. In terms of sequencing, I think itâs important that students spend a few weeks digging into their own disciplines before they work with classmates in different disciplines. I have students begin investigating ongoing conversations in their disciplines from Week 1, so I introduce this exercise by Week 4 or Week 5. I first designed this exercise for FTF classes, but have since adapted it for online courses.

Included files: Lesson Plan for Face to Face version of the exercise (OrlandoActivityF2F), Lesson Plan for online version of the exercise (OrlandoActivityDL), Instructor's Notes describing the exercise in greater detail (OrlandoInstructorsNotes).