English 201A: The Summer Edition (Online/DE)

Instructor: Sean Boling, sboling@cuesta.edu

On weekdays I respond to messages sent via email or the Inbox in Canvas on the same day; weekends may be more sporadic.

Course Description: The most worthwhile skills you should leave college with are the ability to think critically and analytically, while being able to articulate your ideas clearly. Formulating and evaluating the decisions we make and the positions we take (as well as those of others) develops our intellectual intelligence, while analyzing the human experience revealed in the arts enhances our emotional intelligence. Thus, we will be doing a bit of both in this class—critical thinking and artistic analysis—through both verbal and written means, to help us develop these vital skills. The theme that unifies all of the above is look closer…at the world around us, at ourselves, and at others. Being curious about life makes it much more interesting. Here is the list of Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completing English 201A successfully, students will be able to

1. Employ close reading strategies to identify and interpret patterns and ideas written in complex texts and to demonstrate comprehension of main and supporting ideas in selected readings.
2. Develop process-based writing practices that include generating, drafting, and revising to produce clear and persuasive writing.
3. Write essays that are organized effectively.
4. Formulate effective strategies to find relevant resources, critically evaluate information in light of its complexities of authority and production, and ethically attribute and skillfully integrate source material.
5. Write fair and persuasive arguments that assert and support positions, demonstrate audience awareness, and incorporate differing viewpoints.

Here are some services to keep in mind should you need some guidance in achieving these outcomes...

Here are some services to keep in mind should you need some guidance in achieving these outcomes...

Any student who requires accommodations due to a learning challenge, please be sure to register with our Disabled Student Programs and Services Links to an external site. department and contact me as soon as possible in order to make arrangements. 

Meanwhile, all of us, regardless of our challenges, could use some additional feedback and assistance with our work at times. Please take advantage of the wonderful services we provide through our Student Success Center, including Tutorial Services.Links to an external site.

Having technical difficulties with Canvas? If I don't have the answer, the good people at technical support will: support@instructure.com

And here is how we will achieve these outcomes…

No required texts; readings will be available online in our Canvas modules

Recommended Text:  An MLA Handbook of some sort (I have made one available in the bookstore--Hacker, A Pocket Style Manual, 9th edition—if you do not already have one)

Course Requirements (and percentage each counts toward your overall grade):        

Crossing The Streams (10%): Our first project of the summer will be to build an analysis based on two short texts we will read (a chapter from the book The Unpersuadables, by Will Storr, and a short story, "Christmas Story of the Golden Cockroach", by Ana Castillo). Each text is the subject of an in-depth discussion, and a response writing. Once we have read and responded to them both, we then have a discussion on how the texts work together, which will form the basis of this, our first essay.

Cinema Synthesis (10%): We watch two films, discuss the possible themes present in each, and what arguments each film seems to be making about a given theme. Our assignment is then to write an analysis about a common theme you think is shared by the two films, and whether they are making a similar argument regarding that theme, or if their points of view conflict.  

Print Advertising Analysis (10%): Ads are coming at us every day, trying to separate us from our money. For this assignment, you choose a print ad and demonstrate how it is trying to accomplish its task of selling something to a specific audience.

Research Paper (20%): The cornerstone of English 201A, it will be a somewhat large assignment (2000 words minimum, at least seven sources utilized), but it will be made very clear to you as to how to go about composing it. Four smaller portions of your grade will be based on the Proposal you turn in which frames your topic and thesis, an Annotated Works Cited that analyzes your source materials and how you will use them, a Research Paper Plan in which you not only outline your paper, but incorporate the sources you will be invoking, and a Rough Draft Review, wherein you submit at least the first half of your paper so we can make sure it's headed in a convincing direction. These preparatory assignments are part of the Preparatory Assignments component of you overall grade (see below), and should keep you focused and on track towards a fine paper.

Library Information Literacy Assignment (10%): More commonly referred to by its acronym, the LILA, this assignment is designed to enhance your ability to conduct research and evaluate potential sources. You will be required to complete the four units of the LILA on our Canvas site. Each unit has its own module with a quiz associated with it.

Preparatory Assignments (40%): Our formal essays will have assignments designed to help us prepare for each of them. Some of these prep assignments are written conversations we have on our Discussion Board to help us understand the material. You also submit a Proposal for each formal essay. A Proposal includes the thesis you're going to pursue in the essay, and your plan on how you're going to support your thesis, so that when you start writing your essay, you have a clear sense of direction.

In-Class Participation/Contribution: The wild card factor in your grade. It’s not enough to just show up. What you want to be sure to do, in this class as well as any other, is give an instructor something positive to remember you by should they find themselves running a mental “highlight reel” of your contributions. Meet deadlines, participate in class, demonstrate commitment to college, and your instructor will smile while reflecting on your performance. I refer to it as the wild card because it is not factored into your grade on a tangible, concrete level, but comes into play if you are teetering between two grades. Incidentally, given the wide variety of issues we need to cover which affect the wide variety of students in a 201A class, if you ever feel as though you are not getting enough of what you need from the class, please contact me and we’ll figure it out together. Work individually with your instructors rather than wait passively for your concerns to be addressed.

Late Assignments: Accepted, but marked down one grade from what they would have earned.

Also…no plagiarism. This may seem patently obvious, but I want to make sure you don’t succumb to the temptation, or engage in it inadvertently.  For if it does happen, you not only fail that assignment, but I have to file a Student Misconduct Report. Please note that using AI software, such as ChatGPT, to generate written content is a form of plagiarism (which to clarify means pretending someone else's words are your own). If I suspect that an essay has been generated by ChatGPT, I will run the file through GPTZero, which is an app that detects whether an essay is the product of AI. Don't let it come to that. Don't be a cheater!  

A quick technical note regarding Canvas: make sure your Canvas dashboard is set to "Card View", which means you'll see the squares (cards) for each of your classes when you log on. If you're not seeing the course cards when you log on, but a list of assignments instead, you're on "List View", which you want to avoid. To switch to Card View (or confirm you're not on List View), click on the three dots on the upper right hand corner of the dashboard, and a menu will appear that lists the options. And while this may be a non-academic point to make on our syllabus, if your Canvas settings are mixed up, you won't be able to follow our class clearly and achieve all the academic goals noted above.

As for how your performance on the above assignments lead to your overall evaluation in the course, keep these ranges in mind as you keep track of your grade in Canvas:

                                                100% - 90%                A

                                                89% - 80%                  B

                                                79% - 70%                  C

                                                69% - 50%                  D

                                                Anything below that…well, you know.

Some Notes Concerning Standards (or: how to perform well in this class, or any other)

While each assignment will have its own unique grading rubric that will list its specific requirements, there are also certain features that characterize any good piece of work—whether it be written or verbal. Since the work we do here falls under the term “rhetoric” (to use language persuasively), I would like to utilize the three forms of rhetorical appeals that embody the characteristics of good persuasive language. They are as follows:

Ethos: Latin word that is the basis for terms like “ethics/ethical”, ethos gives the reader a sense of authority; it assures the reader you are a trustworthy source.

Logos: Meaning “logic”, logos illustrates your logical abilities to the reader, appealing to their sense of reason.

Pathos: Root word for terms like “sympathy/empathy”, pathos refers to your ability as a writer to appeal to readers’ humanity, and to respect their opinions and experiences, which may differ from yours.

So let’s now consider how these terms manifest themselves for each grade:

Grade A:         Ethos is demonstrated via a strong sense of understanding the assignment, and even though you may not be an authority on the subject, you have clearly made the effort to process it and learn more about it. Articulation is also part of your ethos: you demonstrate control over sentence structure (in written work) and word usage. Logos is shown via your ability to provide reasonable and well-supported points in defense of your position/thesis, and adhering to the task at hand (not straying into tangents or interpolation). Pathos is illustrated thanks to your consideration of your readers’ potentially differing views or unfamiliarity with the subject. You demonstrate respect for your reader, and possibly incorporate humor and emotion where appropriate. In short, I would read A-level work for pleasure, not just work.

Grade B:         Ethos is still revealed in a strong understanding of the assignment, but you may come across as not being as well-versed on the subject, either due to being less committed to learning about it, or having trouble grasping it. Articulation demonstrates control, but may pose some distractions. Logos is demonstrated but is perhaps inconsistent (some points may be much more persuasive than others, while others may be difficult to connect to your thesis). Pathos may lapse into condescension rather than consideration for your reader, and you may rely too heavily on emotional appeals. I could imagine reading a B-level assignment for pleasure, but every so often I am reminded that it’s work.

Grade C:         Ethos maintains an understanding of the assignment, but your work exhibits a lack of familiarity with the subject matter. Articulation lacks control to a degree that your authority is undermined. Logos presents some convincing points of support, but just as many that lack persuasiveness or a strong relationship to your thesis. Pathos is either absent, inappropriate, or relied upon too heavily at the expense of logos. C-level work comes across as just that: work.

Grade D:         Ethos lacking in terms of understanding the task, revealing little concern for the topic, and/or difficulties with articulation. Logos absent as far as presenting a cohesive case for your thesis. Pathos comes across as inappropriate or a non-issue in light of the above problems. Grading D-level work is very tedious.

Grade F:         None of the above.