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Research and Documentation Manual


Student Learning Outcomes for the Introductory Writing Course

Through the Introductory Writing Course, students should. . .

Be introduced to:

Gain guided practice in:

Know:

Be able to do the following at the basic level:

  • conventions of formal academic writing in contrast to informal writing
  • some types of writing assignments in the discipline, e.g. a public policy paper, close literary analysis, a primary research paper analyzing data, or analysis of empirical research

 

  • critical reading
  • analyzing student writing
  • writing as a process
  • incorporating feedback and revision
  • writing appropriately for a given audience

(about writing)

  • that conventions of good writing are different from spoken language and are dependent on discipline, audience, subject and media
  • that writing is an iterative process
  • the distinction between topic and thesis (thesis=assertion)
  • the distinction between primary and secondary sources

(writing as process)

  • that pre-writing, composing, and revising are distinct intellectual activities
  • the value of varied pre-writing activities (brainstorming, critical reading, etc.)
  • the distinction between revising and editing/correcting
  • some useful roles readers can play in the revising process

(academic honesty)

  • when to document sources
  • ethical, legal, and professional reasons for documenting sources
  • that citation styles vary among disciplines

(literacy)

  • read critically
  • identify a thesis
  • identify and paraphrase argument

(writing)

  • limit scope of argument appropriately
  • develop a clear, arguable thesis
  • introduce and conclude a topic
  • develop and sustain an argument
  • target claims to specific text/data
  • judiciously select and effectively integrate evidence/supporting details
  • follow conventions of formal academic writing
  • make appropriate stylistic choices
  • cite and document sources properly
  • write grammatically
  • strive to write with clarity, coherence, and unity, whether writing narrative, argument, or summary

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