Summer 2024
ENG 112: English Composition II: Writing and Rhetoric
Topic: "Ideas, Arguments and Analysis"
Instructor: Marc Barnhill
Section: 301 (5841)
Modality: Online Asynchronous
- Fully online (no in-person meetings) and asynchronous (no “live” sessions)
- Frequent reflective writing
- Several formal essays and one culminating (research-based) project
- Emphasis on discussion forum participation and other asynchronous activities
- No books to purchase (all texts provided electronically) - No midterm or final exam
DESCRIPTION
Are you interested in having informed and invigorating conversations about a range of topics — the interpretation of art and poetry, calling out “bullshit” in college classes, the logic of poor people’s spending strategies, the lost magic of Old English, the dangers of solving the wrong problem, the value of failure and doubt, the proper use of technology, the importance of brain rest, the application of lateral thinking, the hidden lessons of history, and the gendered language of science writing? Or learning how to turn those conversations into effectively crafted academic writing that presents unique perspectives, articulates and supports complex ideas, investigates and critiques arguments, and sustains focused and coherent discussion? This asynchronous online course is intended to provide a fun yet rigorous space to apply fundamental academic writing principles in a variety of text-based contexts.
Our discussion-driven semester gives you the opportunity to “unpack” complex texts in a supportive setting, to make surprising connections among seemingly disparate ideas and arguments, and to identify and address your own areas for improvement as you create analytic essays that synthesize different sources while generating original interpretations or models for understanding. Throughout our 8-week semester, we will use reflective writing and discussion forums to think through the ideas that will find expression in your course essays. Along the way, we will make explicit connections between these topics and issues specific to critical reading and critical writing, including textual interpretation, argumentation and persuasion, the use of evidence and reason, use and citation of source material, and the effective communication of ideas.