ENGL 420: Issues in Tutoring Writing

Spring 2014
Tuesday 4:00 4:50 (Jensen 1W)
Instructor: Dr. Brittany Cottrill
Email: bcottrill@grandview.edu
Office: 101 Jensen

Office Phone: 2906

Office Hours: MWF 10-11:30; T 2:30-3:30
and by appointment

Course Description and Prerequisites

This course examines the theoretical and practical components of writing center work, paying
particular attention to their reflexive nature, that is, to the ways in which theories of
collaborative learning challenge and extend writing center practice and the ways in which
writing center practice interrogates and shapes writing center theory. The course will also
further introduce students to aspects of writing center administration, particularly the task of
marketing and assessing the effectiveness of the Writing Center on the Grand View campus.
Specific topics will include recent critiques of collaborative learning, approaches to consultation,
consultant roles, the role of grammar instruction in the writing center, consulting strategies for
ESL students, and the use of computers in the writing center.
The course may be repeated for credit, so each semester topics will vary and be framed from
different perspectives: historical, political, theoretical, practical, administrative and
pedagogical. Spring 2014 will focus on the past and the future of the Writing Center. Based on
the interests expressed by tutors last semester, were going to review some of the histories of
writing centers and look at where writing center theories and practices are headed.

You will.
1. Learn fundamental principles, generalizations,
or theories related to Writing Center pedagogy
and theory

2. Develop specific skills, competencies, and

points of view needed by professionals in the
field most closely related to this course.

3. Learn to apply course material to improve

thinking problem solving, and decisions.

Activities demonstrating learning

Weekly readings, reading responses, and
seminar discussions
Application in the Writing Center
Observations/Being Observed
Writing Center Improvement Project
Final tutor identity paper
Weekly readings, reading responses, and
seminar discussions
Application in the Writing Center
Observations/Being Observed
Writing Center Improvement Project
Final tutor identity paper
Application in the Writing Center
Observations/Being Observed
Writing Center Improvement Project
Final tutor identity paper

ENGL 420 Syllabus

Spring 2014

p. 2

How the Course will be Taught

ENGL 410/ENGL 420 are both seminar classes. A seminar is a type of class where learners come together
and discuss a topic in a small group. The goal of a seminar is for students to take ownership for their
learning and to create an environment build on trust, respect, and investigation. Both courses are
student centered, and I will act as a facilitator, resource, and co-learner along with you. This means the
classes are learning-centered. These classes will ask you to think, analyze, synthesize, and engage with
issues, ideas, and questions related to writing and tutoring. The conversations will build on previous
classes, so you will be expected to make connections.
Resources Necessary for Learning
Texts/Resources
Barnett and Blumners The Longman Guide to Writing Center Theory and Practice (provided)
Technology Necessary
Access to a computer with Microsoft Word, Internet access, a GV email account, and a GV
Blackboard account.
Student Responsibilities
Course Requirements
Reading Presentations: Rather than completing weekly reading responses, each student will
sign up to become the expert on a reading. S/he will be responsible for leading class
discussion, relating it the Center with an activity of some sort, and make connections between
previous discussions. Each presentation should be interactive and approximately 30 minutes. All
students are expected to read every reading and participate. We will generate a rubric as a class.
Tutoring Observations (3): Being able to stop and reflect on your strengths and areas for growth
is very important in all aspects of life. To continue to develop and grow as a tutor, it is important
that you reflect on your tutoring practice. To help you do this, each of you will be observed and
conduct observations. Each tutor will:
1. Film a session to be reviewed by the WC Director or WC Student Director.
2. Observe a peer tutor during a session.
3. Be observed by a peer during a session.
This means you will conduct one, half-hour observation and have two half-hour observations
conducted on you. In order to conduct an observation you must get the prior approval of the
tutor, as well as the immediate approval of the student writer.
As an observer, you will take notes on the observation form, and type a short reflection (one
page) for the session. Both should be stapled together and submitted in class. I will review both
documents and then give the tutor the one-page reflection, so keep your audience in mind!
Failing to complete one or more of the observations may result in a lower grade in the class
and/or effect long-term employment in the GVWC.
Writing Center Development Project: As a group, our WC Development Project this semester
will revolve around the course theme of Writing Centers Past and Present. We will generate
several possible topics during week 1. Individually or in groups of two, you will select a specific
area of improvement related to the topic, propose a method for improvement, receive
instructor approval of method, implement your method for improvement, and then reflect on

ENGL 420 Syllabus

Spring 2014

p. 3

your method in a short reflective piece, 2 pages typed). Your reflection will be due during week
14, and you will present your results to the rest of the class on the last class meeting.
Proposals are due on Blackboard by: week 4 (25 points)
Progress reports are due on Blackboard by: weeks 8 and week 10 (25 points)
Presentation of final results in class on week 15 and reflection due (100 points)
Final Reflection on Tutor Identity: Your final assignment will be to reflect on the development
of your tutor identity over the course of the semester, specifically your online tutoring identity.
Basically, I am asking you to reflect on how you may have developed or grown over the course
of the semester. In order to do this, I recommend couching your narrative in terms of the
reading, your WC development project, your BB posts, your reading presentation, and your
observations. How have the assignments affected who you are as a tutor? Be specific in
describing who you are, or who you are not, and explain how this course supported (or could
have better supported) this development. You may want to include a tutor code of ethics, but
that is up to you. This will be your final assignment and will be due during finals week. It should
be approximately 3 pages typed.
Earning your Grade
Reading Presentation
Tutoring Observation: (3 at 75 points each)
Writing Center Development Project
Tutor Identity
Participation: including attendance, behavior,
engagement, reading completion, and in and
out of class participation
Additional homework as assigned
Total Possible Points:

100 points
225 points
150 points
140 points
140 points

TBD
755 points

A 90 100 % |B 80 89% |C 70 79% |D 60 69%|F 0 59%

Note: Tutors who earn a C (70%) or lower may not be allowed to tutor in the future.
Course Policies
Auditing
In order to audit this class you must ask and receive permission from the instructor, and may
audit only after you have taken and successful passed the course twice for credit. If you are
auditing, you will still be expected to come to class prepared to participate in discussion. This
means you need to read the assignments each week, participate in class discussions, and
complete all three tutoring observations. The purpose of the course is to continue tutor
professionalization. Because of that, I hope you will take this course seriously. Failure to meet
these expectations, even if auditing, may influence your long-term employment in the GVWC.
Attendance
This class may differ from your other courses. It is largely based on in-class work and
cooperative participation. In order to regularly engage in critical thinking processes and to
understand the multi-stage aspects of the writing process, attendance in this class is mandatory.
More than one absences may significantly affect your participation grade and can reduce your

ENGL 420 Syllabus

Spring 2014

p. 4

final grade by 10%. In-class work for missed days may not be made up. It is your responsibility
to find out what was missed. More than two unexcused absences may result in a failure of the
course. In addition, please make sure that you arrive to class on time. Arriving to class more
than 15 minutes late may result in an absence for that day. Please notify me in advance if any
circumstances will keep you from meeting your attendance or other requirements.
Courtesy and Integrity
Courtesy and integrity must be shown to everyone in the class. Please be respectful of others
thoughts, opinions, and views. If you bring your cell phone to class make sure it is turned off and
put away. Please do not answer your cell phone in class or text message. Food and drink are
acceptable in class as long as they are not distracting and you do not leave a mess. Laptops are
also fine to bring to class as long as all sound options are turned off, you stay on task, and you
close your laptop when asked or when appropriate.
Late Work
All work is due at the start of class unless otherwise stated. The syllabus clearly outlines due
dates of all assignments, please ask if you have any questions. Late papers and assignments will
receive 0 points. You must complete every assignment to pass this class.
Contacting Me Online
Email is a wonderful communications tool and I welcome the chance of using it to help you with
questions about your writing or about assignments. Please note, however, that email can be
unreliable. As a result, I cannot be responsible for any email messages that are lost or
addressed incorrectly (and this is not an excuse for late work). If you email me something, I will
email you back, ordinarily within 24 hours, to tell you that I have received your message.
However, if you dont receive my email reply, this means that I did not receive your message
and that you should discuss the content of your email with me personally. Similarly, if you email
me right before class, I probably will not be able to read your message until after class.
Academic Honesty
In addition to following University sanctioned policy, academic dishonesty in this course will not
be tolerated and will lead to a failing grade on the assignment and may lead to failing the
course.
Resources
If you are a student with a documented disability and would like to discuss special
accommodations, it is your responsibility to contact me during office hours or by email at the
beginning of the semester. If you think you might have a learning disability, it is your
responsibility to contact the Director of Academic Enrichment and Disability Coordinator and
apply for any requested accommodation. The director is Ms. Joy Brandt and she can be reached
at 263-2971. Additional support can be found at the Career Center at 263-2955, and at the
Counseling Center at 263-2986. More importantly, academic support can be found at the
Tutoring Center (for all concerns outside of writing and math), the Math Lab, and the Writing
Center. The Tutoring Center is located on the second floor of the library. The Math Lab is located
in Elings, and the Writing Center is located at 205 Rasmussen.

ENGL 420 Syllabus

Spring 2014

p. 5

Institutional Undergraduate Syllabus Statements

Revised: 7/12/2013
Academic Responsibility/Honesty/Code of Integrity
In accordance with its mission statement, Grand View University is dedicated to the development of the whole person, and
committed to truth, excellence, and ethical values. The University strives to promote appreciation of the dignity and worth of
each individual and open interaction between student, faculty and staff. Personal integrity and academic honesty are essential
to building a campus of trust. Thus, honesty in all aspects of the college experience is the responsibility of each student, faculty,
and staff member.
Nettiquette (from Internet etiquette)
"Netiquette" refers to the standards for appropriate interaction in an online environment. Students are expected to
display proper netiquette in their communications with their teacher and with other students. This includes using
proper written English, being polite by disagreeing agreeably when necessary, including your name and other
necessary identifiers on any communication. If an email or discussion post ever concerns you, please notify the
instructor right away in a private manner.
This is reflected in the Grand View University Code of Integrity which states: As a member of the Grand View University
community, and in accordance with the mission of the university and its Lutheran identity, I agree to appreciate and respect the
dignity and worth of each individual. I will honor and promote a community of open interaction, personal integrity, active and
intellectual engagement, and academic honesty with students, faculty and staff.
Accommodation
Grand View University prohibits unlawful discrimination and encourages full participation by all students within the university
community. When a student requires any instructional or other accommodation to optimize participation and/or performance
in this course, it is the responsibility of the student to contact both the instructor and the Associate Director of Student Success:
Academic Support and Disability Services and apply for any requested accommodation. The associate director is Ms. Joy Brandt
and she can be reached at 515/263-2971.
Class Attendance
Students are responsible for adhering to the attendance policies as expressed by the instructor/department. Furthermore, the
Federal Government requires that students receiving financial aid attend classes. Students, who are identified by the instructor
as not attending classes, will be reported. Students who fail to return to classes may lose all or a portion of their financial aid.
Classroom Conduct
Students should conduct themselves as responsible members of the University community respecting the rights of others. Any
student behavior interfering with the professors ability to teach and/or the students ability to learn constitutes a violation of
the Code of Student Conduct found in the Grand View Catalog. The professor may ask the student to leave the classroom and
that student will be subject to disciplinary sanctions.
University E-Mail Account
It is essential that all students check their Grand View University e-mail account or set their account to forward to a preferred
email address. Students may set-up an e-mail auto forward from the myView web site (myView > Campus Life > Technology
Resources > myView Mail > myView Mail Forwarding).
Appeal of Final Course Grade or Faculty Members Final Academic Disciplinary Action
Students who wish to appeal a final course grade or other academic disciplinary action of an instructor must complete at least
section I.A. of the Academic Appeal Form on-line within fourteen calendar days after the published due date for the final grade
submission of the academic term in which the issue of disagreement occurred. Visit site below to complete first part of the
form. https://secure/grandview.edu/gradeappealform.html This form must be submitted electronically to the Office of the
Provost. Nursing Students appealing a grade in a nursing course must follow the Nursing Division procedures.
Use of Blackboard and MyGrades
The MyGrades tool of Blackboard is intended to be a communication tool and to facilitate information sharing between
instructors and students. The grades and feedback posted on MyGrades are not to be interpreted as the final grade submitted
by the instructor. Discrepancies and mistakes can be made in using and interpreting the technology by both student and
instructor. Refer to the grade policy in the syllabus for a full understanding of how your grade is calculated. Students will find
their final grade on myView > myTools > Academic Profile > Grades by Term.
Assignment of Credit Hours
With successful completion of this course, Grand View University will award you a specified number of credit hours on your
transcript. Our accrediting body, the Higher Learning Commission, as well as the US Department of Education have standards in
the definition of what counts as a credit hour (see GV Catalog for a full definition) so that students receive the full educational
experience we claim. This course will involve face-to-face class time and outside learning activities to fulfill credits awarded.

ENGL 420 Syllabus

Spring 2014

p. 6

Course Calendar
* Readings, topics, and due dates subject to revision
Key: Longman = Barnett & Blumners The Longman Guide to Writing Center Theory and Practice

Week/Date
Week 1
1/7

Topic
Introductions; Course
Expectations; Schedules;
Discuss Writing Center
Improvement Project
Options

Homework for Following Class

For the following class
Send me an email with your top three articles (in order)
for your presentation and the date. I will assign
articles/dates on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Write: Type a reflection (approximately 1 page) that
addresses your perceived strengths and weaknesses as a
tutor and includes a goal you have as a tutor this semester
and how youll meet that goal.

Week 2
1/14

The Idea of the Writing

Center

Week 3
1/21

Presentation 1

Read: North Revisiting The Idea of the Writing Center

p. 79
For the following class
Read: Moore The Writing Clinic and the Writing Lab p. 3
For the following class
Read: Carinos Early Writing Centers: Toward a History p.
10
Write: Complete your proposal and post to Blackboard
under Assignments

Week 4
1/28

WC Improvement
Proposal Due on
Blackboard;
Presentation 1
Observation #1 Due;
Presentation 2

For the following class

Read: Summerfield Writing Centers: A Long View p. 22

Week 6
2/11

Presentation 3

For the following class

Read: Boquet Our Little Secret: A History of Writi8ng
Centers, Pre- to Post-Open Admissions

Week 7
2/18

Presentation 4

For the following class

Read: Naydans Just Writing Center Work In The Digital
Age: De Facto Multiliteracy Centers In Dialogue With
Questions Of Social Justice on Blackboard

Week 5
2/4

Write: Complete your first observation

For the following class
Read: Kinkead The National Writing Centers Association
as Mooring: A Personal History of the First Decade p. 29

Write: Complete your first progress report and post to

Blackboard under Assignments

ENGL 420 Syllabus

Spring 2014

Week 8
2/25

WC Improvement
Progress Report #1 Due
on Blackboard;
Presentation 5

For the following class

Read: LeCluyses The Categories We Keep: Writing Center
Forms and the Topoi of Writing on Blackboard.

Week 9
3/4

Observation #2 Due;
Presentation 6

Week 10
3/11

Week 11
3/18
Week 12
3/25

Week 13
4/1

WC Improvement
Progress Report #2 Due
on Blackboard;
Presentation 7
No Class Spring Break

p. 7

Write: Complete your second observation

For the following class
Read: Sloans Are We Really Student-Centered?
Reconsidering the Nature of Student Need on
Blackboard
Write: Complete your second progress report and post to
Blackboard under Assignments
For the following class
Read: TBA
Write: Begin working on your tutor identity paper.

For the following class

Read: Enders The Idea Check: Changing ESL Students
Use of the Writing Center on Blackboard (p. 6-9)
Write: Complete your third, and final, observation.

Observation #3 Due;
Presentation 8

Continue to work on your tutor identity paper.

For the following class
Read: Bitzels Who are We? Examining Identity Using
the Multiple Dimensions of Identity Model on Blackboard
Write: Complete your WC Development Project and 1-2
page reflection. Submit both on Blackboard under
Assignments unless you make prior arrangements with
me

Week 14
4/8

Week 15
4/15

Due: WC Development
Projects Due; Workshop
tutor identity papers
Wrapping Up &
Presentations

Continue to work on your tutor identity paper.

For the following class
Complete your outstanding work, including your tutor
identity project.
Everything must be submitted on Blackboard by the end of
the day.