Lea, Taylor, Veronica, Jason, Kassidy, Aisha

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Student Learning Outcomes
As writing faculty, we recognize that all of the following student learning outcomes are
interwoven, and often happen simultaneously. We also recognize that rhetorical awareness and
critical thinking happen throughout all of composing and that its artificial to try to separate these
acts from the highly complex work of composition. We have done so to help a variety of
audiences - students, colleagues in other departments, for example - to better understand
concepts introduced and reinforced in FYW so that they will continue to be practiced and
developed throughout a students lifetime of literacy development.
Rhetorical Knowledge
Rhetorical knowledge is the ability to discover your own unique writing styles and processes in
order to express the purpose of your writing effectively. Writers should then be able to construct
passages while understanding how genre, audience, purpose and context have an effect on their
writing choices.
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
Acquire the skills needed to adapt to a certain genre by experimenting with style,
shifts, tone, medium and structure.
Compose a variety of texts using resources to reach a specific audience, context,
and purpose of the piece.
Critical Reading
Critical reading is the ability to read deeper and understand and execute ideas. When people
think critically, they can separate fact from fiction. They can also make connections, follow the
author's thought process, and figure out the deeper meaning. It is important for writers to
understand and use this skill in their works as well. By the end of the semester, students should
be able to:
Find answers to questions while they read.
Take a closer look at their work and the work of their classmates over a various number
of texts and understand why he or she made the choices that they did.
Pick out cited materials from many different sources in/for a piece of text
Understand a wide range of works that have facts and fiction, hidden meanings, and
figure out how they may affect different readers.
Composing Processes
Writers use multiple strategies to develop ideas, articulate them into writing, and add the final
touches to compositions. The writing process is rarely straightforward and doesnt always follow
a specific pattern. Successful writers are able to adapt their writing process to accommodate each
situation.
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
Have a flexible writing process that includes the steps of drafting, reviewing,
working together with peers to improve your writing, revising, rewriting,
rereading, and editing.
Be able to brainstorm ideas and respond and interpret others writing, and
evaluate responses to your writing.

Lea, Taylor, Veronica, Jason, Kassidy, Aisha

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Allow the writing process to deepen your engagement with writing sources, your
own ideas, others ideas, and allow it to improve your ability to develop
arguments.

Knowledge of Conventions
Conventions are formal and informal guidelines. These guidelines define literature and shape
readers and writers correctness. Conventions control usage of words, spelling, and citation
rules. They influence the information, style, organization, and document design.
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
Reach an agreement with conventions, from newspapers and magazines to
different activities.
Understand you must cite information in your work to avoid plagiarism.
Pay attention to your grammar, punctuation, and spelling when composing and
revising.
Critical Reflection
Critical reflection is when a writer is easily able to express what they are thinking and why. They
do this by justifying the choices made in context, understanding a composition, and by making
any revisions after receiving reader feedback.
By the end of the First Year Writing Program, students should be able to:
Demonstrate how to reflect on their writing in different rhetorical situations.
Learn from their writing errors.
Exhibit their knowledge of rhetorical awareness, and effective use of the writing
process and conventions with regard to their own writing.
Show that the reflection is an important part of learning, thinking, and
communicating.