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TBRx: EngCompX Preparing for the AP English Language and Composition Exam

Course Syllabus

Course Description:

This course is designed to help students prepare for the AP English Language and Composition exam . It is also a good introductory college-level composition course, especially for those students who will be exempted from college composition because of their high AP score. The course covers all the core composition requirements such as reading and synthesizing sources, using various rhetorical strategies, and evaluating sources as well as incorporating sources into texts. All these important and necessary skills are built into the course and involve extensive reading of various texts that have been included here in the course site. There is no outside course text required.

Course Disclaimer:

Students, this MOOC course is designed to reflect the difficulty and intensity of a high school AP English course, which is the equivalent of a freshman college course. In order to build the skills you need, you will have extensive, and sometimes lengthy reading assignments, with videos to supplement. In this intensive course, you will also need to complete a variety of assignments, both quizzes and writing assignments, in order to build the skills you need to take the AP exam. 

Prerequisites:

There are no course assigned prerequisites, but it is expected that the student be at least at a Sophomore English level or equivalent, and also have competence in basic English language grammar and punctuation.

COURSE Staff

NOTE: This is a peer supported course. You will be communicating with your peers on the "Peer Assistance" discussion forum for answers to immediate questions. You may also work with the English instructor in your school.

Course Errors

If you find issues with the course, please report these errors, including the specific Module and a link to the page that generated the issue to the "Course Issues" discussion board. Be sure to include "[STAFF]" in the post title!

Course Goals

The goal of this course is to provide learners with instruction and resources on how to be successful on the AP composition exam.

NOTE: The certificate you earn in the course certifies having completed the course , but it is not a measure of any individual student's readiness to take the AP Exam.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course the student should be able to:

          • Analyze and interpret samples of purposeful writing, identifying and explaining an author’s use of rhetorical strategies
          • Analyze images and other multi-modal texts for rhetorical features
          • Use effective rhetorical strategies and techniques when composing
          • Write for a variety of purposes
          • Respond to different writing tasks according to their unique rhetorical and composition demands, and translate that rhetorical assessment into a plan for writing.
          • Create and sustain original arguments based on information synthesized from readings, research, and/or personal observation and experience.
          • Evaluate and incorporate sources into researched arguments
          • Demonstrate understanding of the conventions of citing primary and secondary sources.
          • Gain control over various reading and writing processes, with careful attention to inquiry (research), rhetorical analysis and synthesis of sources, drafting, revising/rereading, editing, and review.
          • Demonstrate understanding and control of Standard Written English as well as stylistic maturity in their own writing.
          • Revise a work to make it suitable for a different audience

Course Organization

This is divided into eight (8) sections or modules

          • Section 1: What Makes a Good Writer? 
          • Section 2: Understanding Rhetorical Situations 
          • Section 3: Understanding Rhetorical Strategies 
          • Section 4: Integrating, Synthesizing, and Analyzing Sources 
          • Section 5: Arguments and Revisions 
          • Section 6: Language Matters 
          • Section 7: The Research Paper 
          • Section 8: Preparing for the AP Exam 

NOTE: The sections build on each other, so it will be a good idea to approach them as they are organized in the course beginning with section 1. Each section has built in required discussion forums and quizzes which count toward your grade.

Schedule for releasing COURSE content

Sections will open on the first Monday of each month, except for Section 8 which will be opened along with Section 7. Some sections, for example section 3, might take a little bit more time than others. In order to benefit from your peers' comments, you need to move at a relatively similar pace . However, if you happen to be left behind and no one if available to assess your work, you can still do a self assessment of your own work. The Section schedule is listed in the "Course Organization" section. REMINDER:  The English Composition AP Exam is scheduled for May 11th.

Specific Course Requirements:

The course uses open education resources and public domain YouTube.com videos. All the information is easily accessible and can be completed from the course site.

Hardware/Software Requirements:

This course does not require any additional software or course software. However, you will need a regular access to a computer and some basic computer skills in order to successfully complete the course assignments.

Academic Policy:

Any kind of plagiarism is prohibited. Please properly cite any material borrowed from other sources.

Participation, Assessments & Grading

Expected Time Commitment:

Each student will experience the content differently. The course is designed so that students who want to spend more time in a Section can do so. Some of the writing assignments are peer-graded, so it is best if students can keep up with the Sections along with everyone else. That being said, students can also perform self-grading if they linger and others have moved on to the next Section. REMINDER:  Each Section will open on the FIRST MONDAY of each month.

Grading Procedures:

The grading scale is as follows:

          • Peer-graded Writing Assignments: 30%
          • Self-graded Writing Assignments 10%
          • Quizzes: 60%
          • Total: 100%

The writing assignments will be graded informally by peers in some cases and by the writer him/herself in others . The course offers the option of a Certificate of Completion. In order to receive a Certificate of Completion Students need to get an overall grade of at least 70% .

Remember: The certificate you earn in the course certifies that you have completed the course , but it is not a measure of any individual student's readiness to take the AP Exam.

Class Participation:

This course requires full participation and interaction with peers through discussions and peer assessment. You may wish to work with your English language instructor as you move through the various course sections.

COURSE GROUND RULES

Students are expected to:

        • Participate in all aspects of the course
        • Communicate with other students through the "Peer Assistance" discussion board
  • Learn how to navigate in edX
  • Keep abreast of course announcements
  • Observe course netiquette at all times 

FOOTNOTES

Course Developers

        • Ganter, Shelly
        • Michieka, Martha
        • Sweet, Candyce
        • Williams, Cindy