ENGLISH 401: COMPOSITION IV: THEORY & RESEARCH

Composition Studies, Spring 2005 by Mulvaney, Mary Kay

The multiple components of this course echo the theories of Bakhtin, Belenky, Dewey, and others regarding the essence of education and point to education as the kind of "translation of self that Cook-Sather discusses. Genuine education is the re-rendering of texts and self in the creation of something new and potentially transformative for self and for others. This course allows for, indeed encourages, that challenging process of translation-of both the field of Composition Studies and of the self. Therein lies my primary motivation to continue this course design.

Elmhurst, IL

SYLLABUS

English 401: Composition IV Exploring the Field of Composition Studies

INSTRUCTOR INFO: Dr. Mary Kay Mulvaney

231 HC Phones: O) 630-617-xxxx H) 708-246-xxxx

E) marym@elmhurst.edu

Office Hours: 12-1 MW; 11-12 TR or other times by appointment

COURSE PHILOSOPHY/GOALS:

This course is a pre-professional seminar that will begin to enculturate upper-level students into the academic discourse community of composition studies. This field is closely linked to the relatively recent reemergence of the ancient scholarly field of rhetoric. It pays serious scholarly attention to the generative act of writing and to the complex relationships between readers, writers, cultures, and texts. It is designed to:

* Introduce students to the major theories/concepts in the scholarly field of composition studies

* Foster an appreciation of the complexity and ambiguity of this academic endeavor

* Provide students with an historical perspective on writing instruction

* Advance students' own reading, writing, critical thinking, and reflective skills through rigorous engagement with challenging texts

* Afford students the opportunity to learn through a mentoring role, offering service to novice members of their college community

* Cultivate an in-depth understanding of at least one aspect of this field through serious academic research

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Heilker, Paul and Peter Vandenberg, eds. Keywords in Composition Studies. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers, 1996.

Murphy, James J.,ed. A Short History of Writing Instruction. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2001.

Villanueva, Victor, ed. Cross-Talk in Comp Theory: A Reader. 2nd Edition. Urbana, IL: NCTE, 2003.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING:

1) Participation/Informal Writing, including regularly attending class; conscientiously participating in all seminar discussions; leading one of the discussions; collaborating with a small group on two informal presentations; writing response papers on readings - 40%

2) Mentoring, involving mentoring/tutoring sessions with a freshman composition student and keeping a brief journal on the experience for seminar discussions, culminating in a short, reflective personal essay - 20%

3) Inquiry Project, researching a specific topic of choice within the field, culminating in a 10-12 page seminar paper - 25%

4) Final exam, demonstrating your grasp of key concepts/theories in composition studies -15%

CLASS POLICIES:

Papers: Format Issues: All papers must be typed, double-spaced with standard 1" margins, stapled. Use a readable font such as Times New Roman or Courier, 11-or 12-point size. Timeliness Issues: Papers are due on time at the beginning of the class period. Late response papers will be not accepted, except in case of emergencies.