English Composition Course Guide - Excelsior College

English Composition

Course Guide

excelsior.edu

Excelsior College Materials Development

Committee in English Composition

Developer: Mary O¡¯Reilly, Ph.D. (Princeton University, English, 1972)

Professor, Colorado Mountain College

David E. Brigham, Ph.D. (Syracuse University, Instructional Design,

Development and Evaluation, 1994)

Seventh Edition

April 2019

Copyright ?2019 by Excelsior College. All rights reserved.

¡°Excelsior College¡± is a registered servicemark of Excelsior College.

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Contact Information

Excelsior College

7 Columbia Circle

Albany, NY 12203-5159

Phone: 888-647-2388 (Press 2-2-1 at prompts)

Fax: 518-464-8777

Email: testadmin@excelsior.edu

excelsior.edu

Excelsior College Bookstore

excelsior.edu/bookstore

Examination Registration

testadmn@excelsior.edu

Copyright?2019 Excelsior College.¡±Excelsior College¡± is a registered servicemark of Excelsior College. All rights reserved.

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Using This Course Guide and

Accessing Online Writing Services

n How To Use This Course Guide

If you have not taken a course at a distance before, you should plan to spend

at least a week of your study time getting acquainted with the distance learning

concepts covered in this Course Guide. A recommended approach to Part I of the

Course Guide is provided in the ¡°16-Week Syllabus for the UExcel exam in English

Composition¡± found in Appendix H.

If you are an experienced distance learner, you may save time by skimming or

skipping some of the information on preparing for distance learning in Part I of

this Course Guide.

n Tips and Techniques for Success

? Read the textbooks, content guide, and this course guide

? Do the practice essays in this course guide (but not until you¡¯ve done

the reading!)

? Use a writing journal (print or electronic)

? Find a ¡°study buddy¡± for writing practice

? Trade written essays with others

? Practice getting feedback on your writing

? Practice giving feedback on others¡¯ writing

? Sharpen your typing skills

? Practice typing responses to each essay in a timed environment

? Visit The Excelsior College Online Writing Lab (OWL) at:

It?s free and interactive!

Copyright?2019 Excelsior College.¡±Excelsior College¡± is a registered servicemark of Excelsior College. All rights reserved.

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Welcome

Welcome to English Composition. Learning to read more perceptively and to write more

proficiently may be among the most challenging and rewarding experiences that you will ever

have. This Course Guide is designed to help you learn about the most important aspects of close

reading and of good writing and to give you practice in improving both. Almost everyone reads

and writes in the course of everyday life, and many people find that the ability to read carefully

and write well are essential parts of their jobs. As you continue college-level study, you will be

asked to write essays, papers, and examinations that demand a high level of both reading and

writing skills.

Each new reading or writing situation presents an opportunity for learning, no matter how

experienced you are. You will learn how to analyze several different types of writing, including

such literary forms as fiction, poetry, and drama. You will also learn how to analyze situations for

writing and decide on various approaches, strategies, and forms to use. You will write a variety

of essays: in one case, for example, you will write a personal narrative in which you describe a

significant experience in your life; in another, you will compose a formal argument in which you

take a stand on an issue; in yet another, you will offer your interpretation of a short story in which

you argue for or against a character¡¯s choice. These learning experiences will give you practice

in considering various purposes and audiences.

Learning to read and write from various perspectives will give you a flexibility with language that

you can use throughout your college studies, in your work, and in your personal life. Whether

you find writing difficult or not, this sequence of units will take you step by step through the

stages of reading and writing, offering you many options that you can use to develop your own

expertise. Discovering new ideas and arranging them in prose that is effective and powerful can

be among the most useful learning you will ever acquire. Similarly, discovering that you can read

works of literature with a subtle understanding you never knew you possessed may open to you

a new world of fascinating possibilities. You are likely to find your efforts repaid over and over in

many situations you will encounter. We wish you success!

The Excelsior College Materials Development

Committee in English Composition

This Course Guide was awarded a Meritorious Course Award by

the Division of Independent Study of the University Continuing

Education Association (UCEA) in 1998. The UCEA is the principal

organization for continuing education in the United States.

Copyright?2019 Excelsior College.¡±Excelsior College¡± is a registered servicemark of Excelsior College. All rights reserved.

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