Course

Introduction to Research Papers and Academic Assignments

Important Notice

This course is not active. Please contact Department Chair for more information.

Faculty
Language, Literature & Performing Arts
Department
English Upgrading
Course Code
ENGU 0450
Credits
3.00
Semester Length
15 weeks
Max Class Size
18
Method(s) Of Instruction
Seminar
Typically Offered
To be determined

Overview

Course Description
This course prepares students for successfully handling documented research papers and other types of academic writing assignments. It is designed for students who lack previous experience with the demands of academic writing and who wish to improve their ability to succeed in university-transfer level courses. Students learn to compose essays, analyze assignments, gather and organize material, document sources and avoid plagiarism, handle essay exams, use feedback to improve the expression of their ideas, and use computers to assist with editing.
Course Content

Students will complete a series of at least 5 different written assignments.  These will provide a range of typical college assignments.

Throughout the process of producing these papers, students will receive instruction in how to improve their ability at the following core skills:

  1. Prewriting
    • understanding assignments and academic expectations
    • using strategies for getting started
    • dealing with procrastination and writer's block
    • choosing and narrowing topics
    • composing thesis and topic sentences
    • devising research strategies for collecting information
    • gathering evidence and making notes
  2. Drafting
    • handling time and other constraints
    • constructing beginnings and endings
    • organizing information into different formats
    • making connections and transitions between ideas in a text
    • inserting quotations and diagrams
    • documenting sources and avoiding plagiarism
    • composing essay-type answers in exam conditions
  3. Revising
    • using feedback to revise drafts
    • editing sentence construction and word choice
    • preparing final documents and using style sheets
Learning Activities

A combination of instructional methods will be used in order to balance instructional efficiency with individual student needs.

These methods will include lecture presentation, small group instruction, individual assistance (in lab tutorial or scheduled appointments), computer-assisted learning, and student-directed learning.

Means of Assessment

Students will receive on-going feedback from the instructor throughout the course.

Students success will be graded, in accordance with the College policy and grading system.

Learning Outcomes

The aims of the course are for students:

  1. To gain initial experience with handling a variety of typical college writing assignments from scratch;
  2. To gain experience with using peer feedback, instructor comment, and computer technology to assist the revision of drafts and the improvement of editing skills;
  3. To develop skill in analyzing assignments and understanding the tasks involved;
  4. To develop confidence in meeting successfully the requirements and conventions of college assignments and exams;
  5. To demonstrate competence in producing academic texts of an acceptable standard inside deadlines and under pressure.
Textbook Materials

Students may be required to purchase a textbook and/or computer disks.

Requisites

Prerequisites

ENGU 0350 or ENGU 0355 or ENGU 0356 or permission of instructor.

Corequisites

No corequisite courses.

Equivalencies

No equivalent courses.

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

Course Transfers

These are for current course guidelines only. For a full list of archived courses please see https://www.bctransferguide.ca

Institution Transfer Details for ENGU 0450
There are no applicable transfer credits for this course.

Course Offerings

Summer 2024