ENGL-103 Composition for Technical Fields I

Credits 3 / 3 Contact Hours
Prerequisites: Placement into RDNG-016 (ACSR-016) Pre-requisite: Placement into ENGL-101 on the MCC placement test or S1 in ENGL-095, ENGL-098, ENGL-099, ACLT-075 or ACLT-076 with teacher recommendation to move to ENGL-101 or ENGL-103.
ENGL-103 provides students with the equivalent of traditional freshman composition experience but with an emphasis on technical writing that is geared toward specialized fields such as healthcare criminal justice and various technologies. The course emphasizes clear active writing style and precise word choice and it includes a research project and oral presentation incorporating presenting software.

Course Outcomes
1. Think critically about audience and purpose for writing and make appropriate choices in organization and content of a document to suit the particular rhetorical situation and overall usability of the document 2. Use prewriting methods that help generate and focus ideas for writing 3. Draft documents that support a main idea with relevant details and examples both verbal and visual 4. Revise documents by going beyond surface-level corrections to rethink issues of focus, development and organization 5. Use transitions to connect ideas smoothly and logically 6. Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of differing sentence lengths and structures on the overall clarity and usability of a document 7. Use concrete, specific words and appropriate visual materials to create a vivid mental picture for readers 8. Use Standard English spelling, grammar and punctuation correctly 9. Recognize and demonstrate elements of a technical document according to document type and purpose: generally a clear and detailed introduction, background information, statement of purpose and intended use, main informational points/sections, and conclusion if called for by the document types 10. Demonstrate basic research skills by locating and selecting pertinent material in the library, including on-line library databases. Write a complete original research-supported document using parenthetical citations in either MLA or APA format and providing a correctly formatted list of works cited which must include a variety of source types, including personal interviews 12. Participate in the social sphere of writing class though open discussions and peer-feedback sessions by respectfully and clearly expressing written questions and suggestions