PELLISSIPPI STATE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
MASTER SYLLABUS
DEVELOPMENTAL WRITING
DSPW 0800
Class Hours: 5.0   Credit Hours: 5.0  
Laboratory Hours: 0.0   Revised: Fall 03  

Catalog Course Description:    
  By developing basic writing skills, this course prepares the student for college-level writing tasks. Students are introduced to multi-paragraph compositions, summary writing, and GRAMMAR.
Entry Level Standards:    
  ACT score of 15-18 or passing grade in DSPW 0700.
Prerequisites:    
  Completion of or exemption from Basic Reading (DSPR)
Textbook(s) and Other Course Materials:  
  Ford, Harriet-Lynn, ed. Preparing College Writing: A Practical Guide to Grammar and Composition. 3rd ed.  Boston: Pearson Custom P, 2002.

Harris, Muriel. Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ. 2003.
I. Week/Unit/Topic Basis:    
 This is a suggested plan of assignments for the semester.  Instructors should choose readings, prepare writing assignments, and provide their own schedule of assignments. 
  Week Topic
  1 Review of Paragraph Writing (Prewriting, Revising, Proofreading) /Sentence Grammar
  2 Introduction to Essay Writing (Topic Selection; Thesis Statement; Outline; Introductory, Concluding, and Transitional Paragraphs)/Phrases and Clauses/Sentence Fragments
  3 Essay Writing/Comma Splices and Fused Sentences/Grammar Review
  4 Introduction to Summary Writing/Commas
  5 Summary Writing/Quotation Marks/Italics/Semicolons/Colons
  6 Large-Scale Essay Revision/Summary Writing/Grammar Review
  7 Essay Writing//Subject-Verb Agreement/Verb Forms
  8 Essay Writing/Active-Passive Voice/Grammar Review
  9 Essay Writing/Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement/Pronoun Case
  10 Essay Writing/Adjectives and Adverbs
  11 Essay Writing/Grammar Review
  12 Essay Writing/Subordination and Coordination
  13 Essay Writing/Parallelism/Misplaced Parts and Dangling Modifiers
  14 Large-Scale Essay Revision/Consistency/Grammar Review
  15-16 Grammar Review/Evaluation/Final Examinations
II. Course Objectives*:    
  A. Use effective strategies for writing a variety of multi-paragraph compositions and reports.  I
  B. Employ standard mechanical and grammatical conventions in written composition at the essay level.  I
  C. Proofread carefully and accurately.  I
  D. Use logic in developing topics for written composition.  I, VI
  E. Demonstrate effective oral communication skills in both formal and informal situations.  I, VI
  F. Understand principles of the development and use of the English language.  I
*Roman numerals after course objectives reference goals of the English department. 
III. Instructional Processes*:     
Students will:      
  1. Read assigned essays and participate in class discussion. Communication Outcome, Personal Development Outcome, Problem Solving and Decision Making Outcome, Cultural Diversity and Social Adaptation Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy
  2. Write organized analytical and expository essays using word processing software. Communication Outcome, Personal Development Outcome, Problem Solving and Decision Making Outcome, Cultural Diversity and Social Adaptation Outcome,  Technological Literacy Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy
  3. Collaborate in teams for peer review of drafts to analyze audience and message, to organize ideas, and to evaluate drafts as to effectiveness and clarity. Communication Outcome, Personal Development Outcome, Problem Solving and Decision Making Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy
  4. Develop skills in recognizing the rules of English grammar and punctuation and applying them in both oral and written work. Communication Outcome, Personal Development Outcome, Problem Solving and Decision Making Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy
  5. Develop skills in quoting, paraphrasing, and documenting source material responsibly and effectively in analytical and expository writing. Communication Outcome, Personal Development Outcome, Problem Solving and Decision Making Outcome, Information Literacy Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy
  6. View films, conduct interview, and/or listen to guest speakers when possible to discover the importance of effective written and oral communication in the professional world. Communication Outcome, Personal Development Outcome, Cultural Diversity and Social Adaptation Outcome, Transitional Strategy
  7. Internalize the work ethic by regularly attending class, being punctual, being dependable, cooperating with the teacher and other classmates, contributing to class discussion and projects, and acting in a professional manner while in class. Communication Outcome, Personal Development Outcome, Transitional Strategy
*Strategies and outcomes listed after instructional processes reference Pellissippi State's goals for strengthening general education knowledge and skills, connecting course work to experiences beyond the classroom, and encouraging students to take active and responsible roles in the educational process. 
IV. Expectations for Student Performance*: 

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

1. Conceive ideas about a topic for the purpose of writing. A

2. Organize, select, and relate ideas to develop them into coherent paragraphs.

3. Vary writing style, including vocabulary and sentence structure, for different readers and purposes. A

4. Recognize that writing is a process involving a number of elements, including collecting information and formulating ideas, determining their relationships, drafting, arranging paragraphs in an appropriate order and building transitions between them, and revising what has been written. A

5. Write as way of discovering and clarifying ideas. A

6. Write appropriately for different occasions, audiences, and purposes (persuading, explaining, describing, telling a story). A

7. Write standard English sentences with correct sentence structure; verb forms, punctuation, capitalization, possessives, plural forms, and other matters of mechanics, word choice, and spelling. B

8. Improve one's own writing by restructuring, correcting errors, and rewriting.

9. Demonstrate skill and assurance in using the conventions of standard written English.

10. Organize, select, and relate ideas and to outline and develop them in coherent paragraphs. D

11. Identify and formulate problems, as well as propose and evaluate ways to solve them. D

12. Comprehend, develop, and use concepts and generalizations. D

13. Vary one's use of spoken language to suit different situations. E

14. Engage in discussion as both speaker and listener-interpreting, analyzing, and
summarizing. E

15. Contribute to classroom discussions in a way that is readily understood by listeners-that is, succinct and to the point. E

16. Present an opinion persuasively. E

17. Recognize the intention of a speaker and to be aware of the techniques a speaker is using to affect an audience. E

18. Recognize and take notes on important points in lectures and discussions. E

19. Question inconsistency in logic and to separate fact from opinion. E

20. Recognize the fact that English, like every other language, operates according to grammatical systems and patterns of usage. F

21. Recognize the fact that English has several levels of usage, and consequently, the anguage appropriate in some situations may not be appropriate in others. F

22. Recognize the fact that English words, like those of other languages, gather meaning from their context and carry connotation. F
*Letters after performance expectations reference the course objectives listed above.
V. Evaluation:


A. Testing Procedures:

75%= Essay Writing
25%=Grammar Tests

(Grades on all assignments are cumulative.)

B. Laboratory Expectations:

N/A

C. Field Work:

N/A

D. Other Evaluation Methods:

N/A

E. Grading Scale:

A=940-1000
B=870-939
C=800-869
F=below 800
VI. Policies:


A. Attendance Policy:

Students whose cumulative absences, regardless of the reason, total more than ten percent of the
regular class meetings will be penalized for each absence above ten percent as follows:

3 day/week classes=    10 points per absence (after 5) deducted from the final grade
2 day/week classes=    15 points per absence  (after 3) deducted from the final grade
2 day/week classes=    20 points per absence (after 2) deducted from the final grade

Additionally, the PSTCC Catalog indicates that students must be present for at least seventy-five percent of their scheduled class and laboratory meetings in order to receive credit for the course. Absences are counted from the first day of class, not the day a student enters the class.

Students in all classes will be permitted three unpenalized tardies. However, beginning with the fourth tardy, five points will be deducted from the final grade for each time the student is late to class. Students who leave class early will also be counted tardy.

B. Academic Dishonesty:

Academic dishonesty in any form (e.g., plagiarism, collusion, cheating, etc.) will not be tolerated. Any student who engages in an act of academic dishonesty will be promptly dismissed from the course with a final grade of F.

C. Accommodations for disabilities:

If you need accommodation because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please inform the instructor immediately.  Privately after class or in the instructor's office.
To request accommodations students must register with Services for Students with Disabilities: Goins 127 or 131, Phone: (865) 539-7153 or (865) 694-6751 Voice/TDD.