English 150. Critical Thinking and Communication. (3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.SS. Prereq: Concurrent enrollment in Lib 160. Application of critical reading and thinking abilities to topics of civic and cultural importance. Introduction of basic oral, visual, and electronic communication principles to support writing development. Initiation of communication portfolio.

English 250. Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition. (3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.SS. Prereq: 150 or exemption from 150; sophomore classification or exemption from 150; credit for or concurrent enrollment in Lib 160. Analyzing, composing, and reflecting on written, oral, visual, and electronic (WOVE) discourse within academic, civic, and cultural contexts. Emphasis on supporting a claim and using primary and secondary sources. Continued development of student portfolio.

English 250H. Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition, Honors. (3-0) Cr. 3. F. Prereq: Exemption from 150 and admission to Freshman Honors Program; credit for or concurrent enrollment in Lib 160. In-depth analysis, composition, and reflection on written, oral, visual, and electronic (WOVE) discourse within academic, civic, and cultural contexts. Emphasis on argumentation: developing claims, generating reasons, providing evidence. Individual sections organized by special topics. Development of student portfolio.

What Will I Learn in English 150?

The purpose of English 150 is to begin preparing you for your academic courses, as well as providing you with communication skills for your future career. While most of the course will be devoted to writing, you will also work in small groups, interview others, analyze and create visual communication, and learn how to compose professional email correspondence. Instructors design their courses to address the following goals in a variety of ways.

Written

• adapt your writing to specific purposes and audiences, and situational contexts
• integrate and document a range of informational sources, from personal interviews to print and electronic publications
• practice varied organizational strategies and transitional devices
• match expression to situation and audience, avoiding errors that distract or confuse
• develop strategies to revise your own writing
• reflect upon your communication processes, strengths, goals, and growth

Oral

• interview others, asking effective questions and listening actively
• function as an effective team member in small groups as a contributor, listener, collaborator, and presenter
• develop basic oral presentation skills, focusing on meaningful information, clear organization, and engaging delivery

Visual

• design effective layouts by attending to spacing, margins, headings, color, and typography
• create an appropriate layout format for bookmark, brochure, fact sheet, or newsletter
• analyze visual communication, such as art on campus
• use visuals effectively (e.g., imported, scanned, or digital pictures) and integrating them with written texts
• accurately document visual sources

Electronic

• use appropriate format, voice, and language in a professional email (e.g., correspondence with an instructor)
• use word processing skills, including making headings, attachments, tables, etc.
• create an electronic composition (e.g., communication eportfolio)
• choose one or more suitable media for delivering a piece of communication to its intended audience 

Types of Assignments in English 150

Below are a few of the typical assignments included in English 150. Learning communities often modify assignments to their specific field.

What Will I Learn in English 250?

The goal of English 250 is for you to develop skills in written, oral, visual, and electronic communication. As a result, you should become not only a more perceptive consumer of information, but also a communicator better able to make effective decisions in your own work. Throughout the course, you'll learn to summarize, analyze, and evaluate various types of communication and then use those skills in four kinds of assignments: summaries, rhetorical analyses, argumentative and persuasive texts, and documented research. Individual instructors incorporate both the course goals and specific types of writing assignments listed below into the syllabi they design.

Written

• summarize accurately and responsibly the main ideas of others, especially published sources
• analyze professional writing to assess its purpose, audience, and rhetorical strategies
• construct arguments that integrate ethical, logical, and emotional appeals (i.e., ethos, logos, pathos)
• integrate appropriate source material, providing accurate and consistent documentation
• demonstrate an ability to conform to usage conventions and to adapt expression to purpose and audience
• reflect systematically upon all your communication processes, strengths, goals, and growth 

Oral

• give an oral presentation, either individually or as part of a team, using effective invention, organization, language, and delivery strategies
• function as an effective team member in small groups as a contributor, listener, collaborator, and presenter 

Visual

• apply the visual communication principles related to pattern, contrast, direction, chunking, and color
• analyze the rhetoric of visual communication (e.g., advertisement, documentary film, political cartoon)
• create a visual argument (e.g., advertisement, poster, slide) 

Electronic

• apply the electronic communication principles related to layering, framing, transforming, and looping
• analyze the rhetoric of electronic communication (e.g., TV commercials, videos, websites)
• create an electronic composition (e.g., communication eportfolio) 

Types of Assignments in English 250

Below are a few of the typical assignments included in English 250. Learning communities often modify assignments to their specific field.