Course Outcomes - WR 115 and WR 115W

WR 115: Introduction to College Writing

Prerequisite: Appropriate scores on Lane's Writing Placement Test or a passing grade (C- or better) in WR 095.

WR 115 emphasizes the writing process of pre-drafting, composing, revising, and editing to help students express ideas clearly in logical and meaningful essays. WR 115 also helps students develop analytical skills so that they can become better critical thinkers, readers, and writers. Assignments and class discussions affirm the relevance of writing skills to students’ academic, occupational, public, and/or personal lives. Because this course serves as an introduction to college writing, skills essential for success in WR 121 will be introduced in WR 115. The course also fulfills some of Lane programs' writing requirements.

A. Engage in and value a respectful and free exchange of ideas.

B. Think, read, and write critically:

• Use reading and writing for college-level inquiry, learning, thinking, and communicating;
• Recognize how other writers and speakers adapt language for audience, situation, and purpose.

C. Assess and meet different writing situations:

• Recognize and use academic writing strategies appropriate to specific audiences and purposes;
• Adopt appropriate voice, tone, and level of formality.

D. Develop and organize essays through a flexible writing process that proceeds through discovering ideas, planning, drafting, revising, and editing:

• Base each essay on a clearly stated or understood controlling idea or thesis;
• Work effectively with other writers to evaluate and revise essays constructively;
• Weave a relevant quotation from source material into an essay;
• Select appropriate methods for developing ideas in paragraphs and essays, such as analysis, facts, explanations, examples, descriptions, quotations, and/or narratives.

E. Observe most of the conventions of Edited Standard Written English and make effective stylistic choices as a writer:

• Express ideas carefully and coherently so that errors and problems of style do not obscure or detract from the writer's meaning;
• Use MLA quoting conventions.

WR 115W - Introduction to College Writing: Workplace Emphasis

Prerequisite: Appropriate scores on Lane's Writing Placement Test or a passing grade (C- or better) in WR 095.

This course provides students with a forum for exploring, evaluating, and creating various forms and styles of spoken and written English. Writing 115W emphasizes frequent writing, revision, and editing to help students learn to express ideas clearly in logically organized essays, letters and reports. Because the course serves as an introduction to college writing, it addresses the analytical skills essential for success in Writing 121, and fulfills some programs' writing requirements.

115W Outcomes

In addition to the Writing 115 outcomes, upon completion of the course, students will be able to

1. write an essay or a comparable presentation (e.g., a proposal) that has a clear focus/thesis

2. support a position with adequate specifics (whether essay, memo, report or résumé)

3. observe the format and content requirements of various types of business communications and essays

4. show proficiency in reading the assigned material (chapters, published essays, peer work)