LSC 1103 - Academic Reading and Writing 1
Course Description
This is a first year course focusing on basic research and academic reading and writing skills, and connects reading to vocabulary acquisition and to the production of academic-style essays containing references. Students apply techniques such as brainstorming, organising and planning to generate ideas, as well as drafting, revising, editing and proofreading written work.
The course also equips students to access academic reading texts more effectively whereby they can produce written academic English which is proficient enough to demonstrate their learning and their understanding. In doing so students need to grasp the basics of research skills outlined below.
Course Learning Outcomes:
Teaching AND Learning Strategies:The following assessment breakdown will be used:
All work to be assessed using HCT rubric schemes. (Outcomes: 1,2,3,4,5)
Coursework - Set Exercises: 15%
Basic research skills; APA referencing style, in-text direct and indirect citations, essay format, sourcing and plagiarism awareness. (Essay writing 10%; Quiz 5%)
(Outcomes: 3,4,5)
Coursework - Set Exercises: 10%
Contextualized vocabulary from the Academic Word List (Quiz 10%)
(Outcomes: 2)
Coursework - Set Exercises: 25%
Reading. (Reading portfolio 15%; Reading tests (1) 10%)
(Outcomes: 1,2,3)
Coursework - Set Exercises: 20%
Development of writing skills to prepare students for writing an academic style essay. (Students write 2 essays of 250 words under test conditions, 10% each.)
(Outcomes: 3,4,5)
Final Assessment - Written Examination: 30% (CSA)
Reading 15%: Two texts and one visual text (graph/table, diagram). 30 reading comprehension items to include 5 vocabulary items. Writing 15%: Students write a 250-300 word essay. 2 hour exam: 1 hour for reading and 1 hour for writing.
(Outcomes: 1,2,3,5)
Total Weight: 100%
This is a first year course focusing on basic research and academic reading and writing skills, and connects reading to vocabulary acquisition and to the production of academic-style essays containing references. Students apply techniques such as brainstorming, organising and planning to generate ideas, as well as drafting, revising, editing and proofreading written work.
The course also equips students to access academic reading texts more effectively whereby they can produce written academic English which is proficient enough to demonstrate their learning and their understanding. In doing so students need to grasp the basics of research skills outlined below.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- CLO 1- Use a range of reading strategies and skills to develop interactive reading, including identifying different kinds of text structure, identifying main versus supporting detail, and opinion versus fact, drawing conclusions and evaluating, using context and other sources/resources to find and understand words.
- CLO 2- Use appropriate skills and strategies to understand academic vocabulary in context.
- CLO 3- Discuss, generate, and order ideas, and narrow down a topic before completing a plan for a piece of writing, and be able to locate and select appropriate sources when needed including the use of library resources.
- CLO 4- Use material from relevant reliable sources to develop a clear and detailed text acknowledging materials used by citing sources in APA format and using direct quotations and indirect quotations (paraphrasing and summarizing) correctly with in-text citations so that detailed information is communicated reliably and with appropriate acknowledgement. Understand the seriousness of plagiarizing and the consequences of doing so.
- CLO 5- Draft, revise, edit, and proofread written work largely independently using appropriate reference materials, tools, software, or websites where necessary.
Teaching AND Learning Strategies:The following assessment breakdown will be used:
All work to be assessed using HCT rubric schemes. (Outcomes: 1,2,3,4,5)
- Basic research skills: Students will learn how to reference work using APA style which they will use throughout their Bachelor studies. They will learn the reasons why we need to reference other people''s work used in academic writing. Plagiarism is a core element of this assessment with exercises on what is and what is not plagiarism. Teachers will guide students in sourcing materials to use in learning about specific subject areas. Assessment will reflect the aforementioned elements.
- Reading portfolio: The readings will be connected to acquiring vocabulary and encouraging writing. Students will build a creative writing portfolio of readings accompanied by evidence of comprehension with the help of the teacher. Through reading activities students will acquire the skills needed to interpret readings and enrich their knowledge.
- Vocabulary: At this level of study, students will acquire new vocabulary that is connected to their readings. This will be assessed in various ways: vocabulary logs, glossary, written usage in context, and quizzes. The main goal is to increase students'' vocabulary and academic word base.
- Writing portfolio: This will reflect students'' readings and demonstrate their writing skills that have been taught over the period of the course. The portfolio will reflect students'' ability to take notes, brainstorm, summarize, and check their own work. Teachers will guide students in attaining these skills and they will submit completed work into their writing portfolio where it will be graded using the HCT''s rubrics.
- Final, reading and writing essay: There will be two reading passages, the combined length of which should be no more than 1500 words. One text should be 600-800 words, FK Level 12; the other should be 500-700 words, but at FK Level 10. The latter text should include 1 visual text such as a graph, chart, or diagram linked by its content to the topic of the second, shorter reading text. Five items will assess vocabulary. The student will write an extended, multi-paragraph essay (250-300 words) demonstrating exit competency level (HCT Writing Band 5.5) with an introduction, body, and conclusion in one of the following genres: problems/solutions, causes/effects, or argumentative essay. Grading will be moderated and HCT''s rubrics used.
Coursework - Set Exercises: 15%
Basic research skills; APA referencing style, in-text direct and indirect citations, essay format, sourcing and plagiarism awareness. (Essay writing 10%; Quiz 5%)
(Outcomes: 3,4,5)
Coursework - Set Exercises: 10%
Contextualized vocabulary from the Academic Word List (Quiz 10%)
(Outcomes: 2)
Coursework - Set Exercises: 25%
Reading. (Reading portfolio 15%; Reading tests (1) 10%)
(Outcomes: 1,2,3)
Coursework - Set Exercises: 20%
Development of writing skills to prepare students for writing an academic style essay. (Students write 2 essays of 250 words under test conditions, 10% each.)
(Outcomes: 3,4,5)
Final Assessment - Written Examination: 30% (CSA)
Reading 15%: Two texts and one visual text (graph/table, diagram). 30 reading comprehension items to include 5 vocabulary items. Writing 15%: Students write a 250-300 word essay. 2 hour exam: 1 hour for reading and 1 hour for writing.
(Outcomes: 1,2,3,5)
Total Weight: 100%