Required Books
One of the Following Memoirs
Other Reading
What you'll want to know . . .
Learning how to learn is as fascinating as learning itself. What is intelligence? How do we learn? How can we use our metacognitive skills to our best advantage? What is the role of memory in learning? Using these questions as a backdrop, we'll investigate the task of learning how to learn, with special attention given to maximizing your own intellectual development through self-reflection. By the conclusion of this course, you'll not only have a better grasp of how learning occurs but also of how you learn best.
What you should pay attention to . . .
This class will use enhanced media technology in a variety of ways. The course syllabus, with regularly updated announcements and assignments, is on our World Wide Web site. We have a class listserv that we'll use for discussions, announcements and assignments. The Web also will be a valuable source for research and other activities. We will use personal computers, particularly word-processing, extensively.
You need not be a computer whiz to succeed, but you should be open to learning as much as necessary to take advantage of the enhanced media offered in this course. At the very least, you need a fundamental knowledge of email functions, World Wide Web searches, and word-processing. If you are deficit in any of these skills, consider taking a course through the Office of Information Technology or elsewhere.
These are the policies established by the College Writing Program (CWP) and the university that are pertinent to this class:
Academic Integrity Code: Regarding academic integrity, the university states:
Standards of academic conduct are set forth in the university Academic Integrity Code. By registering, you have acknowledged your awareness of the Academic Integrity Code, and you are obliged to become familiar with your rights and responsibilities as defined by the Code. Violations of the Academic Integrity Code will not be treated lightly, and disciplinary actions will be taken should such violations occur.
Plagiarism: The Department of Literature addresses plagiarism in the following statement:
Because writing in the real world is recursive and collaborative, you will be able to avail yourself of a variety of resources--classmates, the instructor, Writing Center tutors--to assist you in your out-of-class writing projects. You may use your colleagues for feedback and support in generating the writing, but the content and language must be solely yours or properly cited.
Reread the last phrase: " . . . the content and language must be solely yours or properly cited." Any paper that an instructor believes has not been properly documented, with all sources used appropriately cited, will be referred to the Office of the Dean of CAS for possible action under the university Academic Integrity Code. Violations of the Academic Integrity Code may have serious consequences, including failure for the course, a notation on the permanent record, suspension, or dismissal from the university.
Attendance: Participation in class discussions and activities is integral to this course. If you are not in class, you cannot participate--a situation that would seriously affect your course grade. The CWP adheres to the following directive:
The Department of Literature requires that students attend class regularly and arrive on time. Tardiness or leaving early will be counted as absences. More than six absences in the semester, for whatever reasons, may result in failure in the course.
Please reread the last sentence of this statement: "More than six absences in the semester, for whatever reasons, may result in failure in the course." Also note: tardiness and leaving early are implicated as undesirable behaviors. If these activities become problematic, expect your course grade to be impacted.
Grading Standards: The College Writing Program has established the following statement regarding College Writing grading standards:
All students must achieve a grade of C or better in order to satisfy the university requirement for College Writing.
Specific expectations for formal papers can be found on the handout entitled "Grading Criteria" (to be distributed).
Expect to be intellectually challenged in this class. The pace will be fast but equitably distributed. As long as you complete the work on a timely basis, you should have little difficulty keeping up. All work will be evaluated as stipulated by the grading guidelines set forth in the "Grading Criteria" handout.
The course grading matrix is as follows:
| Formal Papers | 50% |
| Portfolios | 20% |
| Informal and In-class Essays | 15% |
| Ejournals | 10% |
| Instructor's Discretion | 5% |
| 100% |
At any time during the semester, you may request your grade-to-date. Although an exact rendering may not be possible, an informed estimate will be.
What you'll do and write . . .
The semester's work consists of the following categories. As the semester progresses, we'll add details and refine the expectations for each category.
Formal Papers: (50%) You will write four "formal" papers in this course. "Formal" implies work that has gone through an extensive process to achieve accuracy, clarity and grace. Planning, organizing, drafting, revising, editing and proofreading are some of the typical steps involved in the process. Short-changing any of these steps will likely lead to a less than polished paper.
You should pay particular attention to the following:
Early Versions If you would like to have an early version of a formal paper reviewed before turning it in for a grade, you may turn do so up to one week before the final due date for the paper. Your early version will be returned to you the class period after you turn it in.
In-class Workshops For each formal paper assignment we will have a workshop day, usually the class session before the day on which the paper is due. The format of each workshop will be determined by the needs of the class. If you are not prepared for a workshop day, expect your paper's final grade to be affected.
Revisions After being returned to you with a grade, each formal paper may be revised one time. However, before revising you must meet with me to discuss revision strategies and expectations. Revisions must demonstrate significant improvement in order to be considered for a higher grade. Papers turned in late may not be revised. One formal paper may be revised one additional time for inclusion in your portfolio.
Late Papers Late papers earn one full grade deduction. However, with advance notice this late penalty may be reduced. It is imperative that you communicate with me as soon as possible when you suspect you may have difficulty meeting a due date. Once a paper is late, we will negotiate a new due date. Late papers may not be revised.
Missing Papers If you fail to turn in any formal paper during the course of the semester, you will not receive a passing grade for the course.
Grading Formal Papers will be graded on an A, B, C, D, F scale; plus and minus grades will be assigned.
Portfolios: (20%) The capstone project for this course is a reflective portfolio that represents your success this academic year. While the majority of the portfolio will be work from this course, you may also submit work from other courses. Creating this portfolio offers you an opportunity to highlight your achievements in a manner that is not primarily written; how well your portfolio is organized and proves its thesis idea will influence its grade.
Informal and In-class Essays: (15%) During the course of the semester, you will write nine informal and three in-class essays. Although these essays have been dubbed "informal" or "in-class," it does not mean that they are anything less than your best polished work. "Informal," rather, implies writing that occurs relatively spontaneously and with less opportunity for revision; hence, the work needs to be strong from the very start. You'll choose your best eight of the nine informal essays and best two of the three in-class essays for the final calculation of this grade.
E-journals: (10%) Each week, you will write an entry in response to a specific prompt. Prompts will generally address your metacognitive awareness of your work, intellectual growth and progress. The prompt for each entry will be distributed via our class listserv and will be posted on our class website. Your response should be sent via an email message--in the body of the message not as an attachment. Do not send it to the listserv!
Instructor's Discretion: (5%) This portion of your grade is a reflection of your motivation, attitude and effort. You can influence this grade by demonstrating active involvement in the learning and writing process and being engaged in all class activities.
Segment Schedule and Major Due Dates
I. Getting to know each other (January 19 - 22)
II. Think about it: Intelligence, knowledge, and thinking (January 26 - February 12)
III. What's your style? Learning with your strengths (February 16 - March 5)
Intermezzo (March 9 - March 12)
Spring Break (March 13 - March 21)
IV. Metacognition: Keep that executive functioning! (March 23 - April 9)
V. Remember when? The role of memory in learning (April 13 - April 30)
VI. Putting it all together (May 11)
Informal Paper Assignment and Due Dates
Assigned (Tuesday) |
Due (Friday) | |
| Informal Paper #1 | January 26 | January 29 |
| Informal Paper #2 | February 2 | February 5 |
| Informal Paper #3 | February 16 | February 19 |
| Informal Paper #4 | February 23 | February 26 |
| Informal Paper #5 | March 9 | March 12 |
| Informal Paper #6 | March 23 | March 26 |
| Informal Paper #7 | March 30 | April 2 |
| Informal Paper #8 | April 13 | April 16 |
| Informal Paper #9 | April 20 | April 23 |
Segment Schedules: A detailed segment schedule will be distributed prior to the start of each segment. Changes in the master and segment schedules may be necessary as the semester progresses; changes will be announced in class and on the class website. It is your responsibility to keep abreast of all changes.
Washington, D.C., is a wonderful and interesting city in which to learn. We'll take advantage of some of what the city offers through extracurricular activities and field trips. On occasion, usually Wednesdays, we'll attend various events throughout the District. These activities are purely voluntary. While assignments will never be directly tied to a specific activity, activities will be planned that enhance what we are studying at the time. I encourage you to attend these outings. You'll have the opportunity to learn in innovative ways that are fun and low-stress--no tests or papers!
I care greatly about your success in this course, and I am willing to work hard in order for you to achieve your potential. However, without your effort and cooperation, all my hard work will be futile. In order for you to learn, you need to be open to the learning process. If at any time during the course of the semester you need assistance, please seek me out. I will always be in my office during office hours; you are welcome to telephone me in my home office; or, if need be, we can make an appointment. Working together, we can always find opportunities for you to succeed in this course.
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