ENC 1102 -Major Assignments
ENC 1102 at UCF is centered around a semester-long research project which I have broken up into 4 major assignments. Click the link on each assignment to view the actual assignment details.
(This assignment is divided into a draft phase and a final proposal phase.)
Assignment 1 is a research proposal that introduces students to their semester-long research project. It encourages students to think about their personal interests and concerns along with the discourse communities they occupy. It invites them to reflect, explore, and be curious. It asks them to prepare and question. At this stage, this assignment should be presented in essay format so that students can work with something familiar while exploring new ideas. It will later be refined, revised, and turned in a format fitting their chosen field of discussion. Assignment one gives students a starting point that will help guide their research and serve as a rough road map. By introducing this assignment first, students are able to keep in their research interests in mind and refine those interests throughout the course of the semester. Students are able to build upon this framework throughout the next two projects so that by the time they arrive at the research portion of the project, they have a solid plan that will allow them to use their time effectively. This assignment will be given in conjunction with in class-discussions of what makes up discourse communities, how communities overlap, and how specialized concepts and language may appear in those communities.
(This assignment will involve conferencing with me to discuss your draft.)
Assignment 2 is an annotated bibliography which will kick off initial research. The annotated bibliography allows students to explore the question (or questions) they developed in assignment one to get acquainted with discussion surrounding their chosen topic. Students are to look at what research has already been done in their area of interest in order to better identify a niche or gap in this research that their project might help fill or flesh out. The annotated bibliography further encourages exploration and asks that students immerse themselves in discussion surrounding their research topic, that they themselves become active scholars in this community. The annotated bibliography also allows students to begin collecting information and asks that they make thoughtful connections between what they gather and their research project. It asks that they develop a list of sources that they can then revisit if needed, and which anyone reading their research report can then use to learn more about their topic. The annotated bibliography also opens up opportunities to really examine how language and genre can differ between communities. It is my hope that the research attached annotated bibliography can help students dig a little deeper into their own interests and discover something that excites them. The annotated bibliography will likely need to be revised throughout the semester as students approach finalizing their proposal and their research.
(This assignment will include a peer review component.)
Assignment 3 is the research report that students will turn in after finishing gathering data. The research report asks students to put together everything they’ve planned and learned throughout this project into one, cohesive document. The research report is especially important because it asks that students analyze raw data that they themselves have collected and organize it into something meaningful. Thoughtful analysis is an important communication skill that requires students to explain their work and thoughts clearly, being mindful of their audience and what they want to convey through their work. While the format of this assignment is limited to something familiar (an essay), the research report still engages student understanding of what it means to communicate across fields and to present their interests. The actual writing that is included in this assignment draws upon everything students have previously worked on—the proposal (including the research question and plan) and the annotated bibliography, along with everything they’ve learned about communication, genres, diversity of language, and thoughtful research methods. Because this project asks that students bring together all their previous assignments, it also prepares them to reflect on what they’ve done—something they will need to do for their final assignment.
Assignment 4 is an e-portfolio that requires students to compile all of their completed assignments as well as their drafts in a digital portfolio. Students are also required to turn in a reflection letter in which they discuss what they’ve learned this semester, how their writing or perceptions of writing have changed, and what they’d do differently if they did this project again. The inclusion of drafts allows students to compare their progress between initial and final drafts and think about how their writing process is formed. The way in which they choose to sequence their portfolio is also important in the kind of story they wish to tell and how they want to present their work. A portfolio is a professional tool, and this assignment prepares students to present their writing to potential programs and employers, and thus, students must once again be mindful of audience and community in putting these portfolios together. This final project is a chance for students to showcase what they’ve achieved as well as to express how they feel about their achievements and their state as a writer. It supports the writing about writing philosophy and builds upon skills that the students have been honing throughout the semester.
