FYS Writing
Many faculty wonder what they should expect students to be able to do as writers when they have finished FYS-Writing. Every section of ENG 115 FYS-Writing pursues the following course objectives:
- Use essential questions about values to explore the responsibility of the individual to the community;
- Understand and apply a process of writing, involving invention, drafting, revision, and editing;
- Write informatively and persuasively. Particular attention will be paid to three key techniques: summary, analysis, and synthesis;
- summarize: extract the key point from a source, transform that point into a topic sentence, and represent the source accurately in your own words;
- analyze: identify the parts of a topic, transform that insight into an effective thesis statement, select appropriate supporting details, and organize the results using a logical plan of organization that reflects your analysis;
- synthesize: find a common theme or draw an inference from several sources, support your thesis by integrating material from those sources, and provide logical connections between the parts of your synthesis;
- Read complex texts for meaning and engage them in dialogue;
- Learn the basics of library and WWW-focused independent research and documentation;
- Actively participate in a community of learners who engage with each other through discussion, reading, and writing;
- Effectively communicate in class discussions and oral presentations to explore and articulate ideas.