English 112: Argumentation & Persuasion
As stated in the Northern Virginia Community College-wide Course Content Summary, the goals of English 112 are to continue to:
"develop college writing with increased emphasis on critical essays, argumentation, and research, developing these competencies through the examination of a range of texts. Requires students to locate, evaluate, integrate, and document sources and effectively edit for style and usage" (Northern Virginia Community College, 2007).
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Over the years I have taught this class several ways from using a theme base to, where I am now, working with four modules that each culminate in a major text deliverable.
Module One is a review of key concepts students should already know.
Module Two introduces rhetoric. It gives an overview of the history of rhetoric and teaches students understanding and application of the various rhetorical concepts such as:
Students should go to the library and review some academic journals of their chosen discipline in order to familiarize themselves with the background and context of the text they will analyze.
Module Three further develops the concept of academic argument. It brings in several concepts including:
Module Four works with using visual/digital rhetoric to enhance argument. It deals with topics of:
Module One is a review of key concepts students should already know.
- Important Concept Review: Critical Thinking, Critical Reading & Analysis
- Important Concept Review: Basic Essay Components
- Important Concept Review: The Research Process
- Important Concept Review: Incorporating Material
Module Two introduces rhetoric. It gives an overview of the history of rhetoric and teaches students understanding and application of the various rhetorical concepts such as:
- Persuasive strategies - the rhetorical appeals
- Rhetorical devices - techniques of using language to increase the persuasiveness of a piece of writing.
- Rhetorical moves - to give pupose to sources that show readers why the source is important to the argument.
- Rhetorical cannons - to aid in both the analysis of a text as well as the development of a text.
- What is the issue/argument?
- How does the author present his/her argument? (What kinds of persuasive strategies, appeals and language does he/she use to present the argument?)
- What is the author's purpose? How does he/she accomplish the purpose(s)?
- Who is the author's intended audience?
- How effective is the author in persuading his/her intended audience?
Students should go to the library and review some academic journals of their chosen discipline in order to familiarize themselves with the background and context of the text they will analyze.
Module Three further develops the concept of academic argument. It brings in several concepts including:
- Additional models of argument - Toulmin and Rogerian
- Examining the argument - Logical fallacies, claim/counterclaim
- Evidence and sources - creating primary source material using survey and interview
- Visual Rhetoric - data visualization
Module Four works with using visual/digital rhetoric to enhance argument. It deals with topics of:
- Visual Literacy
- Visual Strategies
- Diverse Media Platforms
- Multimedia Development including script and storyboard