TROY Online
Master Course Syllabus
English 0096:
Fundamentals of Grammar and Sentence Writing
Term 5, 2016
May 23 – July 24
For a course syllabus posted prior to the beginning of the term, the instructor reserves the
right to make minor changes prior to or during the term. The instructor will notify students,
via email or Blackboard announcement, when changes are made in the requirements and/or
grading of the course.
TROY ONLINE Courses at Troy University
All TROY ONLINE courses at Troy University utilize the Blackboard Learning System. In
every Troy online course, students should read all information presented in the Blackboard
course site and should periodically check for updates—at least every 48 hours. Remember:
This is not a “correspondence course,” in which a student may work at his or her own pace.
Each week there are assignments, online discussions, online activities and/or exams with
due dates. Refer to the schedule at the end of the syllabus for more information.
Instructor Information
Instructor Nell C. Stone
Online Campus
Phone Number: 843.242.7628
Email Address: [email protected]
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 8:30 – 9:30 a.m., Central Time
If you contact me during this time, I will be able to speak with you within the hour. If you
contact me by phone, please leave a message and a phone number by which you can be
reached.
Instructor Education
Master of Arts, The University of South Carolina
Bachelor of Arts in English (Minor in French), College of Charleston and College
of Charleston Honors Program
Course Description
This course provides developmental instruction in the basic elements of standard American
English grammar, with an introduction to the essentials of effective written communication.
It involves application of appropriate computer software. Students are placed in this course,
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ENG 1100, or ENG 1101, depending on the placement exam score. Please visit the local
campus testing center for specific cut-off scores. Students may also be required to attend
weekly sessions at a writing and/or computer center. Note: Under no circumstances may
this course be used to substitute for any general studies requirement; nor may it be used to
meet minimum degree requirements. A grade of C or better and successful completion of
the diagnostic post-test are required.
Course Objectives
Students will be required to perform assigned tasks in order to improve reading and writing
skills, comprehending the areas of grammar, expression, and sentence construction.
Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of the term, students should be able to form sentences that are sound in
grammar, expression, and structure; should be able to readily recognize errors in these
areas of writing; and should be able to organize statements to form a clear, cohesive
paragraph.
Course Prerequisites
Placement testing
Course Topics
The course will focus on the basics of grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation. In
developing the assigned paragraphs, students will gain practice in expository writing.
Specific Course Requirements
Specific course requirements for English 0096 include a diagnostic pre-test, four paragraph
assignments, discussion board posts, weekly quizzes, and a diagnostic post-test.
Note: All discussion forum threads must be submitted during the week when they are
assigned. For discussion forums, posts that are submitted after the week when they are due
will not be accepted. For quizzes and paragraph assignments, points will be deducted from
the assignment grade for each day that work is submitted late―with no exceptions.
For every course assignment, original submissions are accepted for grade credit. No
paragraph revisions (rewrites), discussion thread revisions, or quiz revisions will be allowed;
only one submission per assignment will be allowed for grading.
Research Component
Students will not be required to perform research outside the classroom. However, students
are
encouraged
to
visit
the
websites
GrammarBook.com
and
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/5, the Purdue University OWL (Online Writing
Lab, to view guides on grammar guidelines, as a way to increase their understanding of
grammar issues that are especially challenging for them.
Entrance Competencies
Students must possess the knowledge and skills of a high school graduate and the capability
to perform on a college level. Students who require extra help in the course should contact
the instructor with questions and should view the tutorials listed in the Helpful Websites
section of this syllabus. Students are expected to have access to a computer with internet
capabilities and to have an understanding of the workings of both the computer, required
software, and the educational system (Blackboard) through which the course is taught.
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Required Textbook
Anker, Susan. Real Skills with Readings: with Access.
ISBN: 1-4576-9398-4
ISBN 13: 978-1-4576-9398-4
The textbook provider for the eCampus of Troy University is MBS Direct.
The Web site for textbook purchases is
http://www.mbsdirect.net/Index.htm .
Students should have the textbook by the first week of class. Not having a
textbook is not an acceptable excuse for late work. Students who add this
course late should refer to the “Late Registration” section for further
guidance.
Supplementary Materials
No materials outside the textbook and guides posted in the Blackboard classroom are
required for this course.
Attendance Policy
In addition to interaction via Blackboard and email contact, you are required to contact the
instructor via email or telephone by the first day of the term for an initial briefing. Although
physical class meetings are not part of this course, participation in all interactive, learning
activities is required.
The level of participation that a student demonstrates will have an impact on the
student’s course grade; if an assignment is not completed by the assigned deadlines, then a
point penalty will be issued against the assignment grade.
Submitting Assignments
Each assigned quiz must be completed through the assignment link provided in the assigned
week's folder, contained in Weekly Assignments area of the classroom. Each assigned
paragraph must be included in a Microsoft Word or OpenOffice.org file and submitted
through the link provided in the assigned week's folder, contained in Weekly Assignments.
Specific deadlines are given for all course assignments, and students are expected to
submit work by the assigned deadlines. Failure to submit assigned work in a timely manner
will result in a point penalization against the assignment grade. This course is not a selfpaced course.
If an assignment link does not work, for some reason, contact the HelpDesk of Troy
University and immediately send your work by your Troy email account, to
[email protected]. Lack of functionality of an assignment link will not be
accepted as an excuse for late work.
Assigned discussion forum posts must be submitted by creating a “new thread” in the
Class Discussions area of the classroom, within the area designated for the assigned week.
Do not wait until the last minute and “cram” to work on your assignments. Keep up
with your reading, review any confusing information copiously in order to understand the
material, ask questions when you do not understand an instructional concept or an error
that has occurred in your writing, and review previous graded assignments, as appropriate,
so that you will be prepared to write your assigned paragraphs, take the course tests, and
take the course quizzes.
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Late Work/ Make-Up Work Policy
Missing any part of this schedule may prevent completion of the course. If a class member
foresees difficulty of any type (i.e., an illness, employment change, etc.) that may prevent
the timely completion of an assignment (or prevent completion of this course), the class
member should notify the instructor as soon as possible. The instructor will consider
granting an extension of an assignment deadline only if a student requests the extension at
least three days before the assigned deadline. Failure to do complete work will result in
failure for an assignment and/or failure of the course. (See “Attendance Policy,” above.) In
other words, if the instructor has not heard from a student well before the deadline dates
for assignments, exams, or forums, no make-up work will be allowed (unless extraordinary
circumstances exist, such as hospitalization). Requests for extensions must be made in
advance and accompanied by appropriate written documentation. “Computer problems” will
not be considered an acceptable excuse for late assignment submissions.
Repeated extensions will not be granted.
Assigned discussion forum posts must be submitted by creating a “new thread” in the
Class Discussions area of the classroom. For any discussion post submitted late, a late point
deduction will be applied to the grade. Posts that are submitted after the end of the
assigned week will not be eligible to receive grade credit--with no exceptions.
A standard point deduction of eight grade points per day (on a scale of 100) will be
applied to the grade for any paragraph that is submitted late. No paragraph will be accepted
nine days after the due date or thereafter. For quizzes and tests, 10 percent of the total
grade will be deducted for each day that work is submitted late.
Neither “make-up work” nor “extra credit work” will be permitted for any student.
As noted in the “Attendance Policy” section, this course is not self-paced, and all class
members will be expected to keep abreast of all assignment deadlines and submit work
according to these deadlines.
Method of Evaluation
All students enrolled in English 0096 can expect a fairly heavy workload, which is designed
to improve the reading and writing skills necessary for satisfactory completion of freshmanlevel composition. English 0096 students are also expected to contribute to
classroom discussions, pay attention to key points of learning, attend class
consistently, and complete all assignments in a timely fashion.
To improve reading, writing, and grammar skills, students are required to complete the
following for English 0096: a) numerous grammar exercises, b) various paragraph
assignments, and c) responses to discussion forum questions and to classmates' posts.
English 0096 does not require a research or long essay.
Final course grades will be tabulated using the following criteria:
1) Grammar exercises: 42% of overall course grade
2) 4 paragraph writing exercises: 40% of overall course grade
3) Discussion Board posts, with peer review: 18% of overall course grade
Examination Schedule and Instructions
There will be a diagnostic post-test that students must complete online, during the final
week of the course.
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Late Registration/Registration During the First Week of the
Term
If you register during the first week of the term, you will already be one week behind. If you fall into
this category are expected to catch up with all work for Week One and Week Two by the end of
Week Two (that Sunday evening). There will be no exceptions, since two weeks constitutes a
significant percentage of the term's lessons. If you do not feel you can meet this deadline, you
should not enroll in the class. If you have registered, you should see your registrar, academic
adviser, GoArmyEd or Military Education officer to discuss your options.
Also note that late registration may mean you do not receive your book in time to make up the
work you missed in Week One. Not having your book on the first day of class is not an excuse for late
work after the deadlines in the Course Schedule.
Incomplete Grade Policy
Missing any part of the course may prevent completion of the course. If circumstances will
prevent the student from completing the course by the end of the term, the student must
complete a request for an incomplete grade.
Note: A grade of Incomplete, I, is not automatically assigned to students, but rather
must be requested by the student by submitting a Petition for and Work to Remove an
Incomplete Grade form. Requests for an Incomplete must be made on or before the date of
the final assignment or test of the term. A grade of I does not replace an F and will not be
awarded for excessive absences. An I will only be awarded to a student presenting a valid
case for the inability to complete coursework by the conclusion of the term. It is ultimately
the instructor’s decision to grant or deny a request for an incomplete grade, subject to the
policy rules below:
Policy/Rules for granting an Incomplete (I):
- The student must request that an incomplete be issued.
- The student’s progress in the course must be satisfactory at the time of the
request (e.g. the student must be passing the course), but is unable to complete
the course grading requirements because of documented circumstances beyond
his/her control.
If both of the above criteria are not met, an Incomplete cannot be granted.
-
An I is not a substitute for an F. If a student has earned an F by not submitting
all the work or by receiving an overall F average, then the F stands.
TROY Email
All students were required to obtain and use the TROY email address that is automatically
assigned to them as Troy students. All official correspondence (including bills, statements,
emails from instructors and grades, etc.) will be sent ONLY to the troy.edu (@troy.edu)
address.
All students are responsible for ensuring that the correct email address is
listed in Blackboard by the beginning of Week One. Email is the only way the
instructor can, at least initially, communicate with you. It is your responsibility to make sure
a valid email address is provided. Failure on your part to do so can result in your
missing important information that could affect your grade.
Your Troy.edu email address is the same as your Web Express user ID following by
@troy.edu. Students are responsible for the information that is sent to their TROY email
account. You can get to your email account by logging onto the course and clicking “Email”.
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Internet Access
This is an online class. Students must have access to a working computer and access to the
Internet. Students can use a TROY computer lab (if available), a public library, etc., to
insure they have access. “Not having a computer” or “computer crashes” will not be
considered as an acceptable excuse for late work. Have a back-up plan in place in case
you have computer problems.
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COURSE SCHEDULE
Schedule: Weeks 1 through 9
Week
Assignment
Week 1
Grammar Pre-test (Diagnostic Pretest)
Due Date
Due no later than Saturday at 11:5
p. m., Pacific Time (PT)
Read course syllabus and e-mail
message to instructor
Read chapters 1, 2, 8 (pp. 126-30), 9,
and 30 in the course textbook (Anker)
Complete Discussion Threads for
Week 1
Complete Quizzes 1 – 3
Week 2
Chapters 4, 5, 6 (“Narration,” pp. 6366), 11, and 12
Due no later than Saturday at 11:5
p.m., Pacific Time (PT)
Complete Quizzes 4 – 6
Complete Paragraph #1
Week 3
Chapters 24 and 25
Complete Discussion Threads
for Week 3
Complete Quizzes 7 – 9
Week 4
Chapters 29, 13, 14, and 6
(“Illustration,” pp. 66-69)
Complete Discussion Threads
for Week 4
Complete Quizzes 10 – 12
Complete Paragraph #2
Week 5
Chapters 27, 14 (review), and 21
Complete Quiz 13
Week 6
Chapters 8 (pp. 115-125) and 15
Complete Quizzes 14 and 15
Complete Discussion Threads for
Week 6
Complete Paragraph #3
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Due no later than Saturday
at 11:59 p.m., PT
Due no later than Saturday at
11:59 p.m., PT
Due no later than Saturday at
11:59 p.m., PT
Due no later than Saturday at 11:5
p.m., PT
Week 7
Chapters 16 and 17
Complete Quizzes 16 – 18
Complete Discussion Threads
for Week 7
Week 8
Chapters 18, 19 (pp. 374-77),
and 20
Complete Quizzes 19 and 20
Complete Paragraph #4
Week 9
Chapter 19 (pp. 368-74)
Complete Diagnostic Post-test
Complete Quizzes 21 and 22
Due no later than Saturday at
11:59 p.m., PT
Due no later than Saturday at
11:59 p.m., PT
Due no later than Thursday at
11:59 p.m., PT
The instructor will monitor the progress of each student through the weekly
assignments, any Blackboard interactive assignments, and e-mail interaction.
Again, it is each student's responsibility to keep up with all required course work
and submission deadlines through the course syllabus and other Blackboard
resources. In addition, it is each student’s responsibility to check his or her Troy
email
account
every
24
to
48
hours.
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