GSW 1120
Course Description: In this course we will explore various genres of research writing composed for academic audiences in order to conduct our own research on writing. Assignments and activities for this section of GSW 1120 are designed to facilitate writing transfer; thus we will conduct writing studies research in order to discover and reflect upon how we might apply our findings to our future writing tasks. We will conduct both library- and person-based research and compose in various genres, including topic exploration projects, research method analyses, researched project proposals, annotated bibliographies, synthesized researched projects, autoethnographies, and self-reflective projects. Throughout the course we will talk to and work collaboratively with writing experts to provide supporting evidence for our research, part of which involves exploring how a term such as “writing expert” might be defined.
Both within and outside academia, we engage with popular culture through multiple forms (film, music, mythology, games, etc.) In our connections to media, we each offer unique interpretations and reactions, shaped by history, culture, gender, and other means of identification. The following course enables students to connect personal interests with various approaches of writing and research. In critically reflecting and research popular culture, we further our understanding of a media driven world and our places in it.
Open Letter on Popular Culture Assignment: In this project, you are tasked with writing an open letter, a critical letter that addresses a specific individual/group but is published for a wider audience. Using both library and internet searches, you will craft a thoughtful analysis of an issue relating to a piece of pop culture. This project will prepare you to discuss popular media using research tools and begin exploring potential research topics.
Project Proposal and Annotated Bibliography : For the researched project proposal and annotated bibliography you will come up with a plan for researching your topic/question for your researched project. This will include designing a plan for your library research, which you will conduct in order to address your research question for the researched project. You will also compose an annotated bibliography of 6-8 sources that you will likely use as supporting evidence in your researched project. The researched project proposal will ask you to explore the project in as much detail as possible so that you can conduct responsible research given the context and scope of GSW 1120.
Renee Ann Drouin 