EPD 155: Basic Communication

Home : Courses :
EPD 155 - Basic Communication

Catalog Description

155 Basic Communication. I, II; 2 cr. Emphasis on writing and critical reading. Planning, preparing, and revising informative and persuasive communication; adapting writing for intended audiences; grammar, usage and style; critical reading of prose models in the sciences and humanities; using information resources; videotaped oral presentations; collaborative writing using computers. P: Open to Fr.

Course Prerequisite(s)

See catalog description above.

Prerequisite knowledge and/or skills

Students are expected to have a reasonable facility in standard English speaking, reading, and writing. Foreign students will have to have taken the required English as a Second Language courses, or they must have a passing grade on the TOEFL.

Textbook(s) and/or other required material

Course packet or online library reserve items, typically including readings and student samples
A standard English handbook, like the Scott Foresman Handbook for Writers or the Allyn & Bacon handbook
A college rhetoric book sometimes as well, but these may vary

Course objectives

By the end of this course, students should be able to:
1. read critically and analyze writing to locate the thesis, the pattern of organization, and the strengths and weaknesses of the writing;
2. plan, develop, and revise essays, suitable for a university setting, that present and defend a clear, precise thesis using effective organization and logic, appeals, evidence, a variety of sources, and appropriate documentation and that demonstrate a mastery of elements of grammar, usage, and style;
3. analyze the context of different communication situations and audience needs, interests, and values in order to adapt writing and speaking more effectively for their intended audiences;
4. speak with more confidence in front of peers in an organized manner and participate effectively in class discussions; and
5. collaborate with fellow students to develop effective essays and presentations through group work and the peer review process.

Topics covered

Students are required to write several different types of persuasive or argumentative essays. As preparation for these essays, students learn different stages of the writing process, some basic rhetorical theory, strategies for organizing documents in a logical manner, techniques for supporting and developing arguments, and recognition of logical fallacies. They may also study strong and weak samples of writing to analyze development of ideas, logic, structure, evidence, style, and writing mechanics.
The different essays the students write may include:
a rhetorical analysis of a speech, advertisement, essay, or other cultural product
a research-based, documented argument of substantial length
a persuasive/argumentative essay which analyzes the causes of a controversy, makes a proposal, or counter-argues another argument
Students also must prepare a presentation of at least one of the above written assignments, so good presentation skills are a topic covered by this class.
Students in EPD 155 are also required to complete the Computerized Library User Education (CLUE) module, along with an in-class tutorial by the librarians.
Informal writing (and/or journals) may be done in or out of class to generate ideas, summarize and/or analyze readings, and practice writing strategies, research techniques, and peer review.

Class/laboratory schedule

The class meets for two hours a week all semester long; it is a 2-credit class.

Contribution of course to meeting the professional component

This course contributes primarily to the students' general education.

The following statement indicates which of the following considerations are included in this course: economic, environmental, ethical, political, societal, health and safety, manufacturability, sustainability.

economic environmental ethical political societal health and safety

Relationship of course to undergraduate degree program objectives and outcomes

This course serves students in a variety of engineering majors. The information below describes how the course contributes to the college's educational objectives.

First, since EPD 155 fulfills the Part A requirement for Communication, it is a general requirement on the UW campus, but it serves primarily engineering majors. This course provides instruction, support, practice, and feedback to improve communication skills. Critical reading and writing are its focus; effective oral presentation is also a goal. The course is also designed to improve the overall problem-solving and critical-analysis skills of students. Reading, writing, and discussion in this course heighten student knowledge of contemporary social and ethical issues and student ability to understand multiple perspectives of such issues.

Assessment of student progress toward course objectives

Student progress will be assessed in several ways. Primarily, individual instructors will assess strengths and weaknesses of written drafts and oral presentations. Expectations for these assignments depend on their focus and the draft's stage in the writing process or the presentation's requirements, but instructors will offer written comments on drafts and presentations and, in some cases, include specific grading criteria worksheets.

Students will also get opportunities all semester to offer their peers constructive criticism on their work, so the students will, in a sense, assess the effectiveness of the writing and speaking of other students.

For certain assignments, students will be asked to assess their own work. This happens most commonly on speaking assignments, which are taped.

Instructors generally meet with all students at least once a semester to discuss their work/progress in an individual conference.

Person(s) who prepared this description

Elise M. Gold
Laura R. Grossenbacher

Copyright 2007 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
Date last modified: 28-Aug-2007
Date created: 29-Jul-1999
Content by: custserv@epd.engr.wisc.edu
Accessibility

Web services
Thank you for visiting http://www.engr.wisc.edu//epd/courses/epd155.html

eCOW2 Courses

eCOW Courses

Archive