Prompt:

 

Evaluate the effectiveness of online learning an English course for you using Freire, Griffin, or Rodriguez as your primary text as the main foundation for your perspective of you personal writing philosophy.

 

Background:

Throughout the semester, you were presented with three different composition theories: social constructionist, expressivist, and rhetorical. Each was accompanied with an essay that served as a platform to discuss these theories. You are now being asked to extend these theories to online learning. You are essentially being asked to do three things in this essay:

1. Discuss the structure of online learning noting the advantages and disadvantages of it using sources from the Santa Ana College’s library database
2. Determine your preferred composition perspective (social constructionist, expressivist, or rhetorical) and explain why you connect with this preference

3.Connect your preferred composition perspective with the advantages and disadvantages of online learning and make an argument on if learning writing online is effective for you (you may compare online learning’s effectiveness for you with learning in the classroom if you feel it helps your argument)

Here are the basic requirements for the research essay:

 

• Use at least six sources from the SAC library database
• At least one source discussing the chosen composition perspective (SAC library database not required)
• Use Freire, Griffin, or Rodriguez as a primary source
• Use at least one secondary source for the chosen primary source (SAC library database not required)
• 10 sources total, 10-15 pages

 

There are four errors that will give your essay an automatic 0/200 score:

 

1. Dropped quote
2. Source does not cross-reference
3. No works cited page
4. The basic source requirements are not met

Outline

 

1. Introduction
   1. Thesis
   2. Preview entire essay
2. Research/History (Use SAC Library Database, use QDF for any quotes used in this section, A-C are sections, not paragraphs)
3. Discuss the general structure of online learning
   1. You may also discuss common different online learning models as well
   2. Discuss the disadvantages of online learning
   3. Discuss the advantages of online learning

• Writer’s Argument
  • . Thesis
    1. Generally explain composition theory and online education (to preview the specific parts of your argument in B and C)

1. Determine your preferred composition perspective and explain why
   1. Use one source to talk about the composition perspective
   2. Use one of the three primary sources and show how that primary source is an example of your preferred composition perspective
   3. Use one secondary source to further explain your preference
2. Explain your thesis by connecting your preferred composition perspective with the structure, disadvantages, and advantages of online learning
3. Possible Counter-Arguments
4. Discuss possible counter-arguments to your thesis. If you argue that online learning is effective for you, then counter-arguments should address the possibility that it is not effective for you. If you argue that online learning is not effective for you, then counter-arguments should address the opposite.
5. Response to Counter-Arguments
6. Respond to counter-arguments using one of the agree tactics developing from general to specific
7. Conclusion

A.Review entire essay

 

 

 

Section II review:
Here is a recap of what is required from Section II

1. Research/History (Use SAC Library Database, use QDF for any quotes used in this section, A-C are sections, not paragraphs)
   1. Discuss the general structure of online learning
      1. You may also discuss common different online learning models as well

A .Discuss the disadvantages of online learning

1. Discuss the advantages of online learning
2. A. Discuss the general structure ofonlinelearning

Using the Quote Development Format, develop a quote from each source about a characteristic or aspect of online learning. Each source will be a paragraph.

Quote Development Format applied to this section:

Context: What was the article about? What is the main argument of the article?
Introduce Quote: Use a signal phrase and introduce a quote highlighting an aspect ofonline learning.
Explain: Explain what the quote is saying about online learning.
Connect: Connect the explanation to your thesis.

Remember that the sentence ratio is 2-1-3-3. Be sure that these sentences are college-level sentences

1. B. Discuss the disadvantages ofonlinelearning
   C. Discuss the advantages of online learning

In these two sections, you will use the Quote Development Format to discuss the positive and negative aspects of online learning. If you find a source that discusses the stengeths or weaknesses about online learning, that belongs in these two sections. Remember that each quote has its own paragraph.

Quote Development Format applied to these two sections:

Context: What is the article about? What is the article’s argument?
Introduce Quote: Use a signal phrase to introduce a quote that discusses and strength or weakness about online learning.
Explain: Explain what the quote is trying to explain about a weakness or strength about online learning.
Connect: Connect the explanation with your thesis.

Remember to use the 2-1-3-3 sentence ratio.

 

III. Writer’s Argument

1. Thesis

1. Generally explain composition theory and online education (to preview the specific parts of your argument in B and C)
2. Determine your preferred composition perspective and explain why
3. Use one source to talk about the composition perspective
4. Use one of the three primary sources and show how that primary source is an example of your preferred composition perspective
5. Use one secondary source to further explain your preference
6. Explain your thesis by connecting your preferred composition perspective with the structure, disadvantages, and advantages of online learning

III. A. Thesis

1. Generally explain composition theory and onlineeducation (to preview the specific parts of your argument in B and C)

—

Remember that a thesis is usually one sentence. It can be more than one sentence, but in this case, because of the small scope of the topic, try to make this one sentence.

If you don’t know what your argument is, or you don’t know what you think III. B and/or C look like, you might want to write the thesis AFTER writing Section III B and C so you know what you are previewing with the thesis.

The thesis statement for this research essay will need to argue if online learning is effective for you based off the composition perspective your prefer.

Example:

• From the social constructionist’s perspective of composition, onlinelearning is less effective than meeting in class because social constructionalists require known formats to be comfortable and online learning cannot provide a consistent learning model for presenting these formats.

The formula for this sentence looks something like this:

• Composition perspective + onlinelearning = (effective/ineffective) because (what the perspective requires) and (how online learning can or cannot meet this requirement)

 

III. B. Determine your preferred composition perspective and explain why

1. Use one source to talk about the composition perspective
2. Use one of the three primary sources and show how that primary source is an example of your preferred composition perspective
3. Use one secondary source to further explain your preference

—

With III.B.1., you need to find one source to talk about the composition perspective of your choice (social constructionist, expressivist, rhetorical). See the tips in Research 1 of 5 to find direction on what authors to find for the composition type you like.

III.B.2 is easy because you are limited. If you choose social constructionist, you need to use Freire’s essay as an example of social constructionist composition (namely, the idea of banking education). Expressivist is Griffin (where you will talk about the format of the essay and how that is expressivist). Rodriguez is rhetorical (show how he uses ethos, pathos, and logos in his essay to make his point). Use the QDF here to make it easy on yourself.

III.B.3 is a little more difficult. You need to find a secondary source to the primary source. So find a source that talks about Freire, Griffin, or Rodriguez’s essay. You can’t just only find a source that talks about the author. You need to find a source that talks about the SOURCE material. The secondary source does not have to talk directly about the composition philosophy (it probably won’t). You will need to connect the dots using the explain and connect steps of the QDF. So find a quote from a secondary source and use the QDF to make it work.

III. C. Explain your thesis by connecting your preferred composition perspective with the structure, disadvantages, and advantages of online learning

—

Here is where your actual argument starts. Everything in II and III.B. was set up for this.

• First, you explained what onlineeducation is as well as its strengths and weaknesses.
• Then, youexplained what composition theory you like.
• Next, youexplained what that composition theory is and examples of what it needs.
• Finally, you are going to put it all together and make your argument ifonlineeducation is good for the composition theory you like.

You have free reign here to write your argument however you wish. Just remember that the point of this entire research essay is to answer this section, so writing a couple ideas here will not be enough. You will need to use ethos, pathos, and logos to convince your academic audience.