ENGL 119
The Faculty of Arts acknowledges that we are living and working on the traditional territory of the Attawandaron (Neutral), Anishinaabe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River.
Communications in Mathematics & Computer Science
Winter Term 2022
Course Location: Completely remote online (asynchronous). You won’t have to attend virtual meetings or lectures. Adhering to assignment due dates, your work will be done by you according to your own daily schedules.
Course Instructor: Michael Domonchuk
Office Hours: I do not hold regular office hours but I do my very best to respond to emails within 24 hours during the week and by Monday afternoon if it’s on a weekend.
Email: mdomonch@uwaterloo.ca
Course Description
This course is designed to help Math and Computer Science students engage with various forms of professional communication to implement into academic and workplace environments and applications. We will focus on progressive steps to understanding and producing various written forms of communication. The assignments themselves can be utilized in any academic or work related field, but you will be tailoring them towards aspects of your own fields so they can be used or updated for future opportunities.
By the end of this course you will be able to:
- Identify and recognize audiences for particular forms of communication
- Develop and prioritize good writing practices for gathering resources, building drafts and proofreading and editing.
- Produce professional documents such as application packages, reports and proposals
- Practice solid research methods and utilize relevant sources while adhering to proper citation formats (APA will be fine for this course)
- Analyze and discuss various forms of reading and writing, judging what is effective and what can be improved upon.
- Find and take a stance on an important issue in your field and develop an argument about it that will be polished to a potentially presentable document beyond this course.
Required Texts
Writing in the Technical Fields by Thorsten Ewald (3rd Edition) 2020.
*** Both hard copy and etext will be available through the UW Bookstore, you may acquire one or the other, depending on your preference.
Please acquire this textbook, as it will be the main source of reading for this course.
Supplementary Reading
There will be supplementary readings from the OWL Purdue Writing Lab in the weekly modules in LEARN
https://owl.purdue.edu/
Additional Resource: https://subjectguides.uwaterloo.ca/ENGLMATH
- This is a link to UW’s library guide for Math and CS courses. Here you can find help with research strategies and resources. You can also contact the library representative and either email or schedule a virtual meeting for more help. I encourage you to check this resource out.
Assignment Grade Breakdown
| Assignment | Due | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Due Mon Jan 24th | 10% |
| Job Application Package | Due Mon Feb 7th | 15% |
| Image Analysis | Due Fri Feb 18th | 10% |
| Weekly Discussion Posts (5) | Due on the Friday Specified | 10% |
| Annotated Biblio and Proposal | Due Mon Mar 7th | 10% |
| Outline | ||
| Peer Review | Mar 14th – 18th | 10% |
| Proposal and Self Eval | Due Tue Apr 5th | 25% |
| Participation | Ongoing | 10% |
| 100% |
Participation
Participation is a little more difficult to monitor in an online course, especially with an asynchronous one like this. To that end, participation for ENGL 119 will be based on your presence on LEARN and timely submissions. Your discussion posts and peer review contributions will be the main focus for this, specifically meeting the word count, not submitting late and providing constructive and substantial feedback for your colleagues’ work. In any academic or working environment, being prompt with submissions is always important, so submitting assignments on time and in the correct place on LEARN will also count towards your participation grade.
Report
You will choose an aspect of your academic field to research and find articles on (3) to read and make notes from. This can be a preliminary exercise for your final project, which will be the Proposal at the end of the semester. The subject can be of your own choosing, but making sure that it presents or examines either an academic or work-related issue about Math or Computer Science (perhaps a teaching method or a software product). You will then write a 2 - 3 page report following the guidelines for report writing from the textbook readings. The report will detail three main things: what the report is presenting, why it is important to your related field and whether or not it is effective or meets a projected improvement in the field. This report can be either a positive or negative one, meaning if you feel like what you have researched isn’t effective, you need to argue why not and provide reasoning for something that will be effective. This is your opportunity to find a conversation already afoot and add your voice to it.
Job Application Package
For this assignment you will go job hunting. Perhaps you’ve already done this, but I’d like you to find a position to apply to that is in your related field but beyond the skill sets you’ve acquired so far in your academic career. The objective is to build a resume and a cover letter that requires you to think ahead into the future after your undergraduate degree has been achieved. This will help you develop approaches to self-representation that reach outside the university and get you thinking about work-related positions that will open doors for more opportunities in the future. I’d like you to, while you work on this assignment, think about a career more so than a job.
Image Analysis
Something a little different and I hope can be a fun assignment. We are bombarded with imagery all day, every day, from social media to television to signs on buildings. Often, we move past these images without paying much attention to them, primarily because there are so many all the time. For this assignment I want you to find an image that communicates to you about your related field and in a one to two page response, consider what it is saying to its audience, which is you. Focus on three elements: what the image is representing/who it is speaking for, what the message is it is conveying to you (paying attention to things we will discuss in the lecture slides), and whether or not it is effective in its communication methods. This assignment is designed to help you become more critical of images you see on a daily basis.
Weekly Discussion Posts
Each week (see the weekly modules on LEARN) I will have a reading from the textbook and sometimes a supplementary reading or a video. I will also pose three general questions about the readings. I would like you to choose ONE question and respond to it with a 150 – 200 word post in the forum the question appears in. Just start a new thread for this. Also, respond to one other student’s thread with something substantial and constructive. This is designed for you all to build mini-conversations about the material and share your thoughts on it with each other.
*** You are only required to do this 5 weeks out of the 12. It is up to you which weeks you post in.
Annotated Bibliography and Proposal Outline
This assignment will be a segue between the Report you will have already done and the Proposal you will by this time be thinking about. In the first part, develop an outline for your Proposal, what it will be about, why you chose the subject you did, and how you will go about your argument. For the second part you will do some research and find 5 scholarly articles that will inform you while building your Proposal draft. For this larger assignment, try to avoid using Newsweek or Joe’s Creative Centre.com as sources. Think more scholarly and academic, utilizing UW’s research databases. Practicing proper citation methods, list the five sources and annotate them. An annotation should include three main elements: what the article is saying, why it is important for your Proposal and how you will integrate it into your own work. APA citation formatting is fine. This assignment should help the working-in process for sources into your Proposal as you develop your drafts.
Peer Review
In week 10 you will have a draft of your Proposal ready and submit it in the Peer Review discussion forum as a new thread post. Along the course of the week, respond to three of your colleagues’ drafts, providing them with positive and constructive feedback that will help them with proofreading and editing, as their feedback on your draft will help you with yours. This assignment is designed to help with critical thinking and communicating on others’ work, as well as accepting critical thinking from others about your own work.
Proposal and Self Evaluation
The Proposal will be a larger scale but similar approach to the Report earlier in the semester. You may choose to build on the Report or take a stance on something new. Again, choosing and focusing on something in your related field. This can be a teaching method or improvement in Math or Computer Science in the university, the relationship or impact social media has on it, or perhaps something about the importance of a specific technology trying to improve formulaic approaches. The key for this assignment is the attention to a call for action, or an action plan. Including the peripheral information (which we will go over), this will be about 10 pages long in total, and the subject will be up to you. For this assignment though, you will develop an argument about the subject that enables you to take a stance on whether or not what you are writing about is working or is effective. Utilizing the sources from the Annotated Bibliography assignment, you will provide proof either way for your argument. This is your chance to engage with a larger issue in your field and step in with something to say about it, developing an academic paper that has the potential to reach beyond the university.
The Self Evaluation is a brief one – page reflection. Here you will have the opportunity to tell me how your writing skills have developed. The main purpose of this assignment is for you to reflect on how well you did in this course and comment on your own achievements during the 12 weeks. I’d like you to be positive and congratulate yourself on doing a good job. You will submit this in the appropriate LEARN drop box at the same time as you submit your Proposal.
Submitting Assignments
All assignments submitted in the LEARN dropbox should be formatted properly. ALWAYS put your name and the date on everything you submit. Your student number isn’t necessary to include, but your work should be recognizable as belonging to you. Please submit documents as PDFs. This will make it easier for me to add feedback and for you to better read that feedback.
Please ensure your assignments meet the following requirements:
- Times New Roman
- 12 pt. font
- 1” margins
- Include page numbers
- In the Paragraph tab in Word’s top ribbon, under Spacing, click the box that says “Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style.” This will ensure a more consistent white space in the formatting of your assignments.
*** Revision is an important part of this course and for writing in general. To that end, please when you revise your assignments, “Save As” your document so you have the first draft intact. It is always good practice to do so. This way you can see more clearly how your writing has improved.
Attendance and Late Submissions
The late penalty for assignments is 2% per day, including weekends. If you have a reason for requiring an extension please contact me via email about it. Don’t just submit late. Communication is key.
As this course is online and asynchronous, you will be responsible for the pace at which you produce your work. Attendance in this case is focused on your presence in the LEARN forums for peer review and discussion questions for the readings. Also, submitting assignments in the right place on LEARN and on time reflect your performance in the course. As students can generally get a sense of how present an instructor is in an online course, so can an instructor see how present students are.
Weekly Schedule
Week 1 – January 5 – 7 - Introduction
- Introduce yourselves in the LEARN forum
- Take time to go over the LEARN site
- Make sure you have access to the textbook and all course materials
Week 2 – January 10 – 14 – Brainstorming and Writing Reports
- Read the Powerpoint lecture in the Week 2 module
- Read the textbook reading(s)
- Read the supplementary reading
- Start thinking about what you will report on
- By Monday Jan 17th have a draft ready
Week 3 – January 17 – 21 – Writing and Editing Reports
- Read the Powerpoint lecture in the Week 3 module
- Read the textbook reading
- Make edits and polish your report
- Review the submission guidelines for proper LEARN drop box submission
Week 4 – January 24 – 28 – Brainstorming Job Application Packages
- Mon 24th Report due at 11:59pm in LEARN drop box
- Read the Powerpoint lecture in the Week 4 module
- Read the supplementary reading
- Find a position to apply to and make an outline of what you will need for the application package
Week 5 – January 31 – February 4 – Writing and Polishing Job Application Packages
- Read the Powerpoint lecture in the Week 5 module
- Read the textbook reading
- Make edits and polish your job application package
- Review the submission guidelines for proper LEARN drop box submission
Week 6 – February 7 – 11 – Image Analysis
- Mon 7th Job App Package due at 11:59pm in LEARN drop box
- Read the Powerpoint lecture in the Week 6 module
- Read the textbook reading
- Select an image and write your analysis
- Review the submission guidelines for proper LEARN drop box submission
Week 7 – February 14 – 18 – Brainstorming Proposal
- Friday 18th Image Analysis due at 11:59pm in LEARN drop box
- Read the Powerpoint lecture in the Week 7 module
- Read the textbook reading
- Read the supplementary reading
- Begin researching your proposal item and create a thesis
Reading Week – February 19 – 27
Week 8 – February 28 – March 4 – Gathering Materials for Proposal
- Read the Powerpoint lecture in the Week 8 module
- Read the supplementary reading
- Write a proposal outline and annotate 5 scholarly sources
Week 9 – March 7 – 11 – Prepare for the Proposal Peer Review
- Mon 7th Annotated Bib and Prop outline due
- Read the Powerpoint lecture in the Week 9 module
- Read the textbook reading
- Read the supplementary reading
- Write a draft of your proposal and prepare to post it in the LEARN forum
- Review the Peer Review process guidelines
Week 10 – March 14 – 18 – Peer Review
- Read Powerpoint lecture in the Week 10 module
- Submit your proposal draft in the LEARN forum by Monday 11:59pm
- Read and comment on at least 3 of your classmates’ drafts by Friday 11:59pm
- Read comments from your classmates about your own draft
Week 11 – March 21 – 25 – Proofreading, Editing Proposal
- Read Powerpoint lecture in the Week 11 module
- Read the textbook reading
- Implement edits to your proposal based on your decisions from the Peer Review
Week 12 – March 28 – April 1 – Finalizing Proposal
- Read Powerpoint lecture in the Week 12 module
- Read the textbook reading
- Read the supplementary reading
- Finish edits to your proposal and polish with attention to style and format
- Review the submission guidelines for the LEARN drop box submission
Week 13 – April 4 – 5 – Submitting Proposal
- Tues 5th Proposal and Self Eval due at 11:59pm in the LEARN drop box
- Congratulations, you’ve made it! Well done!
Course Policies
Academic integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. [Check the Office of Academic Integrity for more information.]
A note about plagiarism. According to UWaterloo policy definitions, plagiarism is presenting, whether intentionally or not, the ideas, expression of ideas or work of others (whether attributed or anonymous) as one’s own in any work submitted whether or not for grading purposes.
Plagiarism includes reproducing or paraphrasing portions of someone else’s published or unpublished material, regardless of the source, and presenting these as one’s own without proper citation or reference to the original source. Examples of sources from which the ideas, expressions of ideas or works of others may be drawn from include, but are not limited to: books, articles, papers, material on the internet, literary compositions and phrases, performance compositions, chemical compounds, artworks, laboratory reports, research results, calculations and the results of calculations, diagrams, constructions, computer reports, and computer code/software.
Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to:
- Using ideas or direct, verbatim quotations, paraphrased material, algorithms, formulae, scientific or mathematical concepts without appropriate acknowledgment in any academic assignment
- Using another’s data or research findings without appropriate acknowledgement
- Submitting a computer program developed in whole or in part by someone else, with or without modifications, as one’s own
- Failing to acknowledge sources through the use of proper citations when using another’s works and/or failing to use quotation marks
- Submitting a take-home examination, essay, laboratory report or other assignment written, in whole or in part, by someone else
- Failing to cite oneself when permission has been given to make use of one’s earlier work
Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of their university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4. When in doubt, please be certain to contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.
Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity to avoid committing an academic offence, and to take responsibility for their actions. [Check the Office of Academic Integrity for more information.] A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course instructor, academic advisor, or the undergraduate associate dean. For information on categories of offences and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71, Student Discipline. For typical penalties, check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties.
Appeals: A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances (other than a petition) or Policy 71, Student Discipline may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes they have a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72, Student Appeals.
Note for students with disabilities: AccessAbility Services, located in Needles Hall, Room 1401, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with AccessAbility Services at the beginning of each academic term.
Mental Health Support
All of us need a support system. The faculty and staff in Arts encourage students to seek out mental health supports if they are needed.
On Campus
- Counselling Services: counselling.services@uwaterloo.ca / 519-888-4567 ext 32655
- MATES: one-to-one peer support program offered by Federation of Students (FEDS) and Counselling Services
- Health Services Emergency service: located across the creek form Student Life Centre
Off campus, 24/7
- Good2Talk: Free confidential help line for post-secondary students. Phone: 1-866-925-5454
- Grand River Hospital: Emergency care for mental health crisis. Phone: 519-749-433 ext. 6880
- Here 24/7: Mental Health and Crisis Service Team. Phone: 1-844-437-3247
- OK2BME: set of support services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning teens in Waterloo. Phone: 519-884-0000 extension 213
Full details can be found online at the Faculty of ARTS website
Download UWaterloo and regional mental health resources (PDF)
Download the WatSafe app to your phone to quickly access mental health support information.
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