Undergraduate

225: Academic Argumentation

All sections of English 225 focus on examining and employing effective academic argumentation. Academic argumentation here refers to the presentation, explanation, and assessment of claims through written reasoning that utilizes appropriate evidence and writing conventions. The course builds on and refines skills from introductory writing courses English 124 and 125, as well as provides a basic introduction to finding, and effectively incorporating research into student writing, for use in a range of future academic contexts.

Student Learning Goals

• To hone mechanics, attention to language and audience, style, and craft in students academic writing.
• To develop a critical understanding of some key practices and examples of academic argumentation.
• To develop an awareness of different rhetorical approaches in academic writing and to practice these approaches.
• To develop a working set of skills and resources for academic research projects, including the distinction between primary and secondary sources, and an understanding of how to begin, carry out, and complete a (short) writing assignment incorporating research.
• To develop an awareness of the rigors and potential pleasures entailed in reading about, discussing, researching, and writing about pertinent issues in academic contexts.