ENGL 612
Electronic Writing Portfolio
1. Catalog Entry
ENGL 612
Electronic Writing Portfolio
Credit hours (1)
Prerequisites: ENGL 607, 608, 609, and 610
Online capstone course, in which students design and defend a web-based writing portfolio, revise writing samples, and reflect on their writing improvements and achievements in the professional writing graduate certificate program.
2. Detailed Description of Course
By the time students take this course, they will have placed in their ePortfolio a number of writing samples from previous courses in the certificate program. During this course, students select the most significant samples to showcase and revise them to ensure quality and professionalism. Students also learn how to effectively organize and design a portfolio and label the content categories for easy navigation. Furthermore, students reflect on each writing sample to show that improvements have been made and skills have been mastered. A critical piece of this course is instructor and peer feedback on the wisdom of the student’s rhetorical and design choices. Feedback will be given to prepare students for their portfolio defense at the conclusion of the term. To facilitate this process, the following topics may be addressed in ENGL 612to serve as reminders of content they have already learned in the other four program courses: revision, digital design, reflective writing, audience analysis, peer feedback, oral presentations, organization of information, persuasive appeals, and summary writing.
3. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
English 612 utilizes a variety of instructional strategies, such as video lecture, online discussion board, case studies, and problem-based learning, to help students improve their understanding and design of web-based writing portfolios. Students will have multiple opportunities to improve their portfolio’s design in response to instructor and peer feedback. Finally, because English 612 is a graduate-level course, students will be expected to assume more responsibility and agency in their own learning. To this end, a portfolio defense or presentation may be assigned.
4. Goals and Objectives of the Course
As a capstone course, ENGL 612 gives students an opportunity to select their best
work from the certificate program and showcase it in a web-based portfolio that they
design and organize themselves. As part of the portfolio development process, students
revise their work to ensure a high level of quality and professionalism and reflect
on their writing improvements over time and achievements in mastering critical workplace
communication skills. Students can show the portfolio at performance evaluations,
promotion reviews, and job interviews. In its electronic format, portfolios can also
be quickly updated after students graduate from the program and continue to develop
their skills. By the end of the course, students will be better equipped to:
1) Design a well-organized, professional-looking, web-based writing portfolio
2) Select writing samples that demonstrate mastery of key skills
3) Revise writing samples to ensure quality and professionalism
4) Reflect on writing improvements and achievements
5) Defend one’s rhetorical choices that impact organization, design, demonstration
of
skill mastery, and professionalism
5. Assessment Measures
Knowledge and application of course principles will be assessed in a number of ways. Students will design a web-based writing portfolio, revise writing samples, and reflect on writing improvements. Students also will analyze the rhetorical, content, design, format, and other features of real-world ePortfolios, including those they may have produced as part of their professional duties. Students may be asked to present their work and discuss their rhetorical choices with the class. At key moments in the course, students may be asked to engage in metacognitive exercises (e.g., short, reflective writing exercises) to facilitate learning transfer. When theoretical, historical, or other readings are assigned, students may participate in online discussions.
6. Other Course Information
None