My interest in re-designing my Writing 115 classes to utilize Open Educational Resources grew out of the reality that many students on this level are often challenged by a lack of money. This class is one more that they must take before they even start transfer-level writing. They are also challenged to pay for tuition, fees, and everyday living expenses. When a student chooses food over books because the books are unaffordable, their chances of success go down.
I started my re-design with the textbook I had been using and chose readings from it. Since most are previously published pieces available on the Internet, it’s easy to locate them and provide a link to them. If I had a reading that wasn’t as readily available, I consulted my friendly neighborhood reference librarians. For readings on writing instruction and grammar, I relied on the titles from the Open Oregon project. My students have enjoyed these books for their readability, general usefulness, and portability.
In addition to a course syllabus, I have included activities in this document that I developed to use in my writing classes. Please feel free to use any of them that fit the needs of your students. I would love a shout-out if you do, and I also welcome questions and suggestions.
- Subject:
- Composition and Rhetoric
- English Language Arts
- Material Type:
- Syllabus
- Author:
- Jean Mittelstaedt
- Date Added:
- 03/04/2020
