English 612

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