Welcome to English 131!   You should find this 95% online version of freshman composition to be challenging but convenient.   You can complete most of your assignments in the comfort of your own home. To learn more about my teaching philosophy and background, click on the following link: http://adm.hfcc.edu/~cbriggs/cbriggs.htm. 

 

Prior to the first day of class, you might consider buying The Longman Writer (seventh edition). Only one textbook is required to reduce the cost to you.  A new text costs $82, but a used copy (approximately $58.70) is perfectly acceptable.   

If you would like to get a head start on the class, begin reading the first seven chapters (1-109) and highlight important material.   These initial chapters substitute for classroom lectures on how to compose a successful essay.  As you read, you will review the writing process from prewriting to revision and be introduced to patterns of development used in composition.  Once the course begins, online quizzes and in-class discussion boards will be used to assess your understanding of the reading assignments. Please note that all the “Activities” sections are optional for the first seven chapters.

You will not have access to your online course until the first day of regular classes for the semester. 

 

How to Login to Your Class

 

On the first day of class, visit http://henryford.ucompass.com or access the UCompass link from the HFCC website, www.hfcc.edu.  Next enter your user name, which usually consists of your first initial and last name.  If you have a common name, then the middle initial might need to be included.  If you do not know your WebAdvisor username find it through the HFCC website, www.hfcc.edu. Click the blue WebAdvisor box, then click the link for Students and follow the prompts to display your username.

 

 Your password will be the month and date of birth (e.g. 0704 for July 4th) even if you have changed the password while at HFCC.   The syllabus will be available the first day of class within UCompass.

 

 

 

 

Required Orientation

All HFCC composition classes require 5 percent attendance on campus, but instructors do provide multiple on-campus sessions to make this requirement convenient for your schedule.  Consider it an advantage--that you can meet your instructor during the semester. You are required to attend an orientation session at the outset of the course.  The times for those sessions will be posted in Announcements on the first day of class.

 During the orientation, you will show me a photo id, sign promise and permission slips and provide me with a writing sample.   You will meet in Room C of the Learning Lab on the HFCC Evergreen Campus. Make sure to show up for one of these orientation sessions. Last term, 90 percent of the students who completed an orientation session passed the class.  Fewer than 5 percent passed who missed the initial orientation.  

You are also required to return twice to campus to compose timed in-class essays. You must earn a passing grade on at least one of these assignments.  This requirement is true for all sections of ENG 131, whether they are online or not.  For each of these in-class writing assignments, you will have two days in which you can drop in to the Learning Lab to complete your assignment.

If you live more than three hours away from campus and cannot make this one required meeting, please e-mail me at Cbriggs@hfcc.edu.  Otherwise, I will look forward to seeing you at one of these informational sessions.

During this introductory meeting, we will log into the college’s online class management website and be introduced to links for important class information like "Announcements," "Examinations," "Discussion Board" and "Packets" that can be found on the left-hand taskbar of the UCompass Website.  You will also provide a writing sample. 

 

Is Online Education Right for You?

 

To be certain that you are ready for the commitment of an online course, complete the self-test on the HFCC UCompass login page http://henryford.ucompass.com.  Click the Student Resources link and then click "Is online for you?" to learn if your learning style is suited for online learning.  

 

How to Navigate Your Way in Ucompass: Technical Requirements

 

Please review How to Use UCompass at the following website to insure you understand how to properly submit assignments http://adm.hfcc.edu/~pkim/HowtoUseUCompass.htm . One common mistake is forgetting to check the box at the bottom of an assignment screen that indicates you would like the assignment "submitted for a grade." You must check that box, so I know that you have submitted an assignment.  

 

You may submit assignments using Microsoft Word or "rich text format" attachments through the "submit" option under each assignment on this website or through the course email.  If you do not have a word processing program on your computer, you can download a free Microsoft Word compatible program at the following website: http://download.openoffice.org/


As recommended by the college IT department, once the semester begins, please only use the course email (username@henryford.ucompass.com) to communicate with me and not any free email accounts like Hotmail or AOL as these are filtered by the UCompass software and I will not be able to receive email from them in order to protect the system from spam or viruses.

 

There are certain technical requirements for success in this course. You are responsible for the necessary hardware and software, as well as the ability to competently use both. You must have access to a computer with a CD-ROM drive. You must be able to access the Internet. To ensure that your computer is ready for online learning click "PC Requirements" in the Student Resources section of the UCompass login page - http://henryford.ucompass.com.  The Technology Analysis at the bottom of the page will evaluate your computer to make sure you have the necessary software applications to access the course content. If you do not have the correct version of an application, there is a link to a free upgrade page.

 

Should you need Technical Support with your UCompass course click the Tech Support link on the UCompass login page? Call the support numbers listed or submit your issue via e-mail and you will receive a timely response.

 

Type of Assignments:

All the English 131 assignments relate to the following: personal development and college writing. My class combines informal writing with formal essays.  In a typical English 131 class, you might:

Complete the Myers-Briggs personality test, the gold standard used by employers to screen job candidate.

Discover the cheapest way to reach your dream travel destination.

Learn more about your future career. 

Write an analytical summary (required by the Nursing and Social Science divisions)

Compose an effective comparison/contrast theme (assigned frequently in history, biology, and telecommunications)

Use online library search tools such as FirstSearch.

I look forward to working with you.  Students who persevere with online courses often end up with better grades than those in traditional classes—given that almost all communication takes place in writing.  Practice makes perfect:-)

 

 

FEEDBACK FROM FORMER ONLINE STUDENTS

 

At the end of the semester, I ask students to provide anonymous feedback.  Below are all the responses I received from one section of English 131.

 

How has your writing improved as a result of English 131? What have you learned this semester?

The course has helped me improve my writing skills and has taught me how to write essays in proper form.

I believe my writing has improved because I pay more attention to my grammar, as well as omit any irrelevant information.

This class, and particularly the teacher, Dr Briggs, helped me to improve my writing. My English became better and I am more confident when writing. I learned to eliminate wordiness and other major problems in my papers. I also learned a lot of other useful tools for my next writings. By following the instructor’s advice, I improved a lot

English 131 has enabled me to effectively convey my thoughts and ideas through text. I have learned that writing is a process. It is not acceptable to just jot down one's thoughts and ideas; everything has to be organized in order to produce a coherent and cohesive piece.

My writing is grammatically more precise. I learned I still have a short attention span to math and English, unfortunately. 

I have a better understanding of argumentation/persuasion. I use better vocabulary. I make better use of commas than I previously did.

I think my writing has improved this semester. I learned how to compose different types of essays. Also, I learned what grammatical errors I tend to make and how to correct them.

My writing has improved greatly.

I have learned a lot this semester. I need to pay more attention to the minor details that can interfere with making my final paper an A. I learned how to make my paper more coherent and flow better in a proper format.

I like that the teacher tells you the problems in your writing so that you can do better on future papers down the road. This class has really opened me up to new styles of writing as well.

I have learned how to properly incorporate quotes. I also have learned how to properly summarize and analyze an article which will be a great tool for all future classes that I take.

I have taken the time to evaluate my writing more.

My writing and vocabulary skills have improved because of the class. I pay more attention to detail when I write something now. I have also improved my communication skills because of the class.

My writing has dramatically improved as a result of having taken this course. I have learned about how to eliminate comma splices, check for grammatical errors, and most importantly the difference between an "A" paper and an "E" paper.

Before this class I was always puzzled by the format of an essay. I have a better understanding of not only the format but how to properly use borrowed material.