1 Getting Started
Welcome to Writing 101 Online
Now that you have accessed our online classroom space, your next step should be to become acquainted with this class website. Logging into an online course for the first time can feel a bit like being dropped into the middle of a forest. You want to know: Where do I go first? How do I navigate this terrain? If this is your first online course, know that this feeling is completely natural: Every online course is set up a bit differently, and getting a feel for each requires taking some time to just click around and understand how everything is laid out.
The work you will do in this course will consist of the following tools and resources:
- Content: Content consists of course information, module and assignment instructions, and supplementary materials.
- Discussions: You will complete discussions as you move through the modules.
- Final Assignments: You will complete the following four major writing assignments: rhetorical analysis, brief argument, and research-based argument (which consists of an annotated bibliography and final essay).
- Quizzes:You will take three quizzes.
After exploring this course space, you should begin to feel more orientated with the layout, and at that point, you will want to begin working through the modules while staying alert to due dates posted on the Course Schedule. You may want to print this schedule out and place it somewhere handy, as it will be important to keep the due dates in mind throughout the course to verify you are completing all course assignments on time. Completing coursework on time will be crucial if receiving a satisfactory grade is important to you.
A Few Notes Regarding the Course Texts: As you are aware by this point, you are not required to purchase a textbook for this online section of WRT 101. Readings will be provided electronically. These readings are from credible online sources and contain wonderful content related directly to WRT 101 objectives. This content also reflects what you would find in a required textbook for WRT 101. The main online sources for this content are as follows:
- Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (OWL): This extensive writing-related resource is a favorite for students and writers and contains a wealth of information on writing concepts and strategies. To access this resource now, click the following title to open Purdue’s OWL in a new browser window: Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (OWL)
- WikiBooks: WikiBooks is an online, collaborative library of educational textbooks. To access this resource now, click the following title to open WikiBooks in a new browser window: WikiBooks
- Writing Commons: This extensive resource offers peer-reviewed content for college students and faculty. To access this resource now, click the following title to open the Writing Commons in a new browser window: Writing Commons
- Oregon Writes Open Writing Text: This resource is a compilation of various open educational articles f