NEW Online Prerequisite Courses in Humanities: English, Ethics, Histology, and Public Speaking

English Composition I – ENGL 1010

Example Project: Twitter and the Rhetorical Context
Students will locate a publicly available persuasive tweet that  exemplifies a specific rhetorical situation in which the writer is defending or making a specific claim. Then they’ll describe their interpretation of what the writer intended in the following areas: audience, purpose, and context.

ENGL 1010 is a three-credit college writing course used to prepare students for the fundamental knowledge and skills of college-level expository writing and critical thinking. 

Areas of focus include idea presentation and organization, audience, point of view, voice and tone, paragraph and essay coherence, precision, and word choice, and technology-mediated evaluation of grammar, mechanics, and originality. 

Students are introduced to strategies for rhetorical writing, writing-as-process and product, and thinking-as-writing. An introduction to argument structure and writing from sources culminates in an academic essay as a comprehensive course assignment.

English Composition I Course Outcomes

• Demonstrate writing as iterative and process-oriented
• Distinguish audience, context, and purpose for written communication
• Apply rhetorical strategies for effective context-specific written communication
• Evaluate writing for essential linguistic structures of grammar, mechanics, and originality using technology
• Construct a relevant and compelling argument essay supported by credible secondary sources
• Critically reflect on the development of new and current academic writing knowledge and skills

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English Composition II – ENGL 1011

Example Project: Logical Fallacies in Social Media
Students will locate a social media post that includes a logical fallacy or weakness in an argument claim. They’ll then summarize their understanding of the rhetorical situation surrounding the claim, describe the fallacy or weakness in logic for the claim, and suggest a remedy for it.

ENGL 1011 is a three-credit college research writing course that prepares students to use the conventions of academic research writing. Writing-as-process and practice strategies will be employed to culminate in the production of an academic research essay supported by well-synthesized, diverse, credible, and reliable secondary sources.

Students will demonstrate the use of technology to ensure appropriate paraphrase and summary of sources, originality, use of citation style, grammar and mechanics, and scholarly voice.

English Composition II Course Outcomes

• Analyze clarity, organization, and coherence of academic writing for a specific audience
• Deploy diverse and divergent perspectives from academic sources in support of a main idea
• Formulate a thesis for a timely and relevant academic research essay within a specific discipline
• Synthesize credible and reliable secondary sources to support an academic argument using an appropriate citation format

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Introduction to Ethics – PHIL 1010

Example Project: The Moral Side of Life
Students will explore the moral side of their life and career. What’s the right thing to do? What does it mean to be good? They’ll examine some of the world’s most challenging ethical dilemmas and develop a moral vision for their life.

PHIL 1010 is a three-credit ethics course that introduces the major theories of normative ethics, with emphasis upon consequentialism, non-consequentialism, and virtue ethics. Further emphasis is given to application of these theories to perennial ethical dilemmas such as abortion, the death penalty, euthanasia, and war. 

Students will complete weekly discussions, a midterm examination, and a final project. Upon completion of the course, students should be able to navigate the various ethical theories, apply them critically, and articulate a vision of ethics, happiness, and good life.

Introduction to Ethics Course Outcomes

• Evaluate and interpret the major ethical systems
• Apply ethical theories to major dilemmas and reach a logical outcome while avoiding common fallacies
• Demonstrate critical thinking by exploring contemporary ethical problems
• Construct and write original moral arguments
• Develop a vision of the personal and professional moral life

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Histology – HSTL 1010

Example Project: Draw It to Know It
Students will work with the interactive “hands on” software called Draw It to Know It (DITKI) to draw different cells and tissues, watch tutorials, and test their understanding with flashcards and quizzes.

HSTL 1010 is a three-credit histology course that covers the microscopic structure and function of human cells and tissues. Course topics will emphasize the normal anatomy and function of cells and tissues from the eleven organ systems; however, learners will also be exposed to common disease states.

Clinical applications will include an introduction to the instrumentation and procedures used in the histology laboratory. Finally, learners will be able to critically evaluate biomedical literature regarding the latest advances in histology.

Histology Course Outcomes

• Describe the clinical and research applications of histological techniques to human medicine
• Identify various organs by their microscopic structure
• Demonstrate proficiency on the proper use of the light microscope
• Describe common procedures used to prepare and stain tissues in the histology laboratory
• Differentiate between normal and abnormal tissue features found in the eleven organ systems

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Public Speaking – COMN 1010

Example Project: Digital Age Public Speaking
Students will learn tips and work on projects involving public speaking in a digital age, including podcasts and other forms of digital age public speaking.

COMN 1010 is a three-credit public speaking course that will examine the core principles and contexts of communication specifically in oral presentations. Students will learn to recognize the interrelationships among speaker, listener, context, organization, language, and delivery.

The course will include information on proper techniques for research, writing, and delivering oral presentations, as well as the preparation of audio visuals to enhance semester presentations. Students will also learn and demonstrate skills in argumentation, listening, and critical thinking.

Public Speaking Course Outcomes

• Compose and structure information that is appropriate for a particular purpose, listener, and occasion
• Develop research skills and techniques for specific rhetorical situations
• Organize, develop, and adapt messages for the intended audience
• Compose thoughtful and cohesive written and oral communications
• Evaluate presentations for efficacy
• Demonstrate performance skills associated with the five basic components of effective individual oral presentations including content, organization, physical expression, vocal delivery, and language
• Prepare audio, video, and slideware presentations based on basic design principles

Interested in Public Speaking? Click here to register