COMM 160 SOLMAN Name: SYED FOYSOL ISLAM

WRITING ASSIGNMENT # 2 (15%)

Marks: /15

A) Pick any ONE (1) of the Preliminary Essay Topics below:

1. “Let’s Unplug the Digital Classroom” (Mann, pp. 408-410). Many research studies show that
digital technology—computers, smartphones, and Ipods—have dumbed down higher education. Is
there a connection between the wide use of digital technology and why many students believe
that education should be fun and uncomplicated? Using ideas from the essay, give evidence in
support your topic sentence. Stay in the third person where possible (see below*).

2. “Grammar and Your Salary” (Harris, pp. 397-399). Do individuals generally make the
connection between good grammar and their career success? If so, why? If not, why not?
Using ideas from the essay, give evidence in support your topic sentence. Stay in the third person
where possible (see below*).

3. “The Economic Cost of Depression” (Lamphier, pp. 400-402). The author discusses the idea of
depression from many points of view. What is new about discussing depression from an economic
point of view and the costs to the economy? Refer to the essay for evidence in support of your topic
sentence. Stay in third person where possible (see below*).

B) Write ONE (1) preliminary essay from the three choices above (thesis statement followed by three
support paragraph of 5-7 sentences each). Do not quote at great length from the article. However,
refer to the reading in your preliminary essay by doing the following:

1. Each paragraph must have a topic sentence, supporting details and a concluding sentence.
2. Include TWO ideas from the reading and put them into your own words.
3. Incorporate these ideas into your preliminary essay (to support a point already in your composition)
4. Clearly point out that these ideas are from the reading (e.g., According to Mann...or Mann states
that…).
5. Be sure to demonstrate both an awareness of and sensitivity to your potential audience (including
the person or persons about whom you are writing).
6. Remember to stay in the third person where possible.
7. Spend at least 10 minutes reading over your writing and making improvements in the areas of
grammar and content. Rewrite any sentence that seems unclear.

Your composition will be marked for proper structure, completeness, clarity, and grammatical and
mechanical correctness.

* ‘Keeping your writing in 3rd person’ means avoiding the following words: I, me, my,
mine, myself, we, us, our, ours, ourselves, you, your, yours, yourself, or yourselves.
FOR EXAMPLE: An individual/person often finds technology a challenge OR
people /individuals often find technology a challenge.

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 PRELIMINARY ESSAY OUTLINE

THESIS STATEMENT WITH THREE POINTS:

Topic/subject + controlling idea + main points 1, 2, and 3:

BODY PARAGRAPH 1: Topic sentence introducing main point 1.

(Support for first main point. Three points of support and three supporting details/examples)
1.

2.

3.

BODY PARAGRAPH 2: Topic sentence introducing main point 2.

(Support for second main point. Three points of support and three supporting details/examples)
1.

2.

3.

BODY PARAGRAPH 3: Topic sentence introducing main point 3.

(Support for third main point. Three points of support and three supporting details/examples)
1.

2.

3.

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 Write ONE (1) ESSAY from the three choices above (thesis statement followed by three
support paragraph of 5-7 sentences each).

SEE MINI-SAMPLE ESSAY BELOW AS A MODEL FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT—THESIS PLUS THREE FULL PARAGRAPHS PLUS CONCLUSION:

Technology has affected many aspects of human life in both positive and negative ways.[Introduction] Although technology has made every day living

more comfortable, it may be eroding people’s abilities to think analytically and to memorize large amounts of material. [Thesis statement]

In his article “Twitter Trap,” Bill Keller describes how technology is eroding people’s minds, taking away many of the vital intellectual features individuals

once possessed.[Paraphrase from article] Keller points out things like “typing has killed penmanship” and “what little memory we do use we are soon to surrender to

Google” (Keller, 2011, p. 25). [Quote from article] He is also reminded of his father who often told him “the pocket calculator for all of its convenience has diminished

the generation’s math skills” (Keller, 2011, p. 25). [Quote from article]

In conclusion, although there are many positive and negative aspects that go with the progress of technology, it may be that the negatives far outweigh

the positives. [Concluding sentence]

REFERENCE FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT (SUBSTITUTE WITH AUTHOR AND PAGE NUMBERS FOR ARTICLE)

Reference

Bissoondath, N. (1995). Selling illusions. In The Canadian writer's workplace (2016). (8th Ed.). Lipschutz, G., Scarry, J., & Scarry, S. (Eds.) (pp. 414 -417). Toronto:

Nelson Education.

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Use of digital technology in our education system has affected many aspects of student life in both positive and
negative ways; although it has made higher education more fun, engaging and more comfortable, it may be
eroding student’s abilities to think analytically and severely degrading basic reading, writing ability.

In this article, “Let’s Unplug the Digital Classroom” Doug Mann describes how digital technology has dumbed
down higher education by making education more fun and engaging. As a consequence, education is turned into
a form of entertainment. Thus students find difficulty to write essays, read complicated text or figure out
complex mathematical problems. Therefore, the use of digital technology in higher education has promoted
ignorance not knowledge and rigorously despoiled basic skills of reading, writing and thinking. Furthermore,
digital technologies can be great delivery devices however what they too often deliver has nothing to do with
education (Mann, 2012, p.409).

In Mann’s article, he also states that it is frustrating when there is a blind support for digital technologies bruited
in government white papers by the people, most of whom did not spend any time in the class room in the last
decade. Moreover, mass media refused to acknowledge dozens of substantial empirical researches regarding the
bad impacts of digital technologies in education in last fifteen years. As a consequence, students are
bibliophobes who avoid complex knowledge like the plague. Furthermore, according to Jean Twenge and Keith
Campbell’s The Narcissism Epidemic, digital technologies have accelerated young people’s sense of self-
esteem beyond all reasonable boundaries of actual achievement which enlightens them to think that they can be
star, thus they do not care whether or not they are able to read, write and their lack of knowledge regarding
basic historical and political facts (Mann, 2012, p.409).

According to Mann, the only solution is to unplug the digital devices which are used by the students in the
classroom. Furthermore, restricting the use of social networking websites in these devices on campus.
Moreover, he also suggested that internet based distance education courses should not be encouraged because
these courses are using digital technologies which are cheap imitations of the real education (Mann, 2012,
p.410).

In conclusion, it can be said that digital technologies should be used in proper way by restricting only to gather
knowledge with the help of teacher in the classroom and also on the campus area. Higher authorities should take
proper care on this vital issue.

Reference

Doug Mann (2012). Let’s Unplug the Digital Classroom. In The Canadian writer's workplace (2016). (8th Ed.).

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 COMM160 CRITERIA SHEET
Name: ____________________________________ COMM 160

Writing Test #2 (15%)

Structure (5 marks) Excellen Satisfactory Needs Work Marks/
t Comment
 Uses correct format and length
 States clear, effective topic sentence/thesis statement
 Stays on topic (unity)
 Connects ideas in a clear, logical order (coherence)
 Uses appropriate transitional words/phrases
 For a paragraph, ends with effective concluding sentence; for a
preliminary essay, contains proper topic sentences

Development (5 marks) Excellent Satisfactory Needs Work Marks/

Comment
 Responds to question/topic chosen
 Identifies clear main points of support
 Provides appropriate specific details/examples
 Avoids vague statements and repetition
 Includes references to assigned reading
 Demonstrates understanding of ideas in reading
 Shows evidence of clear, critical thinking
 Employs a variety of sentence styles

Sentence Skills (5 marks) Excellent Satisfactory Needs Work Marks/

Comment
Major Errors No. of Marks
errors Deducted
 Fragments
 Run-Ons
 Verb Errors
 Awkward/Confusing Sentences
 Unparallel Structure
 Major Punctuation Errors
Minor Errors
 Misspellings
 Pronoun Errors
 Diction (Word choice/use)
 Modifiers (misplaced, dangling)
 Minor Punctuation Errors
 Capitalization Errors
 Other
General Comments: Grade: