Korea University International Summer Campus (KU ISC) 2019

Embark on a unique summer

June 26, 2019 ∼ July 19, 2019

ISC106B-Critical Thinking and Writing

Ⅰ. Instructor
Professor : Jeri Ahern
E-mail : jeriahern@gmail.com
Home Institution : University of Pennsylvania
Office : TBA
Office Hours : By appointment

Ⅱ. Textbook
Required
: Reading Materials supplied by Instructor
Textbook
Other Materials : Provided by Instructor

Ⅲ. Course Description and Objectives

Course Objectives:

• Students will effectively express their understanding, interpretation, and analysis of

information.
• Students will understand and use the major steps (prewriting, drafting, revision, editing) in
the writing process.
• Students will develop a sense of writing for an audience and understand how the audience,
purpose, and language can influence the writer’s choices.
• Students will understand and apply the conventions of university-level writing including
quoting, paraphrasing, and APA formatting and citation.
• Students will edit using standard principles of grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and usage
of the English language.
• Students will conduct research using credible and academic scholarly sources.
• Students will participate actively in cooperative learning through group brainstorming,
collaborative writing, class discussion, peer review and constructive feedback.
• Students will complete three graded writing assignments and will deliver three graded
presentations. There will be other non-graded, but required, assignments that will serve as
steps for the graded assignments.

Through individual assessment and guidance from the instructor, students will learn what they
need to focus on individually in their writing and presentation skills and utilize recommended
resources to improve in those areas.
Ⅳ. Grading

Accountability and Grading:

Students are required to attend class regularly, participate in class discussions and activities, and
complete all homework assignments.
The following writing assignments will account for 170 points of the student’s grade:
Critical Analysis & Response (35 points)
Satirical/Ironic Voice Essay (35 points)
7-page Problem/Solution Research Paper with Bibliography (100 points)

The following class presentations will account for 70 points of the student’s grade:
Impromptu Speech (20 points)
Problem/Solution Data Explanation (30 points)
Prezi Presentation from Free Writings (20 points)

The final 20 points of the grade will be for the student’s level of participation in peer review and
presentation feedback as well as small group discussions and pair work. Attendance and timely
arrivals to class also count in this grade.
**There is no separate grade for attendance. However, please note the following:
Korea University policy states that any student who misses more than 7 classes or the equivalency
of these classes will automatically fail the class. Late work may not be accepted or may result in a
significant drop in grade.

Ⅴ. Class Outline
Date Topic
June 25 (Tue) Orientation Day
Week 1: Critical Thinking & Responding to Arguments
Tackling academic reading
Responding to others' claims, arguments and ideas
Week 1
(June 26-28) Brainstorming, planning and organizing an essay
Assignments:
interpreting readings

Week 2: Response Writing & Writer’s Voice

Synthesizing sources
APA in-text citations & the references page
Analyzing the stylistic features of voice in writing
Week 2
(July 1-4) Use of satire and/or irony in writing
Assignments:
3-page written response to assigned readings
impromptu presentations
 Week 3: Writer’s Voice & Intro to Academic Language
Introduction to academic papers
Analysis of MICUSP paper
Week 3 JSTOR, Google Scholar & library research
(July 8-11) Assignments:
2-page essay written satirically or ironically
analysis of academic paper

Week 4: Researching, Summarizing, Synthesizing, Quoting & Paraphrasing

Finding a research question & conducting research for scholarly sources
Quoting, synthesizing, & paraphrasing
Academic integrity & avoiding plagiarism
Overview of APA in-text citations & creating the references page
Week 4
(July 15-18) Individual research
Assignments:
page essay outline of information from several articles
annotated bibliography
References page

Week 5: Research Paper Final Steps; Professional Presentations

Revising, editing & formatting
APA reference conventions
Week 5 Convincing others through effective presentation of ideas
(July 22-25)
Assignments:
7-page research paper using scholarly sources
Individual presentation of results

Week 6: Prezi
Design and presentation of journal writing using prezi format
Week 6 Assignments:
(July 29-August 1)
Group prezi presentation