English 125: Writing and Academic Inquiry: Literacy and Technology
The first-year writing course at the University of Michigan emphasizes personal narrative, rhetorical analysis, research-based, and multimodal genres, as well as process and reflective writing. My approach to teaching the course engages students in interrogating the intersections of literacy, technology, and society; and in critiquing the consumption and production of mass media. Below, please find a course description, a syllabus, and assignments.
EDWP Course Description for English 125:
This class is about writing and academic inquiry. Effective arguments stem from well-formulated questions, and academic essays allow writers to gain deeper understanding of the questions that they are exploring. In this course, you will learn to create complex, analytic, well-supported arguments that matter in academic contexts. The course will also hone your critical thinking and reading skills. Working closely with your peers and instructor, you will develop your essays through workshops and extensive revision. Our course readings will cover a variety of genres and serve as models or prompts for assigned essays. The specific questions that you pursue in your essays will be guided by your own interests.
Introduction to the Course Theme: Literacy and Technology:
In this section of English 125, we will examine writing and composition within the context of literacy and technology. Exploring the concept of literacy, we will discuss questions such as: in what ways does technology affect or change how we communicate? In what ways can we ‘read’ and ‘write’ texts beyond the written form through images, video, or audio? How might we redefine what it means to be literate in the twenty-first century? Finally, why is this transformation in learning significant for our roles and responsibilities as active readers and writers in college, and as engaged citizens and members of the communities in which we live?
Syllabus:
Assignments:
Ruth Li 