English 225: Academic Argumentation: Writing in Academic Disciplines
The upper-level writing requirement at the University of Michigan focuses on academic argumentation. In teaching this course, I emphasize disciplinary writing by engaging students in analyzing the characteristics of writing in their chosen academic disciplines, as well as identifying connections in argumentation across genres and discourse communities. Below, please find a course description, syllabus, and assignments.
EDWP Course Description for English 225:
All sections of English 225 focus on examining and employing effective academic argumentation. Academic argumentation here refers to the presentation, explanation, and assessment of claims through written reasoning that utilizes appropriate evidence and writing conventions. The course builds on and refines skills from introductory writing courses English 124 and 125, as well as provides a basic introduction to finding and effectively incorporating research into student writing, for use in a range of future academic contexts.
Introduction to the Course Theme: Writing in Academic Disciplines
In this section of English 225, we will examine writing across academic disciplines and discourse communities. We will study how writing varies across disciplinary contexts, and you will learn how to adapt your writing to various future academic audiences and purposes. You will have the opportunity to reflect upon your interests in your disciplinary discourse community and to interpret and investigate arguments in your chosen academic concentration or field. Guiding questions include: In what ways can we analyze patterns and features of language and writing specific to an academic discipline? To what extent can we identify broader ‘meta-genres’ that occur across disciplines? What implications do our findings hold for our roles as students in academic discourse communities and as critical producers and consumers of texts in a variety of media?
Ruth Li 