English 101 as Exploratory Writing & Research
Adie Kleckner
I envision English 101 as a place for students to practice writing. By this I mean, practice the process of writing, from imagining to researching to writing and revising. To facilitate this process, my current iteration of English 101 invites students to explore a topic that interests them and to write on that topic in a way that they find meaningfully aligns with their writing goals. I provide a simple structure–they must write a long essay–but leave definitions, approaches, and methods in their very capable hands while simultaneously challenging their assumptions on what makes writing “academic” or “right.”
In my class, students:
- Define what an essay is from course readings and their own exploratory research.
- Choose a research & essay topic to explore for the course.
- Choose the genre of essay they are writing, as well as the audience and purpose.
- Choose a citation style to follow and find and share resources to support citation and formatting guidelines.
- Determine their grade for the final essay, as it aligns with their definition for an essay.
There are some challenges with this approach; it is hard to make decisions. Some students have never had any freedom of choice in the classroom and so are concerned that they are making a wrong choice. In response, I design the class to include frequent one-on-one meetings with students to discuss their projects and process; thinking and decision-making; and research and writing experience. 
Course Narrative
Below are several key assignments, from formative to summative, that capture the process of the course and highlight key pedagogical approaches I take in assignment design:
Approach to Assessment
[Video]
From the Course Syllabus:
All of the reading/materials, writing assignments, and workshops in this course are intended to help you begin to find your voice as a writer. In other words, this is all a process of discovery. For this reason, I won’t be grading your submissions based upon quality (hint: no writing is perfect, and even experts disagree on exactly what makes writing perfect in the first place) but rather you will earn points by attempting the task. Except for the final project, all of your submissions to this class will be graded complete/incomplete. Every assignment will include an explanation of what makes a submission “complete.”
You will self-assess your final project (the assignment worth the most points). This self-assessment will ask you to reflect on your writing process, the goals you set for yourself earlier in the quarter, and how you did or did not achieve those goals.
Instead of writing to meet the personal ideals of your English professor, you are writing to discover something and learn how you want to write. Feel encouraged to take some risks, try something new, and (hopefully) learn from your experiments.
How Grades are Determined Final Course GPA Grade Requirements 4.0
- Complete the weekly assignments, discussion posts, & self-reflections
- Write 3 essay draft submissions & complete the peer reviews
- Write a final essay that is at least 10 pages & includes at least 3 outside sources
- 2 Incomplete Assignments permitted (excludes essay drafts)
3.2
- Complete the weekly assignments, discussion posts, & self-reflections
- Write 3 essay draft submissions & complete the peer reviews
- Write a final essay that is at least 9 pages & includes at least 3 outside sources
- 3-4 Incomplete Assignments permitted (excludes essay drafts)
2.5
- Complete the weekly assignments, discussion posts, & self-reflections
- Write 3 essay draft submissions & complete the peer reviews
- Write a final essay that is at least 8 pages & includes at least 3 outside sources
- 5-6 Incomplete Assignments permitted (excludes essay drafts)
2.0 – minimum for credit
- Complete the weekly assignments, discussion posts, & self-reflections
- Write 3 essay draft submissions & complete the peer reviews
- Write a final essay that is 7 pages & includes at least 3 outside sources
- 7-8 Incomplete Assignments permitted (excludes essay drafts)
1.0
- Does not meet minimum requirements of above
Important things to consider:
Pierce College requires a minimum grade of 2.0 in English 101 to earn credit for graduation and/or transfer. This is not the case for all high schools or other institutions.
Scholarships and funding often have GPA requirements, so be sure to keep those in mind.
Transfer institutions, especially those NOT included in the AA-Direct Transfer Agreement (often schools outside Washington state) may have different GPA requirements.
