As already stated, English 100 focuses on writing and the writing process, placing attention on rhetorical awareness in written, oral, and other forms of communication. Its central purpose is to give students practice in four modes of literacy—writing, speaking, reading, and listening—with the strongest emphasis on writing and speaking. We are also charged with helping students to develop critical thinking skills and information literacy skills within the context of the university. As a program, we are committed to inclusivity and helping all students succeed in the course.

Learning Goals and Outcomes

English 100 asks students to engage with the following questions:

• Who are your audiences and what are your purposes for writing?
• How do you use different genres or discourse conventions to make your writing effective?
• How can you use information and reliable sources to develop an effective writing project?
• What can you do to make a research presentation interesting?
• How can you contribute to creating a lively and engaged classroom conversation through speaking and listening well?
• What practices, processes, and strategies can you engage with as you develop yourself as a writer?

Comm–A Outcomes

The University Communication requirement helps to ensure that all graduates of UW–Madison acquire essential communication and research-gathering skills necessary for success in university course work and beyond. Communication–A (Comm–A) and Communication–B (Comm–B) courses train students to gather and assess information from a variety of sources and to present different kinds of information, insight, and analysis to diverse audiences. While Comm–A courses focus exclusively on essential communication skills, Comm–B courses provide content instruction in a specific discipline and teach research, writing, and speaking skills in conjunction with the course content.

In English 100, we want to lay a strong foundation for the habits of mind that help students continue to grow as writers and communicators even after the end of the semester. The following learning goals connect directly to language in UW-Madison’s Comm–A requirement. It might be useful to think of these lists as directions for advancement or as experiences you can cultivate rather than seeing each item as a destination. Since all writers continue to develop with new situations and over the course of a lifetime, no single course can create mastery in the many areas outlined here.

Communication General Learning Outcomes  

Students develop skills that enable them to be effective speakers and writers in and out of the classroom.

In courses satisfying the Communication requirement, students will:

• Make effective use of information retrieved, organized, and synthesized from appropriate sources;
• Present ideas and information clearly and logically to achieve a specific purpose;
• Make effective use of communicative forms appropriate to a specific discipline and adapted to the intended audience;
• Use appropriate style and conventions associated with particular communicative forms, genres or disciplines.

Communication–A Learning Outcomes 

Students will advance basic skills in:

• The a variety of modes of literacy with special emphasis on writing;
• Critical thinking;
• Information-seeking skills and strategies.

These skills should be taught through continuous practice in the process of writing and speaking. Although the items listed below suggest a sequence, many or all of them are simultaneously learned in this process. Courses that satisfy the University Communication A requirement must advance student skills in the following areas:

Planning:

• Selecting, narrowing, and focusing topics
• Identifying and analyzing audience information needs
• Generating and organizing ideas
• Comprehending and analyzing texts

Drafting:

• Learning structures of exposition and argument & the use of evidence
• Organizing and developing compositions and speeches
• Adapting communication for intended audiences
• Learning conventions of academic writing as a discourse
• Applying the conventions of academic writing as a discourse for effective communication
• Preparing speeches for delivery in writing and at least one other mode of communication. (Other modes of communication might include presentations using one or more media, debate, discussion, poster presentations, and other forms of expression that convey course content.)
• Citing sources, avoiding plagiarism, and compiling accurate bibliographies, information resources, or lists of references and citations appropriate to the form of communication.

Revising:

• Developing critical skills for reading and listening — in review of peer writing/speaking
• Revising and editing essays and speeches — for effective communication appropriate to communication purpose, including academic and disciplinary contexts
• Analyzing assigned readings and speeches delivered outside class

Information-Seeking Skills and Strategies:

• Develop and adapt information seeking strategies in order to access information effectively
• Evaluate information retrieved and select information sources appropriate to the particular research need information

Setting Your Own Goals

Along with Comm–A goals and English 100 learning objectives, you will likely develop specific, focused goals for your own class.

In order to frame your own goals, you can ask yourself questions like these:

• How will I align my teaching values and practices with English 100 core beliefs, English 100 requirements, and Comm–A learning outcomes?
• How will I integrate my own goals for the course with the goals of the English 100 program?
• What do I want my students to know and be able to do when the semester is over?
• How do I imagine my students’ goals for my class?

As you develop your own goals, you might find it useful to read through the “Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing,” a document developed by The Council of Writing Program Administrators, the National Council of Teachers of English, and the National Writing Project.