Developed over the 2024-2025 academic year, this book includes two primary aims. The first aim is to substantially reduce textbook costs for students at Nashville State Community College. As part of the Open Educational Resources initiative developed by the Tennessee Board of Regents and NSCC, our OER textbook comes at no cost to students or instructors. This no-cost impact is a win for all students and faculty!
While the first aim is focused on lowering the overall fiscal impact of college on students, the second aim is focused on providing students with a superb textbook that is easily accessible. Indeed, the open-access format provides students and instructors with an accessible textbook for navigating ENGL 1010 at NSCC.
As the authors of the textbook, it is our hope that this textbook will be an impactful resource for students and instructors well after the semester has ended!
The scope of this book includes six sections, including a separate section dedicated to plagiarism. The first section, Getting Started with ENGL 1020 at NSCC, includes an introduction to the OER textbook in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 provides students an introduction to English at NSCC; resources for potential majors in English at NSCC; and resources for those who might major in English at a 4-year university. Chapter 3 extends this list to encompass all resources available to students, regardless of intended major. Chapter 4 provides an overview of the five stages of the writing process, and Chapter 5 focuses on generative artificial intelligence and traditional artificial intelligence as it relates to NSCC and classroom assignments.
While the first section provides students with a foundation for success, the second section featured in Module 1 introduces students to the basic elements of the essay writing process, including brainstorming, drafting, and editing. Module 1 features key assignments in Module 1, including Essay 1: Person I Admire assignment. Module 1 also examines the first graded writing assignment for ENGL 1010: Discussion Board 1 (DB1). Students will also engage Essay 1 in Writing Activity 2 (WA2) for Module 1 and be introduced to key elements of completing Essay 1, including the grading rubric for the assignment. Module 1 terminates with Resources for Writing in Module 1 and three student examples, all from former ENGL 1010 students at NSCC.
Building upon the beginning elements of Module 1, Module 2 which introduces rhetorical modes, including the compare/contrast assignment. Module 2 outlines the activities and assessments for students. Module 2 also includes Discussion Board 2 (DB2), which becomes the catalyst for the submission of Essay 2, which is described in detail in Module 2. Finally, Module 2 terminates with Resources for Writing the Essay 2 assignment and three examples of Essay 2 written by former NSCC students.
Next in the curriculum sequence, Module 3 challenges students with creating an annotated bibliography assignment, which is a hallmark of first-year composition courses. The annotated bibliography requires student-generated research on a topic of your own choosing. Module 3 begins with introducing students to the assignment process and learning objectives. To complete the annotated bibliography assignment successfully, students should pay special attention to the section that covers the rules and guidelines for complying with the Modern Language Association’s formatting standards, also known as MLA formatting (every student’s favorite past-time!).
The information on MLA formatting and protocol segues into Module 3’s activities and assessments, including Discussion Board 3 (DB 3) and Writing Activity 4 (WA 4). Module 3 addresses key elements of the annotated bibliography assignment, including assignment requirements. Module 3 includes Resources for Writing, which contains several chapters from Try This: Research Methods for Writers, written by Jennifer Clary-Lemon, Derek Mueller, and Kate Pantelides. Module 3 closes with two sample assignments from former ENGL 1010 students.
Unlike prior sections in this textbook, Module 4 offers students an opportunity to engage in reflection on their research conducted for Module 3, the Annotated Bibliography. Module 4 introduces students to Essay 3, the reflection essay, and identifies the learning objectives for this module. The initial stages of Module 4 initiates the writing process of Essay 3 with Discussion Board 4 (DB4). This section of Module 4 helps students move the drafting process one step further with Writing Activity 5 (WA 4). The latter parts of Module 4 represent the end-stage of Essay 3, including assignment requirements and guidelines for a successful Essay 3 submission.
To aid students in the writing process of Essay 3, Module 4 offers three resources, including “Metacognition in the Writing Classroom” from Boston University; “Writing for Metacognition” from Johns Hopkins’ University Writing Program; and Crystal Vankooten’s “Identifying Components of Meta-Awareness about Composition featured in a 2016 issue of the academic journal Composition Forum. Finally, Module 4 terminates with two exemplary Essay 3 samples of former NSCC students.
While all prior modules in ENGL 1010 focus on the writing process and successful writing assignment submission, Module 5 tests students’ abilities to identify proper MLA formatting protocol for signal phrases, in-text citations, quotations, summary/paraphrase, and identifying plagiarism. As such, Module 5 introduces students to the final exam for ENGL 1010, including a breakdown of the assignment process, learning objectives, and activities and assessments.
The final aspects of Module 5 all feature key details about the Final Exam for ENGL 1010, including Final Exam information; Study Information; a Study Guide; and general advice regarding the Final Exam assignment.
To conclude this textbook, a separate section has been dedicated to covering plagiarism at NSCC. Please refer to this section frequently throughout your time in the course for successful completion of ENGL 1010 at NSCC!
Thank you for choosing this textbook for your course at NSCC! Although this textbook is the official course textbook for ENGL 1010 classes at Nashville State, faculty members are free to choose how to use this textbook as well as any supplemental materials they find necessary for helping their students navigate writing and learning at NSCC. And per NSCC’s policy on Academic Freedom , faculty members are “entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing his or her subject, being careful not to introduce into the teaching unrelated subject matter.”
Prof. Halley Andrews is an English Instructor at Nashville State Community College. She is a native of Middle Tennessee. Prof. Andrews earned her B.S. in Psychology and her M.A. in English Literature. She has taught for six years and is in the process of completing her Ph.D. in English Literature. In her research, Prof. Andrews’ interests include the Gothic genre, Irish poetry, and popular music as literature; in her teaching, her goal is to help her students become better researchers and communicators so that they are equipped with the tools they need to become successful, for whatever “success” means to them. Prof. Andrews is passionate about the power of language and about making education attainable for anyone who wants it, and to that end, she is excited to have taken part in creating this Open Educational Resource!
Prof. Brian Curtis is an Associate English Professor at Nashville State Community College. He is a native and current resident of Middle Tennessee. Prof. Curtis earned his B.A. in English and Creative Writing from Austin Peay State University and his M.A. in English Literature from Texas Tech University. He has taught at NSCC since 2006. In addition to teaching composition courses, Prof. Curtis teaches a literature course involving comic books and graphic novels, created by him. He also teaches courses in various genres of literature, including film studies. Brian Curtis has presented essays at popular culture conferences over Tales from the Crypt and cybernetics in superhero comics. His research interests involve various elements of popular culture, specifically comics and film, English Romanticism, and early Universal Monster films.
Brian strives for each student to have their own voice, contributing to critical thinking and discourse in their chosen fields. To foster this, composition plays an important role. He is thankful and blessed to help students achieve their goals.
The motivation and reason behind his teaching and research comes from his amazing wife, Alena, and their daughter, Penelope. Brian’s favorite hobbies are tabletop gaming, comic books, retro video games, classic monster films, and watching the art of horror movie hosts. His favorite movie is Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman.
Dr. Shane A. McCoy (they/them/theirs) is an Instructor of English in the School of Arts and Humanities. They have taught at the college-level for more than thirteen years. Dr. McCoy earned their bachelor’s degree in English at MTSU and their Ph.D. at the University of Washington in Seattle. Before arriving at Nashville State Community College in 2024, Dr. McCoy taught at the University of Washington, Volunteer State Community College, Tennessee Technological University, and MTSU. Dr. McCoy is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work (MSSW) at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville with a concentration in Organizational Leadership. Dr. McCoy hopes this OER project will allow students from under-represented backgrounds to have a smoother transition into college at NSCC!