Welcome to ENGL 1020! Thank you for continuing on to the "sequel" to ENGL 1010. The first point I would like to make is that you are definitely ready for this course. In order to be in this class, you completed ENGL 1010 or an equivalent. If that was last semester or years ago, you still have all of the tools needed to succeed in this course. ENGL 1020 builds off of the skills from ENGL 1010. It does not forget them.
The good news is that all of the Learning Objectives from ENGL 1010 are still valid here. Remember, writing is a skill. Like any skill, the more you do it, the better you will get at it. Writing is no different than any skill or hobby. It is compared to playing a game, a musical instrument, or engaging in a sport. Practice makes perfect, or closer to it.
ENGL 1020 begins where ENGL 1010 left off. You will still need to think about the following concepts for this course:
Thesis creation-Your one sentence claim, usually in the introduction of your essays
Topic sentences-These are sentences that relate back to your overall thesis; they are like thesis statements for your points
MLA format for your sources-You will still be using sources to support your own ideas; These must be presented in MLA (Modern Language Format) with internal citations and a works cited page.
The same MLA format that you learned in ENGL 1010
Found in insert MLA information from ENGL 1010 and more
While we will be building off the work you have done in ENGL 1010, we will be bringing in more skills to our writing prowess too.
This first module asks you to enter into an academic conversation about something you may already have an opinion on, artificial intelligence.
While a lot of people may not be familiar with artificial intelligence, the essays and articles in the Learning Activities along with the other Learning Materials in this module, will help you enter into the conversation. However, do not get discouraged if you do not have an opinion about this subject. Instead, relate it to other possible topics that you do have an opinion over. For example:
Do you feel that "Big Tech" companies has too much power over individuals?
Is social media another tool that companies use to get our data?
How does this relate to us when we use "free" software?
How ethical is using AI, such as ChatGPT, to create documents?
Is AI the Monster we think it is? Can it be used for good purposes? Can it be manipulated for evil intent?
One theme throughout the semester is the concept of what truly constitutes a monster. This will play a part throughout some of the modules and culminate in the Final Essay. Some of the readings and materials will ask you to relate the concepts to the idea of monstrous ideas and problems, real and fictional but metaphorical. Remember, you are in control of your own thoughts and opinions on all of the material and subjects. Do you personally think AI is an amazing technology, a monster itself, or something in between? You decide.
See, these ideas relate to artificial intelligence. The goal of this module is to support your eventual opinion on the subject. Please remember this main rule for ENGL 1020:
Your opinion is not being graded, but you are being graded on how you state and support your opinion.
Remember, by working through this module, along with the assignments contained in it, you will be ready to write the essay. Please do not be scared of your opinion. Employers will be wanting your ideas presented to them in a "digestible" format. This is another skill that ENGL 1020 will help you learn. The key is that you follow this formula:
Critical thinking (your own ideas) + critical reading (supporting your ideas and rebutting opposing ideas, respectfully) =Critical writing
In other words, be sure to support your ideas with trusted, credible sources. Remember, you are ready for this course. In fact, your skills will only get better the more you use them.
Please enjoy this video (3:05) over Summary, a skill you will be learning about and using during this module:
Summary - A brief restatement, in your own words, of the content of a passage (a group of paragraphs, a chapter, an article, a book; a shortened version of the original
Narrative - A story; in a personal essay, the narrator is telling a story about his or her experiences.
Expository Essay - Writing that is meant to inform and/or persuade.
Paraphrase - A restatement of a passage in your own words, approximately the same length as the original.
Quotation - A repetition of the exact language used by someone in speech or writing, requiring the use of quotation marks.
Plagiarism - The attempt to pass off the work of another as one's own.
Unintentional Plagiarism - Violation that occurs from ignorance of conventions rather than deceitfulness; still, an offense that is not tolerated in the academic world.
Critique - A response to source material that evaluates the author's success in achieving his or her purpose and allows for agreement or disagreement with the author of the source material.
Logic - Clear and orderly thinking.
Logical Fallacy - Faulty thinking; an argument that contains a mistake in reasoning.
Emotionally Loaded Terms - Use of words with positive connotations for the purpose of swaying readers to a certain point of view
Personal Attack (ad hominem) - A means of rejecting opposing views by attacking the person who holds them
Faulty Cause/Effect (post hoc) - Asserting that because one event preceded the other, it caused the second event
Either/or Reasoning - Rejecting complexity of an argument by offering only two courses of action when there are many
Hasty Generalization - Drawing conclusions from too little evidence
False Analogy - Comparing a person, event, or issue to another that does not actually apply
Begging the Question (circular reasoning) - To assume as a proven fact the very claim that is being argued
Non Sequitur - Arguing a conclusion that does not logically follow from a premise
Oversimplification - Offering an easy solution to a complicated problem
If you've ever told a friend about a movie, you have used summary. It is really as simple as that. Let's take our movie example. Your goal is to explain the high points of the film in a short time. If you tell every tiny detail, your summary will be more like a plot synopsis on Wikipedia. It would spoil the movie itself. However, if you hit the high points, you will give enough detail to explain the film and basically what happens in it. For example, you will encounter summaries on the back of a DVD case or in the description of a movie on a streaming service. The summary tells you what the main points of the movie in a shorter format. As a "reader", you get to decide if you would like to watch it or not. In many cases, we read more plot summaries than we actually watch.
You've even encountered summaries in all of your classes. Look at the course description of any class in the NSCC Course Catalog or on the Course Syllabus. There is a summary of what the course will entail.
During and after college, you will probably have to summarize a lot of information. For example, you will probably encounter summaries in:
Since you've already encountered summaries, it's freeing to already know this concept. In fact, if you have completed an annotated bibliography, you have even written a summary. What you already know will aid you in the study of summary in academic writing. We will be exploring the differences between:
Remember, if you use any of the three concepts above, be sure to cite them correctly in your written work. English always prefers the latest version of MLA format. In a pinch, you can always consult the The OWL at Purdue University's Online Writing Lab. Also, check the MLA section of A Writer's Reference. Thankfully, it has all of the information needed for ENGL 1020. It is quite similar to the information in ENGL 1010.
Note that three central qualities apply to a good summary:
The Reading-Writing Connection: It's all about Critical Reading + Critical Thinking=Critical Writing
To complete any summary of or in an essay, you will need to read the essay as closely as possible. In a more academic way, you will need to read critically. However, critical reading is something that we have already done in ENGL 1010 and other classes. If you are reading anything hoping to gain a deeper meaning or understanding, you are critically reading. When you critically read, you look for details that may benefit you for later assignments or to support your own ideas. Do not feel discouraged if you must read a particular passage more than once. This is a hallmark of critically reading anything. When you critically read, you will be doing one or more of the following:
Paraphrasing and Quoting
All writing for this course requires MLA documentation. That means that you will follow MLA formatting in citations and for a Works Cited page. You will use parenthetical (sometimes called in-text) citations whenever you quote directly from the original essay, and you will also use citations when you paraphrase. Remember that quotations are always enclosed in quotation marks and they represent the exact words borrowed from the essay. To paraphrase, you will put in your own words the ideas you have read, and you will not use quotation marks. Your summary should make use of both quotations and paraphrasing. Quotations should be reserved for memorable langugage, the exact words that you simply don't see any way of replacing. For example, if you were writing about Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, you would not want to try to paraphrase that line by saying that Dr. King had a wish. The online tutorials, as well as the reading, will help you to understand more about when to use paraphrases and when to use quotations.
Plagiarism
Imagine this scenario. You are going to the hospital for major surgery. You have done your research and you have selected, what you believe to be, an amazing surgeon. As soon as you have been administered anesthesia, this highly decorated surgeon whispers to you, "I cheated my entire way through medical school! I stole all of my papers online. In fact, I got the answers for all of my tests from my friends." In this hypothetical (thankfully) situation, how do you feel about plagiarism and academic dishonesty? This is an extreme example, but let's think of it another way. There is no "excuse" to plagiarize. A large majority of our students have outside obligations. They have families, jobs, other classes, and a myriad of other parts of life. What makes us any more special than they are? An amazing side effect of writing your own work is that you get to learn and grow. To put it bluntly, plagiarism is something that has grave consequences for your college and eventual career. People have failed courses, lost degrees, and lost jobs because of this practice.
Instead, own your own work. Use the work of others correctly and you will not have to worry about this problem. Writing is a process and a process that you have engaged in before. You have all of the tools necessary to write your own work. Own your successes too!
By the time students come to college, the word plagiarism is a familiar one. You know not to buy essays online or to use your cousin's essay from last semester. That is cheating. That is stealing. That is wrong. That is dangerous! You would most certainly get an F for the assignment, and you could fail the class or be expelled from college, depending on the policies of the institution and the particular instructor. In my class, the policies are outlined in the syllabus. Please read them carefully!
However, many students get in trouble because of unintentional plagiarism. In this case, the student does not mean to cheat or steal. There is no wrong intent. The student simply doesn't understand how to document properly and, as a result, there are passages borrowed from the original source that seem to indicate they are the student's own ideas. The best defense against unintentional plagiarism is to learn the rules of documentation.
As students, sometimes we are afraid to bring in our opinion. However, you should not be afraid to express your opinions and ideas. Let's go back to the summary of a movie that you saw.
You were asked to imagine that your friend wanted to know what a certain movie was about, and you told him briefly what happened in the movie. You summarized. Now imagine that he asks, "What did you think about it?" or "Did you like it? Why? Why not?" Now you begin to critique the movie. You evaluate. You assess. You make a judgment.
If you have been to an art gallery or a museum to view an art collection, you may have heard someone critiquing a certain piece of art. The art critic will respond to the work by using criteria that artists and art lovers understand. Ultimately, the critic will agree or disagree that the artist has accomplished his or her purpose.
Similarly to summarizing something we have seen, listened to, played, or engage in, we all have experience with critique. While they are a bit different, critique has a lot in common with a review. Reviews, like critiques, are based on a set criteria that easily defined. How is this a "good" game? Does the new album from your favorite artist measure up to their previous work? Which is the "best" streaming service? However, you will need to be careful. Sometimes, logical fallacies and our own emotions can get the better of us when we are trying to create an objective opinion. Still, don't shy away from expressing your honest opinions. Just be ready to back them up with criteria and sources.
Critique as it applies to academic writing may not be exactly the same as critiquing a movie or a painting, but in both cases, giving your opinion and telling why you hold that opinion goes beyond summarizing, or telling the main points. When you critique an essay, you will begin by summarizing, but you will go on to evaluate and then, finally, to respond by agreeing or disagreeing to the presentation.
At the heart of a critique is the question: Did the author succeed in his or her purpose? The purpose may be to inform, to persuade, or to entertain. You may base your evaluation on one or more of these questions:
Is the information accurate?
Is the information significant?
Has the author defined terms clearly?
Has the author used and interpreted information fairly?
Has the author argued logically?
After determining to what extent the author succeeded in his or her purpose, it is your turn to identify points of agreement or disagreement. You may agree with some of the author's views but disagree with others. Discuss your reasons for the opinions you hold. This discussion becomes an argument itself. Conclude your critique by reminding readers of the weaknesses and the strengths of the essay.
As you consider whether the author has argued logically, you will need to watch for logical fallacies. To be convincing, an argument should be governed by logic. Logical fallacies are faulty thinking. Be sure that you understand and can give examples of the fallacies that are discussed in this lesson. If your mom ever said, "Eat your broccoli. Think about the children in Africa who are starving," you probably wondered how eating your broccoli would make any difference to children in other parts of the world. You probably didn't say, "Mom, that's a non sequitur!" Now you know.
Be very careful of sources that are based heavily on emotion. While emotion is part of Aristotle's Rhetorical Triangle, it can also spoil an argument. The ethics side of the triangle will help decide if the source has credibility or background in the subject. If emotion and ethics are missing, you can be sure there may be faulty logic at play. Think of this scenario. Sadly, some people get scammed on the internet. This usually comes from them gaining confidence in a product, person, or company. It's where the phrase being "conned" comes from. If an idea seems too good to be true, it probably is. Similarly, if a source says everything you want to hear, it may be too good to be true. Lastly, just because you agree with something doesn't mean you should use it in your writing. Be wary.
Read the following links for articles involving AI
"2030-Ray Kurzweil's Predictions or Bill Joy's Fears" By Carolyn Mathas
"How ChatGPT Robs Students of Motivation to Write and Think for Themselves" by Naomi S Baron
"Why is the World Afraid of AI? The Fears Are Unfounded, and Here's Why" by Josh Bersin
"We're Dangerously Close to Giving Big Tech Control of Our Thoughts" by Susie Alegre
Read the following links for Database articles from our NSCC Library Database: These may require signing in with your NSCC MyNSCC email and password
"Lawmakers and Silicon Valley Agree to Disagree on Taming Big Tech" by Ephrat Livni
Watch the video on Ethics of AI in Education For Students (3:57).