Description:

Revision Skills is designed to instruct the practicing writer in skills needed to revise all writing, including business, college and personal writing. Students will use computer programs and self-paced materials. Revision Skills is intended to complement courses in which writing is assigned. Students will be encouraged to bring in business communication or college assignments to apply the learned skills. Course meets by arrangement in the Writing Center. This course does not fulfill degree requirements. After registering for this course, the student should contact the Writing Center.

Supplies: Refer to the instructor's course syllabus for details about any supplies that may be required.

Prerequisites: NONE

Textbook(s): TBA

Course Fees: NONE

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course the student should be able to:

1. Recognize a variety of organizational structures and choose one which fits the specific writing situation.
2. Demonstrate the ability to edit word choices and sentence structures to improve logic and flow, rhythm and punch, transition and coherence-in general, to improve the writing style.
3. Understand the reader and write in a style appropriate to that audience.
4. Discover the writer's own voice and use it effectively.
5. Improve the content of a discovery draft by identifying opportunities to add, cut, change, and move ideas and support and by implementing those strategies.
6. Apply active proofreading strategies to identify and eliminate convention errors, as listed in the Program Objectives.
7. Select the appropriate computer software tool and apply to the revision activity (listed in the right hand column).

Content Outline & Competencies:

I. Improve paragraph structure by completing assigned activities
pertaining to the order of paragraphs considering the following modes:
   A. Chronological-narration
   B. Process-description
   C. Classification
   D. Problem/solution
   E. Comparison/contrast
   F. Assertion and support
   G. Cause/effect

II. Improve the sentence style in a draft by applying sentence strategies
for variety and emphasis by working through assigned activities with
practice in the following formats: 
   A. Periodic 
   B. Loose 
   C. Subordination and coordination
   D. Read and apply strategies to improve Introductions and Conclusions
to assigned activities and own writing.
   E. Add or change transitional devices and correct errors in parallelism
as a revision strategy for own writing and assigned activities.
   F. Apply revision strategies to improve meaning and coherence.
      1. Add or move ideas and evidence which support the thesis,
      2. Cut ideas and evidence that do not improve meaning. 
      3. Determine appropriate documentation of sources
   G. Apply strategies for changing word choice to own writing and
assigned activities. 1.Edit for specific detail and clarity 2.Edit for
active verbs 3.Edit for wordiness and verbosity 4.Edit for denotation and
connotation
   H. Demonstrate strategies for revising for an audience by completing
assigned activities and by using own writing applying strategies for...
1.Writing for oneself, 2.Imagining a reader, 3.Objectively reading one's
own writing, and 4.Understanding the peer critique

WRITING CENTER HOURS:

Spring and Fall Semesters       Summer Semester
  Mon-Thu: 8:00-8:00              Mon-Thu: 8:00-8:00        
  Fri.: 8:00-2:00
  Sat.: 9:00-3:00
  Sun.: Noon-4:00

Methods of Evaluation of Competencies:

Evaluation of student mastery of course competencies will be accomplished using the following methods:

Students will be graded on mastery of the skills covered. They will
also be required to apply their newly learned revising strategies to short
writings assigned by the Writing Center instructor or to previously written
assignments. Points will also be awarded for the completion of exercises.

1. Software                                   15 pts.
2. Written Excercises from Style activities   35 pts.
3. Writing Assignment                         25 pts.
4. Test - Revising the Rough Draft            25 pts.
   Total                                     100 pts.

Letter grades will be assigned:

  A = 90 - 100
  B = 80 -  89
  C = 70 -  79
  D = 60 -  69
  F = Below 60

Caveats: NONE

Disabilities:

If you are a student with a disability, and if you will be requesting accommodations, it is your responsibility to contact Access Services. Access Services will recommend any appropriate accommodations to your professor and his/her director. The professor and director will identify for you which accommodations will be arranged.

JCCC provides a range of services to allow persons with disabilities to participate in educational programs and activities. If you desire support services, contact the office of Access Services for Students With Disabilities (913) 469-8500, ext. 3521 or TDD (913) 469-3885. The Access Services office is located in the Success Center on the second floor of the Student Center.