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Submission
Instructions
Course Designs
A Course Design is a record and analysis of a complete writing/rhetoric
class. Although it is not a forum for theoretical argument that
draws on pedagogy for testimonial evidence, authors should take
care to adequately theorize their courses, keeping in mind that
the feature’s purpose is to self-critically describe a
specific pedagogy that engages in the larger discourse of the
field.
Although we hope to represent the field’s tremendous pedagogical
range and galaxy of practical and theoretical interests, we also
intend some uniformity across CD submissions. The guidelines
that follow sustain CDs as a recognizable feature and allow readers
to make reasonable comparative judgments among multiple designs.
At the same time, these guidelines are flexible enough to allow
authors the room to effectively represent their course.
Each CD submission should be developed in the specific sections
elaborated below. Authors should use the recommended section
headings as subtitles but may determine for themselves precisely
how and to what extent the sections should be developed. Together,
the first four sections (everything except the Works Cited and
syllabus) should amount to 10-15 pages. To see how specific sections
have been developed by a published CD author, see Elizabeth Ervin’s "Writing
for Diverse Publics."
1. Course Description
Each CD submission begins with the official course title
(as it is listed in the institution’s course catalog/schedule),
the teacher’s (or teachers’) name, and the institution
at which the course is taught. Following this information include
a brief (about 100 words) overview of the course’s subject
matter, underlying assumptions, major goals, and/or pedagogical
approach.
Example Course Description
2. Institutional Context
The CD feature assumes
that despite the normalization of institutional and disciplinary
practices, teaching is inevitably a local
activity. The author should discuss the relationship between
the course design and the needs/desires/constraints of the
students, program, department, institution, community, or region
in which the course is offered.
Example of Institutional Context
3. Theoretical Rationale
The author should
explain, for journal readers, the course’s
theoretical assumptions and their relationship to the content,
structure, activities, and assignments announced in the syllabus.
This statement should establish the scholarly antecedents or
influences that inform the course’s practical components
and the teacher’s expectations. Critical to this section
is an explicit discussion of the purpose(s) of the course,
its perceived goals and outcomes, both in general and in relation
to its particular pedagogical design: What is the course for?
Why has it been designed the way it has? What might result
if
it is effectively taught?
Example of Theoretical Rationale
4. Critical Reflection
The author should offer
a critical, post-course reflection on the course design: an
assessment of strengths and weaknesses,
a proposal for adjustments or modifications based on outcomes,
a discussion of implications for the field at large. A basic
assumption driving the CD feature is that no pedagogical
practice should escape the critical gaze of the teacher who
authored
it. Obviously, we are interested in courses that seem to “work,” but
not exclusively so. Submissions that are inattentive to apparent
deficiencies or opportunities for revision or that frame
this section solely to confirm the theoretical position(s)
advanced
in the Theoretical Rationale (by ignoring problems altogether,
presenting a perfect course) are unlikely to be favorably
reviewed.
Example of Critical, Post-course Reflection
5. Works Cited
Each published course design
will conclude with list of works cited in the “Description
of Institutional Context,” “Theoretical
Rationale,” and “Critical, Post-Course Reflection” sections.
This list should not contain works referenced in the Syllabus,
which will be cited in full there. The list of Works Cited
should be prepared strictly according to MLA guidelines.
6. Syllabus
This final section allows journal
readers to see precisely how the course is presented to students.
Most readers will want
to see: a course description, statement of goals, or expectations;
a brief explanation of the assignment sequence (perhaps including
evaluation criteria); a bibliography of required readings;
a calendar. If some aspect(s) of the course is negotiated with
students, the syllabus should explain the timing and/or ground
rules for such negotiation.
In an attempt to preserve the visual rhetoric of this document,
we scan the syllabus and reduce it approximately 30% to fit
the journal’s page size. The syllabus submitted should
be as close as possible to the document actually distributed
to students;
however, any section not critical to an understanding of the
course and its context (for instance, an attendance policy)
may be removed. We encourage authors to keep syllabi under
six single-spaced
manuscript pages, including calendar.
In addition, in the interests of publication, the syllabus document
should adhere strictly to the following:
-
No type should be smaller than 12-point to allow
for readable reduction of the document.
-
The calendar should
list meetings, requirements, due dates, etc. under headings
such as “Day One” or “Week
Five” rather than specific dates.
-
References to published
work—required reading, etc.—must
be accompanied by complete citation information.
-
Authors
should take care to prevent the inference that distribution
of required course reading might be in violation of copyright
law.
Example Syllabus
Course Design Manuscript Preparation
Since “Course Designs” is
an ongoing feature of the journal, manuscripts may be submitted
at any time. Receipt
of all submissions will be acknowledged. Those that appear to
have been prepared with careful attention to the guidelines and
published CD example posted here will be reviewed by the editors;
those that do not will not be reviewed, but they will be returned
if accompanied by a SASE. Authors of course designs accepted
for publication will be asked to submit their manuscripts on
disk.
Contributors should send two complete copies of the submission
to the following address:
Composition Studies
Texas Christian University
Department of English
TCU Box 297270
Fort Worth, TX 76129
Questions may be directed to our Editors at:
compositionstudies@tcu.edu
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