National Commission for

Academic Accreditation & Assessment

Course Specifications

The National Commission for Academic Accreditation & Assessment

Course Specifications
English 106-Expository Reading and Writing(English 2)

Form 5a_Course Specifications _SSRP_1 JULY 2012

Page 1

National Commission for

Academic Accreditation & Assessment

Course Specifications

Institution: Qassim University

Date of Report: April 5, 2012

College/Department : College of Architecture

A. Course Identification and General Information
1. Course title and code: English 106-Expository Reading and Writing (English 2)
2. Credit hours: 2
3. Program(s) in which the course is offered.
(If general elective available in many programs indicate this rather than list programs)
Not applicable
4. Name of faculty member responsible for the course: Dr. Tomas U. Ganiron Jr
5. Level/year at which this course is offered: Level 2/1st Year
6. Pre-requisites for this course (if any) : Not applicable
7. Co-requisites for this course (if any): Not applicable
8. Location if not on main campus: Not applicable
9. Mode of Instruction (mark all that apply)
a. Traditional classroom

b. Blended (traditional and online)

What percentage?
What percentage?

c. e-learning

What percentage?

d. Correspondence

What percentage?

f. Other

What percentage?

Form 5a_Course Specifications _SSRP_1 JULY 2012

100

Page 2

National Commission for

Academic Accreditation & Assessment

B Objectives
1. What is the main purpose for this course?

This course is designed is to prepare college bound seniors for the literacy demands of higher
education. Through a sequence of several rigorous instructional modules, students in this
rhetoric based course develop advanced proficiency in expository, analytical, and
argumentative reading and writing. The cornerstone of the course presents a process for helping
students read, comprehend, and respond to nonfiction and literary texts. Modules also provide
instruction in research methods and documentation conventions. Students will be expected to
increase their awareness of the rhetorical strategies employed by authors and to apply those
strategies in their own writing. They will read closely to examine the relationship between an
author's argument or theme and his or her audience and purpose; to analyze the impact of
structural and rhetorical strategies; and to examine the social, political, and philosophical
assumptions that underlie the text. By the end of the course, students will be expected to use
this process independently when reading unfamiliar texts and writing in response to them.
Course texts include contemporary essays, newspaper and magazine articles, editorials,
reports, biographies, memos, assorted public documents, and other nonfiction texts
2. Briefly describe any plans for developing and improving the course that are being implemented. (e.g.
increased use of IT or web based reference material, changes in content as a result of new research in
the field)
To meet NQF requirements and to improve learning outcomes particularly those concerning ethical and
disciplinary issues, body of knowledge, intellectual skills, interpersonal skills, and communication and
information technology skills.

C. Course Description (Note: General description in the form to be used for the Bulletin or
handbook should be attached)
1. Topics to be Covered
List of Topics

Sentence Fundamentals for Expressing Ideas: Finding subjects/

complete verbs in sentences, recognizing complete ideassentences/clauses and student writing/editing
Sentence Problems: Run-ons/fragments, noun forms and subjectverb agreement, singular and plural forms of nouns, verbs for
expository writing, identifying verb phrases, verb tense
sentence focus and defensible assertions, passive verbs and modals
Connecting ideas in expository writing, connecting ideas using
coordination/subordination/transitions and parallel structures

Form 5a_Course Specifications _SSRP_1 JULY 2012

No. of
Weeks
Week 1

Contact
Hours
3

Week 2

Week 3

Page 3

National Commission for

Academic Accreditation & Assessment

Adding Information to Sentences: Adjective clauses, participial modifiers,

appositives, and punctuation; writing about what others say,
identifying the source and the author; paraphrasing, quoting, making the
speaker and the context clear and punctuating quotations
Writing rhetorically applications
On Demand Writing Assignment: Explain authors arguments and discuss
the extent to which you agree or disagree with his analysis. Support your
position with reasons, examples from experience, observations, and textual
evidence in readings
On-Demand Writing Assignment responding to authors arguments.
Letter to the Editor: After thinking about your reading, discussion, and
analysis of the authors article, write a letter to the editor analyzing the
authors views and present your position
Critical Response Essay with integrated sources/data from readings: How
should our society assign value to human life? Consider the different ways
the authors we have read make their points about valuing life
Argument Essay: Write an essay that presents your opinion on a
controversial issue of your choice. Begin with a debatable thesis sentence
and support your opinions with reasons. Include media sources.
Persuasive Essay: Should teenagers accused of violent crimes be tried and
sentenced as adults? Why or why not? Refer to and cite readings and
Web-based researched sources to construct arguments.
On Demand Writing Assignment: After reading the selected passage,
explain the authors argument and discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with his analysis. Support your position by providing reasons and
examples from your own experience, observations, and readings.
Writing rhetorically applications
Writing in Response to a Prompt: Considering both authors texts, what
sorts of cultural expectations about how to speak and behave do American
men face? Do you think men in your generation largely follow these
cultural expectations, or are such expectations and practices changing?
Writing Assignment: Review the readings and evaluate the list of ways of
eating responsibly and determine which ones are possible for you and your
family
Summarizing and Responding; Analyzing stylistic choices

Week 4

Week 5

Weeks 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15

2. Course components (total contact hours and credits per semester):

Lecture

Tutorial

Laboratory

Practical

Contact
Hours

45

Credit

3. Additional private study/learning hours expected for students per week.

Form 5a_Course Specifications _SSRP_1 JULY 2012

Other:

Total
45

Page 4

National Commission for

Academic Accreditation & Assessment

4. Course Learning Outcomes in NQF Domains of Learning and Alignment with Assessment Methods
and Teaching Strategy
Course Learning Outcomes, Assessment Methods, and Teaching Strategy work together and are aligned.
They are joined together as one, coherent, unity that collectively articulate a consistent agreement
between student learning, assessment, and teaching.
The National Qualification Framework provides five learning domains. Course learning outcomes are
required. Normally a course has should not exceed eight learning outcomes which align with one or more
of the five learning domains. Some courses have one or more program learning outcomes integrated into
the course learning outcomes to demonstrate program learning outcome alignment. The program learning
outcome matrix map identifies which program learning outcomes are incorporated into specific courses.
On the table below are the five NQF Learning Domains, numbered in the left column.
First, insert the suitable and measurable course learning outcomes required in the appropriate learning
domains (see suggestions below the table). Second, insert supporting teaching strategies that fit and align
with the assessment methods and intended learning outcomes. Third, insert appropriate assessment
methods that accurately measure and evaluate the learning outcome. Each course learning outcomes,
assessment method, and teaching strategy ought to reasonably fit and flow together as an integrated
learning and teaching process. Fourth, if any program learning outcomes are included in the course
learning outcomes, place the @ symbol next to it.
Every course is not required to include learning outcomes from each domain.

1.0

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

1.5

NQF Learning Domains

And Course Learning Outcomes
Knowledge

Students are able to improve writing and

reading skills by encouraging their innate
qualities with guided and semi guided practice
involving their habit of reading different
material (e.g essays, articles, reports, poetry
etc.)
Students are able to introduce in the intellectual
and social, cultural, historic, religious and other
national as well as international issues of the
present age.
Students are able to expand by understanding
the characteristics of a popular essay as a
literary genre
Students are able to introduce in the range of
theoretical and critical approaches in relation to
the study of an essay.
Students are able to teach how to write an
essay and its importance to national and
international level.
Form 5a_Course Specifications _SSRP_1 JULY 2012

Course Teaching
Strategies

Course Assessment
Methods

Lectures, multi-media,
student presentation and Independent writing and
comments and assigned error analysis and, reading
presentations
topics and personal choices
of topics

Page 5

National Commission for

Academic Accreditation & Assessment

2.0
2.1
2.2

2.3

2.4

3.0
3.1

4.0
4.1
4.2

Cognitive Skills
Students are able to use literary and academic
English writing and reading
Students are able to apply the knowledge learnt to
their communication, analysis, criticism and
problem solving, and to accomplish their
assignments efficiently.
Students are able to make sound analogies and
comparison between different ideas, styles,
approaches, essays, essayist etc.
Students are able to differentiate between raw,
simple, flowery, complex, logically developed and
standardized essay
Interpersonal Skills & Responsibility

Lectures and workshops,

class discussions and
individual meetings

Students are able to accomplish the assigned tasks

and appropriately fulfill their role in their team,
Pair work in research and
contribute to others work, and solve their team
script writing
problems
Communication, Information Technology, Numerical
Students are able to communicate in English
effectively and properly in a given context.
Students are able to use different forms of IT tools
appropriately to assist learning and researching, and
to give presentations.

Lectures and case study

Reading presentation and

independent writing

Content organization and

writing

Final draft of script

and reading effective
delivery

Suggested Guidelines for Learning Outcome Verb, Assessment, and Teaching

NQF Learning Domains
Suggested Verbs

Knowledge

Cognitive Skills

list, name, record, define, label, outline, state, describe, recall, memorize,
reproduce, recognize, record, tell, write
estimate, explain, summarize, write, compare, contrast, diagram,
subdivide, differentiate, criticize, calculate, analyze, compose, develop,
create, prepare, reconstruct, reorganize, summarize, explain, predict,
justify, rate, evaluate, plan, design, measure, judge, justify, interpret,
appraise

Interpersonal Skills & Responsibility

demonstrate, judge, choose, illustrate, modify, show, use, appraise,

evaluate, justify, analyze, question, and write

Communication, Information
Technology, Numerical

demonstrate, calculate, illustrate, interpret, research, question, operate,

appraise, evaluate, assess, and criticize

Psychomotor

demonstrate, show, illustrate, perform, dramatize, employ, manipulate,

operate, prepare, produce, draw, diagram, examine, construct, assemble,
experiment, and reconstruct

Form 5a_Course Specifications _SSRP_1 JULY 2012

Page 6

National Commission for

Academic Accreditation & Assessment

Suggested verbs not to use when writing measurable and assessable learning outcomes are as follows:
Consider
Maintain

Maximize
Reflect

Continue
Examine

Review
Ensure
Strengthen
Explore

Enlarge
Encourage

Understand
Deepen

Some of these verbs can be used if tied to specific actions or quantification.

Suggested assessment methods and teaching strategies are:
According to research and best practices, multiple and continuous assessment methods are required to verify student
learning. Current trends incorporate a wide range of rubric assessment tools; including web-based student
performance systems that apply rubrics, benchmarks, KPIs, and analysis. Rubrics are especially helpful for
qualitative evaluation. Differentiated assessment strategies include: exams, portfolios, long and short essays, log
books, analytical reports, individual and group presentations, posters, journals, case studies, lab manuals, video
analysis, group reports, lab reports, debates, speeches, learning logs, peer evaluations, self-evaluations, videos,
graphs, dramatic performances, tables, demonstrations, graphic organizers, discussion forums, interviews, learning
contracts, antidotal notes, artwork, KWL charts, and concept mapping.
Differentiated teaching strategies should be selected to align with the curriculum taught, the needs of students, and
the intended learning outcomes. Teaching methods include: lecture, debate, small group work, whole group and
small group discussion, research activities, lab demonstrations, projects, debates, role playing, case studies, guest
speakers, memorization, humor, individual presentation, brainstorming, and a wide variety of hands-on student
learning activities.

5. Schedule of Assessment Tasks for Students During the Semester

Assessment task (e.g. essay, test, group project, examination,
speech, oral presentation, etc.)

Candidates will write rhetorical prcis

Candidates are required to read Orwells 1984 , or

Huxleys Brave New World with proper diction,
intonation and pronunciation.

3
4
5

Week Due

3rd week

5%

6th week and

10th week

10%

Candidates are required to take Midterm Examination with

7th week
emphasis in reading and writing
Class presentations for reading and writing an article
5th , 8th , 12th and 15th
based on the assign topic
weeks
Final Examination

Proportion of Total
Assessment

20%
15%
50%

D. Student Academic Counseling and Support

1. Arrangements for availability of faculty and teaching staff for individual student consultations and
academic advice. (include amount of time teaching staff are expected to be available each week)
3:00-5:00 (Sunday Thursday)- 10 hours/week

Form 5a_Course Specifications _SSRP_1 JULY 2012

Page 7

National Commission for

Academic Accreditation & Assessment

E. Learning Resources
1. List Required Textbooks

(a) Gill, C. M. Essential Writing Skills for College and Beyond, Writers Digest Books,
2014.
(b) Gillett, A, Speak English Like an American McGraw-Hill, California, 1st Edition, 2011.
(c) L. Rozakis, English Grammar for Utterly Confused, McGraw-Hill, California, 1st Edition,
2011.
2. List Essential References Materials (Journals, Reports, etc.)
(a) Mc Carthy, M.l and F. ODell, English Vocabulary in Use (Elementary), Cambridge University
Press, New York, 2010.
(b) Shakespeare, W., Hamplet, Cambridge University Press, New York, 2005.
3. List Recommended Textbooks and Reference Material (Journals, Reports, etc)
(a) Journals in Rhetoric and Composition, University of Illonois, USA
(b)International Journal of English Language Teaching, Sciedu Press, Toronto, ISSN 2329-7913.
(c) International Journal of Innovation in English Language Teaching and Research, Nova Science
Publishers, New York.
4. List Electronic Materials (eg. Web Sites, Social Media, Blackboard, etc.)
(a) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IFDuhdB2Hk
(b) https://www.youtube.com/user/mohammadliufaisal

F. Facilities Required
Indicate requirements for the course including size of classrooms and laboratories (i.e. number of seats in
classrooms and laboratories, extent of computer access etc.)
1. Accommodations: Lecture room (5x6 m) equipped with smart board, white board, data show,

and overhead projector.

G Course Evaluation and Improvement Processes
1 Strategies for Obtaining Student Feedback on Effectiveness of Teaching
Questionnaire
Observing the students opinions recorded in the college student site
Appeal box
Carrying out extensive questioners by a sample of the distinguished students just after the
graduation from the college
2 Other Strategies for Evaluation of Teaching by the Program/Department Instructor
Periodical review of the teaching methods by both the department council and the education
affairs vice dean. Questionnaire
Observing the students opinions recorded in the college student site
Appeal box
Form 5a_Course Specifications _SSRP_1 JULY 2012

Page 8

National Commission for

Academic Accreditation & Assessment

3 Processes for Improvement of Teaching

Evaluation of the course outlines by external staff member from outside the university
Periodical contact with the different engineering authorities and industries for evaluating and
getting their feedback and suggestions concerning the course outlines
4. Processes for Verifying Standards of Student Achievement (e.g. check marking by an independent
member teaching staff of a sample of student work, periodic exchange and remarking of tests or a sample
of assignments with staff at another institution)
Check marking of a sample of student work by an independent faculty member.
Exchange periodically, and remark a sample of assignments with faculty members assigned in
other universities accredited by NCAAA.
5 Describe the planning arrangements for periodically reviewing course effectiveness and planning for
improvement.
Assessment and evaluation of the level of achieving the course outcomes through a continuous
improvement process (part of a quality assurance system established by the university).
Consequently, actions are to be taken to improve the course delivery when necessary.
Review of the course objectives, outcomes and curriculum each 2 years

Faculty or Teaching Staff: Dr. Tomas U. Ganiron Jr

Signature: __tuganironjr_____________

Date Report Completed: April 5, 2012

Received by: _ almarwae__

Dean/Department Head : Dr. M. Almarwae

Signature: _ almarwae__

Date: April 5. 2012

Form 5a_Course Specifications _SSRP_1 JULY 2012

Page 9