Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

IRW 115: Course Overview & What to Expect 

Hi! I’m Melissa Manolas, and I’m really glad you’re here :-)

IRW 115 is designed to help you build confidence as a college reader and writer through discussion, practice, reflection, and support. 

This page will help you get oriented and feel ready for the term. For full course policies and weekly details, please also check out the syllabus and course calendar.

How This Class Works

IRW 115 is an online course with scheduled meetings.

That means:

• We meet twice a week on Zoom (Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:00–1:50pm).
• The rest of the course happens online through our D2L Brightspace class site [LINK] .

Most learning happens during our Zoom sessions, where we’ll work together through discussions, activities, and group work. Outside of class, you’ll complete readings, short assignments, and drafts asynchronously in D2L.

If you’re new to D2L or online courses, please take some time to familiarize yourself with  these online tools and resources [LINK]. 

What You’ll Do Each Week

Every week, you can expect to:

• attend Tuesday and Thursday Zoom class meetings
• participate in discussions, breakout groups, and collaborative activities
• read assigned materials and complete coursework posted in D2L

This is an interactive, discussion-based class. Showing up and engaging is a big part of learning here. You should also expect to log in to our D2L Brightspace class site [LINK] at least 2–3 times a week (often more). D2L is our classroom space for:

• readings and course materials
• assignment instructions and submissions
• announcements and updates

Much of the work outside of Zoom is completed asynchronously [LINK], meaning you can complete it on your own schedule, as long as you meet the posted deadlines.

What You Need for This Course

• Reliable internet access
• Ability to log in to D2L Brightspace regularly
• Willingness to participate, ask questions, and try

  No textbook required — all readings are provided online.

If you don’t currently have stable access, online classes may be more challenging. You may want to consider an in-person section or explore PCC’s online tools and technology support options [LINK].

Attendance & Participation

There is no formal attendance policy for this class.

That said, missing class can make things harder, since you may miss:

• guided instruction
• in-class activities
• discussions and group work

In-class work usually can’t be made up because it relies on real-time interaction. These activities make up a small portion of the overall grade, but frequent absences can make it difficult to stay on track.

If you know you’ll miss class, you don’t have to explain, but a brief heads-up is always helpful.

If you anticipate missing class often, an “online with no scheduled meetings” section may be a better fit.

Some students come into a course focused on reading and writing with previous negative experiences or a bit of anxiety. My goal is for us to build a real learning community together. Over the course of the term, students connect with one another as peers and sources of support, class discussions are often genuinely fun, and every term I notice that as each student’s confidence grows, the work becomes less challenging and more engaging. 

If something gets in the way of your success (academically or personally), you can always reach out so we can problem-solve together.

I hope to work with you this term!

Warmly,
Melissa

The technical requirements for online courses include:

• Technology Requirements for taking an online course at PCC [LINK]

• A recommended Internet Browser installed [LINK]

• Ability to use Google Drive and Google Docs [LINK]

• Webcam and/or microphone for meetings and online appointments

Please visit IRW 115 Online Tools and Resources for a complete list of apps and tools for this class.