Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This WR 122Z Composition II course is fully online and does not require in-person or Zoom meetings.

Students do not need to purchase a textbook. There is a free online OER textbook and all other course materials will be linked in the course shell. 

WR 122Z builds on concepts and processes emphasized in WR 121Z by engaging with inquiry, research, and argumentation in support of students’ development as writers. The course focuses on composing and revising in research-based genres through the intentional use of rhetorical strategies. Students will find, evaluate, and interpret complex material, including lived experience, use this to frame and pursue their own research questions, and integrate material purposefully into their own compositions.

This course offers professional preparation for academic communication in a variety of disciplines by providing opportunities for practice in academic writing conventions with an emphasis on independent research, critical thinking, and focused learning necessary for self-guided academic projects. 

Students will engage in close reading and discussion of visual and written texts in order to explore ideas and issues of contemporary relevance. They will learn to use writing as a means of inquiry and to develop a clear and appropriate writing style by composing short weekly semi-formal expository and analytical discussion posts and a longer argumentative research essay with appropriate documentation. Finally, through peer evaluation, revision, and editing, students will gain an appreciation for and investment in the writing process.