Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon Portland Community College

WR 122

What does it mean to write? This version of WR 122 challenges traditional understandings of what it means to learn how to write. Rather than assume that learning one genre of writing will help prepare students for the more formalized writing they will do throughout their lives, this course moves beyond assigning traditional, thesis-driven essays to focus primarily on helping students develop an awareness of their audience. Because a one-size-fits-all formula for good writing in every situation a student will encounter in his/her lifetime does not exist, this course teaches students how to analyze the contexts in which they write. Additionally, students learn what approaching writing as a process, not a product, means, using writing to further their inquiry, moving beyond summarizing to analyze and engage with the world around them.

By the end of the course, as a result of our work, students should expect to gain/further develop skills in:

  • Analyzing and evaluating how meaning is made
  • Location, evaluation, and using material effectively and ethically
  • Effectively communicating, in a variety of forms, their own thoughts on complex topics. This effective communication includes:
    • Acknowledging other points of view
    • Clear organization
    • Integrating reasonable, credible evidence