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COURSE AIMS

The Undergraduate Catalogue describes this course as follows: "Critical interdisciplinary examination of schooling in a democratic pluralistic society. Survey of major theories, concepts, and issues of contemporary education. Development of a personal philosophy of education informed by debates on multiculturalism and equity."

This course will help you become a professional who...

Being an educator involves more than just knowing your subject and teaching techniques. This course is your chance to develop a professional voice that is strong, intelligent, and persuasive.

EXPECTATIONS

Educational Foundations and Inquiry (EDFI) is a division in the School of Leadership and Policy Studies. Its has developed its own rigorous expectations. We offer between 11 and 13 sections of this course every semester. To read about expectations and resources common to all sections, please visit EDFI website.

Students may not use any text or portion of a text written by someone else, either published or unpublished, without making explicit reference to the source of such text. Make it absolutely clear who wrote every single sentence in your paper, R&I entry, or website. Please understand that any possible sources of information you find I can also find. All instances of plagiarism will be reported to the Dean’s office. It is the policy of EDFI that the least penalty for plagiarism is no credit for the assignment. Please refer to the Code of Academic Conduct for official BGSU policy on plagiarism and cheating. If you are not sure what is plagiarism, make an effort to learn; here is BGSU Libraries plagiarism resource, or the Writers Lab resource called Plagiarism: Avoiding the Greatest 'Academic Sin'

Adapted from The Introduction to the Analytical Writing Section of the GRE General Test

GRE Scoring Guide: Present Your Perspective on an Issue
________________________________
Score 6
A 6 paper presents a cogent, well-articulated analysis of the
complexities of the issue and conveys meaning skillfully.
A typical paper in this category

• presents an insightful position on the issue
• develops the position with compelling reasons
and/or persuasive examples
• sustains a well-focused, well-organized analysis,
connecting ideas logically
• expresses ideas fluently and precisely, using
effective vocabulary and sentence variety
• demonstrates facility with the conventions (i.e.,
grammar, usage, and mechanics) of standard
written English but may have minor errors
_______________________________
Score 5
A 5 paper presents a generally thoughtful, well-developed
analysis of the complexities of the issue and conveys
meaning clearly.
A typical paper in this category
• presents a well-considered position on the issue
• develops the position with logically sound
reasons and/or well-chosen examples
• is focused and generally well organized,
connecting ideas appropriately
• expresses ideas clearly and well, using appropriate
vocabulary and sentence variety
• demonstrates facility with the conventions of
standard written English but may have minor
errors
________________________________
Score 4
A 4 paper presents a competent analysis of the issue and
conveys meaning adequately.
A typical paper in this category
• presents a clear position on the issue
• develops the position on the issue with relevant
reasons and/or examples
• is adequately focused and organized
• expresses ideas with reasonable clarity
• generally demonstrates control of the conventions
of standard written English but may have some
errors
___________________________________
Score 3
A 3 paper demonstrates some competence in its analysis of
the issue and in conveying meaning but is obviously flawed.
A typical paper in this category exhibits ONE OR MORE of
the following characteristics:
• is vague or limited in presenting or developing a
position on the issue
• is weak in the use of relevant reasons or examples
• is poorly focused and/or poorly organized
• has problems in language and sentence structure
that result in a lack of clarity
• contains occasional major errors or frequent
minor errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics
that can interfere with meaning
______________________________
Score 2
A 2 paper demonstrates serious weaknesses in analytical
writing.
A typical paper in this category exhibits ONE OR MORE of
the following characteristics:
• is unclear or seriously limited in presenting or
developing a position on the issue
• provides few, if any, relevant reasons or examples
• is unfocused and/or disorganized
• has serious problems in the use of language and
sentence structure that frequently interfere with
meaning
• contains serious errors in grammar, usage, or
mechanics that frequently obscure meaning
_______________________________________
Score 1
A 1 paper demonstrates fundamental deficiencies in
analytical writing skills.
A typical paper in this category exhibits ONE OR MORE of
the following characteristics:
• provides little or no evidence of the ability to
understand and analyze the issue
• provides little or no evidence of the ability to
develop an organized response
• has severe problems in language and sentence
structure that persistently interfere with meaning
• contains pervasive errors in grammar, usage, or
mechanics that result in incoherence
_______________________________________
How to submit a paper

Professor Alexander (Sasha) Sidorkin