ENGL 151-09, Critical Thinking and Writing- Cyberculture Interfaces, Fall 2004

Abstract

An interface communicates between two or more distinctive systems or organisms. Just as a computer’s operating system serves as an interface between machine language and human users, college writing provides the interface between individual students and the larger academic community. “Critical Thinking and Writing” teaches students how to use this interface effectively. The goal of this course is not to instruct and evaluate students on “good” writing in general but to help them recognize and produce good academic writing. This section of ENGL 151 will focus on how to read, analyze, research, organize, and write scholarly essays. It also aims to sharpen skills in critical thinking, formal argument, persuasive rhetoric, and problem-solving. In tandem with these objectives, students will explore the myriad interfaces between humans, animals, and machines that make up what is popularly known as “cyberculture.”