Professional Writing Skills (W231) is an IUPUI English Department course that fulfills a portion of the general education requirements for students in the Schools of Education, Liberal Arts, Science, Social Work, Physical Education, and Public and Environmental Affairs, among others. It also carries elective credit under the English Major.
With a grade of C or better in W131 or W140 (or a comparable composition class) as a prerequisite, students are introduced to writing in nonacademic settings, particularly report writing.
W231 builds on the lessons of English W131 to introduce students to expanded research and writing skills, especially within writing situations and tasks encountered in workplace and organizational settings. Course assignments and activities emphasize the role of professional writing and the importance of developing professional writing skills. The course focuses on the rhetorical principles that guide students in creating effective writing in a variety of professional situations. Students learn how people typically read and use work documents by analyzing the functions, structure, and language of professional writing. The course also teaches students the importance of information technology by introducing them to research skills that will be of value not only in the workplace, but also in upper-level courses in their majors. An applied research project produced in teams is a major element of the course.
Please direct questions to W231 Course Coordinator, Julie Freeman.
W132 is a second writing course required by the School of Liberal Arts and is an option for several other majors as well. English W132, coordinated by Anne Williams, is an option as the second writing course for students in the School of Liberal Arts and one of the most frequently elected courses for the second semester requirement in the School of Science; it is also taken as an elective by students in other schools. W132 introduces students to research writing as a process of inquiry which culminates in an informed position. Such work is not only the work of scholars but the work of responsible citizens, for it fosters thoughtful decision making and the ability to speak to important issues with authority based upon credible information.
In the so-called information age, easy access makes evaluation of information an essential element of the research process; in Wl32, students gain practice at applying basic criteria to the resources they discover.Using those resources presents students with the ethical concerns of research as well: the responsibility to consider varied viewpoints and the responsibility to represent others' ideas fairly and to use academic documentation systems to acknowledge the ideas of others. As students read and write, they gain practice with the documents of academic research and with the issues of research as an activity.
They also participate in the self-analysis of metawriting in such documents as writer's statements, portfolio arguments, and revision plans.Students document their work in three portfolios, at or near the fifth and tenth weeks and at the semester's end. The first portfolio documents work on argumentation, analysis, and summary in a literature review, critical annotated bibliography, and research proposal; the second documents independent research in critical annotations, a mini-literature review, and a draft of a researched argument. The final portfolio documents revising, polishing, and development of the researched argument.
While both W132 and W231 emphasize research skills, W132 differs from W231 mainly in that it focuses on argumentation rather than on problem/solution; its assignments do not target a local organization or business and there is no primary research component as in W231. In addition, W132 involves academic writing done in an academic setting, while W231 involves workplace writing composed for a professional audience.
W150 RESEARCH IN THE DISCIPLINES - HONORS 3CR -- The honors version of the second-semester writing course. W150 is designed to give students who are already accomplished writers an introduction to academic research and an opportunity to extend the writing skills they developed in freshman composition. The advantage of this course is that it creates a learning community of students with similarly-advanced skills and an atmosphere in which to further develop those skills in the company of peers. W150 teaches students the research processes and information technology tools used in the academic disciplines. The course guides students through the complexities of planning and organizing a research project and drafting research writing. Students learn to effectively communicate the ideas and insights gained as they search out the answers to questions they are investigating or the solutions to problems they are exploring through primary and secondary research. Formal writing assignments include a research proposal, a literature review, and a researched argument paper, all frequently assigned writing in the disciplines. W150 replaces W132 or W231 for students in most programs, and is similar in amount of course work to both of those courses.
If you have questions about W150, please contact the course coordinator, Mel Wininger.
Technology majors should also see "Other Writing Classes." Be sure to check with your advisor before making a decision!