Assignments and Grading:
15% AI Usage Journals
10% Short Responses
8% Rough Drafts
7% Peer Reviews
5% Professor Conferences
8% AI Writing Evaluation and Critique
12% Opinion Essay and Feedback Reflection
10% Research Proposal
5% Research Proposal Reflection & Annotation
15% Research Paper
5% Research Paper Reflection & Annotation
Grading scale: A= 90-100%; B+=87-89%; B=80-86%; C+= 77-79%; C=70-76%; D+= 67-69% D= 60-66%; F= 59% or lower
In order to pass the course, students must complete and submit all three major essays (Opinion Essay, Research Proposal, and Research Paper). Students who do not complete any of those three major essays will receive a final grade of F regardless of their grade in the rest of the course.
Description of Assignments:
AI Usage Journals
Every two weeks, you’ll submit an AI Usage Journal documenting at least three multi-turn collaborative sessions with an AI tool. Across your entries, you should show different kinds of engagement: refining and clarifying prompts, critically questioning or challenging AI responses, and applying AI-generated ideas to your own thinking or coursework. For each session, you’ll also write a short reflection on what you learned, how the conversation evolved, how you used the AI’s responses, and any limitations or problems you noticed. Journals will be evaluated on the depth of engagement, evidence of intellectual curiosity, and the thoughtfulness of your reflections.
Short Responses
Brief, informal writings due at the beginning of class that ensure you come to class prepared for the day’s discussion and/or activity. For the assigned reading complete the following:
- Ask an AI to summarize the day’s assigned reading in 200–250 words. In your own 150–200 words, critique the AI’s summary:
- What did it get right?
- What did it miss or oversimplify?
- Point to at least one passage in the text the AI ignored.
Rough Drafts
Rough drafts will be submitted for all major essays. Rough drafts will receive feedback from both instructor and peers. Rough Drafts are graded based on completion and timely submission.
Peer Reviews
Peer reviews will be completed on all major essays. Your grade will be determined based on the quality and thoroughness of the review you write for your peer.
Professor Conferences
There will be 3 scheduled one-on-one conferences with me during the semester. These are opportunities to get targeted help and feedback on your writing and revision plans. You are welcome to meet with me beyond these 3 scheduled and required conferences.
AI Writing Evaluation and Critique
An evaluation and annotation of an AI-generated opinion essay (for example, an essay arguing for the “best movie of all time”). You will annotate the AI essay by hand, assign scores using the provided rubric, and write a short end comment that explains the essay’s strengths, weaknesses, and what specific revisions you would recommend to improve it.
Opinion Essay and Feedback Reflection
A 2-page opinion essay on a “hot take” you genuinely care about (for example, the best or worst movie of all time). You will get feedback on your draft from both an AI tool and a Writing Center tutor, then revise your essay into a polished final draft and write a brief reflection explaining which feedback you used, which you didn’t, and how the revision changed your argument.
Research Proposal
For this assignment, you will write a 5-page formal proposal for a research paper on a topic related to the course theme.
Research Proposal Reflection & Annotation
This assignment asks you to reflect on your writing experience for the Research Proposal. It will be completed by hand annotating a physical copy of your essay.
Research Paper
An original argumentative 10-page research paper on a topic of your choosing that relates to the course topic.
Research Paper Reflection & Annotation
This assignment asks you to reflect on your writing experience for the Research Paper. It will be completed by hand annotating a physical copy of your essay.