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READ 0810 Syllabus

Course Syllabus

READ 0810 - Reading Support for Communications (formerly Reading Support for SPCH 1010) - (Section R80)

3 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:

This Reading Learning Support course covers the Tennessee Board of Regents approved reading competencies. These competencies consist of the following skills and strategies: Determining stated and implied main ideas, recognizing supporting details, identifying organizational patterns, using context to develop vocabulary, and reading critically as well as strategically.

Course Outcomes:
  • Main Ideas
    • Identify and infer the main ideas and purposes.
  • Supporting Details
    • Locate important details.
    • Summarize basic ideas and events.
  • Organizational/Relationship
    • Order simple sequences of events.
    • Identify clear cause-effect relationships.
    • Identify similarities and differences between people, ideas, and events.
  • Vocabulary Development
    • Apply context to understand literal and figurative language.
  • Critical Reading/Logic
    • Draw generalizations and conclusions about people and ideas.
    • Distinguish fact from opinion; evaluate assertion and evidence.
    • Demonstrate the ability to comprehend, apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information and ideas from videos and text.
  • Strategic Reading
    • Demonstrate the use of cognitive reading process elements to aid comprehension and memory, such as activating, integrating, and background knowledge; using visual and other sensory images, and developing emotional connections to the text.
    • Demonstrate appropriate adjustment of reading method and rate according to the difficulty of text and purpose for reading.
    • Create effective study guides (maps, outlines, summaries, etc.) that incorporate an understanding of a text’s main ideas, supporting details, and organization patterns.
    • Apply the information from visual aids such as maps, charts, graphs, timelines, tables, and diagrams in understanding text.
    • Employ a study method that includes steps such as previewing, marking or annotation, questioning, and reviewing the material.
    • Demonstrate the use of a textbook’s features such as a table of contents, preface, introduction, titles, subtitles, index.
Prerequisites & Co-requisites:
  • Prerequisite: ACT reading score of 13-18 or equivalent
  • Co-requisite: Fundamentals of Speech Communication
Course Topics:
  1. Active Reading
  2. Vocabulary
  3. Stated Main Idea
  4. Implied Main Idea
  5. Supporting Details
  6. Outlining and Mapping
  7. Summarizing and Paraphrasing
  8. Nine Patterns of Organization
  9. Purpose and Tone
  10. Inference
  11. Critical Thinking 
  12. Reading Textbooks
Specific Course Requirements:

The student will need to be comfortable navigating the web, use email, have audio capability, and access to Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint to complete assignments. 

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course. Move your cursor over the "Books" link in the navigation bar and select "Textbooks & Course Materials." Select your Program, Term, Department, and Course; then select "Submit."

Supplementary Materials:

None

Hardware and Software Requirements:

Minimum hardware requirements can be found here.

Minimum software requirements can be found here.

Common applications you might need:

Web Resources:

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab (for APA, MLA, or Chicago style)

The Writing Center Online Writer's Handbook

Student Resources:
  • Technical support information can be found on the TN eCampus Help Desk page.
  • Smarthinking virtual tutoring is available FREE of charge. to access Smarthinking, visit the course homepage and select Smarthinking under Course Resources. You also view sample sessions to see what Smarthinking offers and how it works.
  • Information on other student issues or concerns can be located on the TN eCampus Student Resources page.

Instructor Information

Please see "Instructor Information" in the Getting Started Module for instructor contact information, virtual office hours, and other communication information. You can expect to receive a response from the instructor within 24-48 hours unless notified of extenuating circumstances.

Participation, Assessments, & Grading

Grading Procedures:
Grading Scale:

Letter grades for this course will be assigned based on the following scale.

Point RangeAssigned Grade
900-1000 points         A
800-899 points         B
700-799 points         C
600-699 pointsD
under 600 points         F
Assignments and Projects:

Graded Items

DescriptionPoints
14 Weekly Quizzes @ 10 points each140 points
9 Reader Response Logs @ 40 points each360 points
14 Discussions @ 25 points each350 points
1 Assignment @ 100 points each100 points
1 Final Exam @ 50 points50 points
Total Points1000 total points

 

Weekly Quizzes:

Each week, students will take a content quiz on assigned readings. The quiz will be two attempts, with the highest attempt being recorded as the final grade for the quiz. To prepare for the quiz, students should review the assigned chapter material.

Reader Response Log:

Students will apply chapter reading techniques through completing an assigned reading and Readers Response Log. Each response log will ask different questions and be submitted via Assignments.

Discussions:

Discussion boards allow you to interact with your fellow peers. You will complete 14 discussion boards over the course of the semester. Each discussion board requires one post and two replies to classmates. See the Discussion Board Point breakout for grading information.

Assignments:

At the end of the semester, you will complete one written assignment worth 100 points. The scoring rubric and details are available in Course Content. The assignment is broken into three parts to help you be successful. You will complete each part and receive feedback on how to improve the final draft. 

Part 1 - Outline = 25 points
Part 2 - Rough Draft = 25 Points
Part 3 - Final Draft = 50 Points

Final Exam:

During Finals week, you will take a cumulative final exam. For the exam, you are allowed to use your textbook and notes. The exam is not proctored. 

Class Participation:

Class participation is completed through weekly discussion boards. Each week, you have a discussion board assignment and required replies. Please see the course schedule for a list of due dates for both discussion posts and replies. You can find the point breakdown for discussion boards in the Getting Started Module, and weekly discussion board assignments in the week's module under "Assessments." 

Late Policy:

Acceptance of late work is the instructor's discretion. Please email your instructor to see if your situation qualifies for the acceptance of late work. 

Course Ground Rules

The following two statements (1., 2.) were derived from the TBR System-wide Student Rules document, released January 2012:

RULES OF THE TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS STATE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OF TENNESSEE SYSTEMWIDE STUDENT RULES CHAPTER 0240-02-03 STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS

Read the document in its entirety here.

1. Standards of Conduct:

  • Students are required to adhere to the same professional, legal and ethical standards of conduct online as on campus. In addition, students should conform to generally accepted standards of "netiquette" while sending e-mail, posting comments to the discussion board, and while participating in other means of communicating online. Specifically, students should refrain from inappropriate and/or offensive language, comments and actions.

2. Review the TN eCampus Academic Integrity/Academic Honesty Policy:

  • In their academic activities, students are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is prohibited.

Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • an attempt by one or more students to use unauthorized information in the taking of an exam
  • to submit as one's own work, themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, computer programs, or other products prepared by another person,
  • or to knowingly assist another student in obtaining or using unauthorized materials.

Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.

Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are subject to disciplinary action through the regular procedures of the student’s home institution.  Refer to the student handbook provided by your home institution to review the student conduct policy.

In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed, the instructor has the authority to assign an "F" or zero for an activity or to assign an "F" for the course.

Other Course Rules:

Students are expected to:

  • Participate in all aspects of the course
  • Communicate with other students
  • Learn how to navigate in Brightspace
  • Keep abreast of course announcements
  • Use the assigned course management (Brightspace) email address rather than a personal email address
  • Address technical problems immediately:
  • Observe course netiquette at all times.

Guidelines for Communications

Email:

  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members

Discussions:

  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in TN eCampus programs and courses. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading will be included within the course modules. To access the Virtual Library, go to the course homepage and select the Virtual Library link under Course Resources.

Students with Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this syllabus is for general information purposes only. While we endeavor to keep this information up-to-date and accurate, there may be some discrepancies between this syllabus and the one found in your online course. The syllabus of record is the one found in your online course. Please make sure you read the syllabus in your course at the beginning of the semester. Questions regarding course content should be directed to your instructor.


Last Revised on August 2, 2021