Sheridan Course Outlines

Land Acknowledgement

First Nations peoples have lived on this part of Turtle Island for millennia, stewarding the land, the water and all that contributes to life in this region. Today, the culture and presence of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples enrich the lands and people of this territory.

Over two centuries ago, the Mississauga people welcomed settlers to this territory, providing sustenance and engaging in trade and commerce. Between 1781 to 1820, eight treaties were signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation who opened their territory to settlement. Today, Sheridan campuses are located on Treaty 14, also known as the Head of the Lake Purchase of 1806 and Treaty 22 and 23 of 1820.

Treaty history is foundational, and it is our collective responsibility to honour the land, as we honour and respect those who have gone before us, those who are here and those who have yet to come. We are grateful for the opportunity to be learning, working and thriving on this land, and we commit to learn the truth and be active in the process of reconciliation.

Section I: Administrative Information

Total hours: 42.0
Credit Value: 3.0
Credit Value Notes: N/A
Effective: Spring/Summer 2023
Prerequisites: N/A
Corequisites: N/A
Equivalents: N/A
Pre/Co/Equiv Notes: N/A

Program(s): Cross College Communication, Technology Fundamentals
Program Coordinator(s): Jonathan Filipovic, Grace Lee
Course Leader or Contact: Jonathan Filipovic
Version: 20230508_00
Status: Approved (APPR)

Section I Notes: Successful completion of COMM 19997 is required under the following conditions: Student was assessed as requiring COMM 19997 as a prerequisite for the completion of COMM 19999 based upon credentials presented at the time of admission into their program; or, student is enrolled in the Technology Fundamentals program which requires all students to complete COMM19997 or demonstrate course equivalency. Students are advised to contact the English Coordinator if they feel that they meet the requirements for course equivalency.

Section II: Course Details

Detailed Description
Communication Foundations is an applied, skills-focused course that prepares students for success in written communication within their programs, disciplines, and vocations. Students expand their toolkit of strategies for academic reading, writing and research through a variety of activities emphasizing pre-writing strategies, academic written structures, effective editing of common errors, and the ethical use of research sources. Additionally, students learn to apply college-level reading strategies to a variety of academic and non-academic texts while implementing critical thinking.

Program Context

Cross College Communication	Program Coordinator(s): Jonathan Filipovic
This course is part of the larger Cross-College English (CCE) curriculum which contributes to the development of effective written, verbal, and visual communication skills at the certificate, (advanced) diploma, and degree levels. These courses strengthen students' essential employability skills within the context of their programs, focusing on transferable competencies such as: conducting critical analysis; applied problem solving; presenting clear and concise arguments; and conducting ethical secondary research. CCE curriculum contextualizes these skills in the exploration of topics with broad-based personal and/or societal importance.
Technology Fundamentals	Program Coordinator(s): Grace Lee
This is a required course for the Technology Fundamentals program.

Course Critical Performance and Learning Outcomes

	Critical Performance:
	By the end of this course, students will have demonstrated the ability to write analytic responses to college-level readings.

Learning Outcomes:

To achieve the critical performance, students will have demonstrated the ability to:

Apply effective, college-level reading strategies to a variety of academic and non-academic texts in multiple disciplines.
Respond in writing to ideas presented in college-level readings.
Compose a variety of structured paragraphs and reflections.
Apply conventions of grammar and punctuation to the creation and editing of documents.
Apply the APA style of documentation to a variety of texts.
Apply the writing process to the composition of a short research assignment using college resources.

Evaluation Plan
Students demonstrate their learning in the following ways:

Evaluation Plan: IN-CLASS

	Skills Assessments (2x10%; 2x15%)	50.0%
	Research Assignment #1 (Summary & Proposal)	15.0%
	Research Assignment #2 (Project & Reflection)	15.0%
	Reflection & Editing Portfolio	20.0%
	Total	100.0%

Evaluation Notes and Academic Missed Work Procedure:

TEST AND ASSIGNMENT PROTOCOL

To encourage behaviours that will help students to be successful in the workplace and to ensure that students receive credit for their individual work, the following rules apply to every course offered within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

 Students are responsible for staying abreast of test dates and times, as well as due dates and any special instructions for submitting assignments and projects as supplied to the class by the professor.
 Students must write all tests at the specified times. Missed tests, in-class activities, assignments and presentations are awarded a mark of zero.  If an extension or make-up opportunity is approved by the professor as outlined below, the mark of zero may be revised by subsequent performance.  The penalty for late submission of written assignments is a loss of 10% per day for up to five business days (excluding weekends and statutory holidays), after which, a grade of zero is assigned. Business days include any day that the college is open for business, whether the student has scheduled classes that day or not.
 Students, who miss a test or in-class activity or assignment or fail to submit an assignment on time due to exceptional circumstances, are required to notify their professor in advance of the class whenever possible.  A make-up test may be supplied for students who provide an acceptable explanation of their absence and/or acceptable documentation explaining their absence (e.g., a medical certificate). All make-up tests are to be written at a time and place specified by the professor upon the student's return. Alternately, students may be given an opportunity to earn the associated marks by having a subsequent test count for the additional marks. Exceptional circumstances may result in a modification of due dates for assignments.
 Unless otherwise specified, assignments and projects must be submitted at the beginning of class.
 Students must complete every assignment as an individual effort unless, the professor specifies otherwise.
 Since there may be instances of grade appeal or questions regarding the timely completion of assignments and/or extent of individual effort, etc., students are strongly advised to keep, and make available to their professor, if requested, a copy of all assignments and working notes until the course grade has been finalized.
 There will be no resubmission of work unless this has been previously agreed to or suggested by the professor.
 Students must submit all assignments in courses with practical lab and field components in order to pass the course.

Provincial Context
The course meets the following Ministry of Colleges and Universities requirements:

Essential Employability Skills
Essential Employability Skills emphasized in the course:

Communication Skills - Communicate clearly, concisely and correctly in the written, spoken, visual form that fulfills the purpose and meets the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving Skills - Use a variety of thinking skills to anticipate and solve problems.
Information Management Skills - Analyze, evaluate, and apply relevant information from a variety of sources.
Personal Skills - Manage the use of time and other resources to complete projects.
Communication Skills - Respond to written, spoken, or visual messages in a manner that ensures effective communication.
Information Management - Locate, select, organize and document information using appropriate technology and information systems.
Interpersonal Skills - Show respect for the diverse opinions, values, belief systems, and contributions of others.
Interpersonal Skills - Interact with others in groups or teams in ways that contribute to effective working relationships and the achievement of goals.
Personal Skills - Take responsibility for one's own actions, decisions, and consequences.

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition
PLAR Contact (if course is PLAR-eligible) - Office of the Registrar
Students may apply to receive credit by demonstrating achievement of the course learning outcomes through previous relevant work/life experience, service, self-study and training on the job. This course is eligible for challenge through the following method(s):

Challenge Exam
Notes: Only students enrolled in programs which list COMM 19997 as a required core course on their program maps are eligible for PLAR.
Other
Notes: Prior Academic Research Paper

Section III: Topical Outline

Some details of this outline may change as a result of circumstances such as weather cancellations, College and student activities, and class timetabling.
Instruction Mode: In-Class
Professor: Multiple Professors
Resource(s):
Course material costs can be found through the Sheridan Bookstore

	Type	Description
Required	Textbook	Available online via SLATE
Optional	Other	A hard copy, college-level dictionary (the Oxford English Dictionary is recommended by the program)

Applicable student group(s): Cross College (Advanced) Diploma Programs and Certificates
Course Details:

Module 1: Academic Reading Strategies & Foundational Grammar (weeks 1-4)

Academic reading strategies: understanding context and audience; using paragraph structure to read effectively; media and information literacy; reading strategies for specific disciplines
Responding to comprehension questions: effective paraphrasing; composing short-answer responses
Introduction to citation systems
Foundational grammar concepts

Assessments: Skills Assessment #1 (10%)

Module 2: Academic Writing & Common Grammatical Errors (weeks 5-9)

Personal reflections vs academic research paragraphs
Using the writing process: pre-writing and outlines; writing conventions and strategies for specific disciplines
Understanding APA: recognizing when to cite; avoiding plagiarism; integrating various types of cited evidence
Foundational grammar concepts

Assessments: Skills Assessment #2 (10%)

Skills Assessment #3 (15%)

Research Assignment #1 (Summary & Proposal) (15%)

Module 3: Academic Research & Advanced Grammar Topics (weeks 8-12)

Introduction to academic research skills: library database searches; recognizing credible sources; organizing and summarizing research; developing research outlines
Applying APA style to written documents: building reference pages; using apa format and style
Writing about research: recognizing and differentiating between traditional essay structures; organizing research for non-traditional formats; planning/writing a brief research project
Advanced grammar topics

Assessments: Skills Assessment #4 (15%)

Research Assignment #2 (Project & Reflection) (15%)

Module 4: Developing a Personal Approach to Editing & Writing (Weeks 12-14)

Recognizing personal strengths and areas for development
Editing strategies for larger projects
Course review and reflection

Assessments: Reflection & Editing Portfolio (20%)

Sheridan Policies

It is recommended that students read the following policies in relation to course outlines:

Academic Integrity
Copyright
Intellectual Property
Respectful Behaviour
Accessible Learning

All Sheridan policies can be viewed on the Sheridan policy website.

Appropriate use of generative Artificial Intelligence tools: In alignment with Sheridan's Academic Integrity Policy, students should consult with their professors and/or refer to evaluation instructions regarding the appropriate use, or prohibition, of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for coursework. Turnitin AI detection software may be used by faculty members to screen assignment submissions or exams for unauthorized use of artificial intelligence. Students are encouraged to engage with generative AI in teaching and learning contexts thoughtfully. Please review the Guidelines for the Responsible Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence at Sheridan College.

Course Outline Changes: The information contained in this Course Outline including but not limited to faculty and program information and course description is subject to change without notice. Any changes to course curriculum and/or assessment shall adhere to approved Sheridan protocol. Nothing in this Course Outline should be viewed as a representation, offer and/or warranty. Students are responsible for reading the Important Notice and Disclaimer which applies to Programs and Courses.

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