ENCS 272 N FALL 2021

Introduction to Argumentation and English Composition for Engineers

Instructor: Kamal W. Fox
Email: [email protected]
Lecture Time: Fridays 8:45 –11:30
Office Hours: Please send an email (please read the instructions below regarding office hours)

Course Description
In addition to teaching the fundamentals argumentation, this course introduces reasoning and persuasion;
persuasive proofs; argumentation; structuring and outlining; the problem statement, and presenting.
Engineers develop skills in the essential area of professional, effective persuasion and also cultivate critical
thinking in their writing and other communications.

Take note: this is not an ESL (English as a Second Language) course. Students will be expected to have a
reasonable ability (re: university level) in both written and oral English. This course does not cover English
spelling and grammar. It assumes that students have already mastered these topics. If your skills in speaking
and writing in English are particularly poor, you should consider taking further ESL studies in the English
Department instead of ENCS 272.

NOTE: Students passing this course with C- or higher will fulfill the ENCS Writing Requirement, will not need
to take the Engineering Writing Test (EWT), and will be eligible to enroll in ENCS 282.

Attendance and Participation Policy

Prompt attendance and class preparation are basic expectations. You are required to attend all tutorial
sessions, and tutorial participation is compulsory. Please be aware that simply attending tutorial is not
enough to gain full marks. You must be actively participating in class discussions and activities (e.g. asking
questions, contributing to discussions completing in-class assignments to a satisfactory level). Tutorials begin
in the second week of classes. Students must only attend the tutorial for which they have
enrolled. If you attend other sessions, you will be marked absent and this will negatively
affect your grade.

Each absence from tutorial will result in a reduction in the final course grade. Falsifying attendance sheets
for yourself or another person is considered personation (see Academic misconduct below.) You will also be
counted absent if you come to class but have not completed assigned work or do not complete in-class
assignments. You will be counted absent if you come more than 15 minutes late to class, or if you leave
more than 15 minutes before dismissal.

As well, there will be a weekly discussion forum about the course readings that students must contribute to
as part of the participation grade.

Absence for Medical Reasons

Understand that it is at the discretion of the course instructor to decided whether or not a medical note will
be accepted. All medical documentation must indicate that a physician examined the student PRIOR to or
on the same day as the missed class, assignment, test or exam. As well, the medical documentation must
indicate how the student’s illness prevented him or her from attending class and/or completing an
assignment, test or exam. Please read the university’s policy on Medial Notes here:
https://www.concordia.ca/students/health/medical-notes.html

This site also contains information and policies regarding absences due to COVID-19 infection.

Travel During the Semester

DO NOT make any travel plans during the testing or examination periods. Travel
arrangements should not be made until after the Final Exam Schedule has been posted. There will be NO
accommodation for absences from quizzes, tests or exams due to travel plans. There are tests on October 29,
2021 and November 19, 2021. The exam period takes place from December 8 until December 22, 2021.

N.B. – Monday September 20, 2021 is the last day to add courses for the semester. It is also the
deadline for withdrawal with tuition refund from courses. The last day to withdraw from the course is
Monday November 8, 2021 without tuition refund.

IMPRORTANT: MASKS
Students are required to wear procedural masks during class meetings, both lectures and
tutorials. Please read the specific details about mask requirements on the Concordia
website: https://www.concordia.ca/return-to-campus.html#masks

CLASSROOM RULES

It is expected that all students will contribute to a supportive and non-discriminatory learning environment
by respecting basic classroom courtesy and displaying professional behavior.
Students are expected to conduct themselves professionally, actively participate in class discussions, offer
their considered, relevant observations, and listen respectfully to others’ opinions, even if these are in
disagreement with their own.

All assignments, tests and quizzes will be submitted online. No assignments will be accepted by
email. Students must submit assignments using Moodle only.

To ensure the privacy of your classmates and instructor, there is no recording, no taping,
and no photography during class time. Therefore, the use of information technology and electronic
communication by students without the lecturer’s explicit permission is strictly prohibited. This prohibition
applies to audio recording, or videotaping, as well as to communication or dissemination of course material.
Please also note that dissemination of course material through third-party websites may constitute a breach
of copyright, and students who post to such websites may be accountable for their actions according to
copyright laws and legislation.

Tutorial – Your tutorial leader will conduct your tutorials. Tutorials are conducted in real-time during the
scheduled time slot. Please follow any other rules your tutorial leader may set in place to facilitate the
conducting of the class. Attendance and active participation in Tutorials constitutes a significant part of your
participation grade for the course. N.B. - There are no tutorials in the first week of class.

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Office Hours (By Email Only)
In order to reduce person-to-person contact on campus, office hours will be conducted over email. Please
contact your instructor via email regarding questions about the course. Emails will be checked and answered
Monday through Friday until 5PM. No emails will be answered on holidays or weekends; they will instead
by answered on the following business day.

Correspondence - IMPORTANT
Please keep in mind that messages sent to your professor that are unprofessional in tone, diction or content
are annoying and don’t reflect very well upon the sender. Take the time to properly compose your messages
to your professor before you send an email. All email correspondence should include your full name, student
number and the course code (ENCS 272) either in the subject line or within the body of the message. If you
are unsure about how to write an email to your professor, please read this helpful document by Laura
Portwood-Stacer, found at the web link below.
https://medium.com/@lportwoodstacer/how-to-email-your-professor-without-being-annoying-af-
cf64ae0e4087

Before you ask your professor a question about the course or the lectures, please read the
course syllabus. Often the answers to questions can be found there. If your question cannot be
answered by the course syllabus or postings on Moodle, then it is best to send your professor an email about
questions (see “Correspondence” above).

If you have some other concerns that were not addressed during class, please send an email to the professor
indicating your full name, student ID number, and a detailed description of the issue. Your professor will
respond to your message promptly if you follow these instructions.

NOTE: Emails to the professor received after 5PM on weekdays or on weekends or

holidays will not be answered until the next working day.

No Grade-Grubbing Policy - N.B. Office hours are for questions about the course and
course material, NOT negotiating your grades.
If you feel there is a legitimate problem with your grade on a test or assignment (e.g., a calculation error,
etc.), please write your instructor a formal letter outlining your reasoning, citing the specific areas (be as
detailed as possible) that you wish to question. This formal letter should be sent via email no later than one
week after the assignment grade is posted.

Academic Integrity – The work students complete for this course will be their own, which is to say that
cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Any written assignment
that borrows from other sources without giving proper credit or that is plagiarized in whole or in part from
another source (including other student’s work) is grounds for an “F” on the assignment, or depending on
the severity of the infraction, is grounds for an “F” in the course. Concordia University recognizes as a
punishable offence “any form of cheating, plagiarism, personation, falsification of a document as well as any
other form of dishonest behavior” (Academic Integrity and the Academic Code of Conduct, Section 17.10,
Paragraph III). For questions about the University's policy on cheating and plagiarism, please consult the
Undergraduate Calendar at http://www.concordia.ca/academics/undergraduate/calendar/current/17-10.html

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In Simple Words: Do not copy, paraphrase or translate anything from anywhere without
indicating from where you obtained it using proper formatting style. For more information
about avoiding plagiarism, you can visit the Concordia’s web site:
http://provost.concordia.ca/academicintegrity/plagiarism or the Concordia Libraries web site for help with
citations: http://library.concordia.ca/help/citing/index.php

Educational Support – The University acknowledges that students have diverse education needs. The
university tries to accommodate a wide variety of such needs. Please do not hesitate to contact the following
services if you think you have a special need:
• Student Advocacy Office - https://www.concordia.ca/offices/advocacy.html
• Concordia Counseling and Development - http://www.concordia.ca/students/counselling.html
• New Student Program - http://newstudent.concordia.ca/
• Access Center for Students with Disabilities - http://www.concordia.ca/students/accessibility.html
• Student Success Center - http://www.concordia.ca/students/success.html
• Concordia Health Services - https://www.concordia.ca/students/health.html

Course Readings
Successful completion of the course is dependent upon reading and understanding the required texts.
Students will be discussing course readings in class and in tutorial. As well, the content of exams and quizzes
will be based in part on course readings. These readings are mostly available through the Course Reserves
section of the Concordia Libraries website.

Course Assignments
All assignments written outside class are due before class begins on the day specified on the schedule. All
course assignments written outside class must be handed in online via Moodle. DO NOT email your
assignment to your professor. Emailed assignments will not be accepted. If you miss an in-class or
homework assignment for a legitimate reason, you are responsible for making arrangements to complete it
and submit it. Missing an assignment without legitimate (documented medical illness, etc.) reason will result
in a failing grade for the assignment. Late assignments will be accepted, pending prior instructor approval,
with a ten percent grade reduction per day late. You can download handouts and assignments sheets from
the ENCS 272 course Moodle site.

Assignment 1: Persuasive strategies analysis 10%

Students will compose an essay analyzing the persuasive methods used by characters in a popular film viewed
during the first class.
Test 1: 10%
The test will cover course content—lectures, readings and tutorials—from the first half of the course.
Test 2: 10%
The test will cover course content—lectures, readings and tutorials—from the second half of the course.
Assignment 2: Argument structure analysis 10%
Students will compose an essay analyzing the structure of an argument on an assigned topic. A detailed
description of these assignments will be posted on Moodle.

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Assignment 3: Formal Report 10%
Each student will submit a report on an assigned topic. A detailed description of these assignments will be
posted on Moodle.
Tutorial Assignments, Attendance and Participation 15%
You will have a series of class discussions and/or assignments to complete in tutorial time. If you do not
complete these tutorial assignments when they are due, marks will be deducted from your class participation
grade. As well, there will be a weekly discussion forum about the course readings that students must
contribute to as part of the participation grade. Tutorial assignments must be completed and
submitted to Moodle before the end of the tutorial session. Emailed assignments will
NOT be accepted.
Quizzes 10%
There will be on-line quizzes derived from the course readings. Occasionally students may also be asked to
produce short written responses to the course readings. Once a quiz has closed, there is no
opportunity for a replacement (no exceptions).
Final Exam: 25%
The final exam will be cumulative. The exam will take place during the exam period.

Grade Conversions
Final grades will be calculated according to the following rubric:
A+ = 100-90 B+ = 79-77 C+ = 69-68 D+ = 59-57
A = 89-85 B = 76-73 C = 67-63 D = 56-53
A- = 84-80 B- = 72-70 C- = 62-60 D- = 52-50
F = less than 50
Assessment Particulars
“Good” writing is defined by a set of standards that is often presented as document templates. However,
faithfully following prescriptions for documents will not automatically result in a high grade in the course,
since proper formatting is not the exclusive goal of technical writing. Indeed, document templates will help
you organize your ideas by offering a working outline, and these templates also provide for transitions
between ideas. Yet, as you will see in the following grading criteria, emphasis is placed on the writer clearly
defining the audience and developing the cogent ideas, purpose and presentation of each document.
Additional criteria, parameters, guidelines and due dates will be posted on Moodle when each assignment is
introduced and discussed.
• A = Superior work in both content and presentation. This is a student who appears, even at an
early stage, to be a potential honours student. The work answers all components of a question. It
demonstrates clear and persuasive argument, a well-structured text that features solid
introductory and concluding arguments, and pertinent examples to illustrate the argument. Few,
if any presentation, grammar or spelling errors appear.
• B = Better than average in both content and presentation. This student has the potential for
honours, though it is less evident than for the A student. Student’s work is clear and well
structured. Minor components of an answer might be missing, and there may be fewer
illustrations for the argument. Some minor but noticeable errors in presentation may have
interfered with the general quality of the work.

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 • C = Student demonstrates a satisfactory understanding of the material. Ideas are presented in a
style that is at least somewhat coherent and orderly. Occasional examples are provided to support
arguments. Presentation errors that affect the quality of the work are more apparent than in B
work. Some components of the assignment requirements may have been omitted,
underdeveloped or neglected in the response.
• D = Student has only a basic grasp of the material. The sense of organization and development is
often not demonstrated in the response. Few, if any, examples are provided to illustrate
argument. Major components of a question might have been neglected; and major presentation
errors hamper the work.
• F = Shows an inadequate grasp of the material. Work has major errors of style; and provides no
supporting illustration for argument. Ideas are not clear to the reader. Work lacks a sense of
structure. The student has either neglected or omitted the major requirements of the assignment,
or the student may have not submitted any work at all in a timely fashion.
Class Schedule Winter 2021
Introduction Introduction to the course
Class 1 Required Viewing:
Sept. 10 12 Angry Men. Directed by Sidney Lumet. MGM Studios (1957), 96 minutes
*This film is also on reserve at the Webster Library (available for streaming).
Class 2 Fundamentals of Communication Theory
Sept. 17 Required Readings:
Dimbleby, R. & G. Burton. “What is Communication?” in More Than Words: An Introduction to
Communication. 2nd ed. NY & London: Routledge, 1-36. (Available on M oodle all other
course readings are posted on the library website)
Session Topics
• What is Communication?
Class 3 The Problem of Audience
Sept. 24 Required Readings:
Lanon & Gurak. “Meeting the Needs of Specific Audiences” Technical Communication, 13th ed.
Toronto: Pearson, 2014, 16-31.
Class 4 Audience Appeals
Oct. 1 Required Readings:
Kirszner, Laurie G. et al. “Logos, Pathos and Ethos.” Practical Argument. Boston: St.
Martin’s Press, 2017, 14-21.
Class 5 Argumentation: An Introduction
Oct. 8 Required Readings:
Allen, Matthew. “Claims: The Key Elements of Reasoning” in Smart Thinking: Skills for Critical
Understanding and Writing. 2nd ed. Oxford, NY, Toronto: OUP, 2004, 9-22.
Session Topics:
• Introduction to Argumentation: Claims
• What are cogent and sound arguments?
• Syllogism and Enthymeme

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Class 6 Observation and Critical Thinking
Oct. 15 Required Readings:
Sagan, Carl. “The Dragon in My Garage” in The Demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle.
London: Headline Book Publishing, 1997, 160-178.
Session Topics:
• Observation: Choosing an object of study
• Generating and Inventing Arguments
• Fallacies – Why do we make mistakes?
Class 7 Rhetorical Theory: Ancient and Modern
Oct. 22 Required Readings:
Hauser, Gerard A. “Strategic Forms of Argument Structures” in Introduction to Rhetorical Theory.
2nd edition. Prospect Heights: Waveland Press Inc., 1991, 263-268.
Session Topics:
• Rhetorical Theory: Analysis Evidence and Support
Class 8 Test 1 (in-class test)
Oct. 29
Class 9 Visual Rhetoric and Visual Cultures
Nov. 5 Required Reading:
Levitin, Daniel J. “Hijinks with How Numbers are Reported”. A Field Guide to Lies. New York:
Dutton, 2016, 43-74.
Visage. A Business Guide to Visual Communication. Column Five. On-line document. Accessed: 28
May 2014. <http://content.columnfivemedia.com/a-business-guide-to- visual-
communication>.
Session Topics:
• Visual Rhetoric
• Analysis and Criticism of Graphic Data
Class 10 Reports & Other Formal Documents
Nov.12 Required Readings:
Markel, M. “Writing Recommendation Reports” in Technical Communication. 10th edition.
Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2012, 512-560.
Session Topic: Formal Report style and structure
Class 11 Test 2 (in-class test)
Nov. 19
Class 11 Presenting Information to a Group
Nov. 26 Optional Readings:
Silyn-Roberts, Heather. “A Presentation to a Small Group” in Writing For Science and
Engineering, 2nd ed. London: Elsevier Ltd., 2013, 251-254.

Final Exam TBA

 

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