Composition at Virginia Tech: Written, Spoken, and Visual Communication

09_V_Tech_PosterIn First-year Composition, we see writing, visual communication, and speaking as three important aspects of strong communication skills critical to student success at Virginia Tech and beyond.

English 1105 (Introduction to College Composition: Critical Reading, Writing, and Thinking), English 1106 (Writing from Research), and English H1204 (Honors English) share a focus on the rhetorical dimensions of writing, speaking, and visual communication, but each is a separate course with distinctive assignments and goals.

English 1105 emphasizes analysis and critical thinking. English 1106 focuses on research methods, writing from sources, and producing longer and more complex compositions. Honors English (H1204) engages students in an advanced level of critical reading, writing, and thinking as well as including a research dimension.

All three of these courses are guided by the recommendations of the Council for Writing Program Administrators, a national association of college and university faculty.

Goals and Outcomes for English 1105, 1106, & H1204:

The Virginia Tech Composition Program uses the Council of Writing Program Administrators’ Statement of Outcomes for First-Year Composition to frame its first-year courses.

The WPA Outcomes:IMG_3442

  • Rhetorical Knowledge
  • Critical Reading, Writing, and Thinking Skills
  • Awareness that Learning to Write is an Ongoing Process
  • A Knowledge of Conventions

Additional Goals:

  • Visual Literacy
  • Skill in Oral Presentation
  • Writing from Research

For more on the WPA outcomes, visit their website at http://www.wpacouncil.org/positions/outcomes.html