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IDS 101: Cornerstone Seminar

In this course students will undergo the intensive preparation needed to undertake their degree program while learning principles and techniques of writing in the academic environment, critical thinking skills, and information literacy skills. This course is required of all Charter Oak State College degree-seeking students and should be taken as soon as possible after matriculation.

Prerequisite: Student must be matriculated (entered into a degree program) at Charter Oak State College.

1. Demonstrate proficiency in certain principles and techniques of academic writing, including:
   1. Developing an organized, effective essay that includes a thesis, introduction, and conclusion, and effective body paragraphs with clear topic sentences and supporting details;
   2. Applying either APA or MLA style for research paper formats and citation mechanics; and
   3. Explaining the importance of crediting source material and the methods of avoiding plagiarism by properly quoting, paraphrasing, and citing sources.
2. Employ critical thinking, research, and analysis methods in various academic writing projects such as essays, reflections, and discussion participation.
3. Engage in an authentic online learning experience and apply skills and behaviors that facilitate success in online learning, such as following online communication norms, interacting with peers and the instructor, following directions, finding help, solving problems, and learning actively and independently.
4. Locate and apply policies and procedures that shape the academic experience at Charter Oak State College, including degree requirements, graduation requirements, methods of earning credit, and technical requirements for successful participation in online courses.
5. Identify and utilize vital resources provided by Charter Oak State College, such as the College’s website, official catalog, libraries, disability services, advising services and staff, online learning environment (Blackboard), portal (ACORN), Webmail, Turnitin.com, and eTutoring.org.
6. For Bachelor’s degree candidates, complete and submit a Concentration Plan of Study (CPS) for their Bachelor’s degree for faculty approval; OR for Associate’s degree candidates, write a reflective paper describing the relevance of their educational experience and Associate degree coursework to both their professional and personal development and their career direction.
7. Interpret the College’s capstone course requirement, explain how a capstone project functions as a measure of knowledge and learning, and evaluate the effectiveness of sample capstone projects in demonstrating proficiency or mastery of a subject area.

General Education Outcomes (GEOs):

Please check the applicable GEOs for this course, if any, by outcomes at GEO Category Search, or by subject area at GEO Discipline Search.

Course Activities and Grading:

*Failure to submit the CPS assignment will result in an administrative hold being placed on the student's record. See the Course Documents area of the Blackboard shell for details.

Required Text(s): WARNING: The textbook(s) listed on this syllabus may have changed; go to the Charter Oak State College bookstore, MBS Direct, website at  http://CharterOak.edu/bookstore for updated textbook information.

• Rosa, A., & Eschholz, P. (2010). The Writer’s Brief Handbook, 7th ed. New York: Longman. ISBN-13: 978-0-205-74407-7. ISBN-10: 0-205-74407-9.

Additional Resources:

• IMPORTANT: It is imperative that all students complete the first course assignment, the Criterion Writing Evaluation, by Day 2 of Week 1. Criterion is a web-based service that evaluates a student’s writing skills and provides instant score reporting and diagnostic feedback to the student. The writing evaluation takes about an hour to complete. Your login ID and password for Criterion will be e-mailed to your Charter Oak email address as part of a welcome letter about the course. Students may view an online video tour of Criterion here and reach the Criterion login page here. Students who earn a score of 3 or higher on their writing evaluation will continue in the Cornerstone Seminar. Students who earn a score below 3 will be dropped from IDS 101 and enrolled into ENG 100, Writing Refresher.

Course Schedule:

Current as of:

COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources:

Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see the "COSC Policies" link in the main menu of the online course shell for COSC institutional policies and the “Course Policies” link for specific policies related to this course. The “COSC Resources” link provides information regarding available COSC academic support services and resources.