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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "EN 110-10"
COURSE NAME: "Advanced Composition"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2026
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Mattia Maglione
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: MW 11:30 AM 12:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: Placement via JCU English Composition Placement Exam or completion of either EN 103 or EN 105 with a grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS: TTH 2PM
COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course prepares students to read, think, and write critically. Students will develop their ability to analyze a range of primary and secondary sources, hone their composition skills through in and out of class reading and writing, and will complete the course by writing and revising a fully-documented and well-reasoned research paper, complemented by an annotated bibliography and literature review. EN110 focuses on the argumentative form, encouraging students to position their work within current critical discourses. The course develops the following skills: source selection and interrogation, identification and contextualization of themes, thesis development and defense, digital and Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacies, use of library resources, and careful citation in MLA style focusing on transparency and ethical approaches to the use source material including digital and AI tools. Students must receive a grade of C or above in this course to fulfill the University’s English Composition requirement and to be eligible to take courses in English literature.

Learning Outcomes:

Grammar: the ability to identify and correctly use complex grammatical structures in the logical development of an essay. 

Reading: critical reading skills based on extended vocabulary, annotating skills, lateral reading strategies.

Research and referencing competent use and evaluation of library and digital resources, ethical citation, transparent use of AI tools, and prompt engineering.

Writing: the ability to produce well-argued research papers. Formulating a research question, producing a literature review, an annotated bibliography, an outline and consistently employing a citation style.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

EN-110 is designed to help students develop the skills learned in previous composition classes. The course helps students independently plan, research, a complete academic research paper. Students will be guided through each phase of the writing process, starting with crafting a well-defined research proposal, gathering and organizing sources into an annotated bibliography and literature review, and then moving on to outlining, drafting, and finalizing the paper according to current MLA guidelines.

The course includes writing exercises such as peer review sessions, worksheets on citation and quoting, annotation tasks on academic sources, and a review of library resources, both physical and digital, along with basics of research databases.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
  • Independently plan, research, and compose an academic paper on a relevant case study.
  • Identify, choose, and incorporate secondary sources that align with the objectives of the research paper.
  • Apply MLA formatting throughout the paper, including the title page and works cited section.
  • Take initiative in enhancing their writing skills, including content organization, grammar, structure, and style.
  • Develop an annotated bibliography and literature review.
    •
    TEXTBOOK:
    NONE
    REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
    Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberComments
    They Say, I SayGerald Graff; Cathy BirkensteinNorton9780393643282TXT PE1431 .G73 2018  

    RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
    NONE
    GRADING POLICY
    -ASSESSMENT METHODS:
    AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
    ParticipationSilent attendance does not count as participation.10%
    MLA quiz I & IIGuidelines will be given during the course.10%
    Essay IGuidelines will be given during the course. 10%
    Essay IIGuidelines will be given during the course. 10%
    Annotated Bibliography Guidelines will be given during the course. 15%
    Literature ReviewGuidelines will be given during the course. 15%
    Final Research EssayGuidelines will be given during the course. 30%

    -ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
    AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
    BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
    CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
    DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
    FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
    -ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
    ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
    You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________
    ACADEMIC HONESTY
    As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
    STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
    John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
    SCHEDULE

    SCHEDULE 

    Please note schedule is subject to change. 

    WEEK 1 A - Intro to course basics. What is research writing? + Annotations

    WEEK 1 B - Sources, databases 

    WEEK 2 A - Lead ins, follow ups and quote integration + MLA QUIZ I 

    WEEK 2 B - Lead ins, follow ups and quote integration

    WEEK 3 A - Case studies and primary sources 

    WEEK 3 B - Secondary sources and criticism 

    WEEK 4 A - IN CLASS ESSAY I

    WEEK 4 B - AI ethics: log docs, prompting for research purposes 

    WEEK 5 A - AI ethics: Gen AI vs Database AI 

    WEEK 5 B - Methodology

    WEEK 6 A - The Lit Review Paragraph 

    WEEK 6 B - IN CLASS ESSAY II

    WEEK 7 A - Annotated bibliographies 

    WEEK 7 B - Annotated bibliographies II

    WEEK 8 A - Lit Review (organization methods) 

    WEEK 8 B - Lit Review (comparing and contrasting sources) + ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE 

    WEEK 9 A - "The Source Bridge"

    WEEK 9 B - Logical Fallacies 

    WEEK 10 A - Counterclaims 

    WEEK 10 B - Metacommentary + LITERATURE REVIEW DUE 

    WEEK 11 A - Rebuttals

    WEEK 11 B - Zotero + MLA QUIZ II 

    WEEK 12 A - Peer Rev Sessions. 

    WEEK 12 B - Peer Rev Sessions. 

    WEEK 13 A - Drafting I 

    WEEK 13 B - Drafting II 

    WEEK 14 A - Drafting III 

    WEEK 14 B - Drafting IV + FINAL TERM PAPER DUE 

    OTHER INFO:

    1. ALL EXTRA READINGS WILL BE LINKED ON MOODLE.
    2. MAX NUMBER OF UNEXCUSED ABSENCES: 4, AFTER WHICH STUDENTS WILL FAIL THE COURSE.
    3. TWO LATE ARRIVALS COUNT AS AN ABSENCE.
    4. LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT BE COUNTED.