WRIT 2000: Theories of Writing

Dr. Richard Colby

Fall 2017

This course acted as my introduction to the writing practices minor. We discussed a number of theories of writing and gained insight into issues and research related to writing and writers. We aimed to answer the questions of what writing is, its origin, how it developed, different types of writing, writing in different situations, writing with different tools, and what it means to study writing. We explored the relationship between sound/speech, image, film/video and writing. Ultimately, we created projects exploring our understanding of these aspects and the way that these different theories can change the way that test is explained and explored.

 

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WRIT 2500: Topics in Writing Theory and Research: Public Good, Personal Gain, and Ethics of Persuasion

Dr. Campbell

Winter 2019

This course acts as a theory class focusing on ethics and persuasion in the context of writing. In this course we explored the relationship between rhetoric and ethics/persuasion through time. We began with discussion of the classical Sophists of ancient Athens and wrapped things up with the conversation about recent concerns involving political persuasion and the media. We discussed different rhetorical theory and considered how these philosophies and frameworks apply to contemporary argument and persuasion across a number of fields including: law, medicine, politics, and education. We worked on the composure of field analysis, argumentative/persuasive writing, exploring what ethics mean to us, and performed research into the rhetorical use of persuasion across different professional disciplines.

 

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WRIT 3500: Capstone: Writing Design and Circulation

Dr. Richard Colby

Spring 2019

This course is the final course of the writing practices minor. The goal of the course was to look back at our writing done at DU, and to reflect and think critically about our own writing. By doing so we were therefore able to construct a professional web-based portfolio that showcases our writing while offering reflective insight into our previous rhetorical decisions. The motivation is the importance of showcasing our ability as writers to navigate diverse rhetorical situations. 

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PSYC 2500: Abnormal Psychology

Dr. Edward Garrido

Fall 2017

This course aimed to give an outline of the field of abnormal psychology, the

current science-informed understanding of how disorders develop, and the treatments that have the most scientific support for their efficacy.

We explore current definitions of psychological “disorder”, the science of abnormal psychology, and the historical perspectives of abnormal behavior. We explored the multipath model of mental disorders, considering biology, psychology, social, and sociocultural factors in mental health assessment and understanding. Further, we discussed concepts of clinical assessment, diagnosis, scientific research, and treatment. Once foundational topics were mastered we applied the multipath model to explore specific psychological disorders. For each disorder, we learned about the core clinical features, epidemiology, etiology, and treatment based on current DSM-5 information.

 

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 PSYC 3050: Research Methods

Dr. Leanne ten Brinke

Winter 2019

This course is one required for the psychology major. We explored contemporary research methods and research designs in psychological science. The goal of the course was to develop critical thinking about the relationship between research questions, research methods, and data. We focused on strengths, weaknesses, and assumptions associated with different research designs. Ultimately, we used these skills to conduct our own original psychological research and compose an academic research paper utilizing our ability to consume, critique, and create research through practical applications of learned skills to a real-world dataset.

 

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THEA 1810: Page to Stage

Dr. Ashley Hamilton

Spring 2018 

This course served as an Analytical Inquiry; Society and Culture core curriculum course. The goal of the course was to explore every aspect involved in creating a theatrical production, including the process of playwrights, directors, actors, and designers. Throughout this course we read plays, viewed design elements, and discussed the processes involved in creating the theatrical world. Within these processes we created and interpreted texts, ideas, or artifacts of human culture. Ultimately, we used all of this information to identify and analyze the connections between these aspects and the human experience/perception of the world.

 

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WRIT 1133: Research and Writing

Dr. Elizabeth Catchings

Spring 2017

 

This course was the third and final course in the first year required writing sequence. The goal of this course was to build on writing and rhetorical skills acquired in WRIT 1122, shifting the focus to logics, methods, and narrative conventions shaping different kinds of academic inquiry. We used approaches that were quantitative, qualitative, and textual to see the way that writing argument changes according to the question asked, evidence used, and nature of the audience. Using the skills that we acquired we shaped our own original research into significant academic arguments and translated them into non-academic genres, attending to design, citation, and linguistic choice.

 

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