Course Design - Swimming in the Deep End - Data-Driven Retention and Success with Corequisites English 1101 and GSU 1010

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by kopisore

Course Design outlines the rationale and structure of a corequisite pairing at Georgia State University (GSU) between English 1101 and GSU 1010. The document explains how GSU 1010 supports academic demands, community integration, and student survival skills, while English 1101 develops writing processes, research and analysis, and engagement with contemporary multicultural questions. It describes adjusted composition instruction for summer Success Academy students, using mindset mentoring to extend English 1101 learning and strengthen both courses’ effectiveness.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Course Descriptions

Institutional Context

Course Design Swimming in the Deep End: Data-Driven Retention and Success with Corequisites English 1101 (Success Academy Section) and GSU 1010 Angela Christie and Lynée Lewis Gaillet Course Descriptions At Georgia State University (GSU), like at most other institutions, corequisite courses must be taken simultaneously—the information in one is necessary to the full understanding of the other. However, the corequisite pairing we describe here has a unique history; we paired a GSU 1010 course, part of the larger Freshman Learning experience, with English 1101 in an ad hoc manner. The GSU 1010 course provides students with essential information about the academic demands of the university, its rules, procedures, resources, and academic, social, and personal survival skills that contribute to academic success. The GSU 1010 curriculum encourages students to establish supportive relationships with peers and faculty and to become an integral part of the academic community. In addition to offering the necessary information and skills to navigate the university, GSU 1010 also exposes students to the academic field of their choice through an examination of the general area of study and related principles. The course’s learning outcomes align with the following themes: Academic Life, Community Life, Personal Life. English 1101 is designed to increase the student’s ability to construct written prose of various kinds. The course focuses on methods of organization, analysis, research skills, and the production of short expository essays. Readings consider issues of contemporary social and cultural concern. A passing grade is a C. By the end of this course, students will be able to: 1. Engage in writing as a process, including various invention heuristics (brainstorming, for example), gathering evidence, considering audience, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading. 2. Engage in the collaborative, social aspects of written composition, and use these as tools for learning. 3. Use language to explore and analyze contemporary multicultural, global, and international questions. 4. Demonstrate how to use composition aids, such as handbooks, dictionaries, online aids, and tutors. Composition Studies 48.2 (2020): 93–104 5. Gather, summarize, synthesize and explain information from various sources. 6. Use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate for a variety of audiences, but in particular the formal academic audience that makes up the discourse community with which you will also become more familiar in this course. 7. Critique others’ work in written, visual and oral formats. 8. Produce coherent, organized, readable compositions for a variety of rhetorical situations. 9. Self-reflect on what contributed to the composition process and evaluate one’s own work. As originally conceived, GSU 1010 serves as an orientation course, designed to help students succeed in all the courses they take during their first semester of college work. This course serves as a college primer, presenting students with typical “what you need to know to succeed in college” information. We argue, however, that GSU 1010 is an important corequisite for English 1101, particularly for students entering GSU through the summer Success Academy (SA) program. When GSU 1010 is part of the SA curriculum, the focus of composition instruction is adjusted to include mentoring and research support tailored for students deemed underprepared for college success. We argue that the success of SA courses depends in large part upon the 1010 course’s emphasis on mindset growth, academic grooming, confidence building, and community development. The English department seeks ways to ensure that English 1101 curriculum can reflectively help develop topics covered in the orientation course. Conversely, learning support offered in the 1010 courses enhances the quality of instruction in composition classes. When English faculty b

FAQs

What is the corequisite relationship between GSU 1010 and English 1101?

GSU 1010 and English 1101 must be taken simultaneously because each course’s information supports full understanding of the other. The document emphasizes a coordinated curriculum pairing between the two.

How does GSU 1010 contribute to students’ academic success?

GSU 1010 provides knowledge about university rules, procedures, resources, and survival skills, and it encourages students to build supportive relationships and become part of the academic community. Its themes include academic, community, and personal life.

How is English 1101 instruction adjusted for Success Academy (SA) students?

When GSU 1010 is part of the SA curriculum, composition instruction is broadened to include mentoring and research support for underprepared students. The document describes using 1010 mindset growth sessions to extend English 1101 through added writing assignments, activities, and related readings.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by kopisore