In this April 25, 2013 webinar, professors Kina Lara and Tanya Stanley, from San Jacinto College, provided background on INRW courses in Texas and how to use technology to meet students' objectives and goals. They described how these teacher and student-friendly tools have helped them to reinforce skills taught in the classroom, enable self-paced learning, design their class to fit their individual students' needs, and provide students with instant feedback on writing drafts.

1. Using Technology in Texas' Integrated
Reading and Writing (INRW) Classroom:
Aplia, CourseReader, and WriteExperience

2. Using Technology in the INRW Classroom
• Instant feedback on assignments
• Individualized instruction
• Computer literacy
• Effective and real-time communication
• Content variety
• Real-world documents
• Deliberate practice
• First exposure

3. Single Sign-on for Students and Instructors
• Students and instructors can access Aplia, CourseReader, and
WriteExperience using one website: www.cengage.com/sso

4. What is Aplia?
• Aplia is an online lab program that integrates reading and writing by
reinforcing key concepts taught in the classroom.
• It focuses on reading, writing, and grammar skills and allows students to work
at their own pace or as directed by their instructor.
• Aplia is also directly linked to the Fusion textbooks.

5. Setting up Aplia for your courses:
• Cengage offers technology training for instructors before your semester
begins.
• Cengage also provides a Course Care representative who will assist all
instructors at your campus with setting up the Aplia course(s).
• Everything will be ready for you before the first day of class!
• If you do have any questions, you can call or email your Course Care rep and
receive a response in a very timely manner.
Benefits for Instructors using Aplia

6. Benefits for Instructors using Aplia
Managing Aplia sections:
• If you are teaching multiple
sections, all of them can be listed
under one Aplia account.
• Instructors can access information
by class, by individual student,
or by all students.

7. Benefits for Instructors using Aplia
Customizing your Aplia courses:
• Aplia has reading and writing diagnostic tests that generate individual and/or
class reports.
• Instructors can align weekly Aplia lessons and assignments with the textbook.
• Instructors can allow multiple attempts with different questions for each
attempt and customize scoring.
• Aplia grades assignments automatically, gives students feedback for incorrect
answers, and stores grades in an LMS compatible grade book.
• **The integrated diagnostic will be available August 1st.**

8. **Available August 1st
Integrated Reading and Writing, Level I
 Understanding Structure in Paragraphs
 Topics
 Topic Sentences
 Main Ideas
 Supporting Details
 Organization and Coherence (in Shorter Passages)
 Basic Patterns of Organization
 Recognizing Transitional Words, Phrases, and
Sentences
 Word Knowledge
 Context Clues
 Connotation and Denotation
 Word Parts
 Critical Thinking Skills
 Recognizing the Author’s Purpose
 Recognizing Bias
 Recognizing Tone
 Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
 Grammar
 Modifier Use
 Homonyms
 Punctuation
 Subject-Verb Agreement
 Verb Tenses
 Pronoun Use
 Fragment/Run-Ons
Diagnostic Assessment: Integrated Reading + Writing, Level 1

9. **Available August 1st, 2013
Integrated Reading & Writing, Level II
 Understanding Structure in Paragraphs and Essays
 Main Ideas
 Supporting Details
 Thesis Statements
 Organization and Coherence (in Longer Passages)
 Mixed Patterns of Organization
 Recognizing Transitional Words, Phrases, and
Sentences
 Using Evidence (Identifying and Incorporating)
 Word Knowledge
 Context Clues
 Critical Thinking Skills
 Evaluating Argument
 Recognizing Tone
 Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
 Grammar
 Parallelism
 Modifier Use
 Homonyms
 Punctuation
 Subject-Verb Agreement
 Verb Tenses
 Pronoun Use
 Fragment/Run-Ons
Diagnostic Assessment: Integrated Reading + Writing, Level 2

10. Benefits for Students using Aplia
• Aplia can be bundled with the Fusion textbooks, so students purchase the
access code at a discounted price.
• With Aplia, students also receive an electronic version of the textbook.
• Aplia can be done in a lab setting during class or assigned for homework.
Students can complete their Aplia assignments anywhere they have internet
access.
• Aplia provides students with a variety of questions and assignments, including
media types, so that students will stay engaged and retain more information.
• Students have a three-week grace period with access to the textbook and the
Aplia site.

11. Benefits for Students using Aplia
• Aplia is organized by weekly assignments.
• Students have the option of working ahead.
• Aplia also sends email alerts to students reminding
them when their Aplia assignments are due.
• Aplia provides Practice Reviews so instructors will
not need to create exam reviews.
• Instructors have instant access to student
performance on every lesson to help design
individualized lectures and discussions.

12. Comments from Students about Aplia
“I like doing the work on Aplia rather than paper. It’s easier and more hands-on.”
“It’s online, fast, and doesn’t require a book.”
“It goes further to give more clarity on what is taught in class.”
“It’s nice that you can do it anywhere you have internet access.”
“Instant grading and email reminders!”
“Aplia is very helpful because if you do not choose the correct answer, it gives
you an explanation, and you are able to try it again.”

13. Comments from Students about Aplia
“I like that you can go back and re-read the text while answering questions…very
helpful!”
“It gives you examples of essays and helps you to get started on yours.”
“In Aplia, it gives me kind of an idea of what’s going to be on the test. It pretty
much helps you prepare for upcoming exercises or quizzes we may take in
class.”
“It gives more than one chance, and it explains why your answers are incorrect.”
“I like how it gives a quick run though on what will be discussed in class that
week.”

14. Aplia
Questions about Aplia?

15. What is CourseReader?
• CourseReader is a collection of high-interest
articles covering current, controversial topics.
• Each instructor at a campus is able to create his
or her own customized readers and can change
them from semester to semester.
• Like Aplia, CourseReader is also very user-
friendly; creating readers takes only a few steps.
• Public notes/highlights are available (teaching
what’s important and what’s not in a text).
• Instructors can also embed assignments.

16. Benefits for Students using CourseReader
• The CourseReader can be accessed anywhere students have internet
access.
• Students can read selections online or print them as PDF documents.
• There are highlighting and note-taking functions available.
• Some selections also have review and essay questions at the end.
• Students can listen to the article.
• All material is credible; Cengage has a partnership with Gale.

17. Benefits for Students using CourseReader

18. Ways to Use CourseReader in INRW Courses
• Article Analysis assignments
• We assign 5 article analysis throughout the course of the semester.
• Students are able to select any article from our CourseReaders to write their
analysis on.
• These are an excellent way to integrate reading and writing.
• We count these as 10% of our total grade in the course.

19. Ways to Use CourseReader in INRW Courses
• In-Class Discussions
• We assign CourseReader articles on a weekly basis and discuss them
during class.
• Students are usually very interested in the articles, which often sparks good
discussion and debate.
• This is also a good tool for teaching the rhetorical styles of writing as
students read examples of professional essays written in different modes.

20. Ways to Use CourseReader in INRW Courses
• Essay Assignments
• Instructors can also use CourseReader articles as the basis for essay
assignments.
• This is a great way to teach students how to incorporate source material into
their essays.
• It is also a good way to teach MLA documentation.

21. CourseReader
Questions about
CourseReader?

22. What is WriteExperience?
• WriteExperience
• Students receive instant feedback on their drafts.
• Students can submit up to ten drafts per essay assignment.
• Instructors can score students essays and provide comments all in one
grading platform.
• The topics are broad enough for students to use creative thinking.
• Students have a personal writing tutor.
• Students receive ongoing, dynamic feedback.

23. What is WriteExperience?
• Students have more practice without adding to the instructor’s workload.
• There are 16 trained prompts to choose from (starting Fall 2013).
• Great tool for Non-Course Based Options.
• Students can use WriteExperience for all writing assignments for all courses
using the My Editor function.

24. My Editor

25. Scoring and Comments in WriteExperience

26. Visual Performance Level

27. Print Option Available for Peer Workshops

28. WriteExperience
Questions about
WriteExperience?

29. Kina Lara
San Jacinto College – South
281-998-6150 ext. 3774
Kina.Siriphant-Lara@sjcd.edu
Tanya Stanley
San Jacinto College – Central
281-998-6150 ext. 1338
Tanya.Stanley@sjcd.edu
Thank you for joining us today!