Stanford-Örebro-American University of Cairo
Marratech May 5, 2008
Cross-Cultural Rhetoric
Focus on Websites
Preparation for May 5, 2008
1. Read Envision, Chapter 5, on Websites and the Research Process
2. Watch Youtube video instruction on Websites as rhetorical arguments texts
3. Perform a Web search related to your research topic, using a search engine such as Google.
Using the evaluative strategies in the At A Glance box on page 153 of Envision, select one
Website that is a strong possibility for use as a primary or secondary source and one that is
more questionable for your project. What was it about each site that either drew you in or
convinced you that you shouldn’t use it?
I. Making Contact in Globally-Distributed Teams.
Time: 18.10–18.20 / 9.10–9.20 10 minutes
Once again, you will start immediately in small groups, at http://switchboard.stanford.edu.
Checking in: Discuss holidays in your Culture: Bonfires, May Day, Stanford Events or
hometown? How were recent celebrations, what holidays are coming up? And what do
these holidays represent? What do you learn from cultures from sharing holiday tales?
II. Cross-Cultural Analysis of Websites and Research Ideas
Time: 18.20-19.10 / 9.20-10.10 50 minutes
Instructions: As a group, discuss each person’s chosen websites and their relation to research.
Tech Directions: type the URL of the website into the chat box. Then, copy it into the
Address Bar in the Globe section of Marratech. Alternatively, you can open the URL in a
browser and resize the window so you can see also see the faces in videoboxes.
1. What is the argument and purpose of each website? Who is the target audience? What
expectations about cultural background are made by the Website? How might you evaluate the
website’s credibility (ethos), substance (logos) and emotional appeals (pathos?)
2. How does the Website convey its argument through its visual rhetoric and design? Consider
layout, font, color, image type, size, placement, verbal elements such as headers, sub-headers,
and other written text. What cultural assumptions or values are on the Website? Consider the
Website’s choice of: language, images, direction of text, placement of images, multimedia
elements, examples, evidence, links to other sites, etc.
3. How might this website be useful for the research project? What do you learn about the topic as
well as about the medium of Internet communication from this website?
4. What suggestions can peer team members make about additional sources, websites, or ways of
analyzing this text as either a primary or secondary source? What diverse cultural perspectives
emerge in discussing this visual rhetoric text?
This is
your screen
if you
resize the
window
with your
website on
the left,
and view people’s faces in video boxes on the right
…Overlay the resized window on top of Marratech
This is the screen if you paste the
URL into the address bar on the
Marratech globe page
Page 2 of Instructions for May 5, 2008
If you are done before 19.10/10.10 then as a group, select a new website to analyze
This could be your University website homepages, or ad/activist pages such as, for example:
 Group A: Greenpeace [http://www.greenpeace.org/]
 Group B: Save Darfur [http://www.savedarfur.org/]
 Group C: Doctors without Borders [http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/]
 Group D: World Vision [http://worldvision.org/]
III. Collaborative Writing and Presentation Activity: Post Group Work on Blogs.
Time: 19.10-19.20 / 10.10-10.20 10 minutes
Instructions: Now pick the most unreliable website of the group and also the most visually
complex website. (These may be selections from different team members.). Write a brief rhetorical
analysis explaining each one, pointing out issues of credibility, visual rhetoric design, and
applicability (or usefulness) for a researcher. Select TWO people to present the analysis to other
groups back in T217, and one person to be the “blogger” – that person should create a short post on
the CCR blog and include both your team name as well as everyone’s individual names.
Tech Directions:
1. Use the white board and collaboratively write out the answer.
2. Save the whiteboard on your desktop so you can open it again during the presentation
3. Nominate one person as “The Blogger” to post the URLs and a written-for-the-blog
synthesis of the group’s analysis. http://cgi.stanford.edu/%7Egroup-ccr/mt/mt.cgi
Orebro Username: OrebroCCRSpring2008
Password: ccr2008
Stanford Username: StanfordVisualS08
Password: ccr2008
Egypt Username: AUCEgypt
Password: ccr2008
IV. Reporting Back through Presentation of Collaborative Learning
Time: 19.20-19.30 / 10.20-10.30 10 minutes
Instructions: learn effective communication across cultures and develop active listening expertise
Each group report on websites, show the whiteboard with the analysis, and type links in the chat.
Tech Directions: In Marratech, switch from to T217 (http://emeeting.tech.oru.se:8000/index.jsp)
Tech tip: You can click on the GLOBE icon and go “HOME” then choose Orebro; or ask one
of the CCR teachers to switch you to T217
V. Debrief at Individual Universities
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What did you learn most about visual rhetoric and/or research from this activity?
What differences did you experience in the way various members of your groups interpreted
the Websites? How much do you think those differences were informed by cultural
differences?
How did working in groups mediated by technologically mediated differ from working with
groups in our classroom?
What did you enjoy most about this exchange? What surprised you most? What would you
change for next time?
After Class: go to http://ccr.stanford.edu/blog and post your feedback on this activity! Did it help
you learn about visual rhetoric? Did it help you advance your thinking on your research project?