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English 293
Writing in a Wireless World
Course Syllabus, Fall 2011
Course Instructor: Maria Gigante
Section 001
M/W: 3:30-4:45, Tawes 0223
Office: Tawes 2211
Office Hours: W 1:30-2:30 (or by appt.)
Email: megigante@gmail.com
Course Description
“A hands-on exploration of writing at the intersection of technology and rhetoric. Students will
learn to read, analyze, and compose the kind of multimodal documents (combining text, image,
and sound) that constitute communication in our digital world.”
Welcome to “Writing in a Wireless World.” In this course, you can expect to engage with a
variety of new media technologies as you learn what it means to communicate, argue, and
negotiate through different genres. You will learn to analyze multimodal discourse and create
your own written, oral, visual, and digital projects. After you have completed this course, you
should feel confident in your ability to communicate information using twenty-first century
technology, and you will possess skills that will assist you in your future academic and
professional lives.
Texts & Software:
There is no required textbook for our class but rather a series of readings that will be distributed
as URLs (readily available on the Internet), Word documents, or pdfs via ELMS.
You will also be required to have regular computer access, specifically to the following
programs*:
Audacity
Google mail (gmail)
ELMS / Blackboard (elms.umd.edu)
Dreamweaver or Windows Movie Maker or iMovie
Photoshop Express or Paint.net (free download)
PowerPoint
Prezi
Wix
*You may use alternative programs as long as they are functionally equivalent to those listed
above.
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Assignments:
To make sound rhetorical choices in writing and designing texts for different audiences, you will
have to become familiar with various media; develop strong research skills; collaborate in
multiple environments; inquire into important issues; and expand your rhetorical and design
vocabularies. By fully embracing the technology that is making an impact on the world, you will
refine your skills in multiple literacies. There is no final exam for this course; instead, you will
deliver a presentation to the class and complete a final portfolio online. The following categories
will determine your grade this semester.
Course Requirements
Blog assignments;
Class Participation
Rhetorical & Design Analyses;
Annotated Bibliographies;
Research Proposals
Traditional Essay &
New Media Projects: 4 throughout semester
(includes written components)
Collaborative Projects
(includes peer reviews)
% of
Grade
15%
15%
60%
10%
Blog assignments & Class Participation: You will write several blog assignments this semester
to show that you have engaged meaningfully with course readings and also to demonstrate your
level of engagement with the technology we are using for class. In addition to the blog
assignments, class participation is essential to your success in this course; we only meet twice a
week and will cover a lot of information each meeting. If you miss class, it is your responsibility
to get the missed information from a classmate and make up the work on your own time. Note:
some of the work we do in class will be impossible to make up on your own time, meaning that
you will not pass if you miss class regularly (see also “Attendance” below).
Rhetorical & Design Analyses; Annotated bibs, etc: Before you design texts in different
genres, you will rhetorically analyze the work of others so that you may learn from their
successes and failures regarding composition, argumentation, and style. You will research your
topics continuously throughout the semester, and the annotated bibliography provides a way to
update and organize your findings. Related to these assignments is the research proposal, 2 pp.
double-spaced, which you will revise near the end of the semester; the proposal will indicate how
your project aligns with the research you have done and it will articulate your argument(s).
Traditional Essay & New Media Projects: There will be five major assignments constituting
60% of your grade. Each should be polished, proofread, and submitted by the times indicated on
their respective due dates (see both syllabus and “course calendar” pdf on elms). You will begin
the semester by writing a traditional essay on a topic of your choosing; you should select your
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topic wisely because it will be one that you research for the duration of the semester. The
traditional essay will be “transformed” four times this semester through the use of visual, audio,
and digital software. Each new media project will be introduced in class well before it is due,
and we will spend class time analyzing others’ uses of the technology before you are expected to
create your own multimodal texts. However, you should also expect to spend a great deal of
time outside of class learning and experimenting with the programs we use for these projects,
depending on your prior familiarity with them. Every new media project will be accompanied by
a reflective essay discussing your invention, creation, and revision processes (at least 2 pp.
double spaced). The reflective essays will give you practice articulating your rhetorical choices,
which will enable you to become better composers and designers. Your final project involves a
class presentation, which will test your public speaking skills and effective use of presentation
aids, such as PowerPoint and Prezi. It will also give you the opportunity to receive feedback
from the class. At the end of the semester you will submit a final portfolio in lieu of a final
examination for this course; the portfolio will be submitted in the form of a “web essay.”
Collaborative Assignments: This semester you will work in groups to create web pages. Your
grade will be based on the strength of your argument and rhetorical choices, but also on how well
your group is able to create a seamless, coherent webpage, despite the many hands involved.
This semester you will also participate in peer-review workshops in class after every major
assignment; you will collaborate with your classmates to work towards articulating your
arguments more effectively. Consider these workshops “freebies”: instead of turning in the
assignment directly to me for a grade, you first get to run it by your peers to get other opinions,
and you’ll have time to revise before the project is due.
Course Policies & University Policies:
Late Policy:
Assignments must be turned in on time. A project’s grade drops by one letter grade for every day
(not class period) it is late. Due dates and times are clearly listed on the syllabus and the “course
calendar” pdf on elms. If a project is turned in on the day it is due, but after the time listed, points
will be deducted. Furthermore, be aware that if you turn a paper/project in late, I might not be
able to grade it and give it back to you in enough time for you to learn from my comments.
Attendance:
The University expects each student to take full responsibility for his or her academic work and
academic progress. Students are expected to attend classes regularly to gain command of the
concepts and materials of this course.
Lack of attendance will adversely affect your ability to participate in class discussions and thus
your participation grade. If you miss a class, you miss the explanation of an assignment, the
clarification of a writing strategy, an in-class exercise, a quiz, a chance to have your draft
critiqued by another student, or an opportunity to help someone else improve. This multimodal
course includes a lab component, and you will need to keep up. You are responsible for what
goes on in class, whether you are present or not; if you are absent, seek out another student for an
explanation of what was covered that day.
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Excused Absences:
The University excuses absences for certain reasons (illness, representing the University at
certain events, religious observance, and the death or serious illness of an immediate family
member), provided the cause of absence is appropriately documented. Those participating in
sports and activities are excused only with proper documentation in the form of signed notes
from coaches or faculty sponsors.
If you have, or will have an excused absence, let me know ahead of time or as soon as possible.
For absences for religious observance, or if you need an extension on an assignment due to
religious observance, please notify me as soon as possible at the beginning of the semester.
Documentation for excused absences must be presented no later than the first class period after
your return to class.
Tardiness:
You are expected to be in class on time. In the first few minutes of class, I make important
announcements and establish the agenda for the class meeting. I may also begin important
lessons, introduce new software, or field questions about the subject matter. If you come in after
I start class, even by only a few minutes, you are late and I will mark you as such. Excessive
tardiness does affect your participation grade.
Computer and Cell Phone Policy:
Computers will be an integral part of this course and all of our classes will meet in a computer
lab. For that reason, I am asking that you do not bring your personal computers to class unless
you speak with me in advance and provide rationale for bringing your own. All of the work that
you do in class can be saved to a folder that is accessible to you at home; as an alternative, you
can save all your work to a flash drive or Gmail.
Please do not abuse your access to these computers—emailing, web surfing, IMing,
Facebooking, etc. should always be directly related to class activities. Cell phone use is
inappropriate during class time, unless we are using them for class activities. Otherwise, please
put your cell phones on “silent” prior to entering the classroom. Speak with me before class if
you are expecting an important phone call.
University Closings:
In the event of inclement weather and a University closing, look to ELMS for instructions
regarding missed class time. Attendance will be taken based on your online participation.
The Writing Center:
The Writing Center is open five days a week in Tawes 1205.
Hours of operation for this semester are as follows:
Monday – Thursday: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (by appt.);
Friday: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. (by appt.)
Monday – Wednesday 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. (walk-in only)
Saturday and Sunday: CLOSED
The Writing Center has a satellite location in McKeldin Library (2101):
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Tuesday & Wednesday 2-4 p.m. and 5–8 p.m. (no appt. necessary)
To be assured of seeing a consultant, please visit The Writing Center Web site:
< http://www.english.umd.edu/academics/writingcenter > to register online and make an
appointment. You can also call during business hours: 301-405-3785
Academic Integrity and Honor Code:
The University of Maryland, College Park, has a nationally recognized Code of Academic
Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic
integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student, you are
responsible for upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for you to be aware
of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism.
For more information on Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit the
following URL: < http://www.shc.umd.edu >
Plagiarism, whether it is submitting someone else’s work as your own, submitting your own
work completed for another class without my permission, or otherwise violating the University’s
code of Academic Integrity, will not be tolerated. To further exhibit your commitment to
academic integrity, remember to sign the Honor Pledge on all examinations and assignments: ―I
pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this
examination (or assignment).
Special Needs:
Please speak with me as soon as possible if you have a registered disability that will require
accommodation; I would like to ensure that your needs are adequately met, and the sooner I
know, the more I can assist. Speaking with me after class would be a good option. Alternately,
you can stop by during my office hour listed above, and if that time doesn’t work, you can email
me and make an appointment. Please do not wait until the middle of the semester to notify me of
a registered disability, as I will be less able to make accommodations at that point.
If you have a disability and have not yet registered it with Disability Support Services in the 4th
floor of Susquehanna Hall (301-314-7682), you should do so immediately.
Learning Outcomes:
The advent of digital communication technologies, largely based around the Internet, requires
that we expand our concept of what it means to be a literate member of society—a society in
which printed texts are no longer privileged. Many theorists agree that the way we construct
knowledge is evolving. This class is designed to familiarize you with the digital literacies
comprising the interwoven textual, visual, and aural mediums of contemporary communication.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1.) Demonstrate an ability to select, critically evaluate, and apply relevant areas of
scholarship to both evaluate and create texts using new media technologies.
2.) Articulate the processes required to successfully deploy arguments in different genres,
from planning, modeling, and preparing, to critiquing, revising and perfecting.
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3.) Demonstrate an ability to critique existing applications of scholarship pertaining to visual
and digital rhetorics and communication theory, in order to learn from past successes and
failures.
4.) Demonstrate an ability to collaborate using new media technologies to design effective
multimodal texts.
5.) Recognize how an application of scholarship impacts or is impacted by political, social,
cultural, economic or ethical dimensions by conducting extensive research.
6.) Produce several original analyses and creative projects using new media technologies that
reflect knowledge of the programs used and the fields of visual and digital rhetorics and
communication theory.
7.) Effectively communicate the application of visual communication and design theories
through written, oral, visual, and digital material (or all modes combined).
In addition to these outcomes, students will also be able to:
1.) Demonstrate familiarity and facility with fundamental terminology and concepts in visual
and digital rhetorics and communication theory.
2.) Demonstrate understanding of the methods used by scholars in visual and digital rhetorics
and communication.
3.) Demonstrate critical thinking in the evaluation of sources and arguments in texts and in
the evaluation of approaches and techniques in multimodal presentations.
4.) Describe how the use of language, visuals, and digital technologies is related to ways of
thinking, cultural heritage, and cultural values.
5.) Conduct research on topics in the humanities and across disciplinary boundaries using a
variety of sources and new media technologies.
6.) Demonstrate the ability to formulate a thesis related to a topic of research and to support
the thesis with evidence and argumentation through textual, visual, and digital modes of
communication.
7.) Demonstrate understanding of the creative process and techniques used by practitioners
in the fields of visual and digital rhetorics and communication.
In summary, to function as productive, literate members of an increasingly digital world, writers
will need to be able to read, analyze, and ultimately create their own multimodal (use of more
than one mode of communication) arguments. No matter what technological expertise you bring
with you to our class, you will walk away having learned about the persuasive capacity of
various new media texts and be in a better position to compose multimodal documents
individually and collaboratively.
Course Foundations:
This is first and foremost a course grounded in rhetorical theory, and we will spend time at the
beginning of the semester reviewing rhetorical concepts. Exploring the intersections of rhetoric
& composition with technology, you will learn to present a position, build an argument,
anticipate your audience(s), and provide persuasive evidence to show how rhetorical principles
operate across mediums. By first studying how others have used various technologies for
composing arguments, determining the rhetorical affordances of each medium, you will be in a
position to immerse yourselves in the technology and to create persuasive multimodal
documents. You will select a topic that you are passionate about and develop that issue
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throughout the semester. The topic will be revised several times across an array of media, each
project building upon the last and culminating in the creation of a “web essay” that will
incorporate all of their previous assignments.
We will view new technologies with a critical eye to analyze how composition and rhetoric are
changing, if at all, to meet the demands of our expanding toolbox. The following questions will
be central to our projects in this course: What are the available means of persuasion of new
technologies? Do any rhetorical concepts need to be redefined for the 21st century? How do we
evaluate the persuasiveness of visual/digital/aural (in short: non-textual) documents? What
vocabulary is needed to best describe multimodal compositions?
Schedule of Meetings:
This syllabus is subject to change. Any changes will be announced in class, and students are
responsible for keeping up with such changes. In addition to the readings listed here, further
readings may be assigned from handouts distributed in class and from online sources. Readings
are due on the day they are marked; however, assignments have specific due dates listed with
them that are not always on typical class days. For a clearer picture of assignment due dates, you
can refer to the course calendar on our elms (blackboard) page.
WEEK I:
W
8/31
IN CLASS
Course Overview
Syllabus and Course Policies, to
be distributed.
Overview of assignments &
themes
READINGS DUE
ASSIGNMENTS DUE
[see W, 9/7, for
Readings due next
class meeting]
WEEK II:
IN CLASS
READINGS DUE
No Class: Labor Day
[see W, 9/7, for
Readings due next
class meeting]
M
9/5
W
9/7
Visual Literacy
Digital / Multimodal Writing
Hand out Assignment #1
(Traditional Essay, Annotated
Bibliography, & Research
Proposal)
-Visual Culture
-Elements of
critical viewing
- New media texts
-The Landscape of
ASSIGNMENTS DUE
Blog #1: Literacy Narrative,
posted to Blackboard by Monday
9/5/11 no later than 3 pm
Topic selections emailed to me by
Monday 9/5/11 no later than 3
pm.
Emailed to me no later than
5pm on Sunday 9/11:
1.) Annotated bibliography of 5
sources on your selected topic
2.) Proposal (1-2 well-developed
paragraphs) for your traditional
essay. State your argument
relative to the sources you found.
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Digital Writing
WEEK III: *******NOTE: Schedule Adjustment Period ENDS 9/14********
M
- Visual
9/12
intelligence
Visual Literacy
Research & Composition
Conventions
-Designing
composition
rhetorically
- Invention
W
9/14
Conducting Research
Hand out Assignment #2: Visual
Essay
-Researching &
evaluating sources
Blog #2: Visual Rhetoric,
posted to Blackboard no later
than 9pm on Sunday 9/18
-Link to
“plagiarism”
- Academic essay
conventions
-Rhetorical
Triangle
-Stases
Week IV:
M
9/19
IN CLASS
Rhetoric Review
Visual Rhetoric
READINGS DUE
ASSIGNMENTS DUE
- Can Visuals
Argue?
Analyzing Advertisements
-“Reading” Images
Web interfaces
-The meaning of
[visual]
composition
- Visual Theory
W
9/21
Visual Rhetoric Cont’d
-Visual Rhetoric
Lab: Paint.net, etc.
-Medium &
Arrangement
Final Draft of Traditional Essay
emailed to me by 3 pm (before
class today)
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WEEK V:
IN CLASS
READINGS DUE
Visual Rhetoric Con’d
-Photo-shopping:
Camera Phone
Practices
M
9/26
- Image
Manipulation
W
9/28
Workshop Visual Essay
ASSIGNMENTS DUE
Keep working on visual essay
Rough Draft of Visual Essay
due by 5pm on Tues 9/27: sent to
group members
Answer preliminary research
questions: emailed to me by 3pm
(before class today). Have them
ready to discuss at the workshop.
Week VI:
M
10/3
IN CLASS
Rhetoric: Oration
Hand out Assignment #3
(Audacity Project)
READINGS DUE
-Cicero’s Classical
Canons
-Parts of a full
argument
-Considering
Audience
W
10/5
ASSIGNMENTS DUE
Final Draft of Visual Essay &
reflection essay, sent by 3pm
(before class today).
Blog #3: Auditory Rhetoric
posted to Blackboard no later
than 9pm on Tuesday 10/4/11
Rhetorical Analysis: podcasts, etc.
Rhetoric: Oration
Elements of Public Speaking
-Podcast
advertising
- Crafting Digital
Media: Audacity
Lab: Audacity
Week VII:
IN CLASS
M
10/10
READINGS DUE
-Newswriting tips
Audacity
-Writing for the
spoken word
-Delivery
W
ASSIGNMENTS DUE
Rough draft of script emailed to
me by 3pm (before class today)
Rough Draft of Audacity
Project, sent to group members
by 5pm on Tues 10/11
10
10/12
Workshop Audacity Project
Week VIII:
IN CLASS
M
10/17
Collaborative Work
Answer preliminary research
questions: emailed to me by 3pm
(before class today). Have them
ready to discuss at the workshop.
READINGS DUE
ASSIGNMENTS DUE
-Links to
“Collaboration”
Final Draft of Audacity Project
& reflection essay sent by 3pm
(before class today)
Creating a webpage
Hand out Collaborative
Assignment
W
10/19
Collaborative work
Blog #4 : The Rhetoric of
Website Design/Videos, posted to
Blackboard no later than 9pm
on Tuesday 10/18
-The Web as a
rhetorical place
Websites as academic essays
Analyzing Wikis, blogs
Group Proposal: Topic, thesis,
& responsibilities, emailed to me
by 5pm on Sunday 10/23
Embedding video & audio
Week IX:
IN CLASS
M
10/24
W
10/26
READINGS DUE
ASSIGNMENTS DUE
Group Projects
See above (10/19)
Group Projects
Continue to work on group
projects
Week X:
IN CLASS
M
10/31
Hand out Assignment #4:
Presentation
Presentation software
READINGS DUE
ASSIGNMENTS DUE
Group Projects &
Collaborative Reflective Essay
Due by 3pm
11
W
11/2
Presentation software
Tufte’s “Principles
of analytical
design”
Design analysis
“Visual rhetoric
ethics”: Manning &
Amare
Tufte ppt article
(link in word doc)
1.) Blog #5: Presentation
posted to Blackboard no
later than 5 pm on
Friday 11/4
2.) Revised Annotated
Bibliography and
3.) Research Proposal,
emailed to me by 5pm on
Sunday 11/6
Week XI:
IN CLASS
READINGS DUE
M
11/7
ASSIGNMENTS DUE
(see above 11/2)
Individual Conferences
Be prepared to discuss your plans
for the presentation.
W
11/9
Individual Conferences
Be prepared to discuss your plans
for the presentation.
Week XII:
IN CLASS
M
11/14
Presentation Software
READINGS DUE
“Synergy in
presentation
slides”: Markel
Design analysis
-Design of
Presentation Slides
-[Polonsky &
Waller]: Making
Oral Presentations
W
11/16
Crafting Audio/visual
Presentations
-Speech
Presentation
ASSIGNMENTS DUE
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Design analysis
-Stand and Deliver
Lab: PowerPoint/Prezi
-Public Speaking
-Using ethos &
logos in a
presentation
-Preparing to
deliver a
presentation
Week XIII:
IN CLASS
M
11/21
Presentations
READINGS DUE
ASSIGNMENTS DUE
Reflective Essay due on date of
presentation by 3pm (emailed
to me)
Hand out assignment #5:
Final Portfolio
W
11/23
Work on your presentations and
final portfolio
No Class: Thanksgiving Break
Week XIV:
IN CLASS
M
11/28
Presentations
W
11/30
READINGS DUE
ASSIGNMENTS DUE
Reflective Essay due on date of
presentation by 3pm (emailed
to me)
Presentations
Reflective Essay due on date of
presentation by 3pm (emailed
to me)
Work on final portfolio
Week XV:
IN CLASS
M
12/5
Presentations
READINGS DUE
ASSIGNMENTS DUE
Reflective Essay due on date of
presentation by 3pm (emailed
to me)
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Work on final portfolio
W
12/7
Final Portfolio Discussion
Work on final portfolio
Lab work
Week XVI:
IN CLASS
M
12/12
Course Wrap-up
Course Evaluations Distributed
Names and Contact Info of Classmates:
1.)
2.)
3.)
READINGS DUE
ASSIGNMENTS DUE
Final Portfolio due by 3pm
today