WRTC 355: Digital Rhetoric

WRTC 355: Digital RhetoricThe School of Writing, Rhetoric,and Technical CommunicationDr. Pavel Zemlianskypzemliansky@gmail.com; zemliapx@jmu.eduOffice phone: 8-7056Office: Harrison 2285Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 8-9.30am, 11am-12.30pm, and by appointment

Course Catalog Description

A research and writing intensive course devoted to the theory and practice of rhetoric indigital environments. Students will examine current philosophies and approaches to digitaland multimedia composing and develop multimedia, multi-genre, and interactive works.

Course Goals and Objectives

By the end of the course, students will:

• Understand differences between "traditional" (classical and contemporary) and"digital" rhetorical theories and practices

• Be able to apply those theories and differences to persuasion and communication indigital environments

• Conceptualize, design, and build prototypes of digital persuasive artifacts informedby theory and sound practice

Course Texts and Other Requirements

All students are required to purchase/have access to the following texts and materials

• Reliable and regular access to the Internet• Rhetoric Online: Persuasion and Politics on the World Wide Web, by Barbara

Warnick• Exploring Multimedia for Designers, by Ray Villalobos• Various readings posted online

Course Projects

Please follow the links on the class website for more information about each of this course's

major projects. Please note that minor changes in each project's requirements are possibledepending on the progress of the class. Please check the calendar often and let me know ifyou have any questions.

• On-Going Blog Assignment (1-2 blog posts per week + comments on blog posts byothers will be required. 20%

• Short Theory Paper (3-4 pages) 10%• Leading the class discussion on assigned readings, with a partner (twice during the

semester, schedule TBD). 20% total, 10% each session• Multimedia Text Prototype, Analysis, and Presentation (TBA by the student in

consultation with the instructor). These projects will be published online 30%• In-class Participation 20%

Attendance

I take attendance and it is mandatory. You are allowed 2 absences for the semester, withno questions asked. Any unexcused absence after these two will result in the deduction of1/2 letter grade from your participation grade

Guest Speakers

Throughout the semester, we will have the privilege to be visited by several guest speakers.These speakers are scholars who are experts in several areas of digital rhetoric: authorship,new media, information technologies, etc.

Course Outline

Unit 1: Prequel to Digital Rhetoric

Week 1-2. Overview of classical and contemporary (traditional) rhetoricsWeeks 3-4: Text, author, readers, texts as property. Guest speaker: Dr. TraciZimmerman

Unit 2: Definitions and Key Concepts

Week 5: Towards theories of digital rhetoric (Zappen, Pavlik, and Warnick). ProceduralRhetoricWeeks 6-7: media, modes, and persuasion in digital environments (Warnick and Villalobos).Guest speaker: Mary Ann ChappellWeek 8: Begin working on the theory paper

Unit 3: Genres, texts, and manifestations in the academe and the professions

Weeks 9-10: Warnick, Villalobos. Theory paper due end of week 10.Week 11: Theory application paper due

Unit 4: Project work

Week 11: Project ProposalWeek 12: First version publishedWeeks 13-14: feedback, revision, second and final version due end of week 14.Week 15: Project Presentations