Digital Writing & Publishing | Spring 15

Course:

Holmes

English 3120 / CRN 17712

Tuesdays CLSO 303 11:00 12:15 + Significant online content

Instructor:

Dr. Ashley J. Holmes / 25 Park Place, Room 2430

aholmes@gsu.edu / 404-413-5831

Websites:

http://d2l.gsu.edu (syllabus, readings, and assignment submission)

http://3120sp15.wordpress.com/ (syllabus, assignment descriptions)

Office Hours:

In-Person: By appointment only. Email or see me before class to

schedule.
Virtual Office Hours: Wednesdays 9:30 11:30 AM
During virtual office hours, I will be available online or for phone
conferences. I will be logged-in to my GSU email account to respond
quickly to emails, and I will also be available for instant message chatting
or video conferencing (via Google+ or Skype). Email me if youd like to
coordinate a virtual chat or video conference.

Non-Major
Prerequisite:

English 1102 or English 1103 with grade of C or higher.

The course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary.
Course Description & Objectives
This course involves the study and practice of writing and publishing in digital contexts through
the use of new media, web 2.0, and mobile technologies. Students will learn foundational
concepts of new media theory and will explore critical questions about the ways in which
technologies impact how we write, publish, and interact with others. Course assignments prompt
students to analyze the rhetorical complexities of digital writing and publishing and to apply their
knowledge of new media theory to specific contexts. The course readings, discussions,
experiences, and assignments will provide students with the tools to do the following:
Analyze social, political, cultural, and historical aspects of digital writing and publishing.
Develop a rhetorical sense of audience, purpose, context, and genre for a range of
digital writing and publishing situations.
Develop skills to write and publish using a range of technologies, such as wikis, blogs,
social networking sites, and/or websites.
Apply principles of style and design within digital writing and publishing contexts.
Work individually and collaboratively to conduct research and to compose multimodal
projects.
Hybrid Course Design
This course is designed as a hybrid, which means instead of meeting face-to-face for 75
minutes twice weekly we will meet face-to-face once weekly for 75 minutes, and the material
that we would have completed during the other class session will be completed through online
and field-based assignments that do not require you to meet in our classroom. The projectbased nature of English 3120 assignments, however, is complemented by allotting time for
independent and collaborative research, writing, and technology practice. This is not a lecturebased course, and a significant portion of our class time will be spent composing and designing
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digital texts. On the days when we do not meet face-to-face for class, you will complete
assignments such as writing on your blog or posting assignments to D2L.
In my past experiences teaching hybrid courses, students have enjoyed the flexibility of the
schedule and the time it affords for working independently, as well as having the ability to more
deeply focus on assignments out of class. However, students have also noted unexpected
challenges of the hybrid design that you should be aware of in advance:
Much of the online work entails independent short assignments, and you will need to
stay on top of tasks to be completed and due dates/times.
Avoid waiting until the last minute to complete all of your online assignments.
It is ideal to set aside a block of time, as though we were meeting for another 75 minutes
during the week, to complete your online assignments.
You may need to seek additional, outside help with technology troubleshooting.
Disclaimers
This is not a how-to class for building a website or learning a particular software program, and
this is not a computer science or computer technology class. One of the challenges of this
course is that though we will not study the technical skills of web development, many of these
skills will be necessary to successfully complete course assignments. You do not need to have
any previous experience or technical skills in digital writing and publishing. However, you may
not be happy in this course if you do not have basic computer knowledge and if you are not
willing to spend some of your time online and take the initiative to experiment with and learn
programs that are new to you.
Required Texts, Materials, and Access
You will need the following to complete various assignments for this course:
consistent access to a computer with an Internet connection,
a GSU email account that you check often, and
access to GSUs Desire 2 Learn (D2L).
You are also required to purchase (or rent) the following textbooks, which are available at
GSUs bookstore or online. You may choose to purchase (or rent) digital copies of these books,
as long as you can access the material during class discussions (via website or mobile device).
Arola, Kristin L., Jennifer Shepherd, and Cheryl E. Ball. Writer/Designer. New York: Bedford St.
Martin's, 2014.
Carroll, Brian. Writing for Digital Media. New York: Routledge, 2010. Print.
Writing for Digital Media is also available for free as an e-book through GSUs library; the only
drawback to using the free e-book is that only a limited number of users can access the book at
the same time. In other words, if you and 10 of your classmates try to read a chapter at the
same time, not all of you would be able to open the book through GSUs library.
Note: It is my expectation that you will have copies of these textbooks by the second week of
class. Please let me know if you have trouble obtaining a copy by that time and/or make other
arrangements to access the readings until you are able to obtain your own copy.

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Course Assignments
Digital Mapping Multimodal Project

25%

Blog

15%

Exam (Tuesday after Spring Break)

15%

Social Media Research & Infographic Project

25%

Online and In-Class Participation Assignments

20%
Because half of your class time will be replaced with online assignments, it is absolutely
essential that you complete these out-of-class assignments. Therefore, I am assigning a
higher than usual percentage of your course grade to your participation grade. See
explanation of these assignments under Grading Policy.
Course Policies
Grading Policy
You will receive a plus/minus letter grade on your Digital Mapping and Infographic projects, and
you will receive a numerical grade out of 100 for your exam. See the blog assignment sheet for
an explanation of assessment and points.
Your Online and In-Class Participation assignments will be evaluated as pass/fail based on
whether you follow the directions, complete the assignment fully, and submit in the correct
format and on time. In addition to hybrid day assignments such as posting an assignment to the
D2L dropbox, this portion of your grade will also include in-class participation assignments such
as in-class writing, peer review, reading quizzes, and homework. The total 20% of your grade
will be distributed evenly among this set of short assignments, and you will be able to keep track
of your grades on the D2L gradebook.
I will do my best to keep your grades updated on D2L; however, it is ultimately your
responsibility to keep up with your grades, absences, etc. Feel free to inquire at any time.
Grading Scale
A+ 97 - 100%, A 93 - 96%, A- 90 - 92%, B+ 87 - 89%, B 83 - 86%, B- 80 - 82%,
C+ 77 - 79%, C 73 - 76%, C- 70 - 72%, D+ 67 - 69%, D 63 - 66%, D- 60 - 62%, F 59% - 0%
Attendance Policy
Because we will not meet face-to-face for every class session, your attendance and participation
are particularly important on the days that we do meet together in our classroom. I expect you to
arrive on time, stay through the entire class time, and be prepared by having completed
assigned readings and writing. For all face-to-face class sessions, I will take attendance and will
apply the following policy to absences:

You will be allowed TWO absences, excused or unexcused, for face-to-face meetings
during the entire semester.
These absences can be used in the case of sickness, family events, school related
functions, work-related issues, or unexpected circumstances.
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Your final grade will be lowered by one third of a letter grade for each day missed over
two. In other words, if you earn an A- in the course but have two absences, your final
grade would be a B+. You are responsible for any material you missed during class. If
you miss more than half of a face-to-face class session (arriving late or departing early),
you will be counted absent.

Midpoint is March 3rd. Students wishing to withdraw should do so before March 3rd date in order
to receive a grade of W for the course.
Late Work and Extensions
Course projects are due at the specified time on the date stated on the schedule (see D2L for
the most up-to-date schedule). If you foresee not being able to submit an assignment on time,
please contact me in advance to inquire about an extension. Hybrid and participation
assignments, which are evaluated as pass/fail, will not be accepted late.
If you submit a major project late, without an approved extension, your grade will be deducted
one third of a letter grade per calendar day, which includes days that we do not meet for class.
In other words a B would fall to a B- if late one calendar day.
I would much rather you submit an assignment late than not at all, so please contact me if you
are having a difficult time submitting an assignment; we can typically work out an arrangement
so that you do not receive a zero for the assignment.
Submission Policies
You will be asked to submit your work in various forms (e.g., print copy, email, blog, D2L, using
forms of social media). Please follow all stated instructions for how, when, and where to submit
your assignments for this course and ask questions if you are unsure or confused.
Make-Up Examination Policy
I will allow make-up examinations only for students who have more than two universityscheduled exams within a 24-hour period. If this applies to you, you need to let me know as
soon as possible, and no later than one week prior to the final examination date, so that we can
make the necessary arrangements.
Academic Honesty
As members of the academic community, students are expected to recognize and uphold
standards of intellectual and academic integrity. The university assumes as a basic and
minimum standard of conduct in academic matters that students be honest and that they submit
for credit only the products of their own efforts. According to GSUs handbook, dishonorable
conduct includes plagiarism, cheating, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and multiple
submissions of your academic work. For specific examples and definitions of each of these
forms of conduct, please see the Policy on Academic Honesty, section 409 in the Faculty
Handbook: http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwfhb/fhb.html.
In our course, you should be particularly mindful of issues related to plagiarism. GSU defines
plagiarism as follows: Plagiarism is presenting another person's work as one's own. Plagiarism
includes any paraphrasing or summarizing of the works of another person without
acknowledgment, including the submitting of another student's work as one's own. This policy
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also applies to digital and online resources that you may use in the digital projects you create for
our class. Always keep track of where you obtained your images, text, music, etc. and be sure
to cite or attribute anything that you did not create entirely yourself.
Course Assessment
Your constructive assessment of this course plays an indispensable role in shaping education at
Georgia State. Upon completing the course, please take time to fill out the online course
evaluation.
Accommodations
Students who wish to request accommodation for a disability may do so by registering with the
Office of Disability Services. Students may only be accommodated upon issuance by the Office
of Disability Services of a signed Accommodation Plan and are responsible for providing a copy
of that plan to instructors of all classes in which accommodations are sought.
English Major Senior Portfolios
The English department at GSU requires an exit portfolio of all students graduating with a
degree in English. Ideally, students should work on this every semester, selecting 1-2 papers or
projects from each course and revising them, with direction from faculty members. The portfolio
includes revised work and a reflective essay about what youve learned. Each concentration
(literature, creative writing, rhetoric/composition, and secondary education) within the major may
have specific items to place in the portfolio, so be sure to check for the requirements relevant to
your concentration. Contact the English office, an advisor or Dr. Dobranski (Director of
Undergraduate Studies) for due dates and additional information.
Campus Resources for Writing and Technology
The Writing Studio
GCB 976, Phone # 404-413-5840, http://www.writingstudio.gsu.edu/
The purpose of the Writing Studio is to enhance the writing instruction that happens in academic
classrooms, by providing undergraduate and graduate students with an experienced reader who
engages them in conversation about their writing assignments and ideas, and familiarizes them
with audience expectations and academic genre conventions. We focus on the rhetorical
aspects of texts, and provide one-on-one, student-centered teaching that corresponds to each
writers composing process, especially invention and revising. We do not provide editing or
proofreading services. We aim to create better writers, not perfect papers, so we address
works-in-progress in tutorials, and not finished texts.
The Digital Aquarium
Student Center 390, Phone 404-413-4730, http://www.gsu.edu/aquarium/
The Digital Aquarium is an open-access multimedia computer lab, providing high-end
workstations for all Georgia State University students, regardless of their academic major.
Resources include 3D, video, audio, graphic design and animation tools that allow students to
develop music, movies, interactive media, web sites and virtual worlds and to replace traditional
Word documents and PowerPoint presentations with interactive websites, DVD videos, audio
CDs, and podcasts.

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Instructional Technology Center
College of Education Building, 2nd floor, http://itc.gsu.edu/
The Instructional Technology Center (ITC) is designed for faculty, students, and Pre-K-12
educators to encourage and support technology confidence and expertise in the areas of
teaching, collaboration, and consultation. Open to all GSU students; check website for hours.
Computer Labs on GSUs Campus
http://technology.gsu.edu/technology-services/it-services/labs-and-classrooms/computer-labs/
A listing of public and open computer labs on GSUs campus with hours and locations.
The Exchange Technology Training Workshops
Phone # 404-413-4700, http://technology.gsu.edu/technology-services/it-services/training-andlearning-resources/technology-training-workshops/
Students arent permitted to use the computers in the Exchange, but they can attend the
workshops offered in the Classroom South building. See their website for details.
GSU Help Center http://www.gsu.edu/help/
The IS&T Help Center provides Georgia State University faculty and staff with support for
software, hardware, telecommunications and network issues. If we cannot resolve your
issue, we will assign it to the appropriate IS&T department.
Online Training & Lynda http://www.gsu.edu/ist/training/index.html
Online tutorial videos on various software programs; free to GSU students. When off-campus,
you will need to connect via the Virtual Private Network (VPN)see below.
GSU VPN http://www.gsu.edu/help/25697.html
Use the Virtual Private Network (VPN) to connect to the university network from off campus and
access resources only available from within the network, including library applications such as
GALILEO and technical resources such as Georgia State accounts for lynda.com.
Course Schedule

Week 1

This course schedule is subject to changes, especially during the last half of the term. This
calendar does not include all of the out-of-class assignments that will be due between class
sessions. Please check the schedule on D2L for the most up-to-date version of the schedule of
readings, assignments, and due dates.
Day

Topics

Tues.,
Jan. 13th
Fri.,
Jan. 16th

Course Introductions & Syllabus

Convergence

Assignments Due
By start of class on Tuesdays, OR
By midnight on Fridays

Read: Convergence and Its

Consequences, by Pavlik and
McIntosh (D2L)
Write: In 1-2 paragraphs, answer
question #1 on page 67 of the reading
(D2L dropbox submission).
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Week 2

Tues.,
Jan. 20th

Digital v. Analog Media

Fri.,
Jan. 23rd

Practice analysis of digital texts

Read: Writing for Digital Media

Chapter 2, pages 23-50 (textbook)
Write: Tweet summary (see D2L for
detailed instructions)
Post: Post your Tweet summary to
collaborative Google doc (see D2L).
Browse: The Chauncey Bailey Project
website referenced in Chapter 2:
http://www.chaunceybaileyproject.org/
Write: 250-500 word analysis of
website (See instructions on D2L and
post to dropbox.)

Unit 1: Multimodality & Digital Mapping

Week 3

Tues.,
Jan. 27th

Week 5

Week 4

Fri.,
Jan. 30th

Multimodality
Practice analyzing the
rhetorical situation and design
choices in multimodal texts
Introduce Digital Mapping
Multimodal Project
Begin visiting locations and
brainstorming topic ideas for
digital mapping project.

Tues.,
Feb. 3rd

Genre Considerations &

Copyright

Fri.,
Feb. 6th

Continue visiting locations for

digital mapping project.

Tues.,
Feb. 10th

Storyboards & Mock-Ups

Fri.,
Feb. 13th

Work on draft of digital mapping

project.

Read: Writer/Designer Chapters 1 and

2, pages 1-39
Collect Examples: Start the
write/design assignment on page 19.
Collect 4 examples and bring to class
(see D2L for detailed instructions).
Write: Freewrite about ideas for digital
mapping project. Post a 250-500 word
freewrite to the D2L dropbox.
Read: Writer/Designer Chapters 3 and
4, pages 40-76
Write: Complete the first part of the
write/design assignment on page 56,
which asks you to prepare a pitch.
(D2L Dropbox)
Write on Location: Post a 250-word
reflection and corresponding picture
from one of the locations you are
considering including on your digital
map.
Skim: Writer/Designer pages 77-81,
excerpt from Chapter 5 on
Assembling Your Technologies
Read: Writer/Designer Chapter 6,
pages 93-105
Write: Complete the write/design
assignment on page 99.
Write on Location: Post a 250-word
reflection and corresponding picture
from another location.

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Week 6

Tues.,
Feb. 17th

Peer Review

Due: Draft of digital mapping project due

in class for peer review.
Bring: Writer/Designer textbook.

Fri.,
Feb. 20th

Digital Mapping Project Due

Due: Final draft of digital mapping

project due as a link in D2L dropbox.

Week 9

Week 8

Week 7

Unit 2: Digital Writing Style & Blog Publishing

Tues.,
Feb. 24th

Fri.,
Feb. 27th
Tues.,
Mar. 3rd

Blogging
Introduce blog assignment.
Brainstorm blog topics.
Create blogs.

Blog: Post 1 due.

Complete WordPress scavenger hunt.
Read: Writing for Digital Media,
Chapter 3, pages 57-72.
Blog: Post 2 due.
Blog: Post 3 due.

Screenwriting
MIDPOINT

Fri.,
Mar. 6th
Tues.,
Mar. 10th

Read: Writing for Digital Media,

Chapter 7, pages 137-167

Headlines & Hypertext

Fri.,
Mar. 13th

Read: Writing for Digital Media,

Chapter 4, pages 73-96.
Blog: Post 4 due.
Blog: Post 5 due.
Review: Exam review sheet.

Week 10

Spring Break, Mar. 16th - 22nd

Tues.,
Mar. 24th

Exam

Fri.,
Mar. 27th

No homework due; study for exam.

Assignments TBA.

Week 12

Week 11

Unit 3: Digital Writing Style & Blog Publishing

Tues.,
Mar. 31st
Fri.,
Apr. 3rd

Social Media Research

Introduce Infographic Project
Begin designing social media
research project.

Assignments TBA.

Tues.,
Apr. 7th

Infographics & Social Media

Research
Working with data.
Analyzing infographics.
Collect social media research
data.

Assignments TBA.

Fri., Apr.
10th

Assignments TBA.

Assignments TBA.

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Week 14

Week 13

Tues.,
Apr. 14th
Fri., Apr.
17th
Tues.,
Apr. 21st
Fri., Apr.
24th

Infographics
In-class production and
drafting.
Continued work on infographics.

Bring materials to work on your

infographics in class.

Peer Review
Last day of class.

Due: Draft of infographic for peer

review.

Infographic Project Due

Due: Final, revised draft of infographic

project due as a submission to D2L.

Assignments TBA.

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