Course Syllabus

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Course Overview:

Basic Information:

Number: ENG 314-003
Time & Location: Online
Instructor: Dr. Jeremy Tirrell
Office: MO 161
Office Hours: T, W, TH 1:00–3:00 (and by email or appointment)

Description:

ENG 314—Digital Composing
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite: ENG 204, SEC 205, or consent of instructor. Study of the intersection between writing and technology, including Web page creation, documentation, usability, desktop publishing, and the use of graphics with text. Partially satisfies University Studies IV: Building Competencies/Writing Intensive.

Students in this course will explore how digital technology shapes composition practices through critical engagement with new media formats. Students will have the opportunity to use a variety of design applications and network services to analyze and produce multimedia works including interactive maps and podcasts. Course readings will explore new media theory and practice.

Format:

This course is completely online and delivered through Canvas. Students will use this site to access all course materials and submit all assignments. Because of this course's online format, students must have access to an online computing device and a reliable internet connection. Computer problems are not valid excuses for incomplete coursework. Students should practice the core principle of digital data hygiene: redundant backup. Digital technology will fail; students should be prepared for that eventuality. If Canvas experiences outages or other issues, the instructor will make the necessary curricular exceptions.

Compared to a standard face-to-face section, this course requires students to be more autonomous and more comfortable with online interaction. The advantage of this format is that students have more agency and scheduling flexibility, but students should be aware that they will be thoroughly responsible for their own success.

Structure:

Although this is an online course, it is not self paced. The course is broken into weekly units, and the class will maintain a shared sense of progress while exploring the subject matter. All assignments will be due before midnight on Sunday of the corresponding week. Class video discussions will occur on Mondays at 3:00 p.m. Students are encouraged to participate in class video discussions, but recordings will be provided on this site for those who cannot.

Professionalism:

All class members are expected to treat each other with appropriate courtesy and decorum, and all coursework should be completed in a thorough, timely fashion. All written materials should conform to the conventions of Edited American English. All class members must follow the policies in this syllabus, so students should read them thoroughly. Any questions may be directed to the instructor.

Learning Outcomes:

To complete this course successfully, students should demonstrate the ability to:

  • understand core principles of digital design and apply them to a variety of contexts and formats
  • discern and analyze the social and ethical contexts of design decisions, and to be able to make informed design decisions based upon those factors
  • comprehend the histories and theories behind effective design and visual rhetoric
  • write about design choices by situating production within thoughtfully-defined situations

Required Materials:

No textbook purchase is required for this course; materials will be provided electronically. Students must obtain a Google Account and have access to the free, open source application Audacity and the Adobe Creative Cloud suite (which is available to all UNCW students without cost).

Course Policies:

Academic Integrity:

All UNCW community members are expected to adhere to the guidelines set forth in the UNCW Student Academic Honor Code. Students are expected to produce original work in this course. Collaboration and incorporation of external material and ideas into original work is of course necessary and acceptable, but all designers are ethically obliged to document external sources through appropriate citation practices. Students who are uncertain if some element of their work constitutes plagiarism or another honor code violation should speak with the instructor. The point of any class is to educate, not to punish; nevertheless, the consequences of honor code violations are appropriately dire. Please consult the UNCW Code of Student Life for more information.

Statement on Services for Students with Disabilities:

The university will make every effort to accommodate students with disabilities. Students requiring accommodations should contact the Disability Resource Center, as the instructor can take no action without its guidance. Students should do this as soon as possible, as accommodations cannot be made retroactively.

Statement Regarding Violence and Harassment:

UNCW practices a zero tolerance policy for any kind of violent or harassing behavior. Students experiencing an emergency of this type should contact the police at 911 or UNCW CARE at 962-2273. Resources for individuals concerned with a violent or harassing situation can be located at the UNCW Crisis Resources page. Students should be aware that all university employees, including instructors, are legally obligated to communicate any report of alleged sexual misconduct, on or off-campus, to the Dean of Students. Three university entities are confidential resources exempt from this obligation: CARE, the Counseling Center, and the Abrons Student Health Center.

Pedagogy and Publication:

Student work completed as part of this course may be used anonymously for teaching and research purposes, and may be published in print and electronic field journals and monographs.

Course Grading:

Grade Disbursement:

Each student will have anonymous access to his or her grades through this Canvas site.

Grade Components:

Responses = 24 points
Local Mapping Project = 100 points
Podcast Project = 55 points
Reflective Online Portfolio  = 20 points

Subtotal = 199 points
Bonus Point = +1
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Total = 200 points

Final Course Grades:

This courses uses the plus/minus grading system on final grade reports. The breakdown is as follows:

  • 92-100 = A
  • 90-91 = A-
  • 88-89 = B+
  • 82-87 = B
  • 80-81 = B-
  • 78-79 = C+
  • 72-77 = C
  • 70-71 = C-
  • 68-69 = D+
  • 62-67 = D
  • 60-61 = D-
  • 0-59 = F

Course Summary:

Date Details Due