Syllabus

ENGL117 Arguing on the Internet

Professor Daniel Anderson
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 2:30-3:20

 

Office hours will be held Tuesday and Wednesday 11:30-1:00 (and by appointment). My office is in Greenlaw Hall, room 533. (I’m sometimes in room 431.) I can be reached by e-mail at iamdan@unc.edu. My twitter name is @iamdan.

Most of the course information and activities will play out at http://altscholarship.com/argunet. Consult the site regularly for important tasks and to participate.

There are no books for the course, but there will be a number of online readings.

Goals

In this class, you will explore some of the ways people try to sway one another on the internet. As you investigate, you will also practice writing with not only words but also images, videos, and sounds. You will also practice this kind of writing in networked environments. The key goals are to 1) engage critically with networked forms of persuasion and 2) become producers rather than consumers of online arguments and creative works.

Assignments

There will be seven key components to the course:

  • A twitter analysis white paper
  • An audio essay
  • A data storytelling project
  • A podcast episode
  • A collection of memes, animated GIFs, and Instagram stories
  • A portfolio video
  • A course portfolio

You may continue revising these projects for the duration of the course.

There will also be a number of smaller, improvisational projects assigned throughout the term. You will also be expected to provide feedback to your peers during the semester. You will also complete readings and make occasional postings using the class Web site.

Participation

A good deal of activity will take place through our class site. You will be required to use the site to exchange ideas, review one another’s work, etc. You can participate on the site using social media tools—commenting, rating, updating. In class, helping with projects, joining discussions, being prepared, and offering materials for critique are expected as part of your participation.

You will also be required to read the course texts; reading responses will be key to your participation and will be collected on our site. You will be asked to demonstrate your participation in the course portfolio (see below). Portfolios that do not demonstrate satisfactory participation will not receive full credit for the course.

Grading and Portfolio

Your final grade will be based on meeting all of the requirements in the course and on a portfolio of your work. The portfolio is the main project for the course. You will also collect and reflect on the materials you have created throughout the term. Your portfolio will be evaluated based on the following rubric:

  • Quality of the projects
  • Demonstration of revision processes
  • Demonstration of intellectual and personal growth
  • Demonstration of curiosity and creativity
  • Articulation of and engagement with learning outcomes

Successful portfolios will demonstrate fully these qualities, be very close to error free, and include drafts and revisions of all major assignments

We will discuss and develop the portfolio throughout the semester.

Policies

Please remember that the syllabus functions as a contract between instructor and students. We will go over these policies during the first few days of class, but you are responsible for knowing and abiding by these policies.

Attendance and Preparation

Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each session. Late arrivals may be prevented from adding their name to the daily attendance roster. You should come to class having prepared the assigned reading, writing, or other homework, and you should be ready to engage with your classmates and the text(s) at hand. Barring illness or an emergency (like a documentable death in the family), you should make every effort to attend all classes. We will do a significant amount of work in class, so your attendance is crucial to your success. Missing more than 3 classes may lower your grade. Missing more than 6 classes may result in failure to pass the class.

Technology

At minimum, you must check your email and our class website daily for messages and updates. Expect to bring your laptop to class regularly. Please make sure that your laptop is working properly, with the battery charged, before coming to class. You must allow time and seek assistance for any technical issues that arise when completing computer-based activities (information and technical assistance are available at http://help.unc.edu or 962-HELP).

You should also be aware that electronic class activities will be public in nature. We will be posting materials and conducting activities on the Internet. In addition, the course Web site is available publicly on the Internet. No protected information will be shared, but the assignments, projects, and activities will be conducted and available publicly. Additionally, the activities related to the class may be viewed, discussed, and shared by the instructor, the students, or others—as part of conversations about teaching or publishing efforts. I will ask you to sign a permission form indicating that your work may be viewed and shared electronically or used for publishing.

Students must also observe appropriate behavior during all computer-based activities related to this class. Students must act with respect and responsibility. Engaging in activities deemed to be offensive or inappropriate will be considered a violation of the UNC Honor Code.

The Honor Code

The honor code applies to everything that you—and I—do at this university, including our use of outside sources in our research and writing. Our work in this class will conform to the principles and procedures defined in the Instrument of Student Judicial Governance (http://instrument.unc.edu/). The research that we do this semester, whether primary or secondary, print or online, formal or informal, will require documentation on your part. You are also responsible for following any citation guidelines required for class assignments.

If I suspect you of plagiarizing all or part of a project, even unintentionally, I am required to report the offense to the Honor Court.

Students with Disabilities

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ensures that no qualified person shall by reason of a disability be denied access to, participation in, or the benefits of, any program or activity operated by the University.  In compliance with UNC policy and federal law, qualified students with disabilities are eligible to receive “reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to education opportunities, programs, and activities” (http://www.unc.edu/depts/lds/faculty-policies.html). If you anticipate such accommodations, please notify me as soon as possible so that appropriate arrangements can be made. Additionally, you may seek out student support services at the Department of Disability Services (DDS) (http://disabilityservices.unc.edu/) and through the Learning Center (http://learningcenter.unc.edu/)

Non-Discrimination Policy

This university does not discriminate against its students or employees based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability.  The University’s policy states that sexual orientation be treated in this same manner. In this class, we will strive to maintain an open atmosphere with shared respect for all differences.

The Big Picture

We will study and experiment with what it means to argue on the internet. We will learn the ins and outs of several modes of composing. And we will collaborate with one another and share our work publicly.