The purpose of this course is to extend students’ understandings of contemporary rhetorical theory and practice, particularly in relation to (and in the context of) digital media. The course will work towards developing complex definitions of rhetoric and media, drawing on classical and post-structuralist theories of rhetoric, critical theories of technology, and theories and descriptions of what constitutes new media.
Because this course is the 709 seminar and not 705, rhetoric will dominate in the materials covered. That said, however, the course is still under the umbrella of C/R, so room will be made in the course for significant considerations of rhetorical education, shifting conceptions of literacy, and computer-mediated pedagogies. Should a “comp-oriented” student wish to pursue that strain as an individual emphasis, he/she will certainly be able to.
Assignments and Approach:
The course will proceed primarily as a discussion seminar and digital exploration workshop. We will read and talk about typical scholarly texts covering rhetorical and critical theories; however, we will also engage with new modes of digital scholarship, and we will give a fair amount of time over to hands-on experiences with new media applications that the students will collaboratively choose and teach to one another. The assignments will be as follows:
- Short Essay Wiki Contributions. (30%) The students will build a collaborative resource for understanding the materials of the course through regular individual contributions to a shared wiki; these will be short academic essays in response to the readings and applications we examine. The students will be responsible for developing the wiki overall and developing its hypertextual functionality.
- Team Presentations/Workshops (20%). The students, in teams, will develop and deliver presentations/workshops on New Media applications. These will be of the students’ own choosing; they will gain hands-on experience in using the applications, each of which will also be explored vis a vis critical theories of rhetoric and digital literacy.
- Scholarly Publication (50%). The students will have a choice: each can develop either (1) a traditional, text-based scholarly article targeted toward journal publication; or (2) a scholarly New Media project centered on the course’s subject matter, targeted toward a venue such as Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy.
No prior knowledge of Composition and Rhetoric is absolutely required, but it will certainly serve as an effective foundation, as will previous study in critical theory and/or digital literacy.
Likely Readings:
*Please don’t purchase these in advance; this list might change!
Arroyo, Sarah J. Participatory Composition: Video Culture, Writing, and Electracy. Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Press, 2013.
Eyeman, Doug: Digital Rhetoric: Theory, Method, Practice. 2015
Jenkins, Henry, Sam Ford, and Joshua Green. Spreadable Media: Creating Value and Meaning in a Networked Culture. New York: NYU Press, 2013.
Sheridan, David et al. The Available Means of Pesuasion: Mapping a Theory and Pedagogy of Multimodal Public Rhetoric. Parlor Press, 2012.
Plus PDF articles and selections from a range of publications on rhetoric and new media.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Students in 709 should expect to learn and demonstrate the following:
- Written abilities to place one’s own scholarly work within broader critical conversations and disciplinary schools of thought;
- Practice in independent research using primary and secondary sources;
- Advanced critical analysis in written and oral forms; and
- Practical and theoretical engagement with technological tools of rhetoric and public discourse in the 21st century.