WRTC 355: Digital Rhetoric

WRTC 355: Digital Rhetoric

The School of Writing, Rhetoric,and Technical Communication
Dr. Pavel Zemliansky
pzemliansky@gmail.com; zemliapx@jmu.edu
Office phone: 8-7056
Office: Harrison 2285
Office 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 in
digital environments. Students will examine current philosophies and approaches to digital
and 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 in
digital environments
• Conceptualize, design, and build prototypes of digital persuasive artifacts informed
by 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 possible
depending on the progress of the class. Please check the calendar often and let me know if
you have any questions.

• On-Going Blog Assignment (1-2 blog posts per week + comments on blog posts by
others 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, with
no questions asked. Any unexcused absence after these two will result in the deduction of
1/2 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) rhetorics

Weeks 3-4: Text, author, readers, texts as property. Guest speaker: Dr. Traci
Zimmerman

Unit 2: Definitions and Key Concepts

Week 5: Towards theories of digital rhetoric (Zappen, Pavlik, and Warnick). Procedural
Rhetoric
Weeks 6-7: media, modes, and persuasion in digital environments (Warnick and Villalobos).
Guest speaker: Mary Ann Chappell
Week 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 Proposal

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