CAT 125: Winter 2014
Public Rhetoric and Practical Communication Online
Elizabeth Losh
lizlosh (at) ucsd (dot) edu
Course Description:
This course in public rhetoric and practical communication in digital environments covers a wide range of potential genres, media, and audiences. We will study everything from Facebook profiles to video sharing-sites as rhetorical spaces for public persuasion, commemoration, and comment. Students will do most of their graded writing to create an online portfolio that may include a personal statement, undergraduate research blog, and video essay demonstrating expertise. Further information about this course is available on the syllabus at http://losh.ucsd.edu/courses/prpc14.html
NOTE: Class Attendance is mandatory. Although numerically class participation seems only to account for 20% of your grade, class attendance is a required element for course credit. More than two absences can be grounds for failure in the course.
Grade Breakdown:
Expertise Speech: 25% (Expertise Speech Rubric) 5 minute speech with 20 automatically timed slides delivered Ignite-style.
Personal Statement: 25% (Personal Statement Rubric) 5300 characters in length
Portfolio Website: 30% - likely this will take the form of an online portfolio, research website, online reference work, or blog or video blog showcasing your expertise. Plan on writing regularly to stay on track, although scripts for online videos or e-mails explaining your design decisions can count toward your word count if you choose to avoid a text-heavy online presence (Online Portfolio Rubric)
Class Participation: 20% (Participation Rubric)
Please aim to write at least 5,000 words in this class and significantly revise your writing by composing pre-writing reflections and submitting multiple drafts.
Office Location: Pepper Canyon Hall 249
Office Hours: Thursdays 11AM-1PM
Monday, Week One: Your Rhetorical Position (Slides for Lecture 1)
Alexsay Vayner, "Impossible is Nothing"
Michael Cera, "Impossible is the Opposite of Possible"
Monday, Week Two: Getting Feedback (Slides for Lecture 2)
List of Courses Taken Due in Lecture
Reading for Lecture:
Summer Smith, "The Genre of the End Comment"
"What I Learned in College" Due in Last Section Meeting of the Week - 500-1000 words, can be reused in the online portfolio
Monday, Week Three, Martin Luther King Holiday
"What I Learned Outside of College" Due in Last Section Meeting of the Week - 500-1000 words, can be reused in the online portfolio
Monday, Week Four: Your Public Reputation (Slides for Lecture 3)
Reading for Lecture:
dana boyd, "Social Network Sites: Public, Private, or What?"
First Draft of Personal Statement Due in Lecture
Thursday
Special Photoshop Workshop in the Digital Playroom 5:00-6:00 PM (Limited Seating, RSVP in Advance)
Monday, Week Five: Appealing to Audiences (Slides for Lecture 4)
Video Gallery I: Disability Videos
Video Gallery IV: Sexuality videos
Final Draft of Personal Statement Due in Lecture
Monday, Week Six: Composing with a Purpose (Slides for Lecture 5)
Reading for Lecture:
Ian Bogost, "The Cocktail Party Test"
Viewing for Lecture:
Video Gallery II: Sample YouTube Student Video Essays (privacy, publicity, network neutrality, online identity, social media, electronic text, ubiquitous computing, etc.)
Domain Name Thought Experiment Due in Lecture
Monday, Week Seven: President's Day Holiday
First Draft of Expertise Speech Script Due in Last Section Meeting of the Week!
Thursday
Special Web Design Workshop in the Digital Playroom 5:00-6:00 PM (Limited Seating, RSVP in Advance. These students are great!)
Monday, Week Eight, Public Speaking (Slides for Lecture 6)
How Do We Understand Information?: Doing Compelling Public Talks
Reading for Lecture:
Ian Parker, "Absolute Powerpoint: Can a Software Package Edit Our Thoughts?"
Nathan Heller, "Have Ted Talks Turned into an Industry?" (recommended)
Viewing for Lecture:
Daniel Pink, "Pecha Kucha: Get to the Point in 20 Slides"
TED Talks from Jill Bolte Taylor, Ron Eglash, VS Ramachandran, John Bohannon, Lawrence Lessig, Seth Priebatsch (close to CAT 125 students in age), Nancy Duarte (about the secret of giving good talks)
Benjamin Bratton, What's Wrong with TED Talks
Ignite Talks from Matt Harding, Lee Stewart, and Mehal Shah
More TED Talks (recommended not required): Susan Savage-Rumbaugh, Susan Blackmore, Paul Stamets, Paul Rothemund, Nathan Wolfe,
Final Script of Expertise Speech Due in Lecture
Monday, Week Nine: Graphic Design (Slides for Lecture 7)
Viewing for Lecture: Helvetica
Smart Classroom Exercise in Section to Compare Different Online Presences
First Draft of Portfolio Website Design Due in Lecture
Thursday
Special Digital Storytelling Workshop in the Digital Playroom 5:00-6:00 PM (Limited Seating, RSVP in Advance)
Monday, Week Ten: Claiming Expertise
Viewing for Lecture:
Video Gallery III: Copyright videos
Another Lawrence Lessig TED Talk
Recommended Viewing but not required: Copyright Criminals
Optional Revision of Personal Statement Due in Lecture!
Examination Week:
Monday, 12 Noon Portfolio Website Due! URL E-mailed to your section leader!