WRD 111: COMPOSITION AND COMMUNICATION II

Attendance, notebook entries, and in-class work – 20%: 10% at midterm and 10% at finals

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Our class is centered on research and argument. In order for any genuine and significant inquiry to be accomplished in this way we will have to do our research in ethical ways. Ethical inquiry begins in the classroom between students and instructors developing an environment of learning for everyone in a way that students take ownership of the class. This doesn’t mean that the instructor takes a backseat, in fact the instructor plays an important role in pushing for that learning to take place. The role of the student is to push back in constructive ways, not in resistance, but in mutually productive ways. This kind of learning can only be done when the student is not only present in the classroom, but prepared, engaged, and continually revising thoughts and ideas.

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Participation understood in this manner means much more than attendance, and even more than making sure to ask a question in class every once in a while, or responding to a prompt in a discussion (although it means this as well). I will be asking you to continually take notes inside and outside the classroom in the notebook dedicated to this class. These will not be for quizzes, but for a record of your own learning, a learning journal of sorts that demonstrates the development of your thinking in class.  This writing includes our daily free writes. I will ask you to turn in these notes periodically, so please be diligent about keeping them – they are part of your participation grade.

While regular attendance will earn you points, so will regular discussion contributions. Significant contributions to workshops will also be required; this means not just saying something is “good” or “needs some work,” but offering positive and constructive feedback. There may also be free writes and reading quizzes that will provide a way to help you practice and perform the skills and concepts we are learning in terms of critical inquiry. These will make you responsible for the material in the class, as well as move you toward taking ownership of the class.

You will be responsible for homework, free writes, and in-class work.  They count for 1/3 of your participation grade.  You cannot get higher than a C if you do not do these required components.

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Short Papers- 30% of your final grade

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You will individually do two short papers that you will have the ability to get feedback on and revise, if you like.  Each paper is worth 15% of your final grade.

1. Visual analysis: During the research phase of your project you will write a 750-1000 word essay in which you do a rhetorical analysis of a poster of your choice.  You will analyze the way that the creator(s) of the text use rhetoric and argumentation to make their own argument and be arguing for the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of their choices. 

2. Rhetorical analysis: During the introductory research phase of your project you will write a 750-1000 word essay in which you do a rhetorical analysis of an Engaged Citizen essay.  You will analyze the way that the creator(s) of the text use rhetoric and argumentation to make their own argument and be arguing for the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of their choices. 

Final Research Project Portfolio – 50% of your final grade

You and your team will create four different types of writing/communication as part of this assignment: group proposal with individual stakeholder analyses, an annotated bibliography, research update video, and final project. Each assignment will receive feedback, but you will only receive an official letter grade based upon the entire portfolio as a whole.  In addition to the assignments below, you will also include a team written reflection letter of 1-2 pages single-spaced as an introduction to your portfolio.  This portfolio is made up of final drafts only and the grade will be divided as follows: 60% is based on successful execution of assigned pieces, 30% is based on in-class final presentation, and 10% is based on the average of your team evaluations. (We will talk more about this in class).

1. Team Project Proposal: After you and your team identify a particular question (or sets of questions) that you want to explore, you will create a formal proposal for your final project. This proposal will be a minimum of 6-pages (approximately 2000 words), and it will contain the following sections: (1) a description of your main question and a mini-argument for why this question is significant enough to explore, (2) a description of what the central problem or issue is, and (3) an analysis of your targeted audience, (4) a description of the media your project will use and why this is appropriate for the audience and topic, and a (5) detailed timeline and plan.  While the main body of the proposal will be written as a team, each team member will also have an individual component due. You will each contribute to a section on the stakeholders for your issue.  You will write a 800-1000 word mini-essay in which you do a rhetorical analysis of one single written text, i.e. website, newspaper article, pamphlet, opinion piece, etc. that was produced by your unique stakeholder.  You will not be arguing a pro/con position about the topic of the text in this paper, but rather analyzing the way that the creator(s) of the text use rhetoric and argumentation to make their own argument and whether or not you believe it is effective.

2. Annotated bibliography: To help keep track of your research, as a group you’ll create an annotated bibliography that is split into primary and secondary sources (primary sources are created directly by those involved in your issue and secondary sources are created about your issue, often pertaining to the primary sources). You should have at least 6 sources for each person in your group. Each source should be properly cited in MLA or APA format and include a ~100–word summary of each source, as well as the name or initials of the team member who located and summarized the source. If your sources are unbalanced in type, content, or position, you will be required to locate and annotate new sources before you submit the final portfolio

3. Research Update video: You will need to update me on your progress and research findings midway through your project. This update should be a formal video presentation that outlines what you have found so far in your research. You should describe at least three significant pieces of research you have discovered (e.g., interviews you have conducted, articles you have read, images you have found, etc.) and explain how this research has helped to shape your project so far.  You should conclude by revisiting your proposal and discussing whether or not your original topic and argument has changed at all. If so, explain how some of your ideas have shifted and changed. If not, explain how your original ideas have been strengthened by the research you have found. You will complete this research update as video recording. You will be graded on this research update as a group, and your entire group must contribute. NOTE: This is a speech, even if it is recorded.  If you are reading directly from your notes in the video your team will lose 5% off your final grade.

4. Final Project: Your group will be creating a major digital project throughout most of the semester. This is a lengthy and significant argument that tackles a serious issue or problem that is currently being experienced by an identifiable group of stakeholders and also has roots in past activism on campus or in the community. Your group does not need to pretend that you are going to “save the world” by creating a website or making a documentary, but you do want to create some kind of project that may actually address the problem. You can choose which forms of media best fit your project’s goals and audience needs. For some topics, a website might make sense. You might also consider such forms as podcasts and videos. Once I evaluate and respond to your group’s proposal, I will provide you with a specific set of constraints for your project. Your final project must have both a text/audio component and a visual component.