Aiming Introductory Composition Course Design y c a r e t i - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Aiming Introductory Composition Course Design y c a r e t i L l a t i g i D l a i d e m C s C n n a o r T H s & d r M a H w U o T , a g a n i h s o Y a d I -

Linda Dishman, ”These are the Biggest Skills that New Graduates Lack,” The “digital Fast Company (5/17/16) native” (aka Millennials have these millennials) employer-desired skills: Educational Testing Service, 2015 SEO (search engine global study on millennials (Tom optimization) Ewing, “Millennials’ Weak Skills Foreign language Threaten America’s Competitiveness,” 2/17/15) Coding ü Born after 1980, ages 16-34 They lack these job skills: ü Lower skills scores than counterparts in 15-22 Critical thinking comparative nations Problem solving ü Skills measured are literacy, numeracy, & problem-solving in Attention to detail technology-rich environments Writing proficiency

Solution: Embed Digital Literacy into ENG 100 Course Design Teach basic writing genres in sections themed towards media and digital literacy issues Introductory (warm up) sessions make students conscious of the aesthetic connections between media form and rhetorical situations With each successive paper, increase the political stakes as the assignment design’s sophistication level rises

Who is Ida? Lecturer in English at UHM & HonCC Former Writing Committee (Writing-Intensive/W-Focus) chair at LeeCC, oversaw WI course proposals Former Writing Assessment coordinator at LeeCC, co- designer of the first fully online, cross-disciplinary, student writing assessment project (which won the Wo Innovation in Learning Award) in the UH system MAs in Sociology & English, ABD in English (UHM), dissertation focuses upon transmedial narrative in the digital era (fantasy/sf genre) training as media scholar

Syllabus Description Cour ourse se T The heme Introduc Intr oduction tion CLASS SECTION THEME: Digital- Through media participatory exercises, era composition for new-media you will write increasingly longer audiences in the “convergence” analytical pieces about the digital-age era. frameworks of meaning, in which the majority of today's professional writers produce and distribute non-fictional In this class, we will exercise our interpretive, critical-thinking, and texts. These writers include: public compositional skills, to explore intellectuals, journalists, bloggers, how writing practices have media pundits, documentarians, fundamentally changed in this era business managers, scholars, because of information-and- community organizers, government communication-technology officials, lobbyists, scientists, service (ICT) media. providers, researchers ... and maybe even YOU!

Syllabus Outcomes, in addition to ENG 100 Course SLOs [a [ada dapte pted fr d from om Pur Purdue due U U. . By the y the se semeste ster’ r’s e s end, y nd, you ou Introduc Intr oductory C tory Com omposition position should be a should be able le to— to— pr prog ogram] ] Understand writing as a technology Demonstrate rhetorical that restructures thought. awareness of how technologies shape composing Use commonplace ICT software to processes and outcomes. create media that effectively make or support arguments. Remediate writing for one form into another with a different Compose effective arguments that rhetorical context. integrate words, visuals, and digital media. Navigate the dynamics of delivery Evaluate formal and design features and publishing in digital spaces of different kinds of text.

UHM ENG 100 sections ü Assignment of MIT media scholar Henry Jenkins’ Convergence Culture as core text ü Students review sociopolitical & cultural issues on what it means to communicate via ICTs in the digital era ü HonCC students: Lecture on these topics &/or adapt them into assignment design examples

Tier Writing Genre Mastery with ICT Media Concepts & Paper Prompts Writing Ge riting Genr nres & s & D Digita igital l IC ICT-Spe -Specif ific ic Media Me dia C Conc oncepts pts Pape per Pr r Prom ompts pts PAPER 1 Select an ICT &—using informative, descriptive, Genres: Information, and analytical writing on its Description, Analyses form—demonstrate how users might practice media/ Concepts: Media/Digital digital literacy on it, towards Literacy, Grassroots grassroots expression Expression

Tier Writing Genre Mastery with ICT Media Concepts & Paper Prompts Writing Ge riting Genr nres & s & D Digita igital l IC ICT-Spe -Specif ific ic Media Me dia C Conc oncepts pts Pape per Pr r Prom ompts pts PAPER 2 Compare & contrast 2 ICTs —using a specific set of Genres: Evaluation, evaluative criteria—on Comparison-Contrast which one might offer more democratic potential, Concepts: Democracy, working towards the public Public Interest interest

Tier Writing Genre Mastery with ICT Media Concepts & Paper Prompts Writing Ge riting Genr nres & s & D Digita igital l IC ICT-Spe -Specif ific ic Media Me dia C Conc oncepts pts Pape per Pr r Prom ompts pts PAPER 3 Propose & support a proposal for an institutional policy using 1 or more ICT towards Genres: (Peer-reviewed) increasing equity, equality, Article Analyses, justice, or fairness in a major Literature Review, Policy/ area of social organization Proposal Concepts: Equity, [Institutions: Healthcare, Equality, Justice, sports, media, economy, Fairness; Social religion, school, government, Institutions etc.]

Examples of tiered exercises: Introduction Prompt: “Write a personal Discussion & sharing of ad, using either yourself, examples allows for someone you know, or a students to demonstrate made-up person, who’s their built-in cultural looking for a date. knowledge of various ICTs (e.g. Craiglist v. eHarmony v. Match.com v. Facebook) Do this for 2 different ICTs, & who the audiences are and explain why you chose a different rhetorical approach (language, Gives an immediate sense audience, style, examples/ of sociopolitical stakes of details) for each ICT.” writing, as well as media literacy.

Examples of tiered exercises: Paper 1 Prompt: “Describe then analyze how a Again, this allows students to specific ICT works, with attention to exhibit their cultural & how a media-literate person would use generational knowledge about it. For instance, any secret tips, advice, ICT platforms, as well as their hints, codes (“Easter eggs”), for media literacy. “hacking” this ICT, that a newbie might not know? They are made to think about rhetorical diversity of ICT On the other hand, describe/analyze users: Some who are media- what a media-illiterate person, such as literate, some who are not. And a first-timer or non-millennial (for the stakes that might be instance, someone of your prof’s involved if one is not media generation), might use on this ICT.” literate.

Examples of tiered exercises: Paper 2 Prompt: “Choosing a controversial This exercise was designed to case study or news issue, assess how help students think think c critic ritically lly a specific ICT might help society build about digital media, beyond the towards the public good or democratic surface or official versions of outcome, or might make society more narratives posted on corporate oppressive, elite, or non-democratic. or governmental websites/ apps/etc. Examples: Media stories about social media-related censorship, spin/ Students are made to use marketing, exploitation, advocacy, specific criteria to evaluate public consciousness raising, “the public good” and education, protest, activism, bullying, “democracy,” reflecting on discrimination, private interests, etc. cultural values