DTC 356: Electronic research & the rhetoric of information

About Course

According to the university catalog, DTC 356 explores the social and cultural role of information; research with electronic sources; production, validation, storage, retrieval, evaluation, use, and the impact of electronic information.

To put it another way, we are gonna learn to pay attention to and critique how self and society are shaped by the ways information is presented, collected, vetted, and shared. Throughout the course you will be encouraged to examine how information is rhetorical—is composed of many decisions influencing its persuasive powers.

And since composing today means more than words on a page or in a plain word doc, we will produce a range of documents that not only showcase your understandings of information but also show your rhetorical savvy and knowledge of information design.

Course objectives

• understand how information is understood and circulated in the digital age
• consider the implications of multiple media platforms
• examine the role of copyright law in convergence culture
  
• consider how best to organize digital information for specific audiences
  
• learn how to keep rhetorical concerns at the forefront of all choices
• examine the effects document and information design elements have on different
  readers/viewers/users
• use softwares (e.g. MS Word and Adobe Photoshop) to create documents that reflect your rhetorical savvy regarding information design

Required materials

• Practices of looking: an introduction to visual culture by M. Sturken & L. Cartwright

Policies

• Reading: All non-digital readings (books) should come with you to class. You should have read the assigned reading before coming to class.
  
  
• Attendance: since we will be working collaboratively on many assignments, and since learning is a communal effort, your regular attendance is vital. If you miss more than six classes, you will receive an “F” for the course. And since some things come up unexpectedly, please remember you have six absences to account for these unexpected happenings.
  
  
• Late work: here is the deal. You can turn in one assignment, homework, or reading response one week late.  This assignment must be an individual project.  You must email me on or before the due date and announce to me that this is the assignment you will turn in one week late.  Otherwise, late work is not accepted UNLESS you consult with me and it is agreed upon beforehand.
  
  
• Technology: Cellular phones calls and texting are banned forthwith from our classroom.  If you do call or text or your phone rings, then you will be given a warning. The second time will result in an absence. Laptops, cell phones and iPads are allowed for taking notes and class discussion related searches.  They are not for random surfing, texting, skyping, or tweeting no matter how uninterested you might be. IPAD EXCEPTION-If an iPad rings or bleeps an incoming text does during class, you are exempt from the above rule for two occurrences as long as you allow me to use your iPad for five minutes.
  
  
• Students with disabilities: I am committed to providing assistance to help you be successful in this course. Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have a documented disability. Classroom accommodation forms are available through the Disability Services Office.If you have a documented disability, even temporary, make an appointment as soon as possible with the Disability Services Coordinator, Cherish Tijerina, West Building, Room 269J, at 372-7352 or ctijerina@tricity.wsu.edu. You will need to provide your instructor with the appropriate classroom accommodation form. The form should be completed and submitted during the first week of class. Late notification can delay your accommodations or cause them to be unavailable. All accommodations for disabilities must be approved through the Disability Services Coordinator.
  
  
• Academic Honesty: Plagiarism is not tolerated in any form. You will fail the course if you commit plagiarism knowingly or unknowingly. Please come to my office if you have any questions about citing sources. WSU has developed helpful resources on plagiarism which identifies two types of plagiarism:
  
  Intentional plagiarism (i.e. cheating), “where one knowingly appropriates the work of others and    passes it  off as their own.”
  
  Unintentional plagiarism (i.e. misuse of sources), which includes “accidental appropriation of the  ideas and materials of others due to a lack of understanding of the conventions of citation and  documentation.” 
  
  See the following sites for more information on the university’s treatment of plagiarism:
  Library Instruction Services
  Office of Student Conduct
  
  
• Copyright: WSU requires all users of campus Internet services to comply with all state and federal laws including copyright laws. The students, faculty and staff at WSU have access to the fundamentals of copyright law and WSU's guidelines for educational use of copyright materials at WSU's Copyright Home Page and the U.S. Copyright Office's Home Page. There are also helpful resources explaining copyright on the Resources page of this website.
  
  
• University Evacuation Policy: Washington State University Tri-Cities is committed to maintaining the safety of the students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the campus. As part of this commitment this Campus Safety Plan contains a comprehensive listing of policies, procedures, statistics and information relating to campus safety, emergency management and the health and welfare of the campus community. Evacuation procedures are located on most doors and can be found here: Campus Emergency Evacuation Plan. It is recommended that you sign-up for WSU Tri-Cities alerts using your WSU portal. Alerts can be found here: WSU Tri-Cities Campus Alerts.
  
  
• Grades: Grading criteria will come in the form of a variety of rubrics for evaluating your work.
  
  Grade breakdown
  A    93-100%
  A-   90-92%
  B+  88-89%
  B    83-87%
  B-   80-82%
  C+  78-79%
  C    73-77%
  C-   70-72%
  D+ 68-69%
  D   60-67%
  F     0-59%