Course Description
Theory and practice of the process of writing for the World Wide Web.
Athena Title
Writing for the World Wide Web
Non-Traditional Format
This course is writing intensive, which means that the course will include substantial and ongoing writing assignments that a) relate clearly to course learning; b) teach the communication values of a discipline—for example, its practices of argument, evidence, credibility, and format; and c) prepare students for further writing in their academic work, in graduate school, and in professional life. The written assignments will result in a significant and diverse body of written work (the equivalent of 6000 words or 25 pages to be workshopped in stages throughout the drafting process) and the instructor (and/or the teaching assistant assigned to the course) will be closely involved in student writing, providing opportunities for feedback and substantive revision.
Prerequisite
One 2000-level ENGL course or one 3000-level ENGL course
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
To help students understand the rhetorical context of electronic environments, including a writer's purpose and an intended audience, as well as to teach students the basic skills of document layout and the basic skills of rendering documents in html.
Topical Outline
-Analyzing web sites for content and information structure. -The craft of web design (very basic UNIX, HTML, and "helper" softwares. -The craft of writing (the book versus digital text). -Marketing your writing. -Production of a website. Specific topics vary by instructor and at different times. Periodically during the semester, students will perform a number of graded tasks, including some combination of tests and out-of-class papers. Exams will require essays as well as objective questions and problems. Substantial out-of-class writing will be required, whether in essay form or in practical work on websites, amounting to c. 20 pages by the end of the term.