WRT 330:
Digital Culture
CRNs: 13294, 12518, 13750
T & R, 1:00 p.m.–2:47 p.m.
Wilson Hall 400
Partially Online

Instructor:

Jim Nugent

Email:

nugent@oakland.edu

Phone:

(248) 370-3792

Office:

306 O'Dowd Hall

Office Hours:

Tuesday and Thursday, noon–1 p.m., and by appointment any time.

Links

Course Description

Digital Culture is an examination of the rhetoric and ethics of internet technology and culture. Introduces theories of digital culture and its effects on both online and actual identities and communities, especially in relation to ethnicity, gender, class, physical ability, and sexual orientation. Includes individual and collaborative analysis and construction of web projects.

Identical to COM 330 and LBS 511. Satisfies the university's general education requirement for a writing-intensive course in general education or the major, not both. Satisfies the university general education requirement in U.S. diversity. Prerequisite: completion of the university writing foundation requirement (RHT 150 & RHT 160).

Course Goals

Students in WRT 330 will:

Required Texts

Readings will be provided.

Course Policies

Assignments

There will be four major assignments in this class, listed below, which are due on the dates listed in the course calendar. You must complete all of these assignments to receive a passing grade. The assignments are as follows:

  1. Digital Autobiography
  2. Emerging Media Project
  3. Rhetorical Analysis Project
  4. Digital Ethnography

Grading

I will give grades (0.0, 1.0–4.0) for all graded assignments in this class. The final grade is determined as follows:

15%

Digital Autobiography

17%

Emerging Media Project

17%

Rhetorical Analysis Project

20%

Digital Ethnography

21%

Other Assignments and Activities

10%

Social Practices—This grade will reflect:

  • your contributions to class discussions, peer review activities, online activities, and group projects;
  • your commitment to submitting timely and complete work;
  • your ethos as a respectful citizen of the classroom and as a thoughtful rhetor in class-related communications; and
  • your capacity for successful collaboration with others.

Needless to say, if you are not in class, you are not doing many of these things, so this grade will also be a partial reflection of your attendance.

ADA Notice

Students with disabilities who may require reasonable accommodations should contact Oakland University’s Disability Support Services office for assistance: