Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
CRN 18948
MWF 10:30AM – 11:20AM
Stanley Coulter Hall Room G046
The authors of the book Multimedia: From Wagner to Virtual Reality divide the key concepts of
multimedia into Integration, Interactivity, Immersion, Hypermedia, and Narrativity. We will start with
these concepts as we analyze examples of multimedia documents and work finding answers to the
following questions:
What abilities or ideas do we tend to find in our examination of multimedia documents that we
can we add to the above list of five concepts?
What IS multimedia? Why do we (or do we?) need to define it?
What are some strategies for writing for multimedia? Must we develop new strategies for each
form of multimedia, or are there some basic principles that hold for all forms of multimedia?
How is designing a website or making a video writing?
How do the rhetorical concepts like ethos, logos, and pathos, and kairos function in multimedia
communication?
In addition to tackling the theory of multimedia, we will also get plenty of practice composing
multimedia texts. We will use a variety of design programs and technologies, including but not limited
to: digital cameras, photo editing software (Fireworks and/or Photoshop), digital video, digital video
editing software (Windows MovieMaker and Adobe Premiere), audio editing software (Garage Band,
Audacity), web design software (Dreamweaver) as well as working directly with html code, and
animation software (Flash). We will also use Microsoft Office programs.
Some of these programs may be familiar to you; if they aren’t, that is fine. This course does not assume
any prior knowledge of design software programs. There will be in-class tutorials, and we will consult
other resources (both local and electronic) to help you build technology skills. On the other hand, you
may be better using these programs than I am. If so, I hope you won’t mind helping fellow students (and
possibly me).
Course Goals
Responsibility
Engage the culture and problems associated with multimedia writing
Develop project standards through negotiation with clients
Project Management
Use, adapt, and evaluate various writing techniques and technologies for specific rhetorical
purposes
Teamwork
Learn and apply strategies for successful teamwork, such as:
working online with colleagues
determining roles and responsibilities
managing team conflicts constructively
responding constructively to peers’ work
using peer feedback
achieving team goals
Class participation, reading responses, peer reviews and other written work will be evaluated based on:
• How well you implement the guidelines and best practices for posting comments and creating
reading responses, as presented on our course site and discussed in the textbook.
• The degree to which your your peer reviews and responses offer insightful feedback and
suggestions on your classmates' drafts.
• The degree to which your reading responses and comment posts demonstrate learning of the
course content.
• The degree to which your reading responses and comment posts engage with and contribute to
the learning of others in the course.
Technology Responsibilities
Familiarity with certain technologies is crucial for participation and success in the course. If you need
any assistance now or at any point during the semester, please do not hesitate to ask.
During the semester, you'll need regular access to the Internet and email. Because the course home page
is the main locus of the class community, you are responsible for reading and keeping current with all
content posted there, including what has been submitted by both the instructor and your fellow students.
Collaborative Work
Teamwork is a required component of the course. You and your project team members are responsible
for updating one another and me about assignment development and progress. In addition, you also are
responsible for negotiating together all aspects of your work, including planning, drafting, revising, file
managing, and scheduling of assignments.
Professionalism
Students should conduct themselves in a professional manner and avoid harassing, threatening, or
belittling language at all times. All electronic devices except the classroom computers should remain off
and out of sight during class time. Students are asked to create a professional environment in the
classroom by actively listening, paying attention, and positively contributing to class discussions.
Failure to follow these guidelines for professional behavior will result in the student being marked
absent and asked to leave for the day.
Late Work
Deadlines are an important part of design work and they must be met in the workplace; as this is a
professional writing course we will follow that model. Therefore I do not accept late work. I expect all
work to be completed and submitted by day and time on which it is due. No exceptions are made for this
due to computer problems (see the section on technology for more information). If a serious and
unavoidable problem arises, however, you should contact me in writing prior to the deadline to
Attendance
Attendance and active participation are required for the following reasons:
Writing is a social act, so for this course to be a success, everyone’s participation is necessary.
We will make the most of our class time by working on brief assignments and projects, small
assignments and quizzes (see #4 and #5 under “Class Participation and Writing” above), so for
this course to be meaningful to you, (and to get credit for this work) your presence is necessary.
Almost none of our classwork (the above-noted quizzes, assignments, in-class projects) can be
made up at a later date, though please note that missing class does not relieve students from the
learning responsibilities of this course.
Attendance and active participation are required, and attendance will be taken before all classes and
conferences. For this course there is no such thing as an excused absence and I make no distinction
between an absence due to illness and an absence due to sleeping in, missing the bus, being unable to
find a parking spot, etc. It is highly recommended that you miss no more FOUR (4) classes during the
semester. As in-class work cannot be made up except for religions holidays, university-sponsored
events, or illnesses/family emergencies documented by a medical doctor / Dean of Students. The more
classes you miss, the more course work you will miss, which will cause your grade to suffer. Students
who miss more than a combined total of EIGHT classes will automatically fail the course.
Tardiness / early departure: If you arrive to class more than ten minutes late, I reserve the right to mark
you absent. If for some reason you must leave class early, please notify me before class begins. Habitual
tardiness will be penalized: three tardies = one class absence.
Excused absences may be granted for religious holidays or university-sponsored events, provided you
make a written request to me no less than two weeks in advance and that you complete any required
work before the due date.
Academic Integrity
Purdue students and their instructors are expected to adhere to guidelines set forth by the Dean of
Students in "Academic Integrity: A Guide for Students," which students are encouraged to read here:
http://www.purdue.edu/odos/osrr/academicintegritybrochure.php
The preamble of this guide states the following: "Purdue University values intellectual integrity and the
highest standards of academic conduct. To be prepared to meet societal needs as leaders and role
models, students must be educated in an ethical learning environment that promotes a high standard of
honor in scholastic work. Academic dishonesty undermines institutional integrity and threatens the
academic fabric of Purdue University. Dishonesty is not an acceptable avenue to success. It diminishes
the quality of a Purdue education, which is valued because of Purdue's high academic standards."
Academic dishonesty is defined as follows: Purdue prohibits "dishonesty in connection with any