Course Requirements

Part 1: Course Information

Description
375 [M] Language, Texts and Technology 3 Course Prerequisite: DTC 101. Relationship between technology and communication; writing practices from a historical point of view.

This is a “Writing in the Major” course. This means that we will produce various modes of writing, some of which can be used for your Junior Writing Portfolio.

Course Texts
Kovarik, Bill. Revolutions in Communication, 2nd ed. NY, NY: Bloomsbury Press, 2018. ISBN: 9781628924787. $20-32 depending if you purchase it new or used

Vanderdorpe, Christian. From Papyrus to Hypertext. Urbana, IL: U of Illinois Press, 2009. 9780252076251. $25-28 depending if you purchase it new or used

Assessment
Mid-Term Assessment: Five Pop Test Score Average + Publication Score ÷ 2 = grade

Course Assessment

  • 10 Pop Test Scores Average: 35%
  • One Group Publication: 25%
  • One Individual Project: 25%
  • Nice Points: Attendance + Participation + Collegiality ÷ 3 = grade. Worth 15% of your overall grade (See below)

Attendance

0 absence: 100

1 absence: 95

2 absences: 85

3 absences: 75

4 absences: 65

5 absences: 55

Participation

100: Well-prepared; has obviously read the material and kept up with the assignments; can answer questions if asked

90: Prepared; seems to have read the material and kept up with the assignments; may be able to answer questions if asked

80: Somewhat prepared; seems to have read the material and kept up with the assignments most of the time; may be able to answer some questions if asked

70: Not always prepared; may to have read the material and kept up with the assignments some of the time; may be able to answer some questions if asked

60: Seldom prepared; clearly did not read the material and keep up with the assignments some of the time; can’t answer some questions if asked

Collegiality

100: Treats other students fairly and kindly; is always respectful to others; helps others in need

60: Is rude and mean-spirited

CMDC Goals & Objectives

Goal 6 Question the way digital media functions in multiple cultural contexts

A.    Examine the presentation of race, class, gender, and disabilities in digital media

B.     Interpret images found on the web from a cultural context different from your own
Goal 7 Recognize various forms of language processing and their implications for media authoring

A.    Use digital media terminology and concepts, such as medium, media, multimedia, mass media, remediation, repurposing, translation, text, textuality, language, and code, appropriately in presentations and projects

B.     Employ various types of texts, such as visual, auditory, kinetic, and kinesthetic texts, for appropriate mediums

C.     Illustrate the way artificial systems acquire language

D.    Demonstrate knowledge about the process by which is language is made via computers

E.     Study, create, and critique digital text and its central role in human-computer interactions

F.     Employ textual content in web pages and other digital interfaces or environments that respond to specific audience needs
Goal 8 Appreciate the history of technological development, from local to global perspectives, and its implications for a variety of mediums

A.    Demonstrate understanding between digital and analog technologies

B.     Compare and contrast technological development from a historical perspective

C.     Explain contributions of pioneers working in the US and beyond in the area of digital technology

D.    Discuss technologies of oral and written discourse, such as the importance of memory, the development of alphabets, invention of writing tools, and innovations for electronic devices

A.    Examine the way in which metaphors from print culture influence electronic information retrieval systems.
Goal 10 Be practiced and capable communicators in all mediums

A.    Create a digital text in a variety of mediums

B.     Construct and deliver an argument focusing on the way the medium affects the message, audience, and other rhetorical components

C.     Evaluate the effective use of language in a digital text.

 University Learning Goals

 University Learning Goal 1: Critical and Creative Thinking
“Students will use reason, evidence, and context to increase knowledge, to reason ethically, and to innovate in imaginative ways.”

 At course end, students should be able to:

  • Locate, synthesize, interpret, and evaluate a wide variety of digital and print-based texts.
  • Produce an informative or expressive multimodal text developed through effective research.
  • See the bigger ideas that several points may have in common
  • Understand how ideas of varying levels of abstraction might have in common
  • Understand how some ideas may not be properly compared or used synonymously, and others can
  • Detect and exploit themes and relationships among points of view, theses, and evidence

 This goal will be evaluated by readings, discussion, quizzes, projects, professor evaluation

 

Part 2: University Policies

Classroom Safety
Classroom and campus safety are of paramount importance at Washington State University, and are the shared responsibility of the entire campus population. WSU urges students to follow the “Alert, Assess, Act” protocol for all types of emergencies and the “Run, Hide, Fight” (https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cirg/active-shooter-and-mass-casualty-incidents/run-hide-fight-video) response for an active shooter incident. Remain ALERT (through direct observation or emergency notification), ASSESS your specific situation, and ACT in the most appropriate way to assure your own safety (and the safety of others if you are able). Sign up for emergency alerts through your MyWSU account. For more information, visit the WSU safety portal (https://oem.wsu.edu/about-us/).

WSU Vancouver Public Safety and Police

Public Safety: https://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/public-safety
Campus Safety Plan: https://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/safety-plan
Safety Alerts: https://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/alerts
Police: https://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/public-safety/campus-police
Register for Emergency Communication system: WSU Vancouver Home Page – myWSU (under the PROFILE Tab) to update info

Hostile Intruder
Campus Lock Down – Exterior doors will lock
Apply “RUN-HIDE-FIGHT” personal safety protocol
If sheltered or hiding; silence electronics, turn out lights, stay away from windows, barricade or lock doors, make a plan to fight if necessary
Active Shooter Training: https://oem.wsu.edu/emergency-procedures/active-shooter/

Weather Closure/Bus Information
WSU Vancouver VanCoug ALERTS: https://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/alerts

Weather Closure Media Web Sites: https://www.oregonlive.com/

During adverse weather conditions when C-Tran is operating on snow routes, the WSU Vancouver campus will not be served as the snow route ends at 20th Ave. For more information on bus routes and C-Tran scheduling, please visit C-Tran website at: https://www.c-tran.com/ 

Bad Weather, You Decide

In the event that an adverse weather event (e.g., snow or ice) or natural hazard that poses a safety risk occurs, you should take personal safety into account when deciding whether you can travel safely to and from campus, taking local conditions into account. If campus remains open and your instructor decides to cancel the face-to-face meeting and substitute an alternative learning activity, you will be notified by your instructor via email or through Blackboard within a reasonable time after the decision to open or close campus has been made. Instructions regarding any alternative learning options or assignments will be communicated in a timely manner. If travel to campus is not possible due to adverse regional conditions, allowances to course attendance policy and scheduled assignments, including exams and quizzes, will be made. Students who attempt to gain advantage through abuse of this policy (e.g., by providing an instructor with false information) may be referred to the Office of Student Conduct for disciplinary action. If a student encounters an issue with an instructor, the student should first talk with the instructor. If the issue cannot be resolved, the student should follow the steps for reporting violations as outlined on the student affairs website. Finally, in case of class cancellation campus-wide, please check local media, the WSU Vancouver web page (https://www.vancouver.wsu.edu) and/or https://www.flashalert.net/. Individual class cancellations may be made at the discretion of the instructor.

Service/Emotional Support Animals
Pets are not allowed on campus or inside buildings or classrooms. Trained service animals are allowed, but must be registered with the WSU Access Center, Classroom Building (VCLS) room 160, 360-546-9238.

Students with Disabilities
Reasonable accommodations are available for students with documented disabilities or chronic medical conditions. If you have a disability and need accommodations to fully participate in this class, please visit the Access Center website to follow published procedures to request accommodations: https://studentaffairs.vancouver.wsu.edu/access-center. Students may also either contact or visit the Access Center in-person to schedule an appointment with our Access Center Coordinator. Location: Classroom Building, Room 160; Phone: 360-546-9238; Email: van.access.center@wsu.edu. All disability related accommodations MUST be approved through the Access Center. Students with approved accommodations are strongly encouraged to visit with instructors early in the semester during office hours to discuss logistics.

Cougar Food Pantry
We know that it can be hard to make ends meet when you’re paying for college and living on a tight budget. If you are struggling to feed yourself or your family, the Cougar Food Pantry can help. The pantry provides free, nonperishable food items for WSU Vancouver students in need. The process is simple, anonymous and judgement-free. Learn more and request food at https://vancouver.wsu.edu/fooddrive or stop by the Cougar Center in the Student Services Center. Help your fellow Coug; refer a friend in need!