ENG 3373: ADVANCED TECHNICAL WRITING
SMART MOBS: TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Dr. Matthew K. Gold M,W 1-2:15PM
Email: mgold@citytech.cuny.edu Section 5592
Phone: (718) 260-4972 Room: Namm 601b
Office: Namm 520 Spring 2009
Office Hours: M, W 2:15-3
and by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
“The ‘killer apps’ of tomorrow’s mobile infocom industry won’t be hardware devices or software programs, but social practices.”
-- Harold Rheingold, Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution (2002)
We live in an age when online social networks, mobile communications devices, distributed texting platforms, and digital photo and video cameras are connecting people and information in new ways. Social networks are transforming our relations to the world, and our texting-enabled, video-capable, web-enhanced, multimedia-streaming pocket-sized mobile devices are helping to redefine not just the way we connect to other people, but also the way we connect to ourselves.
In the midst of these changes, words like “technical” and “writing” have taken on new forms, shapes, and meanings. We will take as our main task this semester the job of assessing just how those terms have changed along with the field of professional writing more generally.
Prerequisites: ENG 1121/ENG 1133/EG 133 and MST 101 or equivalent
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- Experiment with new communications technologies
- Rethink your assumptions about technology
- Rethink the assumptions of the field of technical writing
- Play well with others
- Foster a skeptical approach to ideas, technologies, and platitudes
- Foster creativity in your academic work
REQUIRED COURSE TEXTS AND MATERIALS:
· EDUCAUSE 2009 Horizon Report (available online)
· Laura J. Gurak and John M. Lannon, A Concise Guide to Technical Communication
· Lawrence Lessig, Remix
· Clay Shirky, Here Comes Everybody
· Various handouts, online articles, and PDF files
· A reliable computer/internet connection at home or school
· a digital camera
· a mobile phone with text-messaging capabilities
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADES:
- Short essays (40%)
- Midterm project (15%)
- Final project (25%)
- Online assignments (10%)
- Regular attendance and active classroom participation (10%)
COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES/SITES WE WILL USE:
Blogs (WordPress), Wikis (PBWiki), del.icio.us, YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, Seesmic, and others
COURSE POLICIES:
Attendance: Attendance is mandatory in this discussion-based course. Students who miss more than three classes for any reason other than a documented emergency will lose one-third of their final grade for each additional absence. Students who miss more than five classes are likely to fail the course.
If you miss class, you must contact your classmates to find out what you’ve missed. In-class writing assignments cannot be made up.
Please make every effort to arrive on time and to shut off your cell phone before entering the classroom. Arriving after roll has been taken will count as a lateness and one-third of an absence. Please do not read or write text messages in class unless asked to do so by Professor Gold, as this activity is distracting and disrespectful.
Participation: The success of this course depends upon your regular and active participation in class discussions. To receive full credit for participation, you must make constructive contributions to our classroom discussions. This includes the completion of all reading and writing assignments.
Deadlines: You must adhere to your assigned dates and times. All assignments must be prepared prior to the class meeting, according to the due date and time, and fully complete. Late work will not be graded. Period. All assignments are due by the start of class on the due date. After this time, they will be accepted with a "0" grade and are required to pass the course. Period.
If you need an extension, you must contact me at least 24 hours before the assignment is due to explain why an extension is necessary. If the assignment is due in less than 24 hours, do not waste your time or mine by asking for an extension.
You will be responsible for all assignments and deadlines regardless of absences. Hence, I strongly recommend that you have a contact person in the class from whom you can get assignments and notes in the event of an absence.
Paper Format: All papers must be typed and double-spaced. Use a legible 12-point font such as Times New Roman, and format your papers with 1” margins on all sides. Give your paper a creative title that sums up your argument. Citations and title formatting should conform to the MLA guidelines that we will discuss in class.
Revisions: Revision is an essential part of the writing process. Real revision involves a re-visioning and re-fashioning of the original paper, not just the completion of superficial corrections. Hand in revisions with the original essay and the original grading sheet. On the heading, indicate “Revision of Essay #” and the date on which you are handing it in.
Personal Conferences: Meeting with me during office hours is one of the most important things you can do to improve your work. If you cannot make it to my office hours, we can set up an appointment at a mutually convenient time. Email is the best way to reach me; I will attempt to respond to all messages within 24 hours.
Email Etiquette: In your email messages to me, please observe the rules of formal letter-writing etiquette: begin each message with a greeting (“Dear Professor Gold”) and end each message with a closing (“Sincerely, Model Student”). Avoid texting language (“yo whattup prof. g? How r u?”). Use standard punctuation and capitalization. Messages that that do not comply with this etiquette will be deleted.
Incompletes: Incomplete grades will not be given except under extraordinary circumstances, and even then, the student must have completed course work at a passing level and must complete a written agreement with me regarding the completion of the work.
New York City College of Technology Policy on Academic Integrity: Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions, and other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using, crediting, and
citing sources. As a community of intellectual and professional workers, the College recognizes its responsibility for providing instruction in information literacy and academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly and appropriately to infractions of academic integrity. Accordingly, academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and at New York City College of Technology and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion. The complete text of the College policy on Academic Integrity may be found in the catalog.
Plagiarism: DON’T DO IT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!!! The penalties for plagiarism in this course include failure of the course and additional academic sanctions; I will report all incidences of plagiarism to City Tech’s Academic Integrity Officer. If you are confused about what plagiarism is or have questions about how you should avoid it, please contact me before your paper is due. Do not, under any circumstances, hand in plagiarized work.
Students With Disabilities: Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as possible. I will work with the Student Support Services Program (Atrium 237 – 718-260-5143) to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.
Syllabus Disclaimer: Any part of this syllabus may be revised during in the semester at the sole discretion of the instructor.
COURSE RESOURCES:
City Tech Learning Center: Atrium G-18, (718) 260-5874
The Atrium Learning Center provides a wide range of free academic support services to City Tech students, including computer facilities, tutoring assistance, and workshops. Tutors in the Learning Center can help you focus and develop your papers; please visit the center as often as possible this semester.
The Ursula C. Sherwin Library: Atrium Fourth Floor, (718) 260-5485
It is my hope that you will become intimately familiar with the library this semester. During the semester, we will meet with a librarian for a session on the effective use of online resources and literary databases.
COURSE SCHEDULE (subject to change):
January 26 Opening Ceremonies: introduction to the course, to the syllabus, to each other
January 28 What is Technical Writing?
February 2 Horizon Report
February 4 Horizon Report
February 9 Here Comes Everybody
February 11 Here Comes Everybody
February 16 COLLEGE CLOSED
February 18 Here Comes Everybody
February 23 A Concise Guide to Technical Communication
February 25 A Concise Guide to Technical Communication
March 2 A Concise Guide to Technical Communication
March 4 A Concise Guide to Technical Communication
March 9 A Concise Guide to Technical Communication
March 11 A Concise Guide to Technical Communication
March 16 Midterm project due
Midterm project presentations
March 18 Midterm project presentations
March 23 Remix
March 25 Remix
March 30 Remix
April 1 Remix
April 6 Remix projects 1 Due
April 8 NO CLASS - SPRING BREAK
April 13 NO CLASS - SPRING BREAK
April 15 NO CLASS - SPRING BREAK
April 20 Reading TBA
April 22 Reading TBA
April 27 Reading TBA
April 29 Remix projects 2 Due
May 4 Reading TBA
May 6 Reading TBA
May 11 Final Project Due
Final Project Presentations
May 13 Final Project Presentations
May 18 Final Project Presentations
May 20 Closing Ceremonies
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