University of Idaho, ENGL 419 Fall 2017 Syllabus

1. [ENGL 419]
WRITING for the WEB
Syllabus | Fall 2016
INSTRUCTOR
Dr. Jodie Nicotra
jnicotra@uidaho.edu
202 Brink Hall
Office Hours: T/Th 2:00-3:30
COURSE INFORMATION
MWF 10:30-11:20
Locations: EP 202
(Moscow)/HC128 (CDA)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Composing for Web-based environments draws upon skills in rhetoric and writing
that will be very familiar to most advanced writers. However, it also challenges us
to think differently about things that we’ve come to take for granted in our
experiences with writing print-based texts: things like genre, circulation, and
delivery of information, and the relationship between composer(s) and audience.
Writing for the Web introduces what may be a new set of concepts: findability,
stickiness, spreadability, search engine optimization (SEO), interface writing,
content strategy, accessibility, open source, and social media plans.
Note that this is not a course in Web design. While we’ll talk about basic principles
of design and usability (and maybe a teeny bit of HTML coding), we won’t be
focusing on the technical aspects of creating websites.

2. Since this is a 400-level composition course, it anticipates that students will do a
substantial amount of independent, real-world work (i.e., work for “real” Web
audiences). While we’ll work on certain components together, half of the work for
the course will be designed individually by you (with my help and subject to my
approval), based on your own interests, skills, and goals for the course.
By the time you complete the course, you should be able to do the
following:
 Recognize the basics of Web communication in action, including findability,
convergence, stickiness, spreadability, information architecture,
compassionate tech, SEO, accessibility, content strategy, blog, tweet.
 Analyze Web content for effective rhetorical practices.
 Create Web content that shows best practices of SEO (search engine
optimization).
 Design Web content for readers with disabilities.
 Identify the difference between copyright and open source and how each can
be used appropriately to share and/or protect work.
 Plan and construct or redesign a website that uses the best Web
communication practices.
MATERIALS
Required:
 Julia McCoy, So You Think You Can Write? The Definitive Guide to Successful
Online Writing 2nd edition (2016)
 Free e-book (available through the UI Library website via Books 24x7),
Ginny Redish, Letting Go of the Words, 2nd edition (2012)
 A Basic-level Lynda.com account (you get a 30-day free trial, then it would
be $24.99/month – I’ll let you know when to sign up for it, and we’ll watch
the relevant courses within 30 days)
 A domain name and the professional version of website-building software
(depending on your semester project)
 A Google account in your name, and a Facebook and/or Twitter account to
be used to promote your semester project.
Recommended:
 A laptop (we’ll be in a non-computer classroom) – if you have one, you
should bring it every day.
 See the end of the syllabus for a list of recommended further readings.
The course schedule, assignment sheets, and all other readings and course
materials will be available through our course BbLearn site.
COURSE POLICIES

3. Come to class. We won’t meet every class period, especially when you’re working
on major projects. However, when we do meet, we’ll be sharing ideas and
critiquing each other’s work, so it’s vital that you are here and ready to
participate. Excessive absences (any more than 5) will lead to an overall grade
reduction of half a letter grade per class missed. Note that some days I will be
teaching from Coeur d’Alene, since half our class is up there – I’ll give you plenty
of notice when that’s the case.
Turn off your phone (please), for the sake of lessening distractions for those
around you, including me - I hate talking to a room of bent-over heads that aren’t
paying attention.
Don’t plagiarize. See Article II-A1 of the Student Code of Conduct for an
explanation of what plagiarism entails. I will refer serious (deliberate) cases to the
Dean of Students’ office and I’ll assign a 0 to the work (and possibly the course).
Be civil. In any environment in which people gather to learn, it is essential that all
members feel as free and safe as possible in their participation. To this end, it is
expected that everyone in this course will be treated with mutual respect and
civility, with an understanding that all of us (students, instructors, professors,
guests, and teaching assistants) will be respectful and civil to one another in
discussion, in action, in teaching, and in learning.
Should you feel our classroom interactions do not reflect an environment of civility
and respect, you are encouraged to meet with your instructor during office hours
to discuss your concern. Additional resources for expression of concern or
requesting support include the Dean of Students office and staff (5-6757), the UI
Counseling & Testing Center’s confidential services (5-6716), or the UI Office of
Human Rights, Access, & Inclusion (5-4285)
Be flexible. Not only is this only the second time Writing for the Web has been
offered, the course design necessitates a fair amount of spontaneity and ability to
change course. I promise to be flexible too!
Disability Support Services Reasonable Accommodations Statement:
Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have documented
temporary or permanent disabilities. All accommodations must be approved
through Disability Support Services, located in the Idaho Commons Building, Room
306, in order to notify your instructor(s) as soon as possible regarding
accommodation(s) needed for the course. Contact DSS at 208-885-6307, email
dss@uidaho.edu or go to www.uidaho.edu/dss.
ASSIGNMENTS

4. Below are brief descriptions of each of your major assignments for the course.
More detailed instructions, including grading rubrics, will be made available on
BbLearn.
1. Reading Summaries and Presentation (summaries = 100 points;
presentation = 50 points)
Summaries. For each reading we do, you will write one summary paragraph
and three bullet point “take-aways” or the most important points from the
reading you think someone can put to use. Try for the simplest language as
if someone was just scanning the piece to see if they want to read further.
You will find both the readings and the place to post your reading summaries
on BbLearn.
Presentations. Students will be assigned articles in the 2nd-3rd week of the
course, at random, from a list. Students have 3 slides and 3 minutes to
present their summaries. For each article, you should emphasize
 What the article is about
 The main takeaway points or concepts
 Why this is important to composing for the Web
Then you’ll end your presentation either by presenting a question/topic for
discussion, or having the class look at a website (or some other artifact) that
exemplifies the concepts.
2. Website analysis (100 points). In order to give us a common understanding
and vocabulary for what makes effective websites, you’ll analyze a website of your
choice (perhaps one that has room for improvement), using the concepts from
Julia McCoy’s So You Think You Can Write? and Ginny Redish’s Letting Go of the
Words.
3. Digital story using ArcGIS (150 points). This assignment is designed to help
you not only put into practice the concepts from McCoy and Redish that you
analyzed for the last assignment, but also to try your hand at creating a digital
object that’s both “sticky” (in that it makes readers want to read it) and
“spreadable.”
4. Semester Project Proposal (50 points). You and I will work together to
decide - based on your own interests, skills, and goals - what kind of major project
you want to do for the semester. You’ll submit a plan based on a set of questions
I’ll give you about needs, users, content, social media strategy, etc. We’ll use best
industry practices to make the same sort of plan you’d make if you actually
wanted to develop Web content.
5. Semester Project (350 points). This will be your major project for the course;
along with the Social Media Plan, it’s worth half your grade. You can choose from
the following options:

5.  A website (anything other than a simple personal portfolio).
 A redesign of a client’s website.
 A blog, podcast or video series (with associated website).
 Another major Web-based project of your choosing.
6. Social Media Plan (150 points). To accompany your semester project, you will
design a plan to promote your project via social media, and create a minimum of
15 social media posts to spread yours and other’s content.
7. Final Reflective Letter (100 points). You’ll compose a reflection on how you
met the learning outcomes, what you learned from participating in the course, and
how you think differently about writing now after composing for a Web-based
environment.
FOR FURTHER READING
In the interest of everyone’s wallets and the time it would take to read all of these,
we’re only reading bits and pieces from many of them. If you want to learn in
more depth about Web-based composition, you can check out the following books
(in no particular order):
 Colleen Jones, Clout: The Art and Science of Influential Web Content. New Riders,
2011.
 Kristin Halvorson and Melissa Rach. Content Strategy for the Web, 2nd
edition. New
Riders, 2012.
 Lynda Felder, Writing for the Web: Creating Compelling Content Using Words,
Pictures, and Sound. New Riders, 2012.
 Nicole Fenton and Kate Kiefer Lee, Nicely Said: Writing for the Web with Style and
Purpose. Peachpit Press, 2014.
 Steve Krug, Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web
and Mobile Usability. New Riders, 2014.
 Jakob Nielsen and Raluca Budiu, Mobile Usability. New Riders, 2013.
 Joy Deangdeelert Cho, Blog Inc: Blogging for Passion, Profit, and to Create
Community. Chronicle Books, 2012.
 Chip Heath and Dan Heath, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others
Die. Random House, 2007.
 Henry Jenkins, Sam Ford, and Joshua Green. Spreadable Media: Creating Value and
Meaning in a Networked Culture. New York University Press, 2013.