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Reading
Responses
I
assign reading responses as a way of getting you to think more critically
about both the content of the article and the communication concept it
represents. For example, when we read "Commemerating the Theme Park
Zone," I want to be able to talk about the authors' ideas, but we
will also examine the way the piece uses rhetorical analysis and the concept
of a non-traditional "text". I will often give you specific
prompts to write about, but in general, I want to know what you thought
about the article and WHY. You should attempt to make connections to your
own life and experiences, as well as to other readings, assignments, or
cultural/current events. These are NOT summaries and they are not full-blown
essays. Instead, they are opportunities for you to work out informally
the articles' ideas and your reactions.
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Visual
Argument Project
We
have begun talking about how we have been shaped as communicators. We
all view
communication differently for different reasons, perhaps because of our
culture, our experiences, our family, our schooling, our gender, our religion,
etc. This shaping not only affects how we view pieces of communication,
but it also affects how we ourselves communicate. For example, I grew
up with a fairly authoritative father who generally dominated conversations
and disliked disagreement with his views. Despite the trouble I would
usually get into, I sometimes had to voice my opinion. However, I also
learned that there were times when I was better off being silent. This
contradiction between being outspoken and being quiet formed the foundation
of my communication practices and has continued to explain the way I relate
to others. In most instances I would rather sit and listen until I have
a feel for the conversation before I jump in and start talking. However,
this reserved approach is often at odds with my role as an instructor,
so the contradictions continue.
What I want
you to do for this assignment is to think of some instance of how you
have been shaped as a communicator. This can be oral, visual, written,
or a combination thereof. You can frame it in terms of your schooling,
your personal life, your work, or any other situation where you have to
communicate. What I want you to do now is make a visual argument of how
you have been shaped as a communicator. You can use a series of pictures,
a collage, drawings, clip art, however you want to do it.
Once you
have your visual argument, you will be presenting it in front of the class
in a 3-5 minute presentation. First, you will show us your argument without
speaking. Then you will explain to us the process involved in making your
piece, why you chose what you chose, and what effect you hoped it would
have (basiclly, verbally tell us your argument).
The possibilities
for this project are limitless and I encourage you to be creative and
have fun. We will spend some time in class brainstorming ideas, but if
you get stuck, please feel free to talk with me during office hours.
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Pitch
Proposal
With
a partner, you will be making a brief (2-3 minute), oral presentation
with visual aids (overheads, posters, power-point slides, or web sites
designed by you) that advocates the examination of a public issue and
two activist groups related to that issue for the class to study. The
goal of the presentation is to persuade the class that the issue and groups
you and your partner have chosen are the best choice for the whole class
to research and write about.
Remember
that the whole class will be researching the communicative practices of
groups related to this issue so that we can compare and contrast them.
Once we research the groups, you will individually write an argumentative
analysis paper which analyzes some aspect of the group's communication
practices.
When creating
your speech, consider the following:
- Audience:
Develop persuasive strategies by analyzing your audience. Since you
and your partner are part of the class, you must consider how you are
similar and different from other class members. What are the most important
similarities and differences between your group and the rest of the
class that might affect the way the other class members respond to your
arguments? Adapt your arguments to address what you anticipate might
be different viewpoints held by others in class.
- Strategies:
Think critically about the issue and groups you want to propose
for class study. What is the best way to persuade the class that these
groups will be interesting and informative to study for the next 5-10
weeks.
- Delivery:
Decide on a format for presenting your proposal that gives you and your
partner active roles in the presentation-you are both expected to speak.
Plan on where you will sit or stand during the parts of the presentation
and how the visual aids will be handles and by whom. Run through your
plan at least once before your class presentation.
If you're stumped, here's some issues and groups to consider. There are
many, many others, so do some research to find organizations related to
issues you are interested in. Also be sure to look at the links these
pages have to other activist groups:
Digital Freedom
and Privacy:
The Environment
Drug Issues
and Policy:
Discrimination and Racial Justice:
International
Health and Safety:
AIDS Issues:
Immigration
Issues:
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Argumentative
Analysis Paper and Presentation
This assignment will be a multi-step process.
First, in your groups which we will choose on 10/1, you will come
up with a service organization that your group will research. You will
be paying close attention to the organization's communication practices,
so make sure that have something you can work with (brochures, web page,
newsletters, flyers, posters, etc.).
Second, you will begin to research the group. You will need to
know what their overall purpose is, how they recruit members or donations,
and what type of communication practices they use. Split this work up
in your group so that you lessen the load, and then share the information
that you find.
Third,
you will each individually write a paper. This is an argumentative/analysis
paper in which you will analyze the communication practices of the organization.
You may want to focus in on one piece of communication you have gathered,
or you can do an overview. Each group member can choose a separate topic
or piece of communication, however if you end up with similar topics this
is fine.
Some guidelines
for the paper:
- 5-7 pages
long, double-spaced, typed, 12pt font, numbered
pages, and MLA citations
- You should
have a clear thesis. You may want to argue that based on the organization's
purpose, history, or structure their communication is effective, or
not effective. You can analyze, say, a brochure they put out and see
how effective it is based on their purpose and their audience.
- You should
argue your thesis throughout the paper. Analyze the information you
have in a way that backs up your argument. Remeber, you're trying to
persuade us of something through careful analysis.
- You need
to bring in a draft on 10/17 for peer review, a final draft is due on
10/24.
Keep in mind
that this is an argumentative/analysis paper. You need to persuade your
audience of your point, and you can do this through a close rhetorical
analysis of the communication practices.
Fourth, you will each indiviudally present your paper in an argumentative
presentation on 10/24 or 10/26.
Although
we will discuss presentation practices in more detail, some guidlines
are:
- 4-6 minutes
long
- Don't
just read your paper aloud, instead come up with a way to present your
argument verbally and visually.
- You will
need at least one visual aid which utilizes the CRAP principles. You're
free to use more than one.
- You need
to turn in an outline before you present so that I can follow along
in your
presenation.
- Again,
keep in mind you're trying to persuade us of your points so tell us
and show us why what you're saying is valid.
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Final
Project
This is another multi-step assignment which will get you to put your
smart work on communication analysis into a piece of communication. Working
in the group that you did your argumentative analysis research with, you
will now create a piece of communication for the organization that you
chose. This will all be done as group work, so each group will have one
proposal, one project, one presentation, and one report.
THE PROPOSAL
First: As a group, you will type up a 500-750 word paper due on
11/5 that describes and explains the piece of communication you wish to
develop in response to the analyses of the previous section of this class.
Your proposal will:
- Describe
the text you propose to develop and the media in which you will do it.
- Describe
the purpose and audience for this text.
- Give the
background and history of the organization for which you are proposing
the text. Shape this context to explain why your proposed text is relevant
to this group.
- Describe
the process--step by step--that your group will undertake to develop
this communication.
- Tell which
group members will be responsible for what parts of the process.
- Identify
any problems you forsee.
- Specify
a detailed time-line for the project, listing what will be developed
when.
THE PROJECT
Second: Design and develop a piece of communication for the organization
that your
group researched. You may want to think of this part of the assignment
as consultancy work. Imagine that you work for a firm hired to analyze
what works and what doesn't about your organization's communication. Once
that is completed, your task becomes one of redesigning or developing
new materials to fill some void that you have identified. That might include
recruiting volunteers, convincing new people to donate money or resources,
or just getting the word out about what your client organization does.
Some examples of communications you might develop include a brochure,
a Web page, a short piece of digital mulitmedia, a video, a play, relevant
games, or support activities for the audience. Whatever you choose should
be in response to the analysis you've done of the organization. For example,
if you noticed that their current brochure isn't addressing the correct
audience, you could remake it. Or, if you think the organization would
benefit from a new Web site, you can design one (or a part of one). Or,
if you think the group needs to have more eyecatching posters, you can
design some.
This project
will be a concrete example of how you apply the critical analysis you
did on your argumentative analysis presentations and papers. You will
choose the kind of communication you develop--and you will have to justify
your reasons for choosing such a communication text to the organization
whose communication strategies you are
recommending changing.
I will be
grading you not so much on your creative skills but your creative thoughts.
The project doesn't have to look totally professional, but make it the
best that you can given your skills and the time available. If it's a
great idea and I can tell you put a lot of work into making the best that
you know how, you will do well.
THE PRESENTATION
Third: You will present your project to the class in a way that
not only shows the work you have done but also justifies the choices you
have made. You will need to explain why you did what you did, who your
audience was, what your purpose was, and what types of tactics you used.
This is a group presentation, and you should all be part of it. You will
present on 12/10 & 12/12.
THE REPORT
Fourth: Your group will write up a project report to put in the
final portfolio due 12/19. This is a report that your whole project group
generates. Given the scope of the what I ask, your report should be in
the range of 3-5 pages.
In this project
report, you will describe the history of you project, from its inception
to the final version you present to the class. This report also provides
you with an opportunity to demonstrate the thinking you have done by describing
your strategies for solving various communication problems that arose
in the process. As you write this report, you should look back at your
project proposal and see how your final project compares to what you originally
imagined it to be.
What you will include in the report:
- The
Project Description- Briefly
explain the project you undertook and outline its features.
- Reasons
& Intentions- Describe
why you chose to develop the text that you did: What concerns led you
to decide on the project you did? What were your intentions in developing
this project? While what write here may be similar to the information
you provided in your proposal, it's often the case that your reasons
change and grow as you work your way through a project: now that you
have completed your project, are
there any changes in your reasons and intentions?
- Your
audience- Who
was the particular audience for this project and what were their specific
needs?
- Designing
for your audience- Please
list and justify your major design decisions in making your project:
- Why
was the medium (brochure? web page? videotape? puppet show?
oral presentation?) you chose for your project appropriate for
your audience?
- Why
did you choose the overall structure you did for the text you
made? (For example, if your project is an oral presentation,
why did you break the presentation into the parts you did? If
you made a brochure or web page, how did you decide how many
pages to make, and how did you decide on
their order?
- Why
did you choose the specific visual components you did? (If you
made something on paper or screen, why did you choose the specific
typefaces and colors and photographs or illustrations you did?
If you composed an oral presentation, why did you choose the
specific body language you
used? What design decisions went into your visual aids?)
- Project
Challenges- What kind of challenges did you face as you developed
this project and how did you deal with them? How did these problems
compare to those you anticipated in your initial project proposal?
- Group
dynamics-
What were some of the strategies your groups used to make this project
a success? If you had to give advice to next semesters class regarding
their groups, what would you say and why?
- Any last
thoughts or general conclusions you would like to share concerning the
project as a whole? What would you do differently next time? What would
you have liked to have known more about as you were working?
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