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Fall 2013


English 2269: Digital Media Composing

Instructor: Krista Bryson
Email: bryson.53@osu.edu
Twitter handle: klbryson https://twitter.com/klbryson
Course blog: http://english2269bryson.wordpress.com/
Class meets: WF 9:35-10:55 AM Denney Hall 343
Office hours: WF 11:00AM-12:30 PM or by appointment Denney Hall 324
Course Number: (20807)


Course Description and Objectives
1 Course Description
What does it mean to use digital media? Use digital media ethically? The uses of digital
media are highly contested and is the subject of much academic study. We will examine
how conceptions of the purposes and ethics of digital media are constructed, maintained,
and contested. We will think about what makes digital media meaningful both for ourselves
and for others. We will explore how the uses of digital media are shaped by social, cultural,
political, economic, historical, material, and ideological forces. We will consider why
specific digital media are believed to promote social, intellectual, and economic
deterioration or enhancement depending upon cultural beliefs.

Digital Media Composing provides a rhetorical framework for engaging in the theory and
practice of digital media in contexts outside the classroom. In addition to examining the
above theoretical questions concerning digital media, we will compose digital media
documents (DMDs) that demonstrate the fulfillment of the following objectives.
2 Objectives
In this course, you will develop your capacity to:

Understand and apply traditional rhetorical and design principles when planning
and creating digital media documents (DMDs);
Analyze the rhetoric of DMDs created by others, employing traditional rhetorical
and design principles as well as qualitative criteria you discover and articulate;
Assess your own DMDs according to criteria you help to articulate;

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Use and critically examine a range of digital capture and editing technologies (e.g.,
digital cameras, digital audio recorders, digital video cameras; Dreamweaver;
Garage Band or Audacity; Photoshop or GIMP; iMovie);
Situate DMDs in comparison to other media, exploring how DMDs reciprocally draw
upon and affect older/other forms of media (e.g., print, cinema, photography,
broadcast radio and TV);
Critically examine the cultures and enabling contexts (including technological, social,
etc.) in which DMD's emerge and are deployed.
3 GEC Requirement
This course fulfills the Arts and Humanities VPA GEC: A writing course where students
analyze and compose digital media texts while studying complex forms and practices of
textual production.

This course fulfills the arts and humanities GEC requirement for cultures and ideas. In GEC
arts and humanities courses, students evaluate significant writing and works of art. Such
studies develop capacities for aesthetic and historical response and judgment;
interpretation and evaluation; critical listening, reading, seeing, thinking, and writing; and
experiencing the arts and reflecting on that experience.


Required Materials
Lancaster, Kurt. Video Journalism for the Web: A Practical Introduction to
Documentary Storytelling. New York: Routledge, 2013. Print. ISBN: 9780415892674
All other texts are free and located on the course blog:
http://english2269bryson.wordpress.com/
Headphones
External hard drive (not a flash or thumb drive) of at least 100GB
6 pack of AA batteries

Course Requirements

During the term, you will complete several major assignments designed to build on each
other intellectually and conceptually. These assignments are:

Assignment Percentage of Course Grade Due Date
Artifact Analysis 5% 9.4
Digital Documentary
Proposal
5% 9.11
Asset-Audio 10% 9.25
Asset-Digital Image 10% 10.9

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Asset- Video Preview 10% 10.30
Asset-Website 10% 11.15
Digital Documentary 20% 12.6
Blog 10% 11.22
Twitter 10% 11.27
In-class Participation 10% All term

Grading Scale
A 93.5-100 C+ 76.5-79.49 E 0-59.49
A- 89.5-93.49 C 73.5-76.49
B+ 86.5-89.49 C- 73.49-69.5
B 83.5-86.49 D+ 66.5-69.49
B- 79-.583.49 D 59.5-66.49


Course Policies
1 Access
Students with disabilities that have been certified by the Office for Disability Services
will be appropriately accommodated and should inform the instructor as soon as possible
of their needs. The ODS is located in 150 Pomerene Hall, 1760 Neil Avenue; telephone 292-
3307, TDD 292-0901; http://www.ods.ohio-state.edu/
2 Attendance & Participation
Attendance is important to the success of this class and to your development as a digital
media composer. Therefore, each unexcused absence after two will result in the lowering of
your final grade by a third of a grade. Excused absences, such as those for documented
illness, family tragedy, religious observance, or travel for inter-collegiate athletics, will not
affect your grade. It is your responsibility to contact your instructor as soon as possible if
you miss class. Five unexcused absences will automatically result in failure for the
course. There will be an attendance sheet passed around at the beginning of each
class. It is your responsibility to sign the attendance sheet to indicate your presence
in class each day. Whether excused or not, if you miss a class, you are expected to make up
the work. This means if you miss on a day that involves an in-class assignment, you must
make arrangements to compete the assignment on your own time and submit it to the
appropriate discussion board or dropbox. I will count you absent if you are more than
20 minutes late to class, sleeping, or if you come to class unprepared to discuss the
days assigned readings. I will record your attendance on Carmen so you can keep track.
If you are ill, visit the universitys Flu page (http://flu.osu.edu/) and/or related excuse
form (http://shs.osu.edu/post/documents/absence-excuse-form2.pdf)

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Tardiness is disruptive to the classroom environment, and prevents you from fully
participating and assimilating the information and materials discussed in class. Excessive
tardiness will lower your participation grade.
Participation I want to hear from you in any and all forms you're comfortable with. And,
perhaps more importantly, I want you to hear from each otherto know what one another
think of the readings, course topics, etc. This is why participation (in-class, Twitter, and
blogging) totals 30% of your course grade. I may occasionally hold quizzes to check for
preparedness. I will give you a weekly participation grade that you can check on the
Carmen gradebook.
3 Student Work
Student work should be turned in at the time indicated on the syllabus and in the format
designated by the instructor. Late submission of an assignment will result in the deduction
of one full letter grade for each day past the due date (for example, B+ to C+). The grade
will not be affected when an assignment is late for reasons that would result in an excused
absence. Drafts for peer review must be brought to class on the specified days. Failure to
have a draft in class for peer review will result in the deduction of 1/3 letter grade from the
final graded assignment (for example, a B+ would go to a B).
Missing class or encountering technological misfortunes are not acceptable excuses for
failing to meet a deadline. Save early and save often, and be sure to back up your work. I
recommend that you save your work in two separate locations (e.g., save one copy to your
external hard drive, and another copy on a flash drive or CD-ROM). The hard drives of the
classroom computers are wiped every night, so plan to back up your work somewhere else if you
do your composing work there.
Assignment grades will not be affected when an assignment is late for reasons that would
result in an excused absence. Students who know they will miss the class when the
assignment is due must contact the instructor as soon as possible in advance of class to
arrange for submission of the assignment
4 Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the representation of anothers works or ideas as ones own. Such
representation includes the unacknowledged word for word use and/or paraphrasing of
another persons work, and/or the inappropriate unacknowledged use of another persons
ideas. For additional information, see the Code of Student Conduct. All cases of suspected
plagiarism, in accordance with University rules, will be reported to the appropriate
departmental or University body, as stipulated in Faculty Rule 3335-5-487:
It is the responsibility of the Committee on Academic Misconduct to investigate or
establish procedures for the investigation of all reported cases of student academic
misconduct. The term "academic misconduct" includes all forms of student
academic misconduct wherever committed; illustrated by, but not limited to, cases

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of plagiarism and dishonest practices in connection with examinations. Instructors
shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the committee.
Working in digital environments poses all sorts of new questions regarding copyright and
intellectual property, and we will discuss these issues as part of the class. While it is
important to respect others intellectual property, it is equally important to assert the right
to fair use granted you by copyright law. If you have any questions about copyright,
intellectual property issues, or fair use, please dont hesitate to ask.
5 Mutual Respect Policy
I will abide by the following mutual respect policy. I also expect every student to abide by it
as well. This classroom is committed to bringing about mutual understanding and respect
among all individuals and groups at the University and to eliminating all forms of
discrimination. In recognition that the development of human potential is a fundamental
goal in a democratic society, this classroom promotes an education system that values
cultural and ethnic diversity and understanding; that provides for the preparation of
students for full and meaningful participation in a changing world; and that promotes
equitable and fair treatment in every aspect of campus life and employment for all persons
regardless of race, color, national or regional origin, sex, age, religion, veteran status,
disability, and body shape or size.
6 Classroom and Email Etiquette
Classroom and Email Etiquette is an important consideration in any academic setting.
Respectful behavior is the expectation. In your emails, please remember to use language,
grammar, and formatting that are appropriate for a professional setting. Any questions that
you believe would merit a visit to my office hours are appropriate for an email to
bryson.53@osu.edu.

Cell phones must be silenced before class. Taking a call or texting during a business
meeting is not an acceptable practice, and it will not be tolerated in this class. Text
messaging is particularly inappropriate in class and will affect your participation grade,
regardless of whether or not I call you out in class. You are expected to listen carefully to
your fellow classmates when they are speaking and take notes during lectures and
discussions. You never know when a classmate or your instructor will say something that
might spark an idea for you!
7 Class Cancellation
If class is cancelled due to emergency, I will contact you via email and request that a note
be placed on the door. In addition, I will contact you as soon as possible following the
cancellation to let you know what will be expected of you for our next class meeting.
8 Changes to Course Schedule

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I reserve the right to make changes to the course schedule. Changes are a likely possibility
because our topic and our needs will be constantly changing throughout the course of the
term. I will notify you of changes to the schedule orally during class and posting a written
notice on Carmen news on the homepage and by posting a revised syllabus to the Carmen
content page.


Resources
1 The Digital Media Project (DMP)
The DMP is the division of the English department that provides equipment and technical
support to students enrolled in English classes. You will be using the DMPs resources
extensively throughout the quarter, and they will be assisting with technology tutorials in
our classes. The DMP general office is located in Denney 324, and offers equipment
borrowing and support from friendly, expert staff. The DMP Mac lab where we have our
classes is will be available for studio time, hours TBD. You will also have access to the lab
for an hour before class during my office hours. Policies for checking out materials from the
DMP:
Equipment (recording devices, cameras, and device accessories) can be checked out from
the DMP for a 24 hour period, according to DMP policy. The only exception to this policy is
that items checked out on a Friday must be returned the following Monday. Hours for the
DMP are TBD, but will be available on the DMP website http://dmp.osu.edu.
The DMP does not supply DVDs, video tapes, CDs or other media. We may be able to
supply rechargeable batteries with equipment, but students should have AA batteries on
hand.
All undergraduate reservations must be made in person. (Instructors may make
reservations via email or phone.)
Habitually late returns will lead to revocation of checkout privileges.
Students must make reservations and check outs in their own names, not for friends or
group members. The equipment must be picked up and returned by the person who
checked it out.
Only students in English classes may check out equipment.
Equipment may ONLY be returned to the DMP, not the English department office or
the lab assistants.
Save any and all recordings you make on DMP equipment to your own storage devices;
equipment is checked out and wiped continuouslyif you return an item without
downloading your files, there is absolutely no guarantee you will be able to retrieve it.
Understand that checking out equipment from the DMP is a privilege. You do not pay for
the DMP with fees or tuition; therefore, you must understand that having access to this
equipment is not a right. Treat the equipment and staff with respect, returning equipment
on time, communicating with DMP staff when an issue arises, and generally being
responsible.

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2 OCIO Classroom Services
OCIO Classroom Services, located in Central Classrooms 25 (the basement), will also check
out media equipment to students. You will need the Student Equipment Loan Permission
Form, which is available on Carmen and linked on the course site in order to access these
resources. Check out http://ocio.osu.edu/elearning/services/equipment/ for more
information.
3 The Digital Union
The Digital Union, located in Room 171, Hagerty Hall is a place for faculty, students, and
staff to explore emerging technology. The Digital Union has technology, space to work, and
a knowledgeable staff to guide users to thoughtful solutions and provide a supportive
environment for low risk trial and error with technology. Visit http://digitalunion.osu.edu
to check out their hours and resources.
4 Writing Center
The OSU Writing Center offers the following free services to members of the OSU
community:
Help with any assignment (ranging from lab reports to dissertations) at any stage of
the writing process (brainstorming, thesis development, revising, etc.).
Face-to-face, 50 minute tutorials by appointment at our main location in 4120A
Smith Labs, Monday through Friday!
Online tutoring sessions via Carmen by appointment.
Walk in appointments at our two satellite locations!
o Smith-Steeb dorms, Monday-Wednesday, 7-9pm.
o Thompson library 1st floor, Monday-Thursday, 11am-1pm and 5-7pm.
Online appointment scheduling, available 24/7. Please visit http://cstw.osu.edu or
call 688-4291 to make an appointment.
5 Library Research
Deb Kuzawa, University Libraries GAA, can provide assistance at any stage of the research
process. She is available at the Writing Center in Thompson Library, from 11a-1p and 5p-
7p Monday through Thursday. All sessions are drop-in and last for up to 20 minutes. Deb
can be reached at kuzawa.1@osu.edu.
6 Counseling
Your time at Ohio State promises to be exciting and filled with many new experiences, but
it can also be overwhelming. Counseling and Consultation Services provides a wide

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range of resources for undergraduate students. For more information call 292-5766.

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Daily Schedule

Date Topic/Activity Reading Due Writing Due*
W
8.21
Introductions and
Course Expectations
-Create Twitter and
Wordpress accounts
-Introduce yourself
through your
profiles
First Twitter and
Blog Post due
11:59 pm
F
8.23
What is a
digital/interactive
documentary?

How does rhetoric
work in digital
media?
Hollow: An Interactive Documentary by
Elaine McMillon
http://hollowdocumentary.com

Kress Multimodality
Tweet ideas for
documentary
topics and respond
to classmates
ideas
W
8.28
Introduction to
Digital Artifact
Analysis
Understanding Rhetoric Issue 1
(Introduction and Ch. 1)

Artifact Gallery (your classmates tweets)

Digital Artifact Analysis Assignment (on
blog)
Tweet digital
artifact
possibilities and
respond to
classmates ideas

250 word blog
post in response to
Blog Prompt #1 on
course blog
F
8.30
Artifact Analysis http://www.doclab.org/category/projects/

Analysis Guide


Post Final Digital
Artifact to blog
and write 250
word summary of
it
W
9.4
Digital Activism and
Documentary Topic
Identification
http://www.doclab.org/category/projects/

Lancaster, Kurt. Finding a Story and
Shaping the Structure.
Digital Artifact
Analysis due to
Carmen Dropbox
F
9.6
Modal Affordances
-Fair Use and
Copyright
-Creative Commons
-A Fairy Use Tale
-Meet the DMP!
Lessig, Lawrence. Lawrence Lessig: Free
Culture: Lessigs Book Condmns the
Monopoly of Ideas. Talk of the Nation. NPR,
2004. Web.

Aoki, Keith, James Boyle, and Jennifer
Jenkins. Bound by Law: Tales from the
Public Domain. Duke University. Duke
Center for the Study of the Public Domain,
2006. Web.

Blog 250-500
words explaining
documentary topic
and rhetorical
approach and
respond to
classmates blog
posts

Bring hard drives
to class for

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http://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/video/

http://creativecommons.org/about
formatting
W
9.11
Composing Audio
-Listen to and
Discuss Audio
Examples
-Introduce Audio
Assignment

Solomon, John. Pulling Back the Curtain:
Transcript. On the Media. NPR, 2007. Web.

Listen: This American Life

Ira Glass on Storytelling, Parts 1-4
http://youtu.be/loxJ3FtCJJA
Documentary
Proposal due to
Carmen Dropbox


F
9.13
Composing Audio
-Recording with
Edirols and Zooms

Lancaster, Kurt. Getting Clean Audio and
Crafting a Sound Design.

Audio Recording Resources
Post to Blog 500
word storyboard
for Audio
Assignment,
explaining
relevance to
Documentary
W
9.18
Composing Audio
-Editing Audio with
Audacity
Selfe, Cynthia. The Movement of Air, The
Breath of Meaning: Aurality and
Multimodal Composing. College
Composition and Communication 60.4
(2009): 616-663. Print/PDF.

Tagg, Philip. Reading Sounds or an Essay
on Sounds, Music, Knowledge, Rock and
Society.1987. Print.


F
9.20
Composing Audio
-Advanced Audio
Editing
-Peer Review
Peer Review Worksheet Instructions

Read: Bradbury, Ray. Mars is Heaven

Listen Bradbury, Ray. Mars is Heaven. 29
min.
Post Audio
Assignment
Soundcloud link to
Carmen Discussion
Board

W
9.25
Composing Audio
-Studio Time for
Audio
-Introduce Digital
Image Assignment
Submit Final
Audio
Assignment and
Cover Letter to
Carmen Dropbox
F
9.27
Composing Images
-Digital Image
Manipulation on
Photoshop

Krista out of town
for conference.
Class led by Will
Kurlinkus.
McCloud, Scott. Blood in the Gutter and
Time Frames. Understanding Comics: The
Invisible Art. New York: William Morrow
Paperbacks, 2004. Print.

Post 2 found
Digital Images for
Photoshop editing
to Blog with 250-
500 words
explaining
rhetorical purpose
within
Documentary

W Composing Images Kress, Gunther and Theo van Leeuwen Ch.

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10.2 -Digital Still
Photography
-Visual Rhetoric

4: Representation and Interaction:
Designing the Position of the Viewer.
Reading Images. Routledge, 2006. Print.

Classmates Images on Their Blogs
F
10.4
Composing Images
-Visual Rhetoric
-Studio Time
Kress, Gunther and Theo van Leeuwen. Ch.
5: Modality: Designing Models of Reality.
Reading Images. Routledge, 2006. Print.

W
10.9
Composing Video
-Discuss Video
Examples
-Introduction to
Video Preview
Assignment
-Permission and
Ethics of Filming
People and Places
Everynone. Radiolab Presents Symmetry.
Youtube. RadioLab, 2011. Web.

Everynone. Radiolab and NPR Present
Words. Youtube. RadioLab, 2010. Web.

Everynone. Radiolab and NPR Present
Parabolas. Youtube. Radiolab, 2009. Web.
Digital Image
Assignment and
Cover Letter Due
to Carmen

Tweet Video
Preview
Assignment ideas
possibilities and
respond to
classmates ideas
F
10.11
Composing Video
-Discuss Video
Preview Ideas
-Storyboarding
-Recording with
Zoom cameras
Lancaster, Kurt. Shooting the Image. Blog 250-500
word description
of Video Preview
idea, explaining
purpose within
Documentary
W
10.16
Composing Video
-Editing with iMovie
iMovie Editing Guide Bring 5-10
minutes of video
for iMovie editing
F
10.18
Composing Video
-Advanced Video
Editing

iMovie Advanced Editing Guide

Lancaster, Kurt. Editing for Rhythm.

W
10.23
Composing Video
-Peer Review
Peer Review Worksheet Instructions Post Video
Preview Youtube
link to Carmen
Discussion Board
F
10.25
Composing Video
-Studio Time

W
10.30
Composing Websites
-Discuss Website
Examples
-Introduce Website
Design Assignment
-Visual Design of
Websites
-Wireframing
Lancaster, Kurt. The Blogging Journalist.

http://coolhomepages.com/

http://www.doclab.org/category/projects
Video Preview
and Cover Letter
Due to Carmen
Dropbox (link to
Youtube url)
F
11.1
Composing Websites
-Basic HTML Coding
Basic Website Coding

Kress, Gunther and Theo van Leeuwen. Ch.
250-500 word
Rhetorical analysis
of 3 good

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6: The Meaning of Composition. Reading
Images. Routledge, 2006. Print.

examples of
interactive web
documentaries
due to blog.
W
11.6
Composing Websites
-CSS Templates
Website Style Coding

http://www.w3schools.com/
Wireframes due
on Blog with 250-
500 word
explanation of
framing for
Documentary
F
11.8
Composing Websites
-Studio Time
Post Website Draft
to Denney Mac
drive
W
11.13
Composing Websites
-Peer Review
Peer Review Worksheet Instructions
F
11.15
Combining the Parts
-Digital
Documentary
Website and
Cover Letter Due
to Denney Mac
drive
W
11.20
Studio Time
-Mini-conferences
Post Digital
Documentary
Draft to Carmen
discussion board
F
11.22
Studio Time
-Mini-conferences
Blog assignment
over!
W
11.27
No Class-
Thanksgiving Break
Revision Plan for
Digital
Documentary due
to Carmen
Dropbox
F
11.29
No Class-
Thanksgiving Break

F
12.6
8-9:45
AM
Wrapping up!
-Digital
Documentary
Showcase
-Celebration
Course Review
Digital
Documentary
and Cover Letter
Due to Denney
Mac drive
*Due at start of class unless otherwise noted.