Hello, everyone:
Please read the chapter on Neo-Aristotelian criticism in the course textbook (including the two sample essays of criticism), answer the following questions in a blog entry, and post it to your individual course blogs.
1) How does the textbook define "neo-Aristotelian criticism"?
2) What are the three basic steps in analyzing the artifact?
3) What are the five canons of rhetoric?
Friday, January 15, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Syllabus
COMM 335W (CRN 25378)/ENGL 395 (CRN 27585): RHETORICAL CRITICISM
MWF @ 1:00-1:50 P.M. in BAL 2070
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES:
Rhetoric is defined by Aristotle as the use of all of the available means of persuasion. Rhetorical criticism is: 1) a systematic analysis of those tools as they are used by a rhetor, 2) the examination of how those tools help to convey meaning, and 3) an examination of the effects, as far as they can be determined, of the rhetorical artifact under consideration. In Sonja Foss’s words, “developing skills in critical analysis enables us to understand the nature of the worlds we create and in which we participate through symbols so that we can make more conscious choices about these worlds.” To this end, this course will allow you to study various methods of rhetorical criticism and use them to examine examples of rhetoric, which may include the genres of oral and written speeches, film, mediated communication, and popular novels and plays. Class sessions might include discussions, lectures, group activities, and one-on-one conferences.
REQUIRED TEXT:
•Rhetorical criticism: Exploration and practice by Sonja Foss. Waveland Press, 4th Edition, 2009.
•Readings posted on Blackboard.
OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS:
•A folder with lots of blank paper or a notebook for class notes and in-class work
•MIDAS ID for Student E-mail, Blackboard & campus computer network: It is a university policy for students to activate and use their ODU e-mail accounts for communication with the instructor. Make sure to have either personal or on-campus access to the Internet for the individual course blog project and other course communications! And check your ODU Student E-mail and Blackboard every day!
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADES:
•Individual course blog 25%
•2 Essays 50% (25% each)
•In class presentations on selected artifacts 10%
•Class discussion/presentations/exercises 15%
GRADING SCALE:
100-93 = A
92-90 = A-
89-87 = B+
86-84 = B
83-80 = B-
79-77 = C+
76-74 = C
73-70 = C-
69-67 = D+
66-64 = D
60-63 = D-
59 & below = F
COURSE POLICIES:
Writing Assignments: COMM 335 is a writing-intensive course that requires students to show upper-level writing skills. Thus, you are required to complete three writing assignments in this course, which are worth a total of 75% of your overall grade: an individual course blog and two essays of criticism. The first writing assignment is an individual course blog that will serve as your journal for this class, in which you will make entries in response to the instructor’s writing prompts every other week (~7-8 posts). You will be able to earn extra credits for additional quality posts. You will be provided with instructions about how to create these blogs during class.
The second and third writing assignments are structured essays in which you will analyze artifacts of your choice using the methods of criticism covered in class. Each essay will be about 750-1000 words (approximately 5 double-spaced pages in MS Word). You will be provided with more details and a grading rubric for these essays during the semester. Overall, you will be expected to build an organized case through the use of arguments and supporting examples drawn from your artifact to explain the nature of the message and to judge the effectiveness of that message. You are encouraged to select different kinds of artifacts to analyze (e.g., political campaigns, public addresses, works of art, songs, poems, films, music, advertisements, architecture, fashion, interior design, etc) to practice with different kinds of symbolic experiences. You may also choose to write both essays on the same artifact to explore the different kinds of conclusions that various methods produce. You will be able to find sample essays both in the course textbook and on Blackboard.
Writing Style: The essays of criticism will be graded both for content (argument, support, organization, etc) and form (grammar, punctuation, spelling, and general appearance). Therefore, you are expected to write fluently and in mechanically correct sentences. Mistakes in grammar, spelling, sentence structure and organization will lower your grade.
Essay Format: All papers should be typed in an appropriate font (e.g. Times New Roman in 12 pts), with 1-inch margins on all sides. Put your name, Instructor’s name, course information and date on the first page. Use headers to put your last name and page number on each page. All pages must be stapled. Sources should be cited according to APA, MLA or Turabian formats.
If you need additional help with your writing at any stage of an assignment, you may consult Writing Tutorial Services in BAL 1002. WTS offers free help, but appointments are required— make your appointments well before the essays are due, since spaces can fill up quickly! You may contact WTS at 683-4013 or http://web.odu.edu/AL/wts/wts.htm.
Essay Submission: The due dates for the essays are marked on the schedule at the end of the syllabus. A hard copy of each essay is due at the beginning of class time, and an electronic copy is due in instructor’s email: eguler@odu.edu
Late Policy: You are expected to complete all your assignments by the deadline. Late papers without any excuse will loose 10 points off the top for each day the essay is late. For example, if you submit your paper one day later than the deadline, a paper that might have received 100 points will receive 90 points. If you have an emergency situation, please contact the instructor before an assignment is due.
Attendance & Participation: A great deal of the course will be given to activities requiring student interaction. Therefore, you must attend and actively participate in all scheduled class sessions having done the readings and assignments. You can be absent in three classes during the semester and can still receive an A from this course (given then all the other conditions are met). Students with more than three absences will lose 10 points of their participation grade. More than six absences will result failing the course. Attendance and participation includes arriving in class on time and getting seated and being ready to work when the class period begins and operating by the college classroom conduct standards.
College Classroom Conduct: This class will operate by the college classroom conduct standards set by The Office of Student Judicial Affairs (see http://studentservices.odu.edu/osja/ccc_pamphlet.pdf). Violations will be noted, and with or without notification of the student, will be reflected on his/her overall grade at the end of the semester. Classroom conduct violations include the following:
*Use of cell phones and any other communicative device during class.
*Sleeping and inattentiveness during class.
*Engaging in extraneous conversations and activities during class.
*Consumption of food and drink during class, except when the instructor specifically approves it.
*Offensive language, gestures and the like behavior that is disruptive to the teaching-learning process.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as presenting someone else’s work – in whole or in part and with or without the author’s consent – as one’s own; it includes the verbal or written submission of another work (e.g., ideas, wording or graphics) without crediting that source. These sources include all electronic media (e.g., the Internet, television, video, film), all print and written sources (e.g., books, periodicals, government publications, promotional materials, or someone else’s academic assignments), and all verbal sources (e.g., conversations). Facilitation of plagiarism (one student’s sharing his/her work with other students) is also considered an act of plagiarism. Writers who use the words or ideas of others are obligated to give credit through proper acknowledgment and documentation. Plagiarism is a violation of the Old Dominion University Honor Code that results in course failure and leads to legal measures as stated by Student Disciplinary Policies and Procedures under the Student Code of Conduct.
Honor System: You are responsible for obtaining a copy of the Student Handbook and informing yourself about student conduct regulations. You may visit the Honor Council office in Webb Center, Room 2129 or at http://www.odu.edu/AO/student_serv/hc/.
Special Needs: If you have special needs (because of a documented disability) or emergency medical information to share, please feel free to notify me so we may discuss the accommodation process.
Course Evaluations: At the end of the semester, you will receive an email about course evaluations. Please follow the link and complete the online evaluation form. You must log in using your university MIDAS account and password.
Drop Policy: A course syllabus constitutes a contract between the student and the course instructor. Participation in this course indicates your acceptance of its content, requirements and policies. Please review the syllabus and the course requirements carefully. If you believe that the nature of this course does not meet your interests, needs or expectations (amount of work involved, class meetings, assignment deadlines, course policies, etc.), you should drop the class by the drop/add deadline, given in the ODU Schedule of Classes: [http://www.odu.edu/ao/registrar/calendars/academic]
Inclement weather policy: If classes are cancelled because of inclement weather or some other emergency, continue with the reading and the written assignments. All assignments that were due while we were out will be due on the day that we return to class. No excuses will be given for missed classes.
MWF @ 1:00-1:50 P.M. in BAL 2070
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES:
Rhetoric is defined by Aristotle as the use of all of the available means of persuasion. Rhetorical criticism is: 1) a systematic analysis of those tools as they are used by a rhetor, 2) the examination of how those tools help to convey meaning, and 3) an examination of the effects, as far as they can be determined, of the rhetorical artifact under consideration. In Sonja Foss’s words, “developing skills in critical analysis enables us to understand the nature of the worlds we create and in which we participate through symbols so that we can make more conscious choices about these worlds.” To this end, this course will allow you to study various methods of rhetorical criticism and use them to examine examples of rhetoric, which may include the genres of oral and written speeches, film, mediated communication, and popular novels and plays. Class sessions might include discussions, lectures, group activities, and one-on-one conferences.
REQUIRED TEXT:
•Rhetorical criticism: Exploration and practice by Sonja Foss. Waveland Press, 4th Edition, 2009.
•Readings posted on Blackboard.
OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS:
•A folder with lots of blank paper or a notebook for class notes and in-class work
•MIDAS ID for Student E-mail, Blackboard & campus computer network: It is a university policy for students to activate and use their ODU e-mail accounts for communication with the instructor. Make sure to have either personal or on-campus access to the Internet for the individual course blog project and other course communications! And check your ODU Student E-mail and Blackboard every day!
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADES:
•Individual course blog 25%
•2 Essays 50% (25% each)
•In class presentations on selected artifacts 10%
•Class discussion/presentations/exercises 15%
GRADING SCALE:
100-93 = A
92-90 = A-
89-87 = B+
86-84 = B
83-80 = B-
79-77 = C+
76-74 = C
73-70 = C-
69-67 = D+
66-64 = D
60-63 = D-
59 & below = F
COURSE POLICIES:
Writing Assignments: COMM 335 is a writing-intensive course that requires students to show upper-level writing skills. Thus, you are required to complete three writing assignments in this course, which are worth a total of 75% of your overall grade: an individual course blog and two essays of criticism. The first writing assignment is an individual course blog that will serve as your journal for this class, in which you will make entries in response to the instructor’s writing prompts every other week (~7-8 posts). You will be able to earn extra credits for additional quality posts. You will be provided with instructions about how to create these blogs during class.
The second and third writing assignments are structured essays in which you will analyze artifacts of your choice using the methods of criticism covered in class. Each essay will be about 750-1000 words (approximately 5 double-spaced pages in MS Word). You will be provided with more details and a grading rubric for these essays during the semester. Overall, you will be expected to build an organized case through the use of arguments and supporting examples drawn from your artifact to explain the nature of the message and to judge the effectiveness of that message. You are encouraged to select different kinds of artifacts to analyze (e.g., political campaigns, public addresses, works of art, songs, poems, films, music, advertisements, architecture, fashion, interior design, etc) to practice with different kinds of symbolic experiences. You may also choose to write both essays on the same artifact to explore the different kinds of conclusions that various methods produce. You will be able to find sample essays both in the course textbook and on Blackboard.
Writing Style: The essays of criticism will be graded both for content (argument, support, organization, etc) and form (grammar, punctuation, spelling, and general appearance). Therefore, you are expected to write fluently and in mechanically correct sentences. Mistakes in grammar, spelling, sentence structure and organization will lower your grade.
Essay Format: All papers should be typed in an appropriate font (e.g. Times New Roman in 12 pts), with 1-inch margins on all sides. Put your name, Instructor’s name, course information and date on the first page. Use headers to put your last name and page number on each page. All pages must be stapled. Sources should be cited according to APA, MLA or Turabian formats.
If you need additional help with your writing at any stage of an assignment, you may consult Writing Tutorial Services in BAL 1002. WTS offers free help, but appointments are required— make your appointments well before the essays are due, since spaces can fill up quickly! You may contact WTS at 683-4013 or http://web.odu.edu/AL/wts/wts.htm.
Essay Submission: The due dates for the essays are marked on the schedule at the end of the syllabus. A hard copy of each essay is due at the beginning of class time, and an electronic copy is due in instructor’s email: eguler@odu.edu
Late Policy: You are expected to complete all your assignments by the deadline. Late papers without any excuse will loose 10 points off the top for each day the essay is late. For example, if you submit your paper one day later than the deadline, a paper that might have received 100 points will receive 90 points. If you have an emergency situation, please contact the instructor before an assignment is due.
Attendance & Participation: A great deal of the course will be given to activities requiring student interaction. Therefore, you must attend and actively participate in all scheduled class sessions having done the readings and assignments. You can be absent in three classes during the semester and can still receive an A from this course (given then all the other conditions are met). Students with more than three absences will lose 10 points of their participation grade. More than six absences will result failing the course. Attendance and participation includes arriving in class on time and getting seated and being ready to work when the class period begins and operating by the college classroom conduct standards.
College Classroom Conduct: This class will operate by the college classroom conduct standards set by The Office of Student Judicial Affairs (see http://studentservices.odu.edu/osja/ccc_pamphlet.pdf). Violations will be noted, and with or without notification of the student, will be reflected on his/her overall grade at the end of the semester. Classroom conduct violations include the following:
*Use of cell phones and any other communicative device during class.
*Sleeping and inattentiveness during class.
*Engaging in extraneous conversations and activities during class.
*Consumption of food and drink during class, except when the instructor specifically approves it.
*Offensive language, gestures and the like behavior that is disruptive to the teaching-learning process.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as presenting someone else’s work – in whole or in part and with or without the author’s consent – as one’s own; it includes the verbal or written submission of another work (e.g., ideas, wording or graphics) without crediting that source. These sources include all electronic media (e.g., the Internet, television, video, film), all print and written sources (e.g., books, periodicals, government publications, promotional materials, or someone else’s academic assignments), and all verbal sources (e.g., conversations). Facilitation of plagiarism (one student’s sharing his/her work with other students) is also considered an act of plagiarism. Writers who use the words or ideas of others are obligated to give credit through proper acknowledgment and documentation. Plagiarism is a violation of the Old Dominion University Honor Code that results in course failure and leads to legal measures as stated by Student Disciplinary Policies and Procedures under the Student Code of Conduct.
Honor System: You are responsible for obtaining a copy of the Student Handbook and informing yourself about student conduct regulations. You may visit the Honor Council office in Webb Center, Room 2129 or at http://www.odu.edu/AO/student_serv/hc/.
Special Needs: If you have special needs (because of a documented disability) or emergency medical information to share, please feel free to notify me so we may discuss the accommodation process.
Course Evaluations: At the end of the semester, you will receive an email about course evaluations. Please follow the link and complete the online evaluation form. You must log in using your university MIDAS account and password.
Drop Policy: A course syllabus constitutes a contract between the student and the course instructor. Participation in this course indicates your acceptance of its content, requirements and policies. Please review the syllabus and the course requirements carefully. If you believe that the nature of this course does not meet your interests, needs or expectations (amount of work involved, class meetings, assignment deadlines, course policies, etc.), you should drop the class by the drop/add deadline, given in the ODU Schedule of Classes: [http://www.odu.edu/ao/registrar/calendars/academic]
Inclement weather policy: If classes are cancelled because of inclement weather or some other emergency, continue with the reading and the written assignments. All assignments that were due while we were out will be due on the day that we return to class. No excuses will be given for missed classes.
Schedule
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
*The instructor reserves the right to change the schedule as necessary. Students will be notified of any changes in class or via email. It is the student’s responsibility to keep track of these notifications.
*Unless stated otherwise, you should complete reading the chapters (including model essays) and other assigned material by the dates they are listed on syllabus and come to class ready to discuss the material.
*The instructor will assign additional reading materials as necessary which will be posted to Blackboard during the semester. In addition to the reading assignments, there will be in-class exercises and presentations, some of which will be assigned in advance and some of which will be impromptu.
Week 1 Monday (01/11): Introductions. Syllabus review.
Wednesday (01/13): Introduction to rhetorical criticism
Friday (01/15): Chapters 1-2. Group work on artifacts or other activities.
Week 2 Monday (01/18): No class-Martin Luther King Day
Wednesday (01/20): Chapter 3. Neo-Aristotelian Criticism. Introduction to method. Discussion.
Friday (01/22): Chapter 3. Neo-Aristotelian Criticism. Group work on artifacts.
Week 3 Monday (01/25): Chapter 7. Ideological Criticism. Introduction to method.
Wednesday (01/27): Chapter 7. Ideological Criticism. Discussion and exercises.
Friday (01/29): Chapter 7. Ideological Criticism. Group work on artifacts.
Week 4 Monday-Friday (02/01-02/05): Chapter 7. Ideological Criticism.
Week 5 Monday-Friday (02/08)- (02/12): Chapter 10. Pentadic Criticism.
Week 6 Monday-Friday (02/15-02/19): Chapter 10. Pentadic Criticism. *Read the sample pentadic analysis on Blackboard. *For next week (02/22-02/26), choose an artifact and develop a potential research question. Starting Monday, everyone will give a brief (2-3 minute) in class presentation in which s/he will explain the significance of the artifact and the value of analyzing it rhetorically.
Week 7 Monday-Friday (02/22-02/26): Presentations on selected artifacts.
Week 8 Monday-Friday (03/01-03/05): Chapter 4. Cluster Criticism.
Week 9 Monday-Friday (03/08-03/13): No classes -- Spring Holiday
Week 10 Monday-Friday (03/15-03/19): Chapter 8. Metaphor Criticism. Essay #1 DUE on 03/15.
Week 11 Monday (03/22): Chapter 8. Metaphor Criticism.
Wednesday (03/24)-Friday (03/26): No classes – *Attend one of the movies at The 2010 OnFilm Festival from March 24-27 and complete the related assignment— Due on your blog by 03/29.
Week 12 Monday-Friday (03/29-04/02): Chapter 5. Fantasy-Theme Criticism.
Week 13 Monday-Friday (04/05-04/09): Chapter 5. Fantasy-Theme Criticism.
Week 14 Monday-Friday (04/12-04/16): Chapter 6. Generic Criticism.
Week 15 Monday-Friday (04/19-04/23): Chapter 6. Generic Criticism.
Week 16 Monday (04/26): Last day of our class. Essay #2 DUE.
*The instructor reserves the right to change the schedule as necessary. Students will be notified of any changes in class or via email. It is the student’s responsibility to keep track of these notifications.
*Unless stated otherwise, you should complete reading the chapters (including model essays) and other assigned material by the dates they are listed on syllabus and come to class ready to discuss the material.
*The instructor will assign additional reading materials as necessary which will be posted to Blackboard during the semester. In addition to the reading assignments, there will be in-class exercises and presentations, some of which will be assigned in advance and some of which will be impromptu.
Week 1 Monday (01/11): Introductions. Syllabus review.
Wednesday (01/13): Introduction to rhetorical criticism
Friday (01/15): Chapters 1-2. Group work on artifacts or other activities.
Week 2 Monday (01/18): No class-Martin Luther King Day
Wednesday (01/20): Chapter 3. Neo-Aristotelian Criticism. Introduction to method. Discussion.
Friday (01/22): Chapter 3. Neo-Aristotelian Criticism. Group work on artifacts.
Week 3 Monday (01/25): Chapter 7. Ideological Criticism. Introduction to method.
Wednesday (01/27): Chapter 7. Ideological Criticism. Discussion and exercises.
Friday (01/29): Chapter 7. Ideological Criticism. Group work on artifacts.
Week 4 Monday-Friday (02/01-02/05): Chapter 7. Ideological Criticism.
Week 5 Monday-Friday (02/08)- (02/12): Chapter 10. Pentadic Criticism.
Week 6 Monday-Friday (02/15-02/19): Chapter 10. Pentadic Criticism. *Read the sample pentadic analysis on Blackboard. *For next week (02/22-02/26), choose an artifact and develop a potential research question. Starting Monday, everyone will give a brief (2-3 minute) in class presentation in which s/he will explain the significance of the artifact and the value of analyzing it rhetorically.
Week 7 Monday-Friday (02/22-02/26): Presentations on selected artifacts.
Week 8 Monday-Friday (03/01-03/05): Chapter 4. Cluster Criticism.
Week 9 Monday-Friday (03/08-03/13): No classes -- Spring Holiday
Week 10 Monday-Friday (03/15-03/19): Chapter 8. Metaphor Criticism. Essay #1 DUE on 03/15.
Week 11 Monday (03/22): Chapter 8. Metaphor Criticism.
Wednesday (03/24)-Friday (03/26): No classes – *Attend one of the movies at The 2010 OnFilm Festival from March 24-27 and complete the related assignment— Due on your blog by 03/29.
Week 12 Monday-Friday (03/29-04/02): Chapter 5. Fantasy-Theme Criticism.
Week 13 Monday-Friday (04/05-04/09): Chapter 5. Fantasy-Theme Criticism.
Week 14 Monday-Friday (04/12-04/16): Chapter 6. Generic Criticism.
Week 15 Monday-Friday (04/19-04/23): Chapter 6. Generic Criticism.
Week 16 Monday (04/26): Last day of our class. Essay #2 DUE.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Welcome to COMM335/ENGL395 Course Blog!
Dear students of COMM335/ENGL397 (Rhetorical Criticism):
Welcome to our course blog! This blog will serve as a medium for us to communicate about our course which will allow you to study the methods of rhetorical criticism and use them to examine various examples of rhetoric that may include the genres of oral and written speeches, film, mediated communication, and popular novels and plays. Looking forward to working with you this semester-- have a great one!
Welcome to our course blog! This blog will serve as a medium for us to communicate about our course which will allow you to study the methods of rhetorical criticism and use them to examine various examples of rhetoric that may include the genres of oral and written speeches, film, mediated communication, and popular novels and plays. Looking forward to working with you this semester-- have a great one!
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