Department of English and Journalism

The course will be an introduction to the field of computers and composition. We will consider

• the (approximately) ten year history of the discipline,
• the changes that computers and networks bring to writing theory, practice, and pedagogy,
• the social and political issues raised by computer-mediated communication and the information superhighway, and
• the possible future applications.

We will examine word processing, networked communication, hypertext, and the internet, with some attention to other computer applications. This examination will be done through the reading of both printed text and electronic text, through f2f discussion in class, through asyncronous electronic discussion, and through writing, using both paper and electronic publication. (This course fulfills the department's upper-level writing requirement and we will devote considerable attention to your writing.)

All students in the class will get an internet account and use Pine or Elm to post email messages to the class listserv list. You may subscribe to eng480-l from this syllabus. Computers for your use are available in the Writing Center or one of the computer labs on campus. If you have a modem for a home computer, I'll help you install the Kermit program so you can access the network from home.

Class meetings:

Texts:

• LaQuey, Tracey, The Internet Companion (Second Edition)
• Handa, Carolyn, Computers and Community
• Bolter, Jay, Writing Space
• Hairston, Maxine, Successful Writing
• Additional reading from print and electronic texts (available in the Writing Center)
• Web publications of class members

Requirements:

1. Faithful attendance. Serious illness or family emergency are the only reasons for absence.
2. Equally faithful completion of reading and writing assignments on time.
3. Four or five exploratory papers, to be written on computer. The purpose of these papers will be to contribute to our developing group knowledge. All should be written, then, to be shared with the class. All written work will be treated as work-in-progress, which means that you may continue to revise and resubmit your work (until, of course, time runs out).
4. A home page to be posted on the World Wide Web and linked to this syllabus.
5. A hypertext "paper," which may be a story, a research project, or a literary analysis. Your paper will be linked to your home page and shared with the class.
6. Email postings to eng480-l. Responses to readings, to points raised in class, to one another's ideas and questions. You should plan on at least four postings a week. Click here to post to the list.
7. Participation. We will be acting as a discourse community, writing and talking in order to discover meaning. Your participation in the class discussion is essential.
8. Exploratory reading. I expect everyone to read whatever you can get your hands on relating to the Internet, email, hypertext, World Wide Web, etc, and to share what you discover in email postings.
9. Net exploring. We will collectively explore internet resources: liservs and newsgroups, gopher, World Wide Web. You will share your discoveries with the class and include them in your home page.

Grades:

Exploratory papers: 40%
Hypertext "paper": 30%
Email: 20%

For full credit, make four postings each week. The postings should be full and honest contributions to the dialogue
Participation and exercises: 10%

How to Find me

Office: Simpkins 127
Phone: 298-2136
email: mfbhl@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu
or lelandb@ccmail.wiu.bgu.edu
homepage: http://www.wiu.bgu/users/mfbhl/wiu/homepage.htm
Office hours: MWF 10:00-11:00 and 1:00-2:00; TT 10:00-12:00 and 1:30-4:00

(These will be interrupted by yet-to-be-scheduled committee meetings. I am always available via email.)

Escape clause: This syllabus is subject to revision as circumstances dictate.

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