TWC494/598: Infoglut Deal With It
Multimedia Writing and Technical Communication
Spring 2005

Reading Responses

Each student will post a synthesis and analysis of the week's readings once this semester. The synthesis should include a summary of the readings and an evaluation of them in the context of the topic, prior readings, and your own experience and other readings you may have done. Your post should also include questions about the readings and topic that will facilitate discussion from other students.

In addition to the synthesis post, each student is expected to engage in each weekly discussion by responding to other student's posts. The readings and Discussion Board posts are a significant part of the learning for this course; therefore, actively engaging in discussion is expected. You may wish to respond to the synthesis post, ask questions of your own about the topic, compare the readings, apply the readings to real world experience or applications, and integrate the current week's readings with those from prior weeks.

Selecting a Synthesis Topic

Synthesis posts will begin Week 3. Review the list of topics in the Schedule to select the week you wish to be synthesizer. Email to me your selection no later than Wednesday, January 26th. Selections will be assigned on a first come, first serve basis. If I do not hear from you by the 26th, I will assign you to an open week.

Writing Your Synthesis

Your synthesis should be approximately 500 words. You should summarize the content of the readings and also provide an evaluation of the readings and topic. Keep in mind that you are setting the stage for the discussion for the week, so be analytical, critical if appropriate, and ask questions to help engage other students in dialogue and debate.

Synthesis posts must be posted by 5:00pm on Monday for your selected week (for example, week 3 synthesis post must be posted by 5:00pm on Jan. 31st.).

Synthesis posts will be worth 15 points of your overall grade for the course.

Writing Responses

All students are expected to respond to synthesis posts by other students and additional discussion board topics. Students should actively engage in the discussion each week. Responses should be well thought out, respond to questions, pose additional questions, evaluate/analyze the topic.

Weekly responses and discussion must be posted by the Sunday following the synthesis post (for example, week 3 responses must be posted by Sunday, Feb. 6th).

Each weekly response will be worth 5 points of your overall grade.

NOTE: To avoid Blackboard timing out while you are composing a message, you should write your posts in Word and copy and paste to the Bulletin Board.

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Last modified: 4 January 2005