Writing For The World Wide Web, 3 hrs. Fall; W S & C designators: This course introduces students to the process of writing, designing, publishing, and evaluating hypertext documents. Seemingly overnight the Web has become the "face" of the Internet, not only as an effective tool for professional communication, but as a dynamic means of self-expression and self-exploration (think of blogs, MySpace, and Facebook). Prerequisite: ENG 3090 or permission of instructor.
This course introduces students to the process of writing, designing, publishing, and evaluating hypertext documents. Seemingly overnight the Web has become the "face" of the Internet, not only as an effective tool for professional communication, but as a dynamic means of self-expression and self-exploration (think of blogs, MySpace, and Facebook). Clearly the ability to read and write takes on new meanings when we combine spoken and written words and still and moving images. In this revised course, we will investigate both the theoretical and practical aspects of this shift from print to electronic media and address questions such as these: Are words on a page and words on the screen the same thing? What does it mean to read and write nonlinearly? How do technological, social, political and cultural influences shape our e-documents? How do we effectively integrate the verbal and visual on the screen (as opposed to the book)? How does this medium affect our ideas about authorship, intellectual property, and publication?
This course aims to create dialogues (spoken, written, and electronic) on these issues and to incorporate group and individual projects (such as converting print documents to HTML, creating e-portfolios, and designing websites for clients) that reinforce these discussions. Please note that this is the only English course with an official computer designator. No prior knowledge of web design software is required. Prerequisite is ENG 3090 or permission from the instructor.
For more information, contact the instructor for this course, Dr. Wendy Winn winnwl@appstate.edu.