292 F20 Mehlenbacher

ENGL 292

Course description and objectives

Description

In this course, we'll take a broad look at some of the foundational issues of the discipline of Rhetoric, beginning with theories of language and ending with technical and professional communication. In between, we'll dabble in social theory, new media, and the grammar of everyday life. This course is designed to strengthen your skills as a rhetorica  "agent." Rhetoric is a living, breathing, active art, one that you already engage in every waking moment. All the materials that we cover shed light on the same basic processes of accessing, interpreting, and deploying the common grounds of meaning. Thus, the course is meant to unshackle your already-abundant rhetorical intelligence so that you will become a more engaged, articulate, savvy, persuasive, critical, and civil student and human being.

Objectives

In this course, you will learn how to:

  • understand and apply the basic concepts in the discipline of rhetoric,
  • practice these concepts in the analysis and/or creation of everyday texts,
  • enhance your self-understanding of your own rhetorical practices in the new digital world, and
  • enhance your awareness of the rhetorical culture in which you dwell.

This online course was developed by Dr. Andrew McMurry, with instructional design and multimedia development support provided by the Centre for Extended Learning. Further media production was provided by Instructional Technologies and Multimedia Services.

Grade breakdown

The following table represents the grade breakdown of this course.

Activities and Assignments Weight (%)
Introduce yourself 5%

Progymnasmata (8 x 7.5%)

Students are required to complete 8 out of 11 progymnasmata

60%
Final essay 35%

Course Schedule

Module Readings Activities and Assignments End/Due Date Weight(%)
Module 1: Language - The
origins of language and its
limits 		Text: Language Matters:
Chs. 1 and 2 		Introduce yourself Tuesday,
September
14, 2020 at
11:55 PM 		5%
Progymnasma 1: The fable Wednesday,
September
16, 2020 at
11:55 PM 		6%
Module 2: Language -
Structure in language and
the shape of thought 		Text: Language Matters:
Chs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 		Progymnasma 2: Structural
analysis 		Wednesday,
September
23, 2020 at
11:55 PM 		6%
Module 3: Language -
Varieties of English and the
language of identity 		Text: Language Matters:
Chs. 8, 9, 10, and 11 		Progymnasma 3: Micro-varieties
of English field work 		Wednesday,
September
30, 2020 at
11:55 PM 		6%
Module 4: Rhetoric - Early
literacy and the emergence
of rhetoric 		Text: The Essential Guide to
Rhetoric: pp. 3-31; 37-52;
58-64 		Progymnasma 4: What is truth
Friedrich? 		Wednesday,
October 7,
2020 at 11:55
PM 		6%
Module 5: Rhetoric - From
classical to contemporary
rhetoric 		Text: The Essential Guide to
Rhetoric: pp. 53-57 		Progymnasma 5: Baby, I'm
lovin' it 		Wednesday,
October 21,
2020 at 11:55
PM 		6%
Reading: Killingsworth,
Appeals in Modern Rhetoric,
pp. 1-10
Reading Week (Saturday, October 10, 2020 to Sunday, October 18, 2020)
Module 6: Rhetoric - Twists
and turns in language and
the power of metaphor 		Text: The Essential Guide to
Rhetoric: pp. 65-73 		Progymnasma 6: The Hummer
H4 		Wednesday,
October 28,
2020 at 11:55
PM 		6%
Reading: Larson,
Metaphors for
Environmental
Sustainability, pp. 2-22
Module 7: Media -
McLuhan and the laws of
media 		Reading: McLuhan,
"Communication:
McLuhan's Laws of the
Media", pp. 74-78 		Progymnasma 7: The laws of
media 		Thursday,
November 4,
2020 at 11:55
PM 		6%
Reading: McLuhan, "The
Agenbite of Outwit" 		Review Progymnasma 8:
McMurry's unplugged experiment
Module 8: Media -
Communication in the
digital era 		Reading: Carr, "Is Google
Making Us Stupid?" 		Progymnasma 8:
McMurry's unplugged experiment 		Wednesday,
November 11,
2020 at 11:55
PM 		6%
Reading, Major, "Thoreau's
Cellphone Experiment"
Module 9: Media - Power of
ideas and ideas of power 		Reading: Fairclough,
Language and Power, pp.
73-83 		Progymnasma 9: "Power in
everyday life" field work 		Wednesday,
November 18,
2020 at 11:55
PM 		6%
Module 10: Power -
Language through the
microscope 		Text: Language Matters:
Ch. 13 		Progymnasma 10: Analyzing
discourse 		Wednesday,
November 25,
2020 at 11:55
PM 		6%
Reading: Machin and Mayr,
How to Do Critical
Discourse Analysis, pp. 186-
206
Module 11: Power -
Professional
(mis)communication and
ethics 		Reading: Katz, "The Ethic
of Expediency" 		Progymnasma 11: The ethic of
expediency 		Wednesday,
December 2,
2020 at 11:55
PM 		6%
Module 12: Power -
Phronesis 		Reading: Wallace, "Kenyon
Commencement Address" 		     
Final examination       35%
  Progymnasmata: Students are required to complete 10/11 progymnasmata
at 6% each for a total of 60% of the course grade. 		 

Official grades and course access

Official Grades and Academic Standings are available through Quest.

Your access to this course will continue for the duration of the current term. You will not have access to this course once the next term begins.

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