New Media Inquiry Project

Vanessa Alander Fall 2012

Intent: You will develop a line of inquiry that is personal, local and acutely focused all while ltering through the lenses of the course essential questions and your chosen line of research. The line of inquiry you chose is a multi-faceted, complex, and controversial question. These lines of inquiry, especially when viewed in terms of our course, raise controversial issues in our everyday lives. When we are faced with controversy in our lives, no one hands us a ten-page research paper that outlines the issues and tells us what to do. Instead, we have to wade through the controversy and the corresponding piles of paper, website, video and more to gure out what the issues really are and how we should best respond to them. You will accomplish this through a Multi Genre Argument (MGA). A MGA explores subjective thoughts and feelings, scenes collected and connected almost by accident. You blend all these genres together using essay, poetry, ction, drama, visual art, music and more. Composing a MGA is an attempt to explain the unexplainable, to know the unknowable. In a Multiple Genre Argument (MGA), your task is to create this context, this collection of material that constitutes the paper trail surrounding your specic issue in relation to our texts and your line of inquiry. During this process, you will become familiar with all sides of the issue, and you will ultimately have to choose which side of the argument you most relate to. You will use traditional academic forms in your MGA, but the point of this project is to use your skills within the context of a tangible and specic controversy. In their book Multiple Genres, Multiple Voices, Cheryl Johnson and Jayne Moneysmith explain in more detail what an MGA looks like: In a [Multiple Genre Argument], writers create an argument that explores alternative perspectives by using multiple genres written from different points of view. Genres might include a letter, a dialogue, a report, or even a poem in addition to the traditional essay. Students bolster their argument with research that is reected within these genres, creating an organic whole, though the whole may not be linear. By combining an array of voices, with the rigor of scholarship, the [Multiple Genre Argument] offers a 1

fresh and powerful approach to research and argument. (2) Their idea of combining an array of voices, with the rigor of scholarship might help you better understand what an MGA is. Your project will present the ideas of all sides while adding your own scholarly research, thus making your side of the argument the most convincing. This style of writing allows you to weave in your research while, almost demanding, experimentation and play in your writing. MGA's allow you to cast off the previously held notion about the limits of language and the idea of "just completing the assignment." This assignment is about getting serious in your writing and thinking. This type of project has the opportunity to change how you think about representation and writing, but only if you are willing to experiment and be open to new ways of seeing and knowing. Lost? Confused? Think I am crazy? That's okay. Bear with me. This makes sense and will all come together. I promise. Genres: A genre is a type of expression. In addition to a digital, academic, research supported, standard essay, you will create and then curate other artifacts that express and demonstrate your learning. This is your opportunity to think outside the box. You need to think about which genre would best express your learning. You will need to explain why you chose those particular genres and what you were hoping to show, express or convey through that genre. I will require that one of your genres is a Prezi (not a PowerPoint). Developing an effective Prezi is a very valuable skill and one that will be immediately useful in your other courses. The other genres are at your sole discretion and your overall project. (See ideas of possible genres at end.) Requirements: This is an academic project, you will have at least ten sources, ve of which will need to be academic (books or journals). Our course texts do not count towards your total sources but you should be using them. Additionally, though there is no limit to the genres you can use, you are required to use six. This project is not intended to be a straight 2500 word piece of written text, although 50% of it does need to be written text. Although, that written text could be the script for an audio podcast or documentary lm. Think outside of the box. You may incorporate images, pictures, podcasts, audio, video and more (selfcreated or found...properly cited). This project needs to be housed online, through a medium you feel ts the scope of your project. Weebly, Wordpress, Google Sites, Blogger, it is up to you, the direction of your inquiry and "text" of your project. 2

Process: No, I will not tell you what to write (you should know me better than that by now). Rather, there are several pieces to the whole project that are either due prior to the end of the project or need to be included in the nal. This project is an enormous intellectual and academic endeavor. As such, there are several components that will be due at specic times. This project has been broken down into manageable and sizable chunks. It is imperative that to do the best that I know you can do, you work on this throughout the rest of the semester. Saving this project until the day prior will result in you not succeeding in this project. And, if you do not complete this project, the likelihood of passing this course dwindles signicantly. 1. Vomit Draft: Your vomit draft for this paper will be a summary of your thoughts to date knowing that we have not completed all course texts, etc. Again, I can not stress enough the fact that you should not leave this until the end. It will be quite evident. And nally, your vomit draft needs to have a quick outline of the possible genres that you are thinking of including and why. This will include your line of inquiry. 2. Initial Draft: This is solely your largest piece of writing for this project. It could fall into several categories or styles of writing. The two most important things are is it academic and does it contain research. 3. Complete Project: Deep breath... The entire project is due, no exceptions, excuses, complaints, hiccups, tech implosions, Armageddon's, roommate excuses, proverbial, yet non-existent pet consuming something, nor nonattendance maneuverings. It is due when it is due. You know the due date now, plan accordingly. You will submit via the course blog the URL PRIOR to class time. Late submission will NOT be accepted. (Due 12/1) Project Components: Think of each of these as their own "page" on your site. This is where Google Sites makes it easy, Wordpress, Weebly and Posterous also fall in this category. 1. Dear Reader Letter: This will be the rst thing that is visible on your site, but the last thing written. It is intended to not only guide your reader but also to demonstrate self-reection on the process. It will provide the reader with how to navigated your site and what information they need to know prior to viewing your site. It will discuss your journey with the assignment and the challenges faced, your successes and your failures. This does not count towards your minimum word requirements. 2. "Multi-Media Academic Paper": A larger, written paper is required for one of your genres, but you decide format. Seeing how half of the 2500 words need to be written and academic, I am thinking that one of your genre will be a more 3

formal, longer length paper (which is ne). Whatever method of paper you decide on, it must contain the following: in text citations with hyperlinks to sources used, images and more to fully engage your audience. You will also need a MLA Works Cited page of all sources used in the paper itself. (The site/ project will have it's own Works Cited on the site.) The essay must follow MLA style, have quoted and paraphrased information integrated within your own writing and parenthetically cited, links to nine sources used or the link to purchase the actual book, images, video/audio that demonstrate your point, links for further reading, headings that describe different parts of the essay. 3. Genres: You need a minimum of six (yes, more are ne and highly encouraged). One of the six must be a Prezi. Some platforms allow you to embed, others only allow you to link. The other ve genres are up to you. Each genre will have it's own page on your site, in most cases. 4. Genre Rationale: This page is where you defend why you chose the genes you did. And stating that I required you to complete the Prezi is not a valid reason. Think about how the structure, organization, medium and more affect the message of the genre and why this particular genre was the strongest choice for our project. This does not count towards your minimum word requirements. 5. Self-Assessment: Simply put, how well do you think you did? Tell me about it. This does not count towards your minimum word requirements. 6. MLA Works Cited: This is the complete works cited for the entire project...paper and genre combined.

Last Thoughts: Please don't use Wikipedia as a source. Denitely use it as a starting point and review the resources they link to. Please don't use websites that are not credible and reliable. Work on this a little bit each week. Do not wait until the night before to complete a component of it. I know you are better and more than capable of succeeding with this. Stuck? I am more than happy talking with you about this project whenever. Have an idea for a genre, but not sure how to make it digital, contact me. I have an immense wealth of web tools that can help you develop your genres. Contact me and we can work it out.

New Media Check List

Because of the non-traditional structure of this assignment, you need to be very careful to follow this checklist so you don't miss a vital aspect. The criteria, checklist and what I'm looking for overall is included below. CRITERIA: Three major components. Here they are. 1. Presentation- ease of navigation and visual appeal. a. How easy is your webpage to navigate? b. Do the tabs or other navigation help or hinder your argumentative ow?

2. Argumentative Coherence- is an argument actually present? a. Is the background of the project obvious at the onset? b. Do you outline all sides of the argument throughout the process? c. Is it completely evident what side you are arguing for by the end? d. Do you meet the source requirements? e. Does your research actually supplement your argument?

3. Overall use of media- how each image, word, video, etc. adds to the argument. a. Do your genres successfully recreate the contact of the situation? b. Do you have a variety of genres? c. Is the reader/viewer engaged by the media you use?

CHECKLIST Most importantly, do you meet the source requirements? _____ 10 sources _____ 5 academic (peer reviewed journal articles or blogs) _____5 other sources (at a minimum, not including course texts) (newspapers blogs, magazines, web pages) _____ Did you cite your sources in MLA format throughout your project (genres included)?

Next, do you have a variety of genres that recreate the context of your issue? _____ 6 genres including a Prezi. Be creative! More is acceptable and encouraged! 5

Have you created enough content to meet the minimum word count? _____ 2500 words at a minimum (should be more) _____ Do you include the word count of each page at the bottom of each? _____ Previously published content (newspaper, not original video, music, etc. only adds 100 words regardless of length. Plus, I will only credit these sources 5 times (500 words).

REMINDER When we have discussed other projects in classes, I have always stressed narrowing your focus down to something specic. I want to be able to feel the emotions and struggle involved with your project. Also, is your project academic and research orientated? Is the research powerful and pertinent? Do these things and you will succeed!

Below is a list of possible genres. No, you are not limited to this list. Yes, you could use a different genre if you think of one. Academic Genres: Book/lm review Classical argument Biography/ Autobiography Interviews Response papers Public Genres: Police reports Letters to public ofcials Memos Newsgroup exchanges Creative Genres: Poems Adventures Newspaper llers Songs and ballads Childrens stories Screen plays Diary entries, dialogues Visual Genres: 7 Resumes Job application Email exchanges Letters to the editor Newsletter or pamphlet Field notes Letters to experts Instructions (how-to guide) Letters of complaint Lab reports or doctors note Case studies Sermons Proposals/ Abstracts Editorials Critical essays Commentaries Feature articles Research reports Technical reports Theory-based essays Written debates Speeches Mission statements Point/ counterpoint

Anecdotes Slide show script Stories, mysteries Telegrams Prophesies/ predictions Letters to imaginary people TV/radio scripts

Scenes from a play Riddles Recipes or menus Contracts Epitaphs, obituaries, wills Fables Lists groceries, to-do

Newscasts Prayers Quizzes or surveys Advice columns Marriage contracts

Graphs/charts Photos with captions Collages Cartoons or comic strips

Illustrations or drawings Advertisements Posters Puzzles

Postcards Grafti Web pages Bumper stickers Family trees

Maps Body art; tattoos Costumes Videos