Overview
Writing for Social Media and the Web introduces students to professional writing in the context of online media. Students apply social media-specific strategies to write a variety of assignments including weekly blog entries, a critical review, a web page, a process analysis incorporating SEO (Search Engline Optimization), and revisions of their own work. The fundamentals of writing, including elements of grammar and style, are a significant aspect of the course. Assignments focus on developing effective writing skills through short, writing-intensive tasks while reinforcing how to write for purpose and assessing the differing voices and styles used in writing for social media.
Students are expected to build on the fundamental writing skills learned in WRIT 120 and/or WRIT 125.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:
- Recognize, adopt and adapt conventions of social media writing to meet the requirements of the genre and the needs of a variety of audiences.
- Evaluate forms of web-based writing to assess how effectively they meet the needs of a variety of online audiences.
- Apply rhetorical modes of persuasion, definition and analysis to create communications that develop, maintain and increase readership.
- Assess, revise and create online website content relevant and appropriate to a variety of audiences and purpose, matching medium to purpose for greatest effect.
Terms
Evaluation
mailto:kate.rombough@ucdsb.on.ca10% - Weekly "Twitter" Group Posts
20% - Modular Chapter Quizzes (best 4 of 5)
20% - Blogging Journal (x4)
15% - Content Strategy Essay
35% - Creation of a Site & Social Media Campaign for a Brand
- Part 1 (Group): Proposal
- Part 2: (Individual): Final Paper
**Evaluation Subject to Change**
Instructor Information
Kate Rombough (kate.rombough@ucdsb.on.ca)
Textbook and Materials
ASO reserves the right to make changes to the required material list as received by the instructor before the course starts. Please refer to the Campus Bookstore website at http://www.campusbookstore.com/Textbooks/Search-Engine to obtain the most up-to-date list of required materials for this course before purchasing them.
Required Materials:
- Everybody Writes, by Ann Handley, Wiley Publishing, ISBN: 978-1-118-90555-5, Rental through Vital Source, O’Reilly
- Course Anthology, Writing for Social Media and The Web: Choosing Words, Following Form, and Making an Impact, compiled by Kate Rombough.
- Note: The course anthology contains chapters from:
- Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques, 8th Edition, by Dennis L. Wilcox and Bryan H. Reber, Pearson Canada through Revel
- Writing for the Mass Media, 9/e, by James Stovall, Pearson Canada through Revel
Supplementary Materials:
- Letting Go of the Words, 2/e, by Janice (Ginny) Redish, ISBN: 978-0-12-385930-3
Time Commitment
Students can expect to spend approximately 10 hours a week (120 hours per term) on study, practice and online activity for WRIT 240.