Writing and Digital Media

One of the very first classes I took that pertained to the English discipline was ENGL 3880, Writing and Digital Media which, I feel, was the first step to figuring out that English isn't entirely about having my nose in book and writing research essays.

Georgia Gwinnett College describes the course as one who "focuses on how to adapt writing strategies and processes to the needs and demands of online readership", as well as one in which "students will consider the roles played by linking and intertextuality in online discourse, engage in multiple writing modalities including video & image, perform rhetorical analyses of digital texts, consider rhetorical & ethical issues relevant to online writing and learn strategies for developing usable and readable online texts" (English Electives by Concentration).

Personally, I created a travel blog for the course, and had to learn about all the ways not to sound so academic on a school project. While the idea of my project was fun, it took a lot of work and dedication that, for once, I was willing to put into a college course.

When I first selected the course, I imagined it being easy, but if I'm being completely honest - it wasn't.

I had never realized how differently words online were from words in books. Online writing is much shorter and for me, this was somewhat of a problem in the beginning of the semester.

I always felt like I had to reach a very high word count, I had to include many different words and sentences that, ultimately, proved the same point (over and over again), and I could never include myself in my writing. Writing on the internet, however, is personal to some degree and as short as possible, especially bloggy writing.

Writing and Digital Media, the course, taught me how to at least attempt tat making every word on a page count.

Sources:

“Catalog.” Program: English Electives by Concentration - Georgia Gwinnett College - Acalog ACMS™, catalog.ggc.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=20&poid=394.