The systematic study of effective communication—the art of rhetoric—dates back at least to the epics of Homer and flourishes today in countless academic disciplines and fields of business. In fact, the “empire” of rhetoric is so vast and enduring that it “digests regimes, religions, and civilizations” (Roland Barthes). Nevertheless, English 700 sets out to compress two and a half millennia of rhetorical theory and criticism into a single semester. More specifically, this introductory seminar aims to provide students with the grounding in rhetorical theory necessary for advanced study in... Read more about Rhetorical Studies (ENGL 700)
Public servants often have to become communication specialists: they have to communicate with diverse audiences (e.g. citizen groups, politicians, lawyers, parliamentary committees and subcommittees) using a variety of genres (e.g. reports, records pamphlets, power point presentations, briefs) as well as different modes of communication (e.g. electronic, text, face-to-face). This course offers participants an opportunity to identify and interrogate the stylistic and visual strategies characteristic of the documents in their workplaces. Much of the course focuses on identifying the needs...
This course will survey qualitative methods in professional communication and user experience (UX) research. We will consider many examples and read broadly on topics related to research design such as interviewing methods and also online research ethics. In addition to becoming familiar with standard qualitative methods in professional communication and UX research, students will also explore innovative approaches to studying digital media environments. We will consider issues of reliable data, data collection from online sources, managing online data collection, data security, and...
