Rational behind the assignment
In our first-year composition courses at Purdue, we focus our course through digital rhetorics. This approach aims to situate students within digital discourses while they investigate the applications of digital spaces in their classes, their work, and their lives. In other words, we want students to think about the mediums they are writing in and how the rhetorical situations shift and their writing changes as they are asked both investigate and write in multiple mediums whether it is your traditional paper, video, podcast, brochure, infograph, website, etc. In this way, they can begin to reflect on how digital spaces affect writing and how they can develop literacies to help them working within these digital spaces they encounter.
Sequence
| Week | Topic | Readings/assignments |
| Week 1 | Logos, Pathos, Ethos; Digitality | Go over rhetorical appeals;Discuss digital texts and games-as-texts |
| Week 2 | Serious Games; Play Game;Elements and Design | Play Serious Games in-class; Discuss elements of successful games, why we like to play, emotion and experience in games |
| Week 3 | Reading Critically; Analysis; Research and Revision | Discuss how to read (and play) critically; Analysis of what a game wants vs. player response; Research and support of a game’s message: creators, facts presented, follow-the-money |
Links to serious games:
Darfur is Dying
Games for Change
Persuasive Games
Water Coller Games
Links to additional materials:
Huizinga on “The Magic Circle”
PBS’ Digital Nation
Ian Bogost on “Serious Games”
Ian Bogost on “The Colbert Report”
Penny Arcade “Gamification
Assignment
Examples
Student Example 1=
Student Example 2
Student Example 3
Student Example 4