Teaching
This page includes links to syllabi, assignment sheets, and other pedagogical materials from some of my courses. I teach graduate and advanced undergraduate courses in digital rhetoric and public writing as well as a mix of general-education courses. Those categories are divided up in the subsections below. My approaches to assessment are deeply influenced by The Learning Record.
Advanced Rhetoric and Writing Courses
I have designed and taught a number of rhetoric and writing courses for my current institution's undergraduate Public Writing and Rhetoric program and our bachelor's, master's, and PhD programs in English. You can access sample syllabi for some of my courses below.
Undergraduate Syllabi
- Public Writing and Rhetoric
The introductory course for our major and minor in Public Writing and Rhetoric.
- Digital Writing
A theoretical and practical introduction to the work of writing on digital platforms, covering topics including digital rhetoric, markup languages, content management systems, and online misinformation.
- Narrative Design for Games
An advanced course on designing and writing player-facing narratives and behind-the-scenes content for video games.
- The Languages of Video Games
Special-topics course focused on the cultural and technological discourses around video games.
- Rhetoric and Recorded Sound
Special-topics course on the rhetorical aspects of sound, with a collaboratively created podcast series as the primary project.
- Fermentation, Culture, and Writing
Special-topics course on writing about fermentation and foodways more broadly.
- Advanced Composition
A version of Advanced Composition focused on developing students' rhetorical style.
- Writing Your Future
The portfolio-centered capstone course for our major and minor in Public Writing and Rhetoric.
Graduate Syllabi
- Digital Rhetoric and Writing
- History of Rhetoric: Ancient to Renaissance
- History of Rhetoric: Early Modern to Contemporary
- Rhetoric and Sound Studies
- Seminar in Teaching Composition
Progynasmata Exercises
As part of my research on the history of rhetorical education, I study the progymnasmata, a series of exercises that was a long-time staple in schools of rhetoric. I frequently adapt those exercises for my own courses, inspired by versions from Sharon Crowley and Debra Hawhee's textbook Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students. Below, you can find progymnasmata sequences from Advanced Composition and Rhetoric and Recorded Sound.
First-Year Writing
My current institution has a two-semester first-year writing sequence. The first course, ENGL 1010, takes a genre-based approach to writing and literacy. The second, ENGL 1020, emphasizes research-based argumentative writing. Syllabi for recent sections of my ENGL 1010 and 1020 courses are available below.
- ENGL 1010: Expository Writing
- ENGL 1020: Research and Argumentative Writing
Literature
One of my favorite courses that I currently teach is a general-education course called Video Games and/as Literature. During my PhD work, I taught another literature course called Banned Books and Novel Ideas. Syllabi for both courses are available below.
- Video Games and/as Literature
- Banned Books and Novel Ideas