and to develop techniques for conducting research on the Internet and with other electronic
databases.
Writing, computers, and the Internet are at the center of this course. A substantial portion of this
course will be taught using the Internet, and at least three weeks of the semester will be devoted
to techniques in conducting research on the Internet. We will also discuss the concept of
hypertext and its relationship to your own writing. But, essentially, this is a writing course, and
we will do a great deal of writing over the next few months. We'll learn how to write a basic web
page using HTML, discuss issues of audience and voice, and learn how to use e-mail to its
greatest benefits. We will also consider in what ways the Internet has influenced writing and vice
versa. We will work mostly on PCs; if you have a Mac, the majority of what we cover in this
course may be easily transferred.
By the semester's end, you should be more aware of the benefits and possible drawbacks of
writing with the computer, and you should feel confident using the Internet for research.
Please note that you cannot pass this course unless you demonstrate a degree of familiarity with and
understanding of the computer and the related concepts.
E-Mail:
You must have an e-mail account by the end of the first week of class. If you have not gotten your account, go to MSB with your ID to request that your account be activated. The course has its own online discussion list,
EN249S-L@uconnvm.uconn.edu, run by the Listserv software at UConn. All students will be expected to join the list by the end of the first week of classes. A topic
will be posted to the list each Sunday or Monday (usually with a web address), and that will be the primary
focus of discussion for that week. The discussion list can also be the place for announcements (by both students
and the instructor) of online finds, tips, questions, comments, or any other remark related to the
course.
All class meetings are in Arjona (JHA) 317, which is a "mediated" classroom, unless otherwise
indicated. Several sessions will meet in one of the computer classrooms in MSB to allow students
to work on the computers during class time in a tutorial-like setting.
MOO:
A Virtual Classroom has been set up on River MOO. The room is always unlocked unless we have set a specific time to meet as a class; in those cases, the room will be locked, and you will have to page me to be let in. We will discuss the ins and outs of MOOs during the second week of class. Feel free to visit and acquire a character at any point. The telnet address for River MOO is river.honors.indiana.edu 8888. If the Virtual Classroom is unlocked, you can just type @join UCProf (my character is UCProf) to transport yourself to it; if is locked, page me for permission before @joining. River MOO is a MOO particularly aimed at students and other beginning web page authors; as a result, many characters' descriptions will include a homepage address.
