Syllabus
Welcome to Editing. The SVSU course catalog describes this as a course that provides an in-depth examination of editing processes and professional issues. I emphasize understanding of editing as both a profession and a professional activity. But I also ask you to consider the role language plays in shaping our culture(s).
Course Description
The SVSU Course Catalog offers the following description of Editing.
Examination of the professional responsibilities of editors and grounding in editorial strategies. Topics include editing standards and contexts; levels of editing; editing visual content; style; and readability. Emphasis on interactions with authors; preparing documents for publication; editorial authority; and the social, political, and ethical implications of editing.
Course Objectives
Language shapes our experiences, perceptions, and identities. As such, language is also essential to the way we encounter information and design, and through these experiences, knowledge.
- Explore strategies and practices of effective, context-appropriate, audience-aware information design. Effective information design demonstrates awareness of and respect for the needs, knowledge, abilities, and expectations of audiences. This work also takes advantage of the most appropriate and contextually effective media for expression.
- Examine cultural, professional, and disciplinary standards for communication. Quality communication is created to meet or exceed a spectrum of standards for excellence.
- Examine links among communication, professional authority, and ethical responsibility. Professional and disciplinary credentials carry with them both the authority to communicate and the expectation that you will do so responsibly.
- Demonstrate the ability to execute effective editing in the context of the other objectives. Professionals and scholars earn privileges and opportunities with their credentials and certifications. Observation of cultural practices in a variety of contexts consistently reinforce that the most respected and enduring professionals communicate effectively. Such success does not come easily, even to those who possess seemingly natural gifts and abilities for communication. Whether you are an accomplished communicator, or someone who struggles to succeed in this endeavor, my baseline goal is to help you become more aware, better prepared, and more effective as a communicator than you are when you enter the course.
Textbooks
This course requires you to have access to the following textbooks.
- Dreyer, B. Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style.
- University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff. The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition. Please note that this is the revised edition of the book from 2014. Earlier editions are comparable, but less complete.
I will assign readings from other sources as well. I will provide or direct you to materials for these assignments through our course site in SVSU Canvas.
Other Materials
To support your work here this semester, you will use the following services, tools, and technologies.
- SVSU Canvas. I post supporting materials (e.g., articles, sample documents, documents for workshops) to Canvas Files. I typically use the Announcement page to facilitate communication with the whole class. Although I create assignments in Canvas, it is only so I can use the Grades page. (No detail about workshops or projects appears on the Assignments page in Canvas. All descriptions are posted here on this course site.) You will post most of your workshop submissions through the Discussion page.
- SVSU Vmail. Use campus Vmail for all correspondence with me. (Yes, our campus email package has a name.) I do not use (and rarely check) my Canvas Inbox.
- Dropbox.com. Using instructions that I provide, you will create and manage a shared folder on this service. All of the file exchanges between you and me for course projects (e.g., your submissions, my feedback and project evaluations) will happen through Dropbox.com. Dropbox.com offers a free service option. That will be all you need for this course.
- Document design software. All projects and workshops for this course require you to design documents. Use appropriate, professionally relevant tools, such as Adobe InDesign, open-source Scribus, Adobe Premier, and Techsmith Camtasia for this work. Although you might be tempted to use less powerful packages, such as Microsoft Word, you do yourself a professional development disservice by opting to do so.
- Screencasting software. I use screencasts (and podcasts) to deliver content for most courses. You will create screencasts to facilitate some of your work, including at least one workshop and one project. There are many free tools available to you for creating screencasts. I often recommend Techsmith Jing for quick work, but steer people toward Techsmith Camtasia for significant projects such as those you might take on during this course.
- Screencast.com. We will use Screencast.com to share and stream the video content that you generate, because even a short video can generate a large file. Screencast.com offers a free service option. That will be all you need for this course.
Although you will use several communication tools and technologies in your work this semester, all of these things are either provided by SVSU, or are available to you for free. If you have questions about such details, please follow up with me.
I assume at this point in your professional development that you have identified successful strategies for acquiring and refining technological knowledge, and are comfortable learning new tools and processes. If this is not the case, then you should prioritize achieving that goal this semester.
Some of the work you do might be made more convenient or easy if you have access to the following additional materials.
- Portable storage device. Always carry a portable storage device (e.g., flash drive, external hard drive) with you to store project and workshop files, or anything else you might need for your work in this course. Although SVSU provides you space on the Microsoft OneDrive system, I recommend that you use it as a backup, rather than as your primary work space.
- Scanner or scanning app for your phone/tablet. You will at times integrate visual content that you draw from source material into your work. Although you can use a camera to accomplish this task, the results are typically unprofessional. Scanners and scanning apps allow you to digitize such content at a much higher level of professionalism. Several apps are available for free, or at little cost. I strongly recommend that you acquire one, and learn to use it.
- Twitter. Although I do not tweet a lot of course information, I do post notifications about emergency cancelations through Twitter. I will simulcast such information through Canvas, but if you are a Twitter user (or want to become one), this may be more convenient and timely.
- Headphones. Because you will use video for some of your design work, and because we view video content in class from time to time, headphones are a convenient item to have on hand.
- Microphone. Because you will record at least two screencasts this semester, a microphone (even an inexpensive one) is useful for this course. It will raise the quality of your audio.