This week, there will be two parts to the weekly writing assignment. These can both be completed on the same Word document.
For more information about these assignments, see the Weekly Writing Overview page.
First, read the following reading (or refresh your memory on, since this was assigned earlier this week): 8.3 - Discourse Communities (in the online textbook)
Then write a short one to three-sentence summary of the reading. No more than 3 sentences. Work on concisely summarizing the main ideas from the reading.
Your summary should explain what a discourse community is based on the reading. Do not quote the text directly or use the same words as the author used. Summarize the ideas from the reading in your own words.
Length: 300 words minimum
Genre: Proposal (see the Genre Information section below for more on proposals)
Use the hobbies and online communities you explored in Weekly Writing 1 as a starting place to choose one specific online discourse community to focus on for this semester.
See the "Additional Information" section below for help with narrowing down your discourse community to a specific online community.
Then write a short essay/proposal based on the following prompts:
What online discourse community do you plan on exploring for this class? Why is this community interesting to you? What are your experiences in this community? What do you already know about it? (at least 300 words; use paragraphs to organize your thoughts)
Further Instructions
For this weekly writing, you must choose an online discourse community that is centered around one interest and one specific platform.
For example, this online community should be a specific TikTok or Instagram community, Facebook group, Discord server, subreddit, etc.
If you already chose one specific online community in your Weekly Writing 1, that’s perfectly fine!
You can reiterate the points you made previously, but try to expand on them by adding new insights or additional experiences you've had with the community since then.
If you discussed more than one community or platform, you'll need to narrow it down this week.
The online discourse community you choose will be the one you analyze and write about for the remainder of the semester. Keep that in mind as you narrow down your community this week!
Your online discourse community should fit the definition of a discourse community (i.e. members of the community share goals and/or values, have ways to communicate with each other, etc.). It also needs to be a specific online community and not too broad. For example, if you are interested in TikTok, choose a specific TikTok community, like GymTok. If you are interested in nursing, choose a specific online nursing community like a nursing Facebook group or the nursing subreddit.
Your discourse community for this class should be on one platform (i.e. TikTok, YouTube, a Facebook group, Reddit etc.) and one interest or topic (i.e. running, knitting, a specific game, nursing students, etc.)
A few examples of online discourse communities: BookTok, GymTok, Organization YouTube Shorts, nature photography on Instagram or Bluesky, a hobby or interest-based subreddit (like r/crocheting or r/fragrances), a website forum, a Facebook group, etc.
This weekly writing is the point where you propose which online discourse community you want to study this semester, so I will be giving you feedback on that community. Please make sure to read through your feedback from this Weekly Writing once you get your feedback before starting Weekly Writing 3.
If your community is too broad or will not work (for example, it's not an online Discourse community), you will receive a temporary 0/2 on the assignment with feedback for narrowing down or picking a community that will work. Once you reply, I will update your grade.
The temporary grade is to ensure that everyone has a community that will work for the rest of the semester before moving on.
A proposal is a document in academic writing where a student summarizes their plan for an assignment. Proposals are often done for larger projects and research papers as a way for their professor to check that their topic and/or plan will work for the assignment.
Proposals can be formal and in-depth, particularly for larger projects like an undergraduate thesis project, or shorter and informal. This proposal assignment is shorter. I want to check that you are on the right track with your online discourse community, and that the one you choose will work for this project.
✓+ (2/2)
All requirements for the assignment are met, including word count minimums, prompts, and clearly referencing the reading (when applicable).
✓- (1/2)
One of the above criteria is not met.
NC (no credit) (0/2)
Two or more of the above criteria are not met.
Please check the Canvas grade book at least once a week for feedback on your Weekly Writing assignments. I will leave writing feedback and suggestions on your weekly assignments (when applicable).