Name: Jessica Jorgenson Borchert
Date published: 2021
Course level: Upper-Level, Graduate
Course title: English 526/726: Writing in Electronic Environments
Course description: This course will focus on user experience. User experience is a person’s emotions, attitudes, and use around a product, system, or service. To help us understand user experience, we will discuss core concepts related to usability and user experience in web and mobile platforms. Assignments will ask us to reflect on and analyze the user experience design of web, gaming, and other digital platforms. A final project will focus on creating a usability test over an app, product, or web platform.
Course philosophy/motivation: “I practice a feminist, critical pedagogy where I find that I learn just as much as you and along with you. My courses thrive on discussion, so I expect you to come to class prepared to be an active participant. When I step into a classroom, I step in with the expectation that I will not have to police you. For example, I should not have to tell you to be quiet if someone is speaking. The classroom is a collaborative community full of difference and so it exists as a “contact zone” (see: Mary Louise Pratt, “Contact Zones”). Because the classroom exists as a contact zone, I need you to respect differences in embodied experiences. People from outside communities will enter our classroom, so be prepared to interact with and welcome differences. With this, I encourage you to bring your own knowledge, experience, and expertise to our discussions, but also arrive to class with an open mind. I learn as much from you as I hope you learn from me. I welcome you to the course and I look forward to getting to know you better as we discuss course materials.”
“To help students understand user experience research methods within the field of technical communication.”
