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ENCO326 Persuading the Public: Rhetoric in Public Affairs

Updated: 22 November 2011
Credit Points 6
Offering
Responsible Campus Teaching Period Mode of Study
Armidale Trimester 2 Off Campus
Armidale Trimester 2 On Campus
Intensive School(s) None
Supervised Exam There is no UNE Supervised Examination.
Pre-requisites 12cp
Co-requisites None
Restrictions ENCO226 or ENCO426 or ENCO526
Notes None
Combined Units ENCO526 - Persuading the Public: Rhetoric in Public Affairs
Coordinator(s) Rosemary Williamson (rwilli27@une.edu.au)
Unit Description

This unit examines persuasive public communication from a critical, rhetorical perspective. It focuses on political discourse (speeches), public affairs and corporate communications. In projects, students will collect and critique a body of rhetorical materials from such sources as politicians, social commentators, religious leaders, corporations, unions, and interest groups.
Materials Text information will be published prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Disclaimer Unit information may be subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Assessment Assessment information will be published prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Learning Outcomes (LO) Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
  1. understand the nature and scope of rhetorical analysis applied to the public sphere;
  2. explain and critique rhetorical modes of public communication;
  3. collect, analyse and critique the products of civic discourse;
  4. investigate the relationships of public persuasion to public opinion and mass media; and
  5. appreciate the cultural significance of civic discourse in the public sphere.

Graduate Attributes (GA)
Attribute Taught Assessed Practised
1 Knowledge of a Discipline
Students will understand the rhetoric of persuasive public communication. 		True True True
2 Communication Skills
The skills of written communication and formal argument are taught and assessed in this unit. In addition to writing guides supplied and recommended, students receive written feedback on their reasoning and writing skills. On-campus students have the opportunity to practise oral communication skills in seminar presentations. 		True True True
3 Global Perspectives
This unit introduces students to persuasive public communication from Australia, America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Students have the opportunity to explore the ways in which public persuasion from various cultures is constructed and practised. 		True True True
4 Information Literacy
Students in this unit practise skills in acquiring information through print-based and electronic research tools and are assessed on the organisation and presentation of high quality evidence in assignments. 		True True True
5 Life-Long Learning
This unit allows students to practise a wide range of academic skills: research, analysis and independent learning. Guides including sequenced topic outlines and readings help them to define research problems and to research, analyse, synthesise and incorporate the results of their learning in expository essays. Feedback is provided on writing projects. 		True True True
6 Problem Solving
The learning activities and expository research assignments encourage students to identify critical issues in the discipline and the professional area of analysis of public persuasion. Students are specifically required to conceptualise issues associated with the presentation of rhetorical situations and to collect, collate and analyse relevant information to assist problem-solving within the discipline. 		True True True
7 Social Responsibility
The study of public persuasion and the focus on ethical employment of rhetorical strategies encourages students to recognise social issues relevant to their discipline and professional area. Students study political and ethical issues relevant to the study of speakers, discuss audiences and rhetorical situations, and analyse the distinction between ethical and unethical use of rhetorical tools. 		True True True
8 Team Work
In the small-group seminar format (the norm for on-campus teaching), students have the opportunity to negotiate, assert their values, question those values and respect the contributions of others. Group tasks such as focus group analysis of selected speech situations and reporting the results of such analysis to the class are encouraged, and this graduate attribute is assessed through structured classroom discussions including papers prepared by each student. 		True True True
   

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