7/1/2020 Syllabus | AESTHINT15 | edX

HarvardX: AESTHINT15
Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking Help Jahangir_Ahmed 

Course Overview
Table of Contents
This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of Rhetoric. In it, participants will learn to construct and defend e ective arguments in
writing and in speech. This ability is essential to success in any academic, professional, or public setting. We will be using selected speeches from Course Overview
prominent Americans, including Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, Margaret Chase Smith, Ronald Reagan, and more, to explore and analyze Grading & Certi cation
rhetorical structure and style. Through this analysis, learners will see how speakers and writers persuade an audience to adopt their point of view.
Guidelines For Collaboration

We are living through a contentious time in world events. As such, it is imperative that all citizens learn how to make an argument, and analyze the Honor Code
arguments of others. This ability can help individuals to engage in civil discourse, and lead to positive change in society. But persuasive speech is not Discussion Forums
con ned to the realm of politics; anyone who wishes to convey his or her message to an audience will bene t from this skill.
Nondiscrimination statement
The course is built around video excerpts of lectures from Harvard Professor James Engell’s on-campus course, Elements of Rhetoric. In addition to Research
the video, text annotation and assessment tools will help learners analyze the rhetorical structure and style of the featured speeches. The online
course will cover seven of the speeches discussed in the on-campus class. The structure of the online version di ers from that of the in-person
course. You may hear Professor Engell refer in the videos to a topic we have already covered, or have yet to cover. In this case, do not worry; you will only be assessed on concepts
covered in that speci c module. If you wish to view the full lectures, you can nd them in Module 7: Full Video Lectures. Viewing the full lectures is optional, and can be done before,
during, or after the course.

Throughout the course, learners will apply the rhetorical techniques they have studied. They will draft and critique their own writing, and in the case of ID-Veri ed (IDV) Learners, the
writing of their peers. As a nal assignment, learners will write and deliver a speech to a friend, family member, or public group. IDV Learners will collect feedback from their audience
and submit it in the form of a survey.

Course Outline

Module 1: Introduction to Rhetoric

Module 2: Civil Rights - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Module 3: Gun Control - Sarah Brady and Charlton Heston

Module 4: Introduction to Oratory

Module 5: The Red Scare - Joseph McCarthy and Margaret Chase Smith

Module 6: Presidential Rhetoric - John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan

Module 7: Conclusion

Module 8: Full Lectures (Optional)

Grading & Certi cation

Please note that only ID Veri ed Learners (those who have paid to pursue a certi cate) will be graded. All learners will have access to the discussion boards, quizzes, and assignment
drafts. ID Veri ed Learners will be able to submit their nal drafts and speech feedback survey for credit.

This course has 3 graded assignments: the Op-Ed Final Draft, the Speech Final Draft, and the Speech Feedback Survey. Di erent students may see di erent versions of certain questions,
or see them in di erent locations.

Op-Ed Final Draft 45% of nal grade: A short article (300-600 words) expressing the learner's support or opposition to a proposal, idea, or policy. This assignment is self-graded,
according to the rubric provided. If you wish, you may share your Op-Ed on the discussion board. If you do not wish to be identi ed on the discussion board, you may choose to post
anonymously.

Speech Final Draft 45% of nal grade:  A short speech (no more than 5 minutes) expressing the learner's support or opposition to a proposal, idea, or policy. This assignment is peer-
graded, according to the rubric provided. Peers who are reviewing your speech through the Peer Review Tool will not see your username or any other identifying information. If you
wish, you may share your speech on the discussion board. If you do not wish to be identi ed on the discussion board, you may choose to post anonymously.

Speech Feedback Survey 10% of nal grade: Learners will be asked to present their speech to an audience—this can be the intended audience, a friend or family member, or
organization such as a debate club or Toastmaster's group ).  Before their presentation, they will give one or more audience members a feedback form to ll out. Learners will then
return to the platform to answer a survey based on that feedback. Answer all survey questions to receive full credit.

Note that for quiz questions (ungraded) you will see the answer after you have used up your attempts, or when you get the answer correct.

Passing the course, and certi cation

The passing grade for this course is 65% (using the weights above).

If you register for a Veri ed Certi cate, and your score is 65% or above, you will receive a certi cate in electronic form. They are not mailed to you. Instead, you can generate them on
your Progress page. 

Guidelines For Collaboration

We encourage class participants to collaborate on assignments! But be sure you learn how to do the assignments yourself.

It is OK to discuss or work jointly to develop a general approach to an assignment.

It is OK to get a hint from peers or course sta if you get stuck on an assignment.

You should work out the details of assignments yourself.

It is not OK to copy someone else's submission.

Honor Code

HarvardX requires individuals who enroll in its courses on edX to abide by the terms of the edX honor code. HarvardX will take appropriate corrective action in response to violations of
the edX honor code, which may include dismissal from the HarvardX course; revocation of any certi cates received for the HarvardX course; or other remedies as circumstances
warrant. No refunds will be issued in the case of corrective action for such violations. Enrollees who are taking HarvardX courses as part of another program will also be governed by the
academic policies of those programs.

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7/1/2020 Syllabus | AESTHINT15 | edX

Discussion Forums
We encourage you to use the course Discussion Forum! It has many uses, and we'll prompt you to participate throughout the course.

Some good uses of the Discussion Forum:

Asking questions about course content and assignments.

Collaborating appropriately on assignments.

Starting discussions related to course content.

Commenting on course content, including giving the instructors feedback, disagreeing with us, or suggesting improvements.

Our discussion forum guidelines

Be polite and encouraging.

Work together and work independently.

Post hints rather than answers. If you're not sure where to draw the line, follow the collaboration guidelines.

You can and should discuss questions, consider possibilities, and ask for hints.

You should not request or give out answers.

Use your vote. If you agree with what someone says, don't write a post. Just click the plus button!

You can nd more help on the edX support page here. And for further help you can contact them directly with your question here.

Nondiscrimination/Anti-harassment statement

Harvard University and HarvardX are committed to maintaining a safe and healthy educational and work environment in which no member of the community is excluded from
participation in, denied the bene ts of, or subjected to discrimination or harassment in our program. All members of the HarvardX community are expected to abide by Harvard policies
on nondiscrimination, including sexual harassment, and the edX Terms of Service.

Particularly in a course where you will be sharing strong opinions, please be sure to respect the opinions of others. Feel free to respectfully point out gaps in your fellow learners'
arguments, in order to help them strengthen those arguments. But remember to focus your feedback on their rhetorical technique, regardless of whether you share their point of view.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact harvardx@harvard.edu and/or report your experience through the edX contact form.

Research
By registering as an online learner in our open online courses, you are also participating in research intended to enhance HarvardX's instructional o erings as well as the quality of
learning and related sciences worldwide. In the interest of research, you may be exposed to some variations in the course materials. HarvardX does not use learner data for any purpose
beyond the University's stated missions of education and research. For purposes of research, we may share information we collect from online learning activities, including Personally
Identi able Information, with researchers beyond Harvard. However, your Personally Identi able Information will only be shared as permitted by applicable law, will be limited to what is
necessary to perform the research, and will be subject to an agreement to protect the data. We may also share with the public or third parties aggregated information that does not
personally identify you. Similarly, any research ndings will be reported at the aggregate level and will not expose your personal identity.

Please read the edX Privacy Policy for more information regarding the processing, transmission, and use of data collected through the edX platform. You can nd out more about our
research at the HarvardX Research center !

Getting Help
For any questions or comments not related to a speci c in-module discussion, you may post in the +Community discussion forum. For technical support, consult the edX support page.
For further help, you can contact edX directly with your question. For all other questions, please contact harvardx@harvard.edu. 

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