By the end of this course, students will be able to:
analyze the rhetorical strategies used by professionals in the field of communication;
apply the principles of rhetoric, discourse analysis, and design sciences to craft compelling and persuasive discourses, both in writing and in audiovisual formats;
understand the specific possibilities and constraints offered by digital platforms in terms of persuasion and communication;
understand the specific characteristics of discourse in the field of online influence;
adopt a critical perspective and engage in ethical reflection on the rhetorical strategies used or studied in the course, as well as on the expressive possibilities (and limitations) defined by digital platforms;
adapt their communication strategies to the constantly evolving nature of digital technologies and discursive conventions on the internet.
The course “Digital Platforms and Influence” (EINCB314) aims to introduce students to the fundamentals of rhetoric and digital discourse analysis, while specifically applying these tools to the forms of communication that are emerging on digital platforms and in the sphere of online influence. It aims to equip students with the ability to produce, analyze, and criticize the rhetorical strategies employed in this field.
Produce: the course aims to help students develop a skill required in all communication professions - namely, the ability to create compelling, persuasive communication, both in writing and through audiovisual content, while taking into account the specific possibilities and constraints defined by the infrastructure of digital platforms.
Analyze: by exploring the most commonly used strategies in the field of online influence, as well as how digital platforms - through their design - can shape the discourse that unfolds on them (procedural rhetoric, dark patterns, gamification, etc.), students will also develop analytical skills that enable them to decipher the mechanisms of persuasion and become less vulnerable to them.
Criticize: the course will also aim to sharpen students’ critical awareness of the rhetorical strategies they use or encounter, so that they can understand their ethical implications and identify the discourses that digital platforms may convey through (and sometimes without the knowledge of) their users.
These skills will be developed in a transversal and reflective manner, so that students can adapt their communication practices to an environment in which technologies and practices are constantly evolving.
How can we construct a convincing, persuasive argument?
How does the online influence industry work?
How are persuasion and argumentation techniques being reshaped by the digital transition?
How do digital platforms shape the communicative and rhetorical possibilities available to us?
Are all means acceptable when it comes to convincing our audience?
What role does truth play in the practices of argumentation and influence?
The course will address these questions by drawing on the theoretical fields of rhetoric and argumentation, digital discourse analysis, and design sciences
Introduction and Overview of Key Course Concepts: Rhetoric, Digital Platforms, Influence
CHAPTER 1: Persuading, Influencing, Convincing
The Art of Persuasion: The Basics of Rhetoric
Rhetorical Self-Defense: Identifying Fallacies
Rhetoric and Audiovisual Language
Discursive Characteristics of the Influence Industry
CHAPTER 2: Persuasive Tools on Digital Platforms
Rhetoric of Digital Platforms: Design Principles and Procedural Rhetoric
Ethical Vigilance: Dark Patterns
Critical Approaches to Gamification
Persuading vs. Raising Awareness, Questioning, and Inspiring
Exercises: Analysis of Influencers' Content
Throughout the semester, during dedicated workshop sessions, students will be required to produce a short influencer video for social media, applying the techniques covered in class. They will be guided through this project by a professional from the audiovisual industry as well as a professional influencer.
The course will alternate between:
lecture sessions
exercises in analyzing or creating persuasive speeches
workshop sessions during which students will receive guidance in producing a short video for social media
coaching sessions led by a professional influencer.
The certification assessment will consist of two parts:
before the exam session: individual production of an influencer video for social media and of a written assignment of no more than one page explaining the rhetorical strategies used in the video;
during the exam session: an open-book written exam.
The following resources will be made available to students:
the slides used during lectures and workshop sessions;
a reference bibliography (as well as a collection of texts on Webcampus);
a collection of illustrative videos that can serve as models for the audiovisual project.
| Training | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor in Modern Languages and Literatures: German, Dutch and English | 3 | 5 | No |
| Bachelor in Information and Communication | 3 | 5 | Yes |