Planning a Digital Communication Strategy is one of 10 Digital Literacy creds that are designed as a tool to support lifelong learning; to prepare students for living, learning and working in a digital society.
Communicating and marketing online is a skill all to itself. People spend their time online flicking from one item to the next and to grab their attention, there may be mere seconds to do it. When it comes to writing online content, creators need to know how to craft simple, compelling messages that will cut through and make people take notice.
In this cred, students will learn how to write crisp, clean content, specially crafted for online platforms. Students will also get the fundamentals on writing for search engine optimisation, to help maximise the chances that people will actually see their content.
Effort: 5 hours
Mode: Online
Skill points: 15
Access the Writing for Digital Environments cred.
This badge demonstrates to future employers that students are able to:
This assessment requires marking and moderation.
The final project incorporates the following activities to create an article informed by guidelines and principles for effective online writing that is submitted via a supplied template.
The rubric below shows how students are assessed according to the skills required for completion of the cred.
| Criteria | High | Satisfactory | Poor | Unsatisfactory | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definition of writing objectives |
5 pts Well researched and clearly defined writing objectives that describe both the purpose and the intention of your article |
4 pts Writing objectives have been defined but may lack some clarity or need further research |
1 pts Writing objectives are unclear and fail to describe the purpose and intention of your article |
0 pts Failure to provide evidence of writing objectives |
5 |
| Identification of target readership based on personal research |
10 pts Creation of a reader persona that fully describes your target audience. Persona includes all the key components such as demographics, preferences, behaviours etc |
8 pts Creation of a reader persona that adequately describes your target audience. Persona may need some further development to fully identify readership |
4 pts Creation of a reader persona that does not describe your target audience or include any of the key components |
0 pts Failure to provide evidence of reader persona |
10 |
| Use of effective techniques to make your article findable |
5 pts Creation of a highly effective, catchy headline that accurately reflects content. Use of meaningful descriptive links within article |
4 pts Creation of headline that adequately reflects content. May need further development |
2 pts Creation of headline that is unrelated to content |
0 pts Failure to provide evidence of headline |
5 |
| Writing for identified target audiences (500-700 words) |
20 pts Writing is highly engaging, and targets identified audience. Well-constructed using plain English that avoids jargon and/or industry specific acronyms |
16 pts Writing is appropriate for identified target audience. Writing is understandable but may lack some of necessary elements of plain English |
8 pts Writing does not address identified target audience. Writing is not written in plain English and is difficult to understand |
0 pts Failure to provide article |
20 |
| Use of digital media platforms for cross channel promotion |
10 pts Creation of highly engaging targeted tweet and post that links to and promotes article. Effective use of techniques such as hashtags, images, compelling headlines etc |
8 pts Creation of a targeted tweet and post that links to and promotes article. May lack some techniques that would enhance effectiveness |
4 pts Poorly targeted tweet and post that does not link or promote article |
0 pts Failure to provide evidence of tweet and post |
10 |
| Total points: | 50 | ||||
This cred is best suited to:
Writing skills are already valued in a number of industries and occupations, and with content predominantly available digitally, it is important to utilise online platforms for creation and distribution in an effective and purposeful manner. Many businesses specifically use social media and other channels to communicate with their audience and promote their products or services. In understanding how to write across different platforms and for different purposes, to maximise and optimise that message, students acquire a range of practical skills that can be applied in various contexts.
More and more people are now creating and sharing content online in academic, professional and social contexts. Any writing for a digital environment must be constructed effectively and targeted for maximum reach and impact.
Students undertaking this cred will learn the principles of writing online, including for a range of platforms and channels. It instructs in writing clear and accessible language, structuring content, and how to best convey a message in online and mobile environments.
Writing for digital media is a multidisciplinary and transferable skill, and benefits graduates pursuing many occupations. This cred provides a framework and valuable advice to support any assessment or activities involving online communication.
You can add a link to the cred in Canvas using an existing assignment page or creating a dedicated page.
When embedding a cred in Canvas the following is recommended:
To align this cred with course outcomes you might:
Note: Before deciding to embed this Cred, please contact library.creds@rmit.edu.au, as well as your College Creds Specialist to discuss how and when you plan to use this in your course. This will facilitate smoother and timely marking and feedback on assessments.
Note: Make sure you include your use of the Writing for Digital Environments cred in your Course Guide information.