Students Learn How to Write for the Digital World in WRI-3160

As more and more writing goes digital and moves away from print, writing students must navigate the online aspects of writing. 

Centenary offers a class during the spring semester called Writing for the Digital World (WRI-3160), taught by Vonda Givens, adjunct professor of writing. Digital writing—including how-to guides, reviews, and summaries—utilizes different methods not typically taught in “traditional” professional or creative writing courses. The goal of digital writing is to articulate the topic while keeping it precise and short. 

The Digital Writing Process

Through each assignment, students follow a format used for digital writing: hook, arc, and takeaway. After each rough draft is submitted, students are asked to “reverse map” their assignment. 

Reverse Mapping Makes Better Writers

Professor Givens gives students a series of questions regarding their assignment to help them dissect their writing and create a strong final draft. 

These questions include: Why did you write your review? Who are you writing it for? What is your main idea? Use three words to describe your assignment. 

Breaking down the assignment piece by piece allows students to gather more information while staying precise with their writing, which is important for digital writing. 

Hook, Arc, and Takeaway Format for Digital World

Each assignment follows a hook, arc, and takeaway format, which is key to digital writing pieces. 

The hook grabs the reader's attention, either a question or an interesting fact. Using sensory details or descriptions also catches people’s eyes. 

The arc is the main portion of the work, or the analysis of the topic at hand. Often writers will include an obstacle, conflict, and resolution within the arc, explaining the journey the writer took while experiencing what they are reviewing or explaining. 

Similar to a conclusion, the takeaway explains the main points or concepts detailed within the writing. 

Class Assignments

This semester, Digital Writing is taught by Professor Givens, a new adjunct professor at Centenary. 

Students have completed five assignments before midterms: a movie/book summary (250 words), a review on the chosen movie/book (250 words), a community critic review (250 words), a how-to guide (less than 1,000 words), and a product review (500 words). The final drafts of each assignment were compiled into a portfolio for the midterm assignment. 

Movie Summary Student Example

Jersey Girl (2004) Summary by Alexis d’Ambly

Jersey Girl (2004), directed by Kevin Smith, follows Ollie Trinke (Ben Affleck), the youngest music publicist in NYC at the height of his booming career, who falls for Gertrude (Jennifer Lopez) a book editor, and their passionate and intense romance that leads to marriage and a baby. But when Gertrude dies in childbirth, Ollie quickly finds himself trying to raise his newborn daughter, Gertie, with the help of his father, Bart (George Carlin), in New Jersey while his career hangs on by a thread. After a public outburst over his opinions on Will Smith, he gets fired and is forced to take a blue collar job with Bart. Seven years later, Ollie is still raising his precocious, young daughter (Raquel Castro) while trying to get back into an industry that considers him a pariah. When Maya (Liv Tyler), a grad student and video store clerk, enters Ollie’s life, he is forced to reconsider what's truly important: his career or his family; New York or New Jersey. 

Movie Review Student Example

Whiplash : An Engagingly Demented Dive Into Obsession by Tanner Sullivan

I’ve seen thousands of movies throughout my life, but my personal favorite is easily Whiplash. This movie is essentially what happens when you give an underdog story like Rocky a darker side, as it unforgettably highlights the dangers which can

come from chasing greatness, remaining impactful with every watch. 

The movie focuses on aspiring drummer Andrew Neiman, who is determined to be one of the best. One day, he is invited to join a prestigious band class by music instructor Terrence Fletcher. But soon after, a nightmare unravels as Fletcher psychotically berates and threatens his students – physically and mentally – seeking no less than perfection from them. Neiman struggles to live up to his instructor’s expectations, pushing himself to far lengths to meet Fletcher’s desires, at the cost of his mentality. It culminates in a final confrontation between Neiman and Fletcher at an important band recital. 

Every time I watch this movie, I find myself greatly compelled, especially through its character dynamics. The film puts the conflict between Neiman and Fletcher – the nervous student and the overbearing teacher – at the forefront, creating a  consistently intense tone. It also effectively explores the concept of obsession via Neiman’s characterization, leading to a fascinating theme of the dangers of pushing oneself too far. Combined, these factors create a movie which is equally unpredictable, captivating, and shocking. As such, it’s only fair to provide a masterful film like this with a perfect 5/5 rating.

Community Critic Review Student Example

The Little Theatre: Small but Quite Comfortable by Carlee Nigro

At the historical campus of Centenary University, at 400 Jefferson Street in Hackettstown, New Jersey, playgoers get to experience the art of theatre. On February 12, 2026, I had the chance to visit one of Centenary Stage Company’s venues, the Little Theatre, located in the Seay Building, to see the NEXTstage Repertory’s production of Peter Pan and Wendy. 

Once you walk in, you get greeted by the actors and actresses in the play who are selling snacks and light refreshments before they take the stage. They are all very inviting and nice to talk to. The lobby is relatively small with a few couches and an open area for standing. As a student in a theatre class this semester, I did not have to pay for my ticket; however, my friend did have to pay $5, which is a steal for college students! 

The Little Theatre, as its name suggests, has limited seating with 174 open seats. Although it gets a little tight when the theater is full, the seats are pretty comfy. One con of this theatre, in my opinion, is the fact that they don’t use microphones. Some of the cast didn’t need microphones in general because they were able to project; however, some were hard to hear. This may be a casting problem, but I always prefer when microphones are used during performances. 

Another con is the fact that the lobby gets very crowded once the show ends, as everyone waits around for the cast to come out. It does show how supported the cast is. Overall, the Little Theatre is an incredible spot to see a show at any time, and make sure to go for low student prices. 

How-To Guide Student Example

How to Make an at Home Pizza Pocket by Elizabeth May

Product Review Student Example

PAPERAGE Notebooks: Bleed-Proof Pages and Lay-Flat Design Perfect for Crafting and Journaling by Samantha Swayze

As an avid crafter, there is nothing worse than creating a colorful page you are proud of only to see the ink bleed onto the next page. I have searched and tried many different notebooks, but was never satisfied. I constantly find myself flipping through several pages where ink bleeds through and ruis some of my favorite spreads. I tried a PAPERAGE dotted journal in 2023, and I have continued to use the brand since then. The dotted journal uses dots instead of lines, but they offer lined, blank, and grid journals as well. 

I use PAPERAGE notebooks to create my bullet journals, where I design different spreads to track habits in my life such as how many hours of sleep I get or how many ounces of water I drink. When I first opened the notebook, I began to draw and see how the paper held the ink. After creating my first spread, I was pleased when I flipped the page and there was no ink that bled through.

I always purchase the hard-covered journals, which include a strap to keep the cover closed and a bookmark built into the notebook. There is also a small pocket attached to the inside of the back cover, which I use for storing some of my favorite pictures throughout the year. 

The journal also stays open when sitting on my desk, which is perfect for crafting. When I need to pause what I’m doing to grab a different color marker or pen, I don’t have to worry about the notebook closing. 

The specific journal I got has 160 pages, but they also offer 252 paged journals. My journal was $11.99, but there are often sales on Amazon. There are many color options to choose from, as well as hardcover, softcover, spiral, and recycled options. 

I enjoy painting designs on the outside of my notebooks, and this one is no exception. The material of the outside cover makes it difficult for paint to stick properly, and it tends to fade. Once I switched from acrylic paint to Sharpies to design the cover, the ink did not fade over time. The journal stays in good condition over time, even after I color in every single page. I have had no issues over the last 3 years with the quality or longevity of PAPERAGE’s products. 

Overall, the PAPERAGE dotted journal is perfect for those using bright highlighters without having to worry about ink bleeding through. Whether you enjoy crafting like I do or are in need of a journal for school, PAPERAGE is a reliable brand with good quality notebooks. With a price of $11.99 before any sales, I view it as a reasonable price for the quality you are receiving. I recommend purchasing a PAPERAGE notebook for your crafting or journaling needs, especially for those wanting bleed-proof pages on a budget. 

Student Thoughts About the Course

As Digital Writing is newly available again this semester, many student-writers—including our staff members—were excited to take the course and share their thoughts. 

“I’m really enjoying this course so far,” said Tanner Sullivan. “It’s helped me to get a better understanding of other writing formats and pieces that I hadn’t considered much before. My personal favorite assignment so far has been the community critic review, as it allowed me to take my skills in reviewing and implement them in a different way than I’m used to. I also really enjoy the professor, Vonda Givens, because she builds a welcoming and encouraging atmosphere while still teaching lessons in an engaging way.”

“I enjoy reverse mapping and the process of creating our work in this class,” said Samantha Swayze. “I like breaking down my work to see where I can improve and how to make my writing stronger yet concise.” 

“I really enjoy this class,” said Alexis d’Ambly. “This course really made me think more about digital design—font style, colors, graphics, and consistency—outside of just the writing component. I’ve also learned to think differently about the organization and flow of my writing using the hook, arc, and takeaway format. This course is great for anyone looking to learn more or get into careers in digital media and/or writing. Professor Givens’s decades of experience and her care for her students’ success really make class fascinating and informative.”

“When I selected Writing for the Digital World, I wasn’t sure what I was getting into and honestly it’s been a pleasant surprise,” said Elizabeth May. “This class has made me think more about how to design my writing to appeal to how people read now. I especially love the reverse mapping that Professor Givens has us do.”

Professor Givens

After a 25-year career in art and history museums, I recently returned to the university classroom. As an Executive Director and fundraiser, from 2013 to 2025, at the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms in Parsippany, NJ, I led the museum through two transformative building projects, established its first major endowment, and raised more than $4 million in capital funding. 

Before taking on that role, I was the Director of Education at the Stickley Museum and at the Hunterdon Art Museum (Clinton, NJ), where I trained docents and created wide-ranging programs for audiences of all ages.

I’m an educator at heart and have been a museum docent for more than 25 years. I am teaching writing and communications courses at Seton Hall and Centenary Universities. 

I studied at Texas A&M University for my Master’s and my Bachelor’s Degree is from Lipscomb University (Nashville). I’m a proud native of middle Tennessee and a lifelong writer. I currently live in Hackettstown, NJ. with my artist husband, Wes Sherman, and our puppy Scout.

You can find me at vonda.givens@centenaryuniversity.edu.  

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The Spring 2026 class holds 18 students, ranging in majors such as writing, communication, equine, and English. 

Be sure to keep an eye out for when Writing for the Digital World runs again in the future!