workload

Attendance

This course will be fast-paced, involving multimedia presentations, lectures, and lots of discussion both in the classroom and in a variety of online formats. You will be expected to be present and prepared for each session in whatever format we may meet. Please complete your readings before each session as assigned on the class schedule. Be ready to get involved in lively discussions about some pretty unconventional material!

I consider this class a work environment, where your absence impacts not just your work but the work of others. As would be the case in a work environment, it is considered a common courtesy to inform me when you will be missing class. Please note that when you miss class for work, illness, religious observation, doctor’s or advisor’s appointments or other personal reasons, these still count as absences. Missing two days of work during a ten-week period is generally considered acceptable, but if you miss work more than two times in ten weeks, you’d probably need to start looking for a new job. You are therefore able to miss a total of two class periods over the course of the quarter. Once you miss your third class period – for whatever reason -- you will lose points from your final score at the rate of one half letter grade per additional absence (the only exception is a documented lengthy personal illness or documented death in the family). If you miss more than three class periods, I strongly recommend that you drop this course because it will be very difficult for you to receive a passing grade.

Our course blog will be an important component of this class, and your participation is required as outlined on the assignments page.
You will receive an invitation via email to join our blog group. Please follow the directions in the email.

Attendance is expected, but if you need to miss a class, please notify me as soon as possible.  Attendance counts toward 15% of your final grade.

Assignment #1: Discussion Group Leader

Due date varies (but always 24 hours before assigned session).  Sign up second class period

Each of us will serve as Discussion Group Leader for one session.  As Discussion Group Leader, you will be expected to read ahead, and read thoroughly, for your assigned session.  At least 24 hours prior to your assigned class, blog a three-page (800-900 word) response that identifies overarching themes and questions that emerge in relation to each of the readings, and that we need to be sure to discuss in our seminar.  This can be in the form of a narrative or an outline with a list of thought-provoking questions.  Include between one and three links to news stories, reviews, art, advertisements, youtube entries, or other materials that are relevant to and/or expressive of ideas and themes in the readings. 

 

Assignment #2: Respondent

Due date varies (but always 6 hours before assigned session).  Sign up second class period

Each of us will serve as Respondent for two sessions.  As respondent, you are expected to select one of the readings for the day and to also read the Discussion Group Leader’s blogged responses to the readings.  Then, you will write your own one-page (300 word) response/question to the reading(s) and the posted links.  Add one of your own links to the blog.

 

Assignment #3: Intercultural Communication Exercise

Due date: Tuesday February 14 & Thursday February 16

The goal of this assignment is to provide an opportunity for you to explore how the Internet can be a tool for intercultural and inter-religious dialogue.  Students will
interact online at http://tolerantworld.com with female students on other campuses (in Denver, CO: College Station, Texas; Uppsala, Sweden; and Tehran, Iran).

There are two parts to the assignment: in one part, you are creating your own blog entry; in the other part, you are responding to the blog entries of students from elsewhere.

Part One:

Each student will select a case study from the news or from popular culture in their own region that illustrates an instance of intercultural misunderstanding and/or miscommunication.  This can include either:  (1) a report about an event that generated intercultural conflict, (2) an example from popular culture that dramatizes intercultural conflict, or (3) an example from either the news or popular culture that is, itself, an example of how a reporter or media entertainment producer created a story that generates or perpetuates misunderstandings and stereotypes.

Students are to post the following:

  1. A summary of the case study, written in their own words, with at least three embedded links that direct readers to more information about the case selected.  This should be between 150-300 words.
  2. A summary of the student’s analysis of this case study in light of their own cultural context.  This should be between 150-300 words.

Part Two:

Students are to read the blogs of students from their own region as well as from other parts of the world.  Each student selects three blogs, and writes 100-300 word responses to each of these blogs.  The goal of this assignment is to practice offering an empathic response to the words of another student that acknowledges their position and that also attempts to contribute a perspective or raises questions that, you believe, grow out of your own life experiences within a different region of the world.

 

 Assignment #4: Final Critical Paper and Presentation

This is your opportunity to produce a critical essay on digital media in the form of an 18-20 page double spaced paper, or can provide the equivalent amount of text (or 5 minutes audio/video) in an online format (Check out Michael Wesch’s “A Vision of Students Today” for an idea of what an online interpretive essay could look like).  If you opt for an alternative format, you will need to turn in a critical script or some form of documentation that demonstrates background research that is the equivalent of an 18-20 page essay.

The aim of this final paper/project is: 1) to relate historical and/or contemporary developments in the theoretical study of digital media to a specific current use, application, and/or creative practice; 2) to situate a main topic of exploration within a larger set of theoretical, social, and cultural issues; and 3) to accurately describe relevant technical issues but to set these issues within a larger context of theories of technology and social change.

To support your discussion, draw upon and cite at least five of the required readings/resources from this course and a combination of at least two books and at least eight scholarly articles or essays (these can include general theoretical sources or academic studies of specific empirical cases that are somehow similar to yours).  This is a total of 15 materials.

This final assignment will be broken into four parts: topic selection, preliminary annotated bibliography, literature review, and final paper.  You must turn in each part by the deadline to receive full credit for this assignment. 

For the final project, please plan to cite references using endnotes in Harvard or Chicago style.