This page describes the activities you will complete for this class and how your work will be assessed.
Graded Activities
Research Project: Working on your own, you will propose and execute a digital research project that demonstrates your learning over the course of this semester. Your project can take a number of shapes, so long as it uses technology to make the knowledge available publicly and so long as it includes a public speaking component: you could write a multimedia-rich research paper to be hosted on the class web site; you could script and record an episode for the class podcast; you record a formal and visually engaging video presentation; or you could propose something else. Please see the Research Project Assignment Sheet for additional details.
- Connected Course Outcomes: SLO1, SLO2, SLO3, SLO4, SLO5
Formal Essays: Over the course of the semester, you will write two short, formal essays. One will serve as our course midterm and one as our course final. Please see the Midterm Essay Assignment Sheet and the Final Essay Assignment Sheet for the complete details. (The Final Essay Assignment Sheet will be available on May 1.)
- Connected Course Outcomes: SLO1, SLO2, SLO3, SLO4, SLO5
Self Assessments: You will complete two learning self-assessments, one at midterm and one at the end of the semester. As a part of these self-assessments, you will proposal a letter grade for yourself based on the effort you have made and the learning you have achieved to that point. Please see the Self-Assessments Assignment Sheet for the complete details.
- Connected Course Outcomes: SLO5
Course Blog: You will contribute to our course blog by posting a number of short writing assignments and reflections that will be publicly available. Of the fourteen assigned blog posts, you must complete at least 8. Please see the Course Blog Assignment Sheet for the complete details.
- Connected Course Outcomes: SLO1, SLO2, SLO3, SLO4, SLO5
Annotated Readings: Over the course of the semester, we will read a number of articles and chapters to help us develop our understanding of dystopias more thoroughly. Each of these will be available online, and as you read them, you will collaboratively annotate them using a free system called Hypothes.is. Please see the Annotated Readings Assignment Sheet for complete details.
- Connected Course Outcomes: SLO1, SLO2, SLO3, SLO4
Weekly Self-Assessments: Each week, you will encounter new course material by watching video lectures, reading various texts, and watching other forms of media. You will engage with that course material through class discussions, group activities, and individual activities. Please see the Weekly Self-Assessments Assignment Sheet for more details.
- Connected Course Outcomes: SLO2, SLO4, SLO5
Discussions & Other Activities: Every week, you will be asked to participate in different learning activities and engagements.
- Connected Course Outcomes: SLO1, SLO2, SLO3, SLO4, SLO5
How Your Learning Will Be Assessed
I will not be grading any of the work discussed in the previous section. Instead, I will provide you with written or recorded comments about the work you’ve done. For each assignment, you will receive one of the following notations in the Grades section of Brightspace:
- Completed, meets all requirements
- Completed, does not meet all requirements
- Not completed
At mid-term and at the end of the semester, I will reflect upon your efforts for this class, and I will provide you with feedback on how well you have kept up with the work for this class. Because I am required by the university to give you a letter grade for this class, you will be collaborating with me on that letter grade. At both mid-term and the end of the semester, you will propose for yourself a letter grade and a justification for that letter grade. While I reserve the right to alter the grade you assign yourself, I will only do so if I feel you have significantly under- or over-valued your work this semester.
Yes, you read that correctly. I will not be assigning any grades to the work you do for this class. I will be providing you with written or recorded feedback about the quality of your work and the extent of your learning.
Please note that in order to propose an A for yourself for this class, you must have successfully completed all assigned work and attended class regularly.