Assignments

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LEARNING ANALYSIS INSTRUCTIONS IN PDF  

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graded assignments: paper, poster, learning analysis, logbook, prototyping

Five kinds of assignments are required in this class:

• a research paper with visual handout for con display (enough handout print-outs for all in class), • a research poster for con display, documented with digital pictures (hardcopy in class, electronic to be emailed), • a final learning analysis, • a logbook, • some techno-crafty prototyping activities, some done during class.

The first three: paper, poster, learning analysis, allow you to position the work for the class in various frameworks, or knowledge worlds. In each of these you will work on research, analysis, and critical thinking. Some of this will be in traditional academic forms, some in emerging scholarly practices, but it is possible to combine these also with the techno-crafty delights cons have always shown off as well. And papers and poster projects may be be done with partners or individually, as you choose.

The logbook will help you organize your projects: when you started them, how many drafts you completed, who you worked with, where you are in what you have done, and what still needs to be done. It will be turned in four times during the semester (the first in time for early warning grades), and you won’t get credit for any assignments until the final version is turned in on the last day of class with the final version of the learning analysis. You can download a template for the logbook here. 

Prototyping activities on some Thursdays of our class introduce you to multimodal learning, what some call “flipping the class” or how to include “making” as a kind of learning. We will be making both posters and websites. If you are new to making the kind of posters that enhance critical thinking and cognitive skills, or want some ideas about how to craft them well, see the wonderful slideshow by Leeann Hunter here. If you have never made a website, you might start off with a Blogger version. Blogger is what I use for the class website. I use Weebly for my professional website. Both of these are very simple. Or you might like to build a site on Word Press. If you have already begun crafting websites, pick your favorite platform for something new, or enhance what you already have going with projects from our course. A fun site with easy tools for all kinds of web prototyping activities you will find here: http://easyedutools.weebly.com 

Two times during the semester we will be creating class conferences together: we call them “cons” in the spirit of the gatherings gamers and fans more generally put together. (LINKS: gaming conventions; feminist convention finder).

For each con you will do either a paper or a poster. Which one you will do when will be determined by lot. You cannot get full credit for either assignment until after you also present them in the con sessions, and participate in follow-ups. In other words, just the written paper or the poster does not in itself complete the assignment. If an emergency or illness kept you from participation either or both days that week, to get full credit you will have to meet with three other students to share your work and their work outside class, and write up the experience and what you learned from it to complete the participation portion of that grade. SO DO NOT MAKE OTHER PLANS FOR THOSE DAYS: BUILD THEM CAREFULLY INTO YOUR SCHEDULE FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE TERM! Put them into your logbook from the beginning so that attending them will always be at the forefront of your term plans. This is also true of the final day of class, when you discuss your learning analysis with everyone else. Full credit for the learning analysis also requires attendance and participation on that last day.

Summary of assignments:

• Logbooks: 4, last one must be turned in to get any credit for the course
• Prototypes: 3 class posters, 2 website versions
• Con 1: research poster & pics or paper & handout; 2 days attendance: 1/3 grade
• Con 2: research poster & pics or paper & handout; 2 days attendance: 1/3 grade
• Final Learning Analysis & attendance: with logbooks & prototypes all together: 1/3 grade

Wondering how grades are determined? What they mean on your paper?

•  A work is excellent, unusually creative and/or analytically striking

• B is fine work of high quality, though not as skilled, ambitious, or carefully edited as A

•  C is average work fulfilling the assignment; may be hasty, drafted once, showing difficulties with grammar, spelling, word choice

•  D work is below average or incomplete; shows many difficulties or cannot follow instructions

•  F work is not sufficient to pass; unwillingness to do the work, or so many difficulties unable to complete

For more discussion of each grade, with an eye to written work especially, see this Google Doc on grades.

Remember, you can always talk to Katie about grades and your evaluation concerns during office hours anytime. But also note that you are expected to be learning how to evaluate your own work and to put it into perspective with the work of others, learning from seeing what others do. This means learning how to motivate and understand your own work, not depending solely on what others tell you to do, or how they judge it. Remember: don’t eat the menu (grades) instead of the meal (learning)!

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what to do when you must unavoidably miss class, for emergency or perhaps for illness:  

·       TALK TO AT LEAST TWO CLASS BUDDIES IMMEDIATELY. Before you even come back to class, call them up or email them and find out if any special assignments are due the day you return, and make sure that you know about any changes in the syllabus. Try to have done the reading and be as prepared as possible to participate in class when you return.

·       MAKE A DATE TO MEET WITH CLASS BUDDY TO GET NOTES AND DISCUSS WHAT WENT ON IN CLASS WHILE YOU WERE GONE. You are responsible for what happened in class while you were gone. As soon as possible, get caught up with notes, with discussions with buddies and finally with all the readings and assignments. Always talk with class buddies first. This is the most important way to know what went on when you were gone and what you should do.

·       AFTER YOU HAVE GOTTEN CLASS NOTES AND TALKED ABOUT WHAT WENT ON IN CLASS WITH BUDDIES, THEN MAKE APPOINTMENT TO SEE KATIE. If you just miss one class, getting the notes and such should be enough. But if you've been absent for more than a week, be sure you make an appointment with Katie, and come in and discuss what is going on. She wants to know how you are doing and how she can help. Or, while you are out, if it's as long as a week, send Katie email at katking@umd.edu and let her know what is happening with you, so she can figure out what sort of help is needed.

·       IF YOU ARE OUT FOR ANY EXTENDED TIME be sure you contact Katie. Keep her up to date on what is happening, so that any arrangements necessary can be made. If you miss too much class you will have to retake the course at another time. But if you keep in contact, depending on the situation, perhaps accommodations can be made. Since attendance is crucial for all assignments and thus for your final grade, don't leave this until the end. LET KATIE KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING so that she can help as much and as soon as possible.

·       THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN EXCUSED ABSENCE AND ANYTHING ELSE: generally speaking you are only allowed to make up work you missed if you have an excused absence. That the absence is excused does not mean you are excused from doing the work you missed, but that you allowed to make it up. I usually permit people to make up any work they miss, and do not generally require documentation for absences. Be sure to give explanations in your logbook and do make up all work you have missed. 

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Notice that if an emergency or illness kept you from participation in any prototyping activities, to get full credit you will have to meet with two other students to share your work and their work outside class, and write up the experience and what you learned from it to get credit. SO DO NOT MAKE OTHER PLANS FOR THOSE DAYS: BUILD THEM CAREFULLY INTO YOUR SCHEDULE FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE TERM! Put prototyping activities and workshops or cons into your logbook from the beginning so that attending them will always be at the forefront of your term plans. This is also true of the final day of class, when you discuss your learning analysis with everyone else. Full credit for the learning analysis also requires attendance and participation on that last day.

Missing class and missing assignments makes things harder for you, for everyone in the class, and for the teacher too. So note that it is always easier to come than not, and that you will have to do (modestly) more if you miss than if you were able to do the assignment in a regular way. And please be a generous class buddy to those who did have to miss: for emergencies and illness we might each need help: this is one reason why we are a community. And if you help someone else, not only does that make life nicer all round, but you actually learn more, sharing and helping someone else out! Really! 

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take a digital pic of your poster

name the pic file: <yourlastname> 468 proto1

send it to Katie on gmail: katiekin@gmail.com (NOT KING)

subject header: <yourlastname> 468 proto1

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