Theories of Emerging Media and Communication (Undergrad)

This class was taught in Fall 2010 and Fall 2012. These materials are from the Fall 2012 iteration.

Syllabus

ATEC/EMAC 2322: Intro to Electronic and Digital Communication

Fall 2012

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.

Course Information

Class No. 80118
Meets: MW 11:00am – 12:15 pm
Location: CB3 1.306
Credit Hours: 3

Contact Information

Instructor: Kim Knight
Email (preferred method of contact): kim.knight@utdallas.edu
Twitter: @purplekimchi No direct messages, please.
Phone: 972-883-4346. No voicemail, please.

Office: ATEC 1.506
Office Hours:

Contact policies:

  • I respond to email M-F within 24 hours.
  • If I do not respond within that time frame, check my email address and re-send it.
  • Use official UTD email only.
  • I will not respond to
    • Emails that request information found on syllabus or assignment sheets.
    • Twitter direct messages.

Course wiki: https://kimknight.com/2322f12
Twitter hashtag: #EMAC2322

Course Description

We use the internet for research, communication, play, and a variety of other purposes. Early enthusiasts declared that it would change the world – leveling inequality and revolutionizing business. Though inequalities persist, business models continue to develop, and we struggle to even define what we mean by “the world,” it is probably safe to say that the Internet does have a major impact on our lives. Our project in this course is to critically evaluate the type and extent of the social changes that arise from networked environments and digital platforms. We will consider shifting paradigms of community, information access/ownership/distribution, political engagement, creativity, etc.

Course Goals

This course is one of the foundations of the major in Emerging Media and Communication. Students will:

  • Identify and analyze developments in software, hardware, and media.
  • Analyze the impact of these developments on social structures.
  • Communicate with the new media community through the use of blogs, microblogs, social bookmarking, live presentations, etc.
  • Engage in the collaborative production of knowledge.

Required Textbooks and Materials

  • Michael Mandiberg, ed. The Social Media Reader. ISBN: 0814764061
  • Zizi Papacharissi, ed. A Networked Self. ISBN: 0415801818
  • Hal Abelson, Ken Ledeen, and Harry Lewis, Blown to Bits. 3rd Edition. ISBN: 0137135599 (also available online as a free download)
  • Zittrain, Jonathan. The Future of the Internet (and How to Stop It). ISBN: 0300151241 (also available online as a free download)

Various online readings.The username for readings on kimknight.com is “emac2322” and the password is “media”. Readings listed as “course reserves” are hosted by the UTD library at http://utdallas.docutek.com/eres/coursepass.aspx?cid=1337 and require a different password: technicolor.

You will also need the following: an email account that is checked frequently, a public Twitter account, an account on our course wiki.

Course Policies

Attendance: Some of the most valuable take-away from this course will come out of our class discussions. Your participation is necessary for our success. It is important that you come to every class prepared and on time. To be “prepared” means that you have thoughtfully engaged with the reading and are prepared to discuss it in class. Bring questions, comments, observations, disagreements, examples, etc.

Because your presence in class is important, more than three absences will affect your grade and in most cases, five or more absences will result in a failing grade. If you need to miss class for religious reasons, please speak to me ahead of time. Absences for religious purposes do not count against the permitted number (as long as prior notification is given). Lateness is also unacceptable; if you arrive more than 30 minutes late, you will be marked as absent. Leaving more than 30 minutes early also counts as an absence. In addition, please try to be as fully present and engaged as possible – silence cell phones, don’t send or receive texts or emails, etc. Excessive distraction may be counted as an absence.

Accommodation: If you have a disability that requires accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act -2008(ADAAA), please present your letter of accommodations from the Office of Student AccessAbility and meet with me as soon as possible so that I can support your success in an informed manner. If you would like to know more about the University of Texas at Dallas, Office of Student AccessAbility, please contact the office at 972-883-6104 or email: studentaccessability@utdallas.edu.  Their office is located in the Student Service Building (SSB), suite 3.200.

Online Etiquette: Our many online assignments will require vigilance to ensure that we are always preserving an atmosphere of mutual respect. Disagreements may arise and consensus may not be possible. We can, however, respect each person’s right to an opinion. Name calling, harassment, or menacing behavior will not be tolerated. Violations of the student code of conduct will be reported to university administration.

Online Due Dates: All online assignments are due by 11:59pm on the date listed, unless otherwise noted.

Late work: Work associated with participation, in class exams, or the knowledgebase will not be accepted late. You may not make up missed reading quizzes or in-class exams. For each component of the Teaching Presentation that is late, you will lose 1/3 of a letter grade on the project. The presentation and discussion component of the Teaching Presentation may not be late.

Academic Honesty: From the UT-D Handbook of Operating Procedures: “The university expects from its students a high level of responsibility with respect to academic honesty. Because the value of an academic degree depends on the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student maintain a high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work. The dean may initiate disciplinary proceedings under subchapter C against a student accused of scholastic dishonesty upon complaint by a faculty member or a student.” (http://www.utdallas.edu/dept/graddean/gsPolDishonesty.htm)

Plagiarism will result in a failing grade on the plagiarized assignment and possible disciplinary action by the university. If you have any questions regarding the proper use of outside sources or the distinction between sampling and plagiarism, I encourage you to meet with me.

University Policies: Please visit http://go.utdallas.edu/syllabus-policies for the University’s policies regarding all courses.

Course Requirements and Grading Policy

Grading Scale

A Range: Excellent B Range: Good C Range: Satisfactory D Range: Needs Improvement F: Failing
A 94% to 100%
A- 90 – 93%		 B+ 87 – 89%
B 83 – 86%
B- 80 – 82%		 C+ 77 – 79%
C 73 – 76%
C- 70 – 72%		 D+ 67 – 69%
D 63 – 66%
D- 60 – 62%		 F 59% and below

Assignments

Participation (20%)

Participation includes attendance, homework activities, reading quizzes, in class activities, and participation in discussion, both in class and online (twitter, etc.) To receive full participation credit, you should visit my office hours at least once on or before October 15, 2012.

Knowledgebase (25%)

Through processes of collaborative note taking on readings and discussions, the class will produce a “knowledgebase” of the topics covered in EMAC 2322. Student groups will be assigned rotating roles to produce and edit notes. These notes will act as a study guide for the in class exams.

In Class Exam 1 (20%)

An in class exam that draws upon the knowledgebase constructed in units 1 and 2. More information on this after the second week of class.

In Class Exam 2 (20%)

An in class exam taken during finals week that draws upon the knowledgebase for units 3 and 4. More information on this after the midpoint of class.

Teaching Presentations (15%)

Students will have the chance to teach their peers in the final weeks of class. The required presentation format will be the “Ignite” presentation style. Presentation topics should be chosen to expand upon existing course themes or to add new topics to EMAC 2322. More on this after the fourth week of class.

General Requirements

You will be most successful in this class if you are able to have an open mind and take a critical approach to our topics. Please note that being “critical” does not necessarily mean being negative, but it does mean that you are willing to question assumptions and explore the implications of the seemingly mundane and minute aspects of contemporary media culture. Openness to experimentation and play and a willingness to try and fail are critical to the study of emerging media. In short, in this class we will be enacting some of the very changes we are studying – collaborative learning, alternative models of scholarship, etc.

A Word About the Midterm Grade

The midterm grade for EMAC 2322 will be determined based on the first in-class exam and your participation grade to date. Your midterm grade will not include any evaluation of the Knowledgebase assignment. If you have questions about your work on this assignment, I encourage you to meet with me.

Schedule of Readings

Unit One: Introduction and Taking Stock

Monday, August 27: Intro and Overview

  • Introductions
  • Syllabus Quiz
  • Wiki Introduction

Wednesday, August 29: Early Predictions

  • Reading
  • Knowledgebase Assignment Intro
  • Homework Activity
    • Edit your wiki user page
    • If necessary, finish syllabus quiz
  • Knowledgebase Assignments
    • Gryffindor – Editing
    • Slytherin – Editing
    • Hufflepuff – Discussion
    • Ravenclaw – Connections and Examples
    • The Ministry – Discussion
    • Muggles – Connections and Examples

Monday, September 3: Labor Day Holiday

Wednesday, September 5: Definitions

  • Reading
  • Knowledgebase Assignments
    • Gryffindor – Discussion
    • Slytherin – Key Ideas
    • Hufflepuff – Definitions
    • Ravenclaw – Connections and Examples
    • The Ministry – Editing
    • Muggles – Editing

Monday, September 10: Critical Reading and Note-taking

  • Homework Activity:
    • Work on Knowledgebase Assignment

Wednesday, September 12: Library Workshop

  • Meet in the lobby of the library
  • Homework Activity:
    • Work on Knowledgebase Assignment

Monday, September 17: Technological Determinism

Unit Two: The State of Information

Wednesday, September 19: Collective Intelligence

  • Reading
  • Homework Activity
    • Brainstorm some ideas about which you are very knowledgeable. Find the Wikipedia page for one of them and add or clarify content.
  • Knowledgebase Assignments
    • Gryffindor – Editing
    • Slytherin – Editing
    • Hufflepuff – Discussion
    • Ravenclaw – Key Ideas
    • The Ministry – Definitions
    • Muggles – Connections and Examples

Monday, September 24: Structures of Information

Wednesday, September 26: Audiences and Ownership

  • Reading
    • Jay Rosen, “The People Formerly Known as the Audience” in The Social Media Reader
    • Anderson, “From IndyMedia to DemandMedia: Journalism’s Visions of its Audience and the Horizons of Democracy” in The Social Media Reader
  • Knowledgebase Assignments
    • Gryffindor – Definitions
    • Slytherin – Connections and Examples
    • Hufflepuff – Editing
    • Ravenclaw – Editing
    • The Ministry – Discussion
    • Muggles – Key Ideas

Monday, October 1: The Generative Internet

  • Reading
  • Knowledgebase Assignments
    • Gryffindor – Key Ideas
    • Slytherin – Definitions
    • Hufflepuff – Connections and Examples
    • Ravenclaw – Editing
    • The Ministry – Editing
    • Muggles – Discussion

Wednesday, October 3: Open Source

Monday, October 8: Shifting Habits of Learning

  • Reading
  • Homework Activity
    • 40 minutes of uninterrupted reading
  • Knowledgebase Assignments
    • Gryffindor – Editing
    • Slytherin – Discussion
    • Hufflepuff – Key Ideas
    • Ravenclaw – Definitions
    • The Ministry – Connections and Examples
    • Muggles – Editing

Wednesday, October 10: Protecting Your Information

  • Reading
    • Blown to Bits, Chapter 2
  • Homework Activity
    • Visit http://www.ghostery.com/ and install ghostery for your browser. Which sites have the most tracking? The least?
    • Quit Facebook starting today, until Wednesday, October 17.
  • Knowledgebase Assignments
    • Gryffindor – Editing
    • Slytherin – Editing
    • Hufflepuff – Discussion
    • Ravenclaw – Key Ideas
    • The Ministry – Definitions
    • Muggles – Connections and Examples

Thursday, October 11

Edits, connections, and class discussion wiki contributions finalized by 11:59pm.

Monday, October 15: In Class Exam 1: Units 1 & 2

  • In Class Exam
    • Bring a blue book to class
  • Last Day for office hours visit for participation credit.

Unit Three: Individuals and Networks

Wednesday, October 17: Social Networks and Communities

  • Reading
    • boyd, “Social Network Sites as Networked Publics: Affordances, Dynamics, and Implications” in A Networked Self
    • Parks, “Social Networking Sites as Virtual Communities” in A Networked Self
  • Homework Activity
    • Reflect on how your interaction with your social networks shifted as a result of quitting Facebook.
  • Knowledgebase Assignments
    • Gryffindor – Connections and Examples
    • Slytherin – Editing
    • Hufflepuff – Editing
    • Ravenclaw – Discussion
    • The Ministry – Key Ideas
    • Muggles – Definitions

Monday, October 22: Identity: Gender

Wednesday, October 24: Identity: Race

Monday, October 29: Politics and Civic Engagement

Wednesday, October 31: Clicktivism, Activism, and Slacktivism

Unit Four: Work, Creativity, and Play

Monday, November 5: Data as Labor

Wednesday, November 7: Labor in Global Networks

  • Readings
  • Homework Activity
  • Knowledgebase Assignments
    • Gryffindor – Connections and Examples
    • Slytherin – Editing
    • Hufflepuff – Editing
    • Ravenclaw – Discussion
    • The Ministry – Key Ideas
    • Muggles – Definitions

Monday, November 12: Creativity and Creative Commons

  • Reading
  • Homework Activity
    • Browse Flickr Creative Commons Pool – use or repurpose one image found there, within the limits of the license. Post to the wiki.
  • Knowledgebase Assignments
    • Gryffindor – Definitions
    • Slytherin – Connections and Examples
    • Hufflepuff – Editing
    • Ravenclaw – Editing
    • The Ministry – Discussion
    • Muggles – Key Ideas

Wednesday, November 14: Making Data Beautiful

November 19 – 23: Fall Break, No Class

Monday, November 26: New Modes of Storytelling

Wednesday, November 28: Critical Game Studies

  • Reading
  • Homework activity
    • For 30 minutes, observe someone else playing a game (any kind). Observe Galloway’s four actions as well as facial expressions, perceived emotions, etc. Be sure to take notes. Post your notes to the wiki.
  • Knowledgebase Assignments
    • Gryffindor – Editing
    • Slytherin – Discussion
    • Hufflepuff – Key Ideas
    • Ravenclaw – Definitions
    • The Ministry – Connections and Examples
    • Muggles – Editing

Monday, December 3: Lightning Presentations

Wednesday, December 5: Copyright and Fair Use

  • Reading
    • Lessig, “How Creativity is Being Strangled by Law” in The Social Media Reader
    • Rip: A Remix Manifesto (video)
  • Homework Activity
    • Find a video that remediates a poem. Post it to the wiki.
  • Recommended Reading (not required)
    • Aufderheide, “Copyright, Fair Use, and Social Networks” in A Networked Self
  • Knowledgebase Assignments
    • Gryffindor – Editing
    • Slytherin – Editing
    • Hufflepuff – Discussion
    • Ravenclaw – Key Ideas
    • The Ministry – Definitions
    • Muggles – Connections and Examples

Sunday, December 9: The Knowledgebase should be finalized by 11:59pm

Monday, December 10: Lightning Presentations

Wednesday, December 12: Lightning Presentations

Friday, December 14, 8am – 10:45am In Class Exam 2: Units Three and Four

Assignments

Participation Assignment

EMAC 2322: Theories of Emerging Media and CommunicationFall 2012

Participation Requirements

Purpose:

  • To involve students in active processes of learning.

Overview:

Forget the model of education you see in the movies where a brilliant professor lectures from a podium and students scribble away furiously in their notebooks. Research evidence overwhelmingly suggests that students learn better and retain more information when they are actively involved in the process of learning.

My classroom philosophy is that I am a coach, there to guide you through these active processes. I very seldom lecture and most of our class meetings will involve whole class discussion. And this will lead to some of the most valuable take-away from this course, in class and online. Your participation is necessary for our success. It is important that you participate in every class meeting and that you share resources between classes.

The Requirements:

  • Do the reading. Take notes. Come to class prepared to discuss key ideas, vocabulary, questions, disagreements, examples, etc.
  • Do any homework activities and reflect on how they connect to the topic or readings.
  • Be in class. More than three absences will affect your grade, and in most cases, five or more absences will result in a failing grade.
  • Arrive on time and stay for the duration of the class session. If you arrive more than 30 minutes late, you will be marked as absent. Leaving more than 30 minutes early also counts as an absence.
  • Pay attention. Silence cell phones. Don’t send or receive texts or emails. Stay off of Facebook unless it is part of an in-class activity. Excessive distraction may be counted as an absence.
  • You can use Twitter for in-class participation but try not to over-rely on it.

Technical Specifications:

  • You will need a public Twitter account so that all of your peers can see your tweets and your tweets are included in searches for the class hashtag. You do not have to use your real name in your Twitter account, but you do need to give me your Twitter handle.
  • Do not forget to sign into your class wiki account so that your work can be counted.

Grading:

Participation is worth 20% of your final grade. You will be given a preliminary participation grade at the midterm. This will be averaged with a participation grade for the second half of the term to determine your final participation grade.

The criteria for grading your work are:

Excellent Good Satisfactory Needs Improvement Failing
Attendance The student has fewer than three absences. The student is always on-time and stays for the duration of class. The student has fewer than 3 absences and has no consistent problems with tardiness or leaving early. The student has fewer than three absences and is generally on time and in class for the duration. The student may have more than three absences or frequently arrives late or leaves early. The student has five or more absences and/or consistently arrives late or leave early.
In-class discussion The student always contributes meaningful comments and ideas to class discussion*. The student may additionally contribute to the in-class Tweet stream. The student consistently contributes interesting comments and ideas to class discussion. Class discussion may be supplemented with in-class Twitter participation. The student often contributes comments and ideas to class discussion or supplements with in-class Twitter participation. The student rarely contributes comments and ideas to class discussion and may over-rely on Twitter in class. The student never contributes to class discussion or in-class Twitter.
Reading Quizzes The student averages a score of 3 or more on in-class quizzes. The student averages a score of 3 or more on in-class quizzes. The student averages a score of 3 or more on in-class quizzes. The student averages below a score of 3 for in-class quizzes. The student averages below a 2 for in-class quizzes or does not take all assigned quizzes.
Homework Activities The student always completes homework activities and connects her experience to the course topics and readings. The student always completes homework activities and shows evidence of thinking critically about them. The student consistently completes homework activities. The student frequently misses homework activities. The student never completes homework activities.
Sharing resources The student tweets three or more times a week outside of class with information and ideas marked with the class hashtag. The student tweets twice a week outside of class with information and ideas marked with the class hashtag. The student tweets once a week outside of class with information and ideas marked with the class hashtag. The student tweets less frequently than once per week outside of class with information and ideas marked with the class hashtag. The student never tweets information and ideas with the class hashtag.
  • Note: you do not always have to fully grasp the material to make meaningful comments. You may ask questions and make a good effort to understand.

Late Work:

Work associated with participation may not be completed late. Reading quizzes may not be completed on days you are not in class.

Knowledgebase Assignment

(This assignment is a slightly modified version of that given by my colleague, Andrew Famiglietti)
EMAC 2322: Theories of Emerging Media and Communication
Fall 2012
Knowledgebase Group Assignment

Purpose:

  • To give students practice in collaborative writing and editing.
  • To develop a study-aid for in class exams.
  • To improve student note-taking and study habits.
  • To familiarize students with mediawiki, the software platform underlying Wikipedia.

Overview:

Since EMAC 2322 is one of the core introductory courses in the EMAC major, it is important that students come away from the class with a comprehensive understanding of the foundational concepts covered in the class. To that end, the class has a midterm and final exam. The Knowledgebase assignment is designed to help you prepare for these exams, and leverages Pierre Levy’s assertion that “nobody knows everything. Everyone knows something. All knowledge resides in humanity.”

Students will be put into groups and will be responsible for writing or editing notes in the class wiki for each class meeting. This should be considered an on-going process and you should expect to refine pages throughout the semester.

The Requirements:

  • You will need to create an account on the class wiki. All work should be done while signed into the account in order to receive full credit.
  • I will create a page for each class meeting that will contain the note format that should be used each time. The template includes sub-headings and information about what should go under each sub-heading.
    • Sub-headings will be related to assigned readings, class discussion, or creating connections between class topics. Your group should write 200 – 300 words for each sub-heading, total.
  • You are grouped with your peers so that multiple people are working on each section each week. Your group will be assigned either one sub-heading or editing duties for each class meeting.
    • Content in “key ideas” and “definitions” subheadings should be written before each class meeting.
      • For the first few weeks, I will provide some questions to get you started on key ideas.
      • Remove instructions from the notes page.
      • Remember, this is a study guide, not a replacement for the original text. Explain concepts and point to passages and page numbers where the student can read more.
    • “Connections and examples” and “summary of discussion” sub-headings and editing duties should be completed by 11:59pm on October 11 (Units 1 & 2) or December 9 (Units 3 & 4).
      • Editors should write the introduction section
    • Editors
      • Write the intro section
      • Should synthesize and collate key ideas and class discussion into one section, limit 1200 words.
        • If you encounter difficulties with the word limits, see Kim.
      • Focus on making things concise and readable
        • Use formatting tools such as bullet points, headings, etc. to improve readability.
        • Remember this is a study guide – not a replacement for the text itself.
  • Your contributions to the wiki should be substantial and meaningful. For more information on what that means, see the grading rubric below.

Technical Specifications

  • Our class wiki will be built using the mediawiki software, the same software used for Wikipedia. We will review the basics of using the software in class. For more advanced information, visit http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki
  • Do not forget to sign into your class wiki account so that your work can be counted.
  • Allow time for technical difficulties. Only one person can edit a page at a time. Save your work often.

Grading

The Knowledgebase assignment is worth 25% of your final grade. Though you are grouped with your peers on specific assignments, you will be evaluated individually.

The criteria for grading your work are:

Excellent Good Satisfactory Needs Improvement Failing
Meaningful contributions Contributions are always well-written and identify key information*. Contributions consistently go beyond assigned days. Contributions are consistently well-written and identify key information. Contributions frequently go beyond assigned days. Contributions are well-written and identify key information more often than not. Contributions occasionally go beyond assigned days. Contributions are often poorly-written or miss important information. Never contributes beyond assignment. Contributions are off topic or written so poorly as to impede understanding.
Substantial contributions Contributions are consistently 75 words or more of relevant, clear prose. Contributions are consistently 50 words or more of relevant, clear prose. Contributions may occasionally be shorter or occasionally lack relevance or clarity. Contributions are consistently shorter or consistently irrelevant or unclear. Contributions are consistently shorter and consistently irrelevant or unclear.
Editing Editing goes beyond spelling/grammar and always adds value or clarifies content. Consistently edits unassigned pages in addition to those assigned. Editing goes beyond spelling/grammar and consistently adds value or clarifies content. Frequent edits of unassigned content. Editing goes beyond spelling/grammar and more often than not, adds value or clarifies content. Occasional edits of unassigned content. Editing is often limited to spelling and grammar without attention to content. Never edits unassigned content. Editing does not improve content in any way.

*Note that this does not mean that you are expected to always fully grasp the material in advance of class meetings. You may ask questions or identify difficult material and be considered an excellent contributor.

Late Work:

The class is depending on you to help create the best set of study materials possible. No work for the knowledgebase assignment will be accepted late.

Teaching Presentation Assignment

 

EMAC 2322: Theories of Emerging Media and Communication
Fall 2012
Teaching Presentations

 Purpose:

  • To allow students to determine the final topics of the semester.
  • To give students practice in researching EMAC topics.
  • To give students practice in dynamic presentation formats.

Overview:

Is there something you wish we had spent more time on? Is there something you wish we had covered? Is there something about which you are passionate and would like to share that knowledge? Good news: It is your turn to determine the topics of our class meetings.

You will teach a five minute lesson on a topic of your choosing. Your lesson should be presented in the Ignite presentation format (more on this below).

The Requirements:

  • Choose a topic that will expand on existing course themes or add a new topic to EMAC 2322. Use this chance to show us something about which you are passionate!
  • Submit a topic proposal no later than November 5.
    • Add your proposal to your participant page on the course wiki.
    • In 100 – 200 words, describe your topic and why it is important to EMAC
    • List 3 scholarly readings that you will read in preparation for your presentation.
    • Refer to your notes from Matt Makowka’s library presentation to help find sources.
  • Submit an annotated bibliography no later than November 26.
    • Read the three readings from your topic proposal
    • For each reading, write an annotation of 75-100 words that summarizes and evaluates the reading.
  • Prepare your presentation in the Ignite format.
    • Approach the presentation in terms of teaching us about
      • the history of your topic and the potential applications for EMAC students
      • Most importantly, the wider implications. Answer the question, “So what?”
    • 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds, for a total of 5 minutes.
    • Slides should have no more than one line of text and ideally will focus on visual elements such as images, graphs, etc.
    • Practice, practice, practice. 5 minutes does not sound like much but the format requires precise timing and that you memorize your content. Ideally you should practice multiple times a day for at least a week in advance.

Technical Specifications

Grading

The Teaching Presentation is worth 15% of your final course grade.

The criteria for grading your work are:

Excellent Good Satisfactory Needs Improvement Failing
Quality of Proposal The topic adds new and thought-provoking perspectives to EMAC 2322. The proposal is well-written and includes all requirements. The topic adds new and interesting perspectives to EMAC 2322. The proposal is well-written and includes all requirements. The topic adds new or interesting perspectives to EMAC 2322. The proposal is clear and includes all requirements. The topic may be repetitive of earlier class topics or the proposal may be unclear or missing required components. The proposal is off-topic or so poorly written as to impede understanding.
Quality of Annotated Bibliography The annotations succinctly and clearly summarize the source and evaluate the larger implications of the source for EMAC. The annotations succinctly summarize the source and evaluate the larger implications of the source within the class. The annotations summarize the source and attempt to critically address the source The summary is unclear or the annotations lack any critical attempt. The annotations are missing summary or critique or may be off topic.
Presentation Content The presentation of information is carefully constructed with fluid transitions. The speaker builds an argument and demonstrates the importance of the topic for EMAC students. The presentation of information is carefully constructed. The speaker demonstrates the importance of the topic for EMAC students. The presentation of information is clearly organized. The speaker gestures toward the importance of the topic for EMAC students. The presentation may be disorganized or may lack the establishment of an EMAC context. The presentation may be off topic or so poorly organized as to impede understanding.
Presentation Delivery The presenter speaks clearly and loudly with an engaging tone and dynamic energy. The presenter has obviously mastered the content. The presenter speaks clearly and loudly with an engaging tone. The presenter has memorized the content. The presenter speaks clearly and loudly. The presenter has clearly practiced the presentation and is mostly familiar with the content. The presenter may be difficult to hear or speaks in a monotone. The presenter does not seem to have practiced. The presenter is incomprehensible and / or shows a clear lack of preparation.
Quality of slides Text is limited and images enhance the understanding of the speaker’s content. Text is limited and images support the speaker’s content. Text is limited and images are related to the speaker’s topic. Slides may contain too much text or images that are not clearly connected to the topic. Slides are off topic or distracting.

 

Your project grade will be determined based on the rubric above. Your grade will be negatively impacted if:

  • Any of the written components do not meet minimum length requirements.
  • You turn in the topic proposal or annotated bibliography late. Your grade will be lowered 1/3 of a grade for each day that one of these is late.
  • You go over or under your five minute time allotment. Your grade will be lowered 1/3 for each minute, or fraction thereof, that you are over or under.

Timeline and Due Dates:

  • November 5 – Topic proposal due in class wiki before class starts
  • November 26 – Annotated bibliography due in class wiki before class starts
  • December 5, 10, 12 – Presentations in class

Claim your topic

No more than two people per topic

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