PreparationStudents are responsible for reading and preparing all assigned class materials in accordance with the course calendar. Reading involves not only looking at the text but engaging the material in a thoughtful and organized fashion. Note taking, outlining, and other reading strategies are highly recommended.
Course StructureThis class is not a lecture-course. It is a seminar. Therefore, the responsibility for working through the material and structuring an effective learning environment falls to each member of the seminar.
AttendanceBecause the environment of the course is interactive and collaborative, it is necessary that you attend and participate in every class meeting. Attendance is, therefore, mandatory. Students are permitted two (2) unexcused absences over the course of the semester. After that, the final grade will be reduced by 20 points per additional absence. This guideline is not inflexible and is subject to change due to individual circumstances. This alteration, however, must be confirmed with the instructor. When possible, this should be accomplished before the additional absence(s). Missing the first class meeting does constitute an absence. In the case of any absence, it is the student's responsibility to make-up the missed work by obtaining notes from classmates or reading the assigned material. The instructor will not provide individual instruction or lecture notes for students who have missed a regularly scheduled class meeting.
ActivitiesStudent learning and achivement will be assessed by three activities: a formal presentation of course material, a mid-term examination, and a final examination.
Presentation - One of the skills necessary to live and work successfully in an age of information is the ability to process, organize, and present data. For this reason, the course offers you the opportunity to exercise, develop, and demonstrate this ability that has been and will continue to be an integral part of your educational experience. Each class meeting one or more seminar members will provide a formal presentation (approximately 15 minutes) of the texts/topics that are to be considered that class period. These presentations are not book reports. They must be thoughtful engagements with the material that are designed to initiate and to structure seminar discussion. For this reason, interesting questions and methods of inquiry are more valuable than hasty conclusions, superfluous summaries, and rigid assessments. The manner of presentation is wide open, and you are encouraged to be creative and innovative. In presenting the material, each presenter is required to incorporate some mode of presentation technology. This may include video, overheads, web materials, PowerPoint graphics, etc. The presentations will be evaluated using the following evaluation form:
A sign-up sheet will be circulated early in the semester. You are encouraged to browse the course calendar to decide on possible presentation topics and dates. It is your responsibility to remember your presentation date and plan accordingly. Missing your presentation will constitute failure of the assignment.
Mid-Term and Final Examinations - There will be two examinations, one at the mid-term and another at the conclusion of the course. The final examination will not be comprehensive. It will only concern course materials covered since the completion of the mid-term. Each examination will consist of four sections:Talk the Talk - Define technical terms and acronyms (i.e. URL, Hypertext, ARPANET).Questions in the first three parts will be based on course materials and our investigation of these materials in seminar discussions. They will examine your understanding of terminology, people, and basic concepts that are necessary for a working knowledge of advanced communication technologies and computer-based systems. The essay question will provoke critical reflection on or assessment of a particular issue previously discussed in seminar meetings. It will assess your ability to reflect critically on a contended issue and your skill in communicating this assessment in writing. Several days before the examination, an on-line study guide will be published. The study guide will list all elements that need to be reviewed prior to the exam. The best way to prepare for the examination is to complete the study guide. And the only way to complete the study guide is to read the course material, to attend class, and to take notes during discussion. If you read the material and participate in class discussions, you should have no problem with the examination. If you do not read the material and are consistently absent, you should expect to have significant trouble with the examinations.It's Who You Know - Identify major figures in the field of CMC (i.e. J. C. R. Licklider, Jaron Lanier, Donna Haraway).
Short Answers - Provide brief responses to short answer questions (i.e. The Internet has been described as a "decentralized web of heterogeneous processors." What does this phrase mean?).
Essay - Write an essay in response to a question. This part of the exam will be written on the computer and students may use both word processing tools (spell check) and Internet resources in constructing their responses.
Grading
- Evaluation Distribution
- Formal Presentation = 100 points
- Mid-Term Examination = 100 points
- Final Examination = 100 points
- Grade Scale
- A = 270-300
- B = 240-269
- C = 210-239
- D = 180-209
PoliciesAcademic Integrity - Seminar members are expected to emerge from all course preparations and research with ideas and ways of expressing them that are recognizably ones own. Plagiarism--the presentation of the ideas or work of another as one's own--is not only a serious breach of academic integrity but also counter productive to the educational experience. Seminar members are encouraged to refer to university policy concerning plagiarism and other academic infringements.
Classroom Conduct - This course encourages students to form, express, and defend their own ideas. In order to ensure a fair and equitable environment for the open discussion of these ideas, students agree to be respectful and civil in their interactions with each other and with the instructor. Debate and criticism will be directed to ideas and the mode of their expression and not to the individual person who articulates it.
Terms & Conditions - The policies, procedures, and responsibilities articulated on this website are considered binding and in full force and effect for the entire academic semester during which a student is enrolled in the course. By registering for the course, students consent to these stipulations and affirm that they have read, understood, and agree to abide by everything contained herein. Only students who officially drop the course or withdraw from the university will be considered to be released of these responsibilities prior to the recording of final grades. Additionally, exceptions to and/or alterations in the policies, procedures, and responsibilities listed on this website will only be considered in situations of extreme hardship, documented learning disability, or medical emergency. In all cases, the instructor will be considered to be the final arbiter of any request for exception.
© 2004 - David J. Gunkel
