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Page history last edited by George H. Williams 14 years, 5 months ago

English 318: USC Upstate

Dr. Williams

320 MEDC

864-503-5285

Dr.G.H.Williams@gmail.com

Links

Course Description

Research, analysis, composition and publication with the assistance of computer applications.

Note: I strongly suggest that before you take English 318 you take one of these courses or their equivalent:

  • SCSC 138: "Introduction to Computer Technology: Introduction to graphical user interface, word processing, spreadsheet, database, Internet, cross-platform training, computer components and peripherals, input/output concepts, storage concepts, and computer buyer's guide considerations."
  • SEDC 300 is "Resources and Technology in Teaching: Proper and effective use of computer technology and audiovisual resources in education, including navigation of portfolio software, construction of materials, location of resources, and operation of equipment."

Overview of the Semester

  • In the first 5 weeks of the semester, students will learn the basics of a variety of digital tools for writing and reading.
  • I will provide the class with a list of broad project topics from which to choose.
  • Students will form groups of 4 or 5 members.
  • Each group will develop a digital project idea that makes use of the digital tools we've covered.
  • After roughly 5 weeks, each group will write a contract for their project (details below).
  • Each group will then work on that project for the remainder of the semester, meeting with me as necessary and presenting their work at various stages of the process.

Details

The 4 or 5 members of each group work on a particular project all semester. You will begin with a broad topical direction from me (e.g., "do something on the history of our Morgan Square"). You will being doing research for themselves, working with me and with various resources (including information sources and people) to come up with your own direction for the content of your project.

At the same time (in the first 5 weeks), you will be introduced to a variety of open-source/freely available tools for online discussion, content creation, and presentation, including Wikis (such as PBWorks and MediaWiki), Omeka, GoogleDocs, SIMILE/Timeline, WordPress, and WindowsMovieMaker/iMovie, and Zotero.

The goal of these early semester sessions is not mastery of all these tools, but rather a brief introduction to the capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses of each so that students can evaluate them for their own needs. If a tool looks like it might be useful, then you should play around with it more to see

  1. If it will meet your vision for your project, and
  2. If the learning curve is one that you can manage in the course of the semester.

After weeks of playing, researching, exploring, and talking about their projects, each group will use GoogleDocs to write your contract and submit it to me, including the following:

  • Mission statement, including a full description of the project, with its goals and audience(s);
  • List of tools/software, with an explanation of how they will be used; and
  • Schedule of milestones (when critical pieces are ready to present)

I will comment on the draft of your contract, addressing issues (most often with practicality of the time line, or clarity of the goals). The group will revise the contract as necessary. And finally, the contracts will be posted to the course website so that we may all understand what each group is working on.

At the end of the semester, each group is graded on how well they have met the contract that we agreed upon.

Three relevant points here:

  1. Each group can revise the contract as the semester goes on, though only with good reasons. For example, good reasons include serious technological problems or issues with access to sources. They do not include problems related to poor effort or planning.
  2. After roughly 10 weeks, each group will receive an interim evaluation to give them a sense of how well they're doing.
  3. At the end of the semester, each student writes a brief explanation of how their group met their contract.

Assignments and Grading

  • 20% Active participation and in-class activities (including such items as quizzes, discussions, workshops, feedback sessions)
  • 15% Group project contract
  • 15% Evaluation of group project progress at 10 weeks
  • 40% Final Project
  • 10% Essay analyzing your group's process and progress on the project

 

Overview

Students in my classes are responsible for reading and undertanding the following course policies.

Questions? Just ask: send me an email <Dr.G.H.Williams@gmail.com>, talk to me before or after class meets, or come by my office (HPAC 213).

Participation, also known as Class Contributions

The following criteria will be used in assessing contributions to class discussions.

Keep in mind that an excessive number of absences may lower your participation grade regardless of what your participation is like when you are present in class.

 

Excellent

Participants demonstrate consistent preparedness and willingness to participate in all classroom assignments and activities, read every assignment and demonstrate familiarity and engagement with the text in class, rarely, if ever, miss class, enthusiastically and insightfully contribute to all class discussions, engage actively in group activities, ask questions, and not only respond when called upon but volunteer answers and opinions almost daily.

Good

Participants demonstrate regular preparedness and willingness to participate in classroom assignments and activities, read every assignment and demonstrate familiarly with the text in class, rarely, if ever, miss class, ask frequent questions, enthusiastically contribute to class discussions and group activities, and not only respond when called upon but volunteer answers and opinions with frequency.

Fair

Participants demonstrate a superficial level of preparedness and willingness to participate in classroom assignments and activities, read assignments in a cursory or incomplete manner and cannot demonstrate familiarity with the text in class, use all three absences (or more if accompanied by enthusiasm and preparedness when in class), ask questions about course policies or procedures rather than course content, cannot always respond when called upon, and contribute minimally to class and group discussions and activities.

Unsatisfactory

Participants are unprepared and unable to respond to even the most basic questions about the material, rarely volunteer answers or opinions, ask few questions, attempt to lead discussions away from course content, and demonstrate a low level of contribution to and enthusiasm for group and class activities and discussions.

These criteria created by Dr. Celena Kusch and used with her permission.

Accommodations for special needs

In keeping with University policy, any student with a disability who requests academic accommodations should contact Disability Services at 503-5199 to arrange a confidential appointment with the Disability Services Coordinator.  Students are encouraged to seek an appointment as early in the semester as possible, as accommodations are not provided retroactively.  Letters of accommodation must be signed and printed on letterhead from the Disability Services office.  It is the student’s responsibility to provide these letters to professors in a timely manner so that accommodations may be put in place.

Also, I encourage you to meet with me early in the semester to help me determine how best to accomodate your needs during the semester. All conversations will be confidential.

Required Student Conduct for this Class

Read the following carefully:

Attendance & Punctuality

Due to the participatory nature of this class, students are expected to attend regularly, to be on time and to remain until the class is over. Circumstances may occasionally arise which might cause you to miss class, but excessive absences, tardiness, and/or occasions of leaving class early will have a negative impact on your final course grade. I do not distinguish between “excused” and “unexcused” absences. Please do not bring doctor’s notes or other evidence of crisis. If you miss class, email me within 24 hours, check with a classmate for notes on what you missed, and return to class fully prepared. Excessive absences may result in failure of the course.

MWF Sections: four absences allowed without penalty

TTh Sections: three absences allowed without penalty

Standard Campus Policy for Student Behavior

A Member of the USC Upstate Community of Scholars…

displays personal and academic integrity.

  • You are honest, truthful, and trustworthy. You do not lie, cheat or steal. You do not present others’ work as your own or collaborate with others without acknowledgement or permission from the faculty member.

accepts responsibility for actions.

  • You do not blame others for academic consequences resulting from your own decisions and behavior. You follow established policies and procedures in the USC Upstate Catalog, the USC Upstate Student Handbook, and course syllabi.

respects the rights and dignity of all persons.

  • You are courteous and respect the rights and property of others. You do not harass, demean, ridicule, abuse, threaten, or discriminate against others.

maintains a learning-focused attitude.

  • You are engaged in the classroom and other learning environments, both on and off campus. You are on time, prepared and alert. You participate until the faculty member in charge dismisses the class.

refrains from conduct that adversely affects others.

  • Your conduct is appropriate for learning. You do not enter the class late or leave early without permission of the faculty member. You follow the instructions of the faculty member regarding talking or using cell phones, pagers, or other electronic devices in class. You do not use threatening, demeaning, or inflammatory language.

follows the specific requirements of faculty members.

  • You meet the behavioral and academic expectations of your instructors recognizing that these standards will often vary.

Basic academic etiquette is expected: attend class, arrive on time, come prepared, stay until the end of class, turn cell phones off during class, listen to classmates and respond with civility to others’ opinions

Plagiarism

Students who are found guilty of plagiarism will receive the appropriate grade determined by the professor, which may include an X for the course to signify academic dishonesty. Grades with an X are not subject to grade forgiveness.

From USC Upstate Student Handbook, The Academic Honor Code:

“Students are required to properly acknowledge sources as follows: students may not present as their own ideas, opinion, images, figures, languages or concepts of another, including those of other students. Students must acknowledge all sources such as magazines, journals, internet sites, records, tapes, films and interviews. The common specific uses of source material are:

Direct Quotation: Word-for-word copying of a source. A direct quotation must be accurate, must not misrepresent the source in any way and must be properly acknowledged.

Paraphrase: A recasting into one’s own words material from a source, generally condensing the source. A direct quotation with only a word or two changed, added or omitted should not be passed off as a paraphrase. A paraphrase restates the source but does not misrepresent it and must be properly acknowledged.

Use of ideas: The use of an idea from a source must be properly acknowledged, even when one’s application of that idea varies from the source.

Use of figures, tables, charts, statistics, images, photographs and other similar sources: These items must be fully acknowledged, and any changes must be clearly indicated. . .

. . .[A]ny kind of help (except that permitted by an instructor) in the preparation of a project . . . must be fully acknowledged. Papers and other materials [copied or] bought from ‘term paper writing services,’ if submitted as the work of anyone except the writing service, constitute a violation of the principles of this document.” (94)

Warning 

The consequences of plagiarism range from a grade change to expulsion.

Approved Writing Assistance 

You should consider visiting the University Writing Center (HPAC 136) for free, one-on-one assistance with your writing. Consulting a UWC tutor does not constitute plagiarism.

How others will use your writing

To improve our teaching, the English faculty sometimes read anonymous samples of studessays written in English 101. All names are removed before the essays are read. If you do not want your essay used in this assessment, see the LLC administrative assistant in HPAC 222 for a nonparticipation form. Filling out this form has no effect whatsoever on your grade for the course.

Guidelines for communicating… 

with me:

My office is room 213 of the Humanities and Performing Arts Center (HPAC), and my office phone number is 864-503-5285. You can come knock on my office door at any time, and if I’m there and not busy, I’ll be happy to talk with you. You can call my office phone any time, and if I’m there, I will answer.

You can email me at Dr.G.H.Williams@gmail.com. I do my best to answer email within twenty-four hours. When emailing me, you should use your USC Upstate email address, write a subject line that includes the course number and section, and include your full name at the end of your message.

with each other:

In order to make it easier to catch up on any missed work or to form study groups, you should exchange your USC Upstate email address with as many classmates as you feel is appropriate. You do not, of course, need to be overly stiff or formal, but you should be courteous and respectful in your correspondence with others, and you should expect the same from them. Report any abusive or harassing emails to the USC Upstate Information Technology office.

I encourage you to develop a professional demeanor for electronic communication because in addition to all the social benefits the Internet provides, it is increasingly the venue by which you will make your first impressions on many potential employers and professional contacts. 

Standard disclaimer

The syllabus and the course calendar are tentative. I reserve the right to make adjustments as necessary. Students will be notified of changes.

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