Assignments

Course Concepts – 250 points

Activity Writeups (Group space): 7 assignments @ 10 points each – 70 points (best of 9)

You should summarize the in-class activity and reflect on what your group learned from it.
It is not required that all group members contribute to each writeup, although the work should be divided equally among all members for the semester as a whole.
All group members will receive the same grade for each writeup.
Writeups should be about 150-250 words.

Reading responses are composed as a group and are an in-depth response to a specific problem posed by your instructor. Your group should consider the readings offered for that topic and use them in your response. When appropriate, earlier readings may also be used to support your response.
Reading responses should be 350-500 words in length.
Your group may be called on to initiate class discussion using your reading response. Take time to read and reflect on the other groups’ reading responses before class.
All group members will receive the same grade for each reading response.

You will add your own (individual) thoughts to a continuing discussion of the relationship between People, Information and Technology and group communication. You are expected to contribute thoughtful commentary to each topic. Due dates are noted in the syllabus, although you may contribute to a topic at any time once you have begun that facet.

Your group will develop a proposal for the creation of a new media project. The proposal should identify a problem, explain it, and outline a solution to it. Your group will present the proposal in class.

Approximately six weeks into the project, your group will develop and present a report which outlines your progress toward your project goal. You should identify and explain the work completed and the work remaining on your project. You will prepare the progress report as a memorandum addressed to your course instructor and present it to the class.

At the end of the semester, your group will present the new media project you have developed as a solution to a specific problem (outlined at the beginning of the semester). You will also submit a document which reiterates the problem, describes your project as a solution, and discusses your group’s strategies and any problems you faced in implementing it.

In the first two weeks of class, your group will develop a contract to guide your interactions with each other and with your instructor. You will present these contracts in class and provide a copy to the instructor. The presentation and the document each make up 50% of the assignment grade.

You will be called upon to deliver an impromptu speech on a topic of the instructor’s choosing. No content preparation is required for this speech, although you may wish to practice your delivery beforehand.

You will be asked to collect all material your group produces, whether agendas, meeting notes, documents, etc. in electronic form on the course wiki. There will be periodic checks throughout the semester to ensure that your group is keeping up.

You are expected to contribute regularly and enthusiastically to the class learning environment through contributions to class discussions and participation in activities. Merely being present for class each day is not enough to earn you an “A” for participation, although regular class attendance is expected. Excessive absences will result in a significant lowering of your class participation grade, and will affect your ability to perform satisfactorily in the class. You are allowed two “free” absences; use them wisely.