Course Information:Title: Senior Seminar: Writing and Video Games Overview:Video gaming has assumed a significant position in contemporary culture, spreading into multiple demographic groups and generating sales revenues that rival those of the film industry. No longer the exclusive province of expert players, gaming has become a mainstream activity appearing in casual forms such as Wii Fit, iPhone apps, and Facebook’s FarmVille. This Senior Seminar explores professional and scholarly writing tasks invested in video gaming. It asks students to analyze and create works including journalistic reviews, technical instructions, promotional materials, and researched critical analyses in print and multimedia formats. Students will practice core rhetorical concepts including audience analysis, document design, and usability. Students need not be experienced gamers to participate in this course—only intellectually curious and willing to share their unique perspectives on this burgeoning cultural medium. All class members are expected to treat each other with appropriate courtesy and decorum, and all coursework is expected to be completed in a thorough, timely fashion. All students must read and understand the policies articulated in this syllabus and sign the course contract in order to remain in the class. Required Texts:
Course Policies:Technology Expectations:
Routine work with technology is a component of this class. Students need not be technological experts to succeed in this course, but digital technology interaction is integral, and computer problems are not valid excuses for incomplete work. Practice the core principle of digital data work: redundant backup. Digital technology will fail you; be prepared for that eventuality. Students also must be able to access particular video games to participate in this course. Students will be provided with multiple options to satisfy this requirement, including free and commercial games on personal computer, home console, handheld, and World Wide Web platforms. Personal Technology Devices in the Classroom:Students may use laptops, cell phones, and other digital devices during class, provided that they do not disrupt other students' learning. This is not a trick. This course is situated in an increasingly connected multimedia environment. Each student is responsible for his or her own engagement with class meetings, and thus his or her resultant success or failure. Availability of Online Material:Because of the nature of the course, some material posted to this website may be publicly accessible through the Web. (A student's grades and personal information will not be shared publicly, but students may opt to have their grades accessible privately online.) Additionally, any material posted to the course website may be used anonymously for teaching or published research purposes. For these reasons, students are encouraged to select usernames that are different from their real names. Collaborative Work:Because one of the most salient features of digital technology is its social aspect, teamwork and group projects are required elements of the course. Student teammates are responsible for updating each other and me about project development and progress. Additionally, student teams are responsible for negotiating all aspects of their work, including planning, drafting, revising, file managing, scheduling, and leading workshops and presentations. When a group project is assigned, students will complete activities that foster successful collaboration. After conclusion of group projects, individuals will complete forms to assess the contributions of group members and the global performance of the team. Attendance and Punctuality:Because this is a workshop and discussion-driven class, class attendance is crucial. Role is taken shortly after class begins. If a student is not present when role is taken, he or she will be counted absent. If there are extraordinary circumstances that will prevent a student from attending class, he or she must contact the instructor beforehand. There is no separate attendance component of the course grade, but any student that misses more than six class meetings will fail the course automatically. Additionally, any work missed because of an absence cannot be made up. This includes project assignments. The class abides by the maxim that all members of the class should show respect to one another by meeting at designated times and places prepared to work. Late Work:Late work is not accepted. Grading:This courses uses the plus/minus grading system. Pluses/minuses will appear on coursework feedback and final grade reports. The scoring breakdown is as follows:
Grade Components: Engagement assignments include all the work necessary for the progress of the course, such as in-class activities, out of class short assignments, reading responses, blog posts, comments, etc. Most of these assignments are worth two points each. Students must produce professional, thorough, insightful work to receive full credit on engagement assignments. The final engagement assignment grade is a cumulative score based upon how many points a student gained versus how many were possible for the semester. All projects will go through a drafting and revision process before they are turned in for a grade. I will provide extensive feedback on project drafts, but comparatively little feedback on final versions. This is because the primary purpose of feedback is to improve student work rather than to explain why it earned a particular grade. A student's project grades will be sent via UNCW email unless the student specifically requests otherwise. Students are always welcome to visit office hours to discuss work at any stage, including after it has been graded. Academic Honor Code:UNCW students and instructors are expected to adhere to the guidelines set forth in the University Academic Honor Code. Students are expected to produce original work in this course. Collaboration and incorporation of external material and ideas into original work is of course acceptable and necessary, but all writers are ethically obliged to document external sources through appropriate citation practices. If you are uncertain if some element of your work constitutes plagiarism or another honor code violation, please speak with me. The point of any class is to educate, not to punish. Nevertheless, the consequences of honor code violations are appropriately dire. Please consult the "Student Academic Honor Code" information in the UNCW website and the Undergraduate Catalogue for more details. Statement Regarding Violence and Harassment:UNCW practices a zero tolerance policy for any kind of violent or harassing behavior. If you are experiencing an emergency of this type contact the police at 911 or UNCW CARE at 962-2273. Resources for individuals concerned with a violent or harassing situation can be located at the UNCW Crisis Resources page. Accommodation for Students with Disabilities:I and the university will make every effort to accommodate students with disabilities. If you require special accommodations, please feel free to see me privately during office hours to make arrangements or contact Disability Services directly. According to university policy, students must consult with Disability Services before classroom accommodations can be provided. Please make contact as soon as possible, as accommodations cannot be made retroactively. |