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Welcome to DTC 476 ⑇
Fall 2020, WSU Pullman, Online
Class Time: T/TH – 9:10 to 10:25 AM
Instructor: June T Sanders
E-mail: june.t.sanders@wsu.edu
Office Hours: Mondays 9AM - Noon
Office Hours Zoom Link: : https://wsu.zoom.us/j/5012830832
Class website: junetsanders.com/DTC476
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will examine & unpack the term ‘digital literacy’. We will examine digital media history, research and critical engagement methods and standards, and contemporary media issues. We will look at issues of identity, ownership, power, surveillance, user experience & interaction, political & social discourse and the broader social and cognitive effects of digital media — within the realms of new media, social media, AI, gaming culture, UX & UI design, and other technological advances. We will also use this knowledge to theorize digital strategies and solutions to social issues via considerations of ethics, diversity, audience, and design.
ONLINE CLASS LOGISTICS
This class will take place entirely online, with formal class time being held on zoom. You will need to access the scheduled zoom classes via blackboard. If you are unable to make it to class time, the zoom lectures will be recorded and also posted to blackboard. If you miss class time it is your responsibility to inform yourself by watching the recorded videos. Tuesdays will be lectures, discussions, and presentations. Thursdays will be asynchronous and you are expected to do the weekly discussion board during class time. Zoom class meetings and videos can be accessed through the zoom module on the class blackboard page.
CLASS SCHEDULE
Please refer to the class schedule for an updated class schedule. This schedule is subject to change and it is your responsibility to check it often so that you know when readings, discussions, and projects are due.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Course-specific goals include:
~ demonstrate an understanding of functional, critical, and rhetorical digital literacy;
~ demonstrate an awareness of how technological, social, and political evolutions shape users’ engagements with digital technologies;
~ use an interdisciplinary perspective to understand the global changes brought about by digital media
~ effectively communicate through writing and speech an understanding of how digital media shapes and effects our broader society.
DTC-specific learning outcomes include:
Demonstrate competency with technology for designing and distributing digital works in various mediums.
Demonstrate competency with design principles through both the production and analysis of media objects.
Utilize an interdisciplinary perspective in order to understand the global changes brought about by digital media.
Effectively communicate through writing and speech why and how digital media texts make meaning.
EXPECTATIONS // REQUIREMENTS
Actively engaged participation with the readings, projects, and reflections are required. You are expected to actively participate in course material. Active participation facilitates learning and creative thinking that will enhance course objectives and foster a positive and interesting course dialogue.
Reflections: You will be required to write and turn in a total of 10 reflections on the weeks readings. Please check the class website for each weeks requirements. Each reflection must be one to two pages, 12pt, double spaced and include: a short summary of the readings, a reflection of your thoughts and/or how you agree or disagree, how it relates to the class as a whole or our major themes, and 2 open ended questions you have. This is a 400 level seminar class, so it is expected that your reflections engage with the thesis and major points of each reading and provide evidence of your grasp on the material.
Discussions: you will also be required to do 10 discussions on the weeks readings. These will happen on blackboard and will ask you to answer a prompt about a major theme or topic of this class. These prompts will not ask you to reference the readings directly as the reflections do, but will ask you to use your knowledge from the readings to submit an informed, critical, and inquisitive answer. You will also need to respond to one of your classmates answers as well to promote dialog. Each response will need to be a paragraph long (2 paragraphs total per week - one of you answering the prompt and one of you responding to a classmate). Because this class will be entirely online and we wont have the ability to discuss the readings/topics together as a class, these discussions will act as a substitute for that.
Class Website:
All content for this class is provided on this class website: junetsanders.com/DTC476
Reading // Research: There will be a hearty amount of reading for this class. Be prepared to set time aside each week to complete the readings. Some weeks will be broken up with videos or documentaries, but the majority of the required readings will be academic and scholarly articles.
Assignment Submissions: All reflections, discussions, and projects for this class will be turned in via blackboard // Assignments are due by midnight on the day they are listed on the Schedule. Assignment grade will be reduced by 5% of total possible points if assignment is submitted up to 24 hours late. A 10% reduction in total possible points will take place for assignments up to 48 hours late. Assignments will not be accepted later than 48 hours after the due date and time, and the assignment will receive an F.
Projects: You will do 2 major projects for this class. One as your midterm and one as your final. Details can be found on the project sheets on blackboard or the class website.
Required Textbooks: All required readings and videos are available as links or PDF files via the Course Schedule.
Journal: I recommend to keep a journal for course notes, lecture notes, project planning, and sketches.
Help: Please come see me anytime you need help or advice. I want you to benefit from the course, and I’m here to assist in your learning.
Respect: It is important to provide a positive learning atmosphere for everyone involved. You are expected to respect your classmates, your instructor, and yourself by keeping an open mind and positive attitude. We are a team for the semester, and having positive, open dialogues makes for a fun, engaging learning environment. Racist, Sexist, Homophobic, or Transphobic attitudes, violent/hurtful/inappropriate behavior, and otherwise disrespectful actions will not be tolerated.
Diversity: My intent is that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives will be well-served by this course, that students' learning will needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength and benefit. My intent is to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, culture, perspective, and other background characteristics. Your suggestions about how to improve the value of diversity in this course are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally or for other students or student groups. You can also visit the resource page on my teaching website: https://junetsanders.com/resources. And the WSU Anti-Racist Resource Page via the library here: https://libguides.libraries.wsu.edu/antiracist
E-mail: Primary mode of communication outside of class. You can contact me with any questions and concerns via e-mail. I check my e-mail regularly, and expect that you will check yours regularly for course announcements. Failure to check your e-mail for course announcements is not a valid excuse for missing a class period, assignment deadline, etc. Please make sure to use your WSU e-mail account to ensure student privacy is not compromised. I will not always respond to e-mails indicating that you will miss a class period. You can expect a response within 24 hours during the week. Emails during the weekend will be answered Monday morning.
ATTENDANCE
Due to the online nature of this class and the circumstances of Covid 19, attendance will be flexible for those in other areas/time zones. If you are outside of the pullman area you will need to communicate with me if formal class time will not work for you. If you are in the area you will be expected to attend class time via zoom.
GRADING
Grades will be based on quality of your work and engagement with the readings and concepts of the class. Participation in reflections, discussions, and projects will all be factors in determining your grade. Grading breakdown is as follows:
30%: Weekly Reflections (10 reflections @ 3% each)
30%: Weekly Discussions (10 discussions @ 3% each)
30%: Projects ( 2 Projects @ 15% each)
10%: Attendance & participation
30%: Weekly Discussions (10 discussions @ 3% each)
30%: Projects ( 2 Projects @ 15% each)
10%: Attendance & participation
*Note: Project/Assignment grades dropped 1 letter grade each day they are late.
GRADING STANDARDS
A • Exceptional (A 93-100, A- 90-92) The writing is focused and coherently integrates examples with explanations or analysis. The post demonstrates awareness of its own limitations or implications, and considers multiple perspectives when appropriate. The entry reflects in-depth engagement with the topic.
B • Good (B+ 87-89, B 83-86, B- 80-82) The writing is reasonably focused, and explanations or analysis are mostly based on examples or other evidence. Fewer connections are made between ideas, and though new insights are offered, they are not fully developed. The post reflects moderate engagement with the topic.
C • Acceptable (C+ 77-79, C 73-76, C 70-72) The writing is mostly description or summary, without consideration of alternative perspectives, and few connections are made between ideas. The post reflects passing engagement with the topic.
D • Unsatisfactory (D+ 67-69, D 63-66, D- 60-62) The writing is unfocused, or simply rehashes previous comments, and displays no evidence of engagement with the topic.
F • Unacceptable (F 59 and below) The writing consists of a few disconnected sentences.
(Quoted and slighly modified from Dr. Mark Sample's September 10, 2010 weblog post at ProfHacker, "A Rubric for Evaluating Student Weblogs.")
WORKLOAD
Class hours alone are inadequate to provide the degree of involvement expected. Plan on spending a minimum of three hours a week beyond class hours to work on your projects and readings.
UNIVERSITY POLICIES
COVID-19 Policy
Students are expected to abide by all current COVID-19 related university policies and public health directives, which could include wearing a cloth face covering, physically distancing, self-attestations, and sanitizing common use spaces. All current COVID-19 related university policies and public health directives are located at https://wsu.edu/covid-19/. Students who do not comply with these directives may be required to leave the classroom; in egregious or repetitive cases, students may be referred to the Center for Community Standards for university disciplinary action.
Academic Honesty: Academic integrity is the cornerstone of higher education. As such, all members of the university community share responsibility for maintaining and promoting the principles of integrity in all activities, including academic integrity and honest scholarship. Academic integrity will be strongly enforced in this course. Students who violate WSU’s Academic Integrity Policy (identified in Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 504-26-010(4) will receive [insert academic sanction (e.g., fail the course, fail the assignment, etc.)], will not have the option to withdraw from the course pending an appeal, and will be reported to the Center for Community Standards.
Cheating includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism and unauthorized collaboration as defined in the Standards of Conduct for Students, WAC 504-26-010(3). You need to read and understand all of the definitions of cheating. If you have any questions about what is and is not allowed in this course, you should ask course instructors before proceeding.
If you wish to appeal a faculty member’s decision relating to academic integrity, please use the form available at communitystandards.wsu.edu. Make sure you submit your appeal within 21 calendar days of the faculty member’s decision.
Students with Disabilities: Reasonable accommodations are available for students with documented disabilities or chronic medical or psychological conditions. If you have a disability and need accommodations to fully participate in this class, please visit your campus’ Access Center/Services website to follow published procedures to request accommodations. Students may also contact their campus offices to schedule an appointment with a Disability Specialist. All disability related accommodations are to be approved through the Access Center/Services on your campus. It is a university expectation that students visit with instructors (via email, Zoom, or in person) to discuss logistics within two weeks after they have officially requested their accommodations.For more information contact a Disability Specialist on your home campus:
Pullman, WSU Global Campus, Everett, Bremerton, and Puyallup: 509-335-3417 Access Center (https://www.accesscenter.wsu.edu) or email at access.center@wsu.edu
Additionally, if you have a physical, psychiatric, emotional, or learning disability that goes beyond the scope of the Access Center, you are welcome to speak to me directly at any point about any needs you may have. All information and documentation regarding disability is confidential. If anything comes up at any point in the semester that might impact your ability to succeed in the class—ie; food or housing security struggles, family obligations, illness, injury, transportation issues—I encourage you to let me know right away so that we can all work together to come up with a plan.
Accommodation for Religious Observances or Activities:
Washington State University reasonably accommodates absences allowing for students to take holidays for reasons of faith or conscience or organized activities conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization. Reasonable accommodation requires the student to coordinate with the instructor on scheduling examinations or other activities necessary for course completion. Students requesting accommodation must provide written notification within the first two weeks of the beginning of the course and include specific dates for absences. Approved accommodations for absences will not adversely impact student grades. Absence from classes or examinations for religious reasons does not relieve students from responsibility for any part of the course work required during the period of absence. Students who feel they have been treated unfairly in terms of this accommodation may refer to Academic Regulation 104 – Academic Complaint Procedures.
Emergency and Safety: Washington State University is committed to maintaining a safe environment of its faculty, staff and students. The university has developed a resource to ensure this safety, the Campus Safety Plan, which can be found at http://safetyplan.wsu.edu. It contains a comprehensive listing of university policies, procedures, statistics, and information relating to campus safety, emergency management, and the health and welfare of the campus community. In addition, the University emergency management web site at http://oem.wsu.edu/emergencies provides additional campus safety and emergency information. All students are requested to bookmark in their computers and become familiar with the WSU ALERT site (http://alert.wsu.edu to read about warning and emergency notification procedures.
Classroom and campus safety are of paramount importance at Washington State University, and are the shared responsibility of the entire campus population. WSU urges students to follow the “Alert, Assess, Act,” protocol for all types of emergencies and the “Run, Hide, Fight” response for an active shooter incident. Remain ALERT (through direct observation or emergency notification), ASSESS your specific situation, and ACT in the most appropriate way to assure your own safety (and the safety of others if you are able). Please sign up for emergency alerts on your account at MyWSU. For more information on this subject, campus safety, and related topics, please view the FBI’s Run, Hide, Fight video and visit the WSU safety portal.
All students are requested to register their emergency contact information for the Crisis Communication System (CCS). To do so, go to the myWSU portal at http://my.wsu.edu, enter your network ID and password and, once you are on your myWSU main webpage, look for the Emergency Notification box on the right side of the page and click on Register. You will be asked to enter you cell, landline, and email contact information to ensure you receive any notification as soon as possible. Finally, if you need help evaluating your area in terms of safety and emergency management or have any recommendations, contact Elizabeth King, University Emergency Management Coordinator, at e.king@wsu.edu or 509-335-7471 or visit the Office of Emergency Management site at http://oem.wsu.edu
Links to Selected Academic Policies related to Courses and Syllabi
1. WSU syllabus recommendations and related policies: http://vpue.wsu.edu/policies/
2. Academic Calendar: http://registrar.wsu.edu/academic-calendar/
3. Grades: http://registrar.wsu.edu/grades-and-gpa/
4. Faculty Senate: Educational Policies and Procedures Manual (EPPM) regarding Course Syllabus:
The instructor(s) of each course shall make available to enrolled students a course syllabus which should (a) be presented during the first week of class, (b) contain expected student learning outcomes and (c) include information about the method(s) to be used for evaluation of student progress and determination of grades. The University, College or Academic Unit may, in published policies, specify additional information to be included in course syllabi.
5. Academic Regulations: You may want to refer to the following University Academic Regulations when designing your syllabus (http://registrar.wsu.edu/academic-regulations/.
• Academic Regulation #50: Pass, Fail Grading Options http://www.catalog.wsu.edu/General/AcademicRegulations/Search/both/pass%2c_fail_grading_options
• Academic Regulation #73: Excused absences: policies and procedures should be spelled out in the syllabus and adhered to. http://www.catalog.wsu.edu/General/AcademicRegulations/ListBy/73
• Academic Regulation #78: Three or more Exams in One Day: If a student has three or more final exams scheduled in one day, any one of the instructors may make alternate arrangements as specified in the regulation. http://www.catalog.wsu.edu/General/AcademicRegulations/ListBy/78
• Academic Regulation #79: Closed week: No examinations or quizzes (other than laboratory examinations, make-up examinations, and make-up quizzes) may be given during the last week of instruction. Note that special arrangements may be necessary for paper-proctored exams at a distance.
• Academic Regulation #80: No early examinations: A student will not be granted special examinations for the purpose of leaving the institution before the close of the semester.
• Academic Regulation # 90: Grades and Grade Points http://www.catalog.wsu.edu/General/AcademicRegulations/ListBy/90
• Academic Regulation #98: Correction of Grade Errors http://www.catalog.wsu.edu/General/AcademicRegulations/ListBy/98
• Academic Regulation #104: Academic Complaint Procedures http://www.catalog.wsu.edu/General/AcademicRegulations/ListBy/104
SYLLABUS ✧ SCHEDULE ✧ READINGS ✧ PROJECT 1 ✧ PROJECT 2 ✧ DISCUSSIONS & REFLECTIONS