Introduction
This Fall 2011 iteration of NCLC249 offers you a suite of assignments.  Everyone will complete the Teach Us Something Digital project, participate weekly in our reading and synthesis assignments, and in class, and undertake one credit's worth of service learning.  Beyond that, the choice is up to you. You can play to your strengths, choose to experiment with new ideas and new media, read additional books, analyze movies, and so on. Each person should complete, by 20th December, an individual contract which details his/her chosen assignments.

You should aim to complete 20% of your self-selected learning by week 7 (or week 8 if you opt for the mid-term exam.)
You should aim to complete 40% of your self-selected learning by week 12
You should aim to complete 60% of your self-selected learning by our exam. day (13th December)

Common Assignments

  • Teach Us Something Digital (20%)
    a 45-minute session during which a small group teaches the seminar "something digital" (your choice)
  • Reading and Synthesis (10%)
    Each week, members of the learning community will build a collaborative interpretation and analysis of the readings assigned for that week (more details in week 2)
  • In-Class Participation (10%)
    Be much more that a warm, breathing body in a seat

Other Assignments
You are responsible for assembling a selection of assignments which, together with the common assignments, will constitute 100% of your grade. If you really want to, you may choose to complete assignments that will add up to 105% of your grade or even 110%.  That will count as extra credit.  Each student will sign a contract detailing his/her choice of assignments by week 4.

  • Mid-Semester Take-Home Exam. (20%)
  • Final Take-Home Exam. (20%)
  • Final Portfolio (10%)
  • Short Analysis #1  (10%)
  • Short Analysis #2  (15%)
  • Short Analysis #3  (15%)

If you complete two short analyses, you may choose the focus of the third, in consultation with Prof. Smith.

  • Book Review Article (15%)
    A list of books will be provided
  • Film Review Article (10%)
    (2 maximum, one from provided list, one of your own choice, agreed in consultation with Prof. Smith)
  • Ten-Minute Tool/Platform Presentation (5%) (maximum 2)
  • Complete a STAR workshop on an information and communication technology of your choice (5%)
  • Complete a sequence of 3 workshops (15%)
  • Suggest your own assignment and agree on its outcomes with Prof. Smith (5% - 15%)