Department of Communication Studies
College of Arts, Media, and Communication
California State University, Northridge

Christie Logan, Ph.D.

Communication Studies 454
Communication and Technology

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Assignments - Spring 2006

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Contribution to Class:

This is an interactive, collaborative classroom. You are graded on the extent and quality of your contribution to class discussions, workshops, etc. You are expected to come on time, prepared to speak up - on topic, to listen attentively to your colleagues, to respect others’ POV -- in short, to contribute in a productive way to the ongoing work of the class. Preparation and citizenship, put simply. Excessive (2 or more) absences or consistent tardiness or leaving class early will negatively affect your final grade, even beyond this 15%.

Readings are Due on the Days Listed: I expect you to have completed and understood the reading, and to come prepared for discussion. Students who try to participate in discussion without having completed the readings tend to degrade the intellectual experience for others in the class. In-class Free writes will be based on the reading as well.

In-class Free Writes: Periodic C/NC in-class writing assignments may be given, usually at the beginning of class. You must be in class to complete these assignments; you must demonstrate that you’ve done the reading to get credit. There are no makeups for in-class writing for any reason. Your percentage of credited free writes figures in to your Contribution grade.

Newsgroup Postings:

At least ten (10) substantive newsgroup postings - spread out across the semester, not in the last few weeks - will meet the minimum requirement. This 20% will be graded on the basis of your level of engagement with the course content, and the depth, clarity and specificity of your post. Although quality is more important than quantity, each post should be at least 500 words.

I will post discussion questions [DQs] periodically, or give them to you in class. DQs are due as assigned and late posts will be docked. You may also initiate your own threads as you respond to class readings and discussions by posting your own DQs. I encourage you to use the newsgroup to extend discussions begun in class, to bring in outside material relevant to the class - e.g., examples that demonstrate principles or theories we discuss, and to share research resources you've found. I will evaluate the substance and completeness of your posting to assign credit. Extra newsgroup postings throughout the semester (not just at the end) may help you if your course total is within one point of the next higher grade - assuming you've made the minimum of 10 DQs.

It is strongly recommended that students read and utilize Ben Attias's style guide for online ASCII documents before writing this presentation (unless you are posting in HTML). Also, it is essential that students compose these reports offline - and save it to a file - before attempting to post the assignment to the newsgroup. This requirement is for your own good - there is nothing worse than losing hours of work to a flaky server. Feel free to build a web page rather than posting the text to the newsgroup. But please remember to post the URL so the professor can find your assignment!

We will use WebCT for our course newsgroup and chat rooms. You are automatically registered on WebCT when you register for this course. To log in to WebCT, use your campus user ID and password (the one you use for SOLAR). We may also use Chat rooms on our WebCT site. I encourage you to use these on your own as well - for online study groups and group meetings.

The Office of Online Instruction offers training for student computing. Check the Student Workshops Schedule - there are numerous one-hour workshops during the semester. Additionally, campus Technology Training guides available online cover a range of topics, from basic campus account creation to file transfer protocols to web page design and publishing.

Web Page Critique:

This assignment is meant to be both simple and fun. Your job is to scour the WWW for some particularly well-designed web pages and to briefly introduce them to your colleagues via a post to the relevant section of the newsgroup. Each student is required to identify three (3) web pages of different kinds [ .com, .edu, .org, .gov, .net] that illustrate sound design and content features (or the lack thereof). Pay attention to each page's usability, style, content delivery, organization, and its impact on its community. Use the criteria in the course readings to justify why you find each particular site a compelling exemplar of quality web design (or of poor web design). Include the exact URL of each page in your post, and organize your post clearly. It is probably best to compose your post offline in case you have trouble posting it. You may use HTML codes to create links to your sample web pages, or you can simply cite the entire URL in the text of your posting.

Exams:

There will be one exam that will cover all material prior to the exam date. Exam format may range from multiple-choice to true/false, definitions, short answer and longer essay. Emphasis will be placed on the ability to apply theory and concepts and to use methods of analysis/interpretation learned during the semester. I recommend you start a study group on email - or use the 454 chat rooms - as early as possible in the semester.

Personal Web Page:

Your job is to create a simple web page about yourself or about something you are personally interested in. It doesn't need to be overly complex or entertaining, but the content and design must be created by you - not lifted from an existing website or other template. You will be evaluated on the criteria used for the Web Page Critique - your mastery of design principles and content clarity and organization, given the interactivity of HTML.

If you're new to HyperText Markup Language, you're in luck: go to HTML Fun - a course resource page with links to all you need to know for this assignment. We'll work with this in class to some extent, but if this is your first web page start now to work with these resources. You may create your web page using an HTML program [click here for a list of free downloads] but you may not use a template that carries ads or banners - e.g. from angelfire, yahoo etc. You are expected to use HTML to make your own modifications relevant to your content and purpose. Shoot for simplicity in coding and don't use any codes you don't understand -- you will be held responsible for coding errors, even if they were generated by an HTML processor. (Please be aware that programs such as Microsoft Word and even Frontpage generate highly inconsistent HTML, often generating hundreds of coding errors in simple documents. If you want to check your HTML for validity, use a validator.)

Research Report:

This semester the class research assignment will focus on issues of privacy and surveillance, specifically the history, features and implications of the recently renewed USA Patriot Act. We will develop the specific details of the assignment in class.

Each student will submit a research journal documenting your process throughout the project, in addition to an essay describing and evaluating what you found. In the bibliography, you should provide print sources as well as links to electronic resources available on the Internet.  In addition, you should have scholarly, academic resources in addition to newspapers and periodicals. Use the course Research Resources page for a range of appropriate resources.

Your presentation will be evaluated for the rigor and depth of your examination of the topic, the substance of your scholarly contribution to the topic, and for the creativity you incorporate into your mode of presentation.  Research reports should be posted to the appropriate section of the newsgroup.   Hand in a hard copy to me as well

Academic Honesty:

Academic honesty is expected and required. Academic dishonesty defrauds all those who depend on the integrity of University courses and is a serious offense covered by Section 41301, Title 5 of the California Administrative Code. This section of the Code is published in the University Catalog, Schedule of Classes, and the Student Handbook.

Any form of cheating or plagiarism will not be tolerated. Click here for definitions & examples of what your responsibilities are. If you are caught cheating or plagiarizing in any form, I will assign you a grade of "F" for the course and will pursue university disciplinary action to the fullest extent. If you are uncertain about the ethical responsibilities of particular assignments, citations, research processes, etc., consult the professor before submitting the assignment.

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Last update: January 29, 2006