FSEM100B6 Fall 2009

 

Meeting times

Section 1: TTh 9:30 - 10:45 Trinkle B6
Section 2: TTh 212:30-1:45 Trinkle B7

Instructor

Ron Zacharski

googletalk: ron.zacharski
AIM: zacharsky
email: raz_AT_umw.edu (try ron_DOT_zacharski_AT_gmail_DOT_com for a faster response)

Office Hours

in Trinkle B20
Tuesday: 11-12:15
Wednesday 10-12; 1-3
Thursday 7:15-8pm
and by appointment

Course description

More and more people people are involved in creating artistic works especially by creating derivative works (remixes and mash-ups). Of course this creativity is not new. What is new is that current technologies have produced powerful and ubiquitous tools for creating and remixing culture. For example, until recently, creating an album or a movie required access to expensive studios, but now it can be done using software on a Mac. For example, Tarnation, a film that has won numerous awards and garnered critical acclaim at Cannes, was made for $218 using the free iMovie application on a borrowed Mac and the band Fall Out Boy composes their tunes using software that comes free with a Mac. Moreover, the Web has revolutionized how creative works are distributed. Now anyone can make their work available through YouTube, MySpace, and other venues. At this very moment a war is being waged between those involved in this read-write culture where everyone can participate in the creative process and corporations who view the web as read-only, meaning that they create and control culture and we are mere consumers of it. Current copyright law favors read-only culture by greatly restricting people's ability to create derivative works. This class will both examine the technologies that enable people to create and remix culture and discuss the conflict between read-only and read-write cultures.

Objectives

• to explore the genres of the current read-write culture.
• to explore the technologies that enable people to create and remix culture.
• to develop a basic understanding of the social, legal, and ethical issues surrounding the read/write culture
• to gain experience working in teams.
• to gain experience in participating in intellectual discussions

Course Design

Class material will be presented through readings and watching video lectures of the key players in this area. The majority of classroom time will be centered on student participation including general discussion and team-based learning, which includes in-class verbal presentations and the creation of web-content The instructor will provide guidance on how to effectively summarize and critique intellectual work.

Blogging

This course has a substantial blogging component. This written material is expected to be of high quality. Please structure and edit your work carefully. More information about the blogging requirements will be given during the first weeks of class.

Creative Project

You will be expected to complete one creative mashup/remix project. For example, this might be a video combining images with one of your favorite tunes, or mashing a recorded speech with some beats. These will be demo'd in class. This project can be done individually or in a group. For example, a group of people might get together to construct a multi-laptop remix orchestra performance piece.

Your first attempt may suck. Give yourself time to iterate through the process.

Research Project

Students will select an area of the seminar to explore in more depth. I am looking for more than a summary of the area. I would like you to stack a position and support your position with a logical argument. The deliverables are a 150-250 word abstract and around a 10 minute podcast.

Pre-reading Assignments

Students are expected to complete the readings before the assigned date so they can fully participate in classroom discussions.

Teams

During the first day of class, all students will be assigned to permanent teams. Team performance will be one component of your final grade.

Team Participation

Each student will rate the helpfulness of all members of their group. Individual group participation scores will be the sum of the points they receive from other members of their team. Each team member distributes 100 points to other members of the team. The rater must differentiate some of their ratings (they cannot assign the same rating to all members).

Grading

Grading is on a straight scale. The grade reflects your achievement regardless of the performance of other students in the class. There is no curve. 93 and above is an A; 90-92.9 an A-; 80-89.9 a B; 70-79.9 a C; 65-69.9 a D; and 64 and below an F. The grades will be determined by scores in three areas: individual performance (70%), team performance (25%), and team participation (5%).

Individual Performance (70% of final grade)

• in-class participation - 20%
• blog contributions - 30%
• quizzes - 5%
• Creative Activities - 35%
  • Creative labs 23%
  • Creative Project 12%

Team activities (25% of final grade)

• quizzes - 30%
• other team work - 70%

Team Participation (5% of final grade)

 

Academic Integrity

I assume you are an ethical student and a person with integrity. I expect that you will follow the university honor code (see http://rosemary.umw.edu/CSHonorCode.html). Please use common sense and ask yourself what would a person with integrity do? To help you, I would like to make three comments related to this:

Plagiarism

Plagiarism means presenting some other person's work as your own. This can mean using some other person's words without acknowledging their source, or using some other person's ideas. Copying another student's work (homework or exam) is also plagiarism. Plagiarism will minimally result in an automatic zero for that submission.

Collusion

Collusion is unauthorized collaboration that produces work which is then presented as work completed independently by the student. Collusion includes participating in group discussions that develop solutions which everyone copies. Penalties for plagiarism and collusion include receiving a failing grade for the course.

Classroom behavior

I ask that you respect the other people in the class. I recognize that your life circumstances may require you to receive cell phone calls during class. If this is the case please set your cell phone on vibrate and discretely leave the class to accept calls. During tests, if you walk out of the classroom, or consult/display your cell phone, I will assume you are done with the test and collect your grading sheet

Privacy and Confidentiality

I recognize that students deserve as much privacy as possible. I will not share your work (tests or assignments) with others without your permission. Part of the requirements for this class is to create content for the web and this content will be publicly accessible.

Accommodations for students with special needs

Any student with a documented disability may receive a special accommodation to complete any requirements of this course. If you are have a disability or believe you have one you may wish to self-identify. You may do so by providing documentation to the Office of Disability Services located in Room 203 of George Washington Hall (Phone: Voice 540-654-1266, Fax: 540-654-1163). Appropriate accommodations may then be provided for you. If you have a condition that may affect your ability to exit the premises in an emergency or that may cause an emergency during class, you are encouraged to discuss this in confidence with me and/or anyone at the Office of Disability Services. This office can also answer any questions you have about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).