Engagement: 10pts
Participation begins with attendance. Both absence and tardiness will affect this portion of your grade. I encourage open communication whenever you miss class. After two absences, you must speak with me to avoid penalty. Otherwise, a third absence will result in the reduction of your participation grade by a full letter grade. A fourth absence will result in the reduction of your final grade by a full letter grade. A fifth absence will result in a failing grade for the course. Arrival in class more than 10 minutes after it begins will count as an absence. Absence does not justify turning in assignments late. Save absences for emergencies. Above all, stay in touch. Communication is central to this course.
Your engagement grade will also reflect the quality and thoughtfulness of your contributions in class, respect shown to class members, as well as your attitude and role in small group exercises. This course cannot work unless everyone comes prepared. Review your syllabus frequently and plan your workload accordingly.
Reading Journal: 10pts
You will keep a journal throughout the semester to help you better reflect on what you read. You should create an entry for every reading assignment this semester. In a few cases, I’ve included specific instructions for completing the journal entry. For the most part, however, I want you to indicate a passage that you’d like to talk about in class, then write a discussion question that will help start that discussion. I will collect the journals periodically. Be sure to identify each entry by reading and a date.
Blogposts: 60pts
You will write six blogposts over the course of the semester. To do this, you will need a WordPress account so you can accept my invitation to become an author on our class blog. Each post will be worth 10% of your final grade, and each should be 200 to 300 words. Your grade will depend on three significant criteria. First, you need to respond to the prompt and discuss the relevant reading materials. Second, you should reflect on the materials and offer some unique insight into the topics under discussion. That means you need to do more than summarize course materials—you need to engage them. And third, you should pay attention to mechanics. That means you should proof read your post before making it public, of course, but it also means that you should take advantage of the online platform. Include hyperlinks, images, or video where appropriate.
Projects: 20pts
You will complete two projects that do not get posted to our course blog. Instead, you will submit them on Moodle. The first will be a collaborative project to “waste time on the internet,” following the spirit of Kenneth Goldsmith’s notorious class. The second will be a memoir constructed from your personal data. See prompts for due dates and further information.
Final Grade Breakdown
Engagement: 10pts
Reading Journal: 10pts
Blogposts: 60pts
Projects: 20pts
A = 100-90pts
B = 89-80pts
C = 79-70pts
D = 69-60pts
Literature & the Internet 