ATTENDANCE POLICY
You will be allowed four (4) absences this semester (accounting to two weeks of instruction for a T/TH class). For these four absences, I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused. These are your four absences to manage and do with what you wish. After four absences, I will include these absences in your final grade evaluation.
Should you exceed these absences, it is up to you to set up an appointment with me to discuss your options – I get it, things happen, but if you don’t communicate with me, it is impossible for me to work with you. And a word on communication – please communicate with me to whatever extent you feel comfortable. I can’t help you if I don’t know something is going on, but again, you do not have to disclose private health information to me.
GRADING
“Extrinsic motivation, which includes a desire to get better grades, is not only different from, but often undermines, intrinsic motivation, a desire to learn for its own sake.” ~ Alfie Kohn, “The Case Against Grades”
Some of you just want a C to fulfill a Mason requirement. Some of you want a B to maintain a solid GPA. Some of you want an A because top grades are really important to you. You all already know what your own average, good, or excellent effort feels like. So put in the work that justifies the grade you want for each assignment. There will be periodic self-evaluations throughout the semester to gauge your progress.
Instead of your grade, here’s what I want you to focus on:
This course will focus on qualitative not quantitative assessment, something we’ll discuss during the class, both with reference to your own work and the works we’re studying. While you will get a final grade at the end of the term*, I will not be grading individual assignments, but rather asking questions and making comments that engage your work rather than simply evaluate it (via your course website, Blackboard, and in class).
You will also be reflecting carefully on your own work and the work of your peers. The intention here is to help you focus on working in a more organic way, as opposed to working as you think you’re expected to. If this process causes more anxiety than it alleviates, see me at any point to confer about your progress in the course to date. If you are worried about your grade, your best strategy should be to join the discussions, do the reading, and complete the assignments.
Work towards YOUR needs and expectations
*Final grades will follow Mason’s grading schema (A+ through F).
COLLABORATION
You may collaborate with your peers on assignments you complete for this course. If you have questions about the various ways collaboration can work, feel free to chat with me at any point.
ASSIGNMENTS
I reserve the right to shuffle, remove, or swap out readings and assignments at any point throughout the semester. This is meant to anticipate the anxieties and unknowns that might come with living through…well who knows these days. I will never increase your workload but will do my best to respond to events as they unfold. You will be informed of any changes ASAP, and I will make changes directly in our course website, as well as send a message via email and Slack.
GENERAL PARTICIPATION
This is a collaborative course, focusing on discussion and work in groups. The class will be a cooperative learning experience, a true intellectual community. And so, you and your work are, in a very real sense, the primary texts for this course. In order for us to work together as a community, we’ll all have to find ways to be “present” in the various places our course lives (Your blog, Slack, the rest of the Web, class discussions). If you can’t finish work for any reason, chat with me in advance.
Join class prepared to discuss the readings due that day and having explored the tools we will be learning. Plan on expressing your ideas, frustrations, questions, and confusions using your voice during class whenever possible. This is a small, discussion-based class, so we have the opportunity to delve deeply into issues.
SLACK
Participation also extends to the online portal to the course, the DH390 Slack network. Slack serves as the central point of non-verbal communication during and outside of class meetings. You periodically will be required to post something in Slack for class and/or group work.
When you are unable to speak in class (due to e.g. anxiety, needing more time to collect your thoughts, etc.), you are encouraged to engage in discussion via Slack. Doing so will count toward your participation, but cannot fully replace spoken discussion during class.
Slack is also a space for airing questions and comments and sharing ideas and resources that don’t come up in class. It is also a great place to share tangential thoughts and ideas that diverge from the main discussion but that you would like to share. Contributing to the conversation in Slack will help improve your participation.
You will be prompted to write on blog posts on your website throughout the semester. Each of your posts should be between 500-1200 words and include references to the readings and whatever images, maps, visualizations, or the like you have created each week.* During the first week of the semester, you’ll set up a WordPress site, complete your profile, and begin writing.
- Posts for a given week must be on your website and posted in Blackboard at least 12-hours before the next class (yes, this means 1:30 AM) unless otherwise noted.
- Your posts should include 2 discussion questions, prompts, and/or activities that relate to the blog assignment so that you can come to class prepared to speak about the readings, including about specific quotes or sections that you found especially inspiring, challenging, or surprising.
- Blog Comments: Collaboration is key to digital work. Therefore, throughout the semester I will ask you to look at and comment on your peers’ work. The idea here is to facilitate a discussion about the course material and allow you to get to know your classmates. You will comment on at least two posts within your assigned group.
- Your comments such be substantive and add to the conversation. Your comments should elaborate on the post with further comment or observations based on course material. Due dates are due two days after the initial blog is due, unless noted otherwise.
(Blog posts should be written to the same standards as academic papers with proper diction, correct grammar, accurate citations, cogency of argument, and thoughtful organization. More on how to create blog posts and comment on blog posts can be found here: http://gebeasley.org/DH390/guidance-for-assignments-and-blogging/)
For this assignment you are required to write a critical review of an exhibition in a local gallery or museum (500-800 words). You must attend the exhibition in question at least once.* Reviews should address the exhibit’s purpose and target audience; its presentation of items, including its historical interpretation and ease of access; and its use of digital media and technology. DUE ON TUESDAY (3/26) OF WEEK 11 BY Noon.
*If you are unable to attend an exhibition in person, please reach out to me for an alternate assignment no later than WEEK 9.
Tools & Skills Projects: You will note that this class contains no midterm or final exam. The vast majority of the class will be based off of a variety of class projects.
- The requirements and expectations for each project will be posted on the course website. These projects include, but are not limited to: a maintained website, a timeline, a mapping project, a transcription project, and other exercises offered throughout the semester.
- You may tailor these exercises to your own interests and needs – in addition to the options provided by me, you may also propose your own small tools & skill exercise(s). So, if there is a specific application that you want or need to learn in the course of this semester, you’ll have the option to do this after consulting with me.
FINAL PROJECT (INCLUDING PROPOSAL AND OUTLINE)
In this course, we are going to spend quality time working with various digital tools and thinking about the myriad issues (legal, ethical, technical, historical) that these tools bring to light. Over the course of the semester, each of you will use your newly-found digital skills and technologies to create and publish an original digital history project due at the end of the semester. You will make something each week in class that builds towards a final exhibit that showcases your work throughout the semester.
