An overview of your main assignments for the semester (Pitch, Proposal,Project, Collaboration Survey and Self-Assessment) are below. Additional details and evaluation guides are available on our Moodle course site. The Book Review and Presentation Assignment has its own page.
Context
For the final project of the semester, you will work in a team to design and implement a networked, socially-responsive, digital, aesthetic-critical experience that responds to/addresses an issue or question in a community that we, as a class, are connected to and that we feel is important. This should be an active issue, interest, problem, question, or concern for students in our class (but not limited to students in our class), and something that is not solely pragmatic, but also intellectual. Your team will be required to do the necessary research for all aspects of the project.
Before we engage in that process, however, you need to generate the compelling and complex questions, issues, interests, problems, or concerns that we will explore.
The Pitch (FEB 27)
On February 27, you will come to class prepared to “pitch†the juicy/robust question or issue that you are most excited to tackle for our collaborative projects. We will vote on the pitches on February 27, so we will know by the end of class which issue, question, concern, problem our teams will collaboratively tackle. We will have no more than three and no less than two projects.
The Details
Your goal on February 27 is to convince your classmates that your issue/question should be chosen as one of the collaborative project frames. The pitch can be no longer than 3 minutes (so make SURE you practice beforehand and revise/edit as needed). It should presented in whatever media/mode will allow you most successfully highlight the robustness of your issue or question, why it is complex and interesting, and why it merits our investigation and digital-aesthetic-critical response.
Evaluation
Your pitch will be evaluated on the extent to which you effectively:
- present and argue for a robust issue or question;
- demonstrate that you are prepared (e.g. does it appear that you took time to develop and practice your pitch and you do not exceed the 3-minute time limit);
- make use of the best available means and modes to communicate your idea.
The Proposal (MARCH 20)
As a team, you will write a proposal for your project. In the proposal, the you must:
- identify and provide background on the issue/community the project is responding to;
- make a case for why some kind of digital, networked response is necessary and appropriate, and why the project itself is of value
- provide an overview of what that digital, networked response will be and how it will work.
- write a research plan explaining what information the team needs to find and do to inform their project and explain how you will go about finding that information;
- provide an inventory of the skills and talents that each team member brings to the project already and a list of what you need to collaboratively and cooperatively learn to do to build the project;As a team, you will write a proposal for your project. In the proposal, the you must:
- write collaboration and cooperation plan detailing the responsibilities of each team member with check-in dates and a timeline for task completion;
- include a list of digital “assets” necessary for completion;
- include a draft mock-up for the final project.
Evaluation
Your team proposals will be evaluated on how thoughtfully and thoroughly you address the 8 required elements of the proposal. The process of proposal development is collaborative, but each team member will post the proposal in their course web space before class on Thursday, March 20.
The Project (Phase One APRIL 17 / Final MAY 15)
Each team has complete freedom to select the scope, purpose, audience, content, delivery mechanisms, and design of their “new media” project. Each project must respond in some way the rhetorical, social, cultural, political, and ethical dimensions of digital texts that we have discussed and read about in class so far this semester. Teams should consider the social networking tools we have used for class, the innovative ways that information can be shared and used to make things happen, and the multiple platforms available for use. More than anything, make good use of all of the rhetorical possibilities available to you in digital, networked writing do so something and, ideally, do something “good.” Be creative. Use your talents. Have fun!
The Details:
- The project must be developed in a digital, networked platform
- In Project Phase One (Due APRIL 17) you will provide a detailed plan/storyboard/wireframe (visual representation of content, hierarchy and layout), a plan for what still needs to be done, and annotated bibliography for your project (see detailed assignment in Moodle)
- Your team must be able to articulate the social issue/concern/question and the nature of the community that your are building the project for, as well as how and way this particular digital project and platform responds effectively to that issue and serves that community.
- Your project must ethically use and attribute any and all materials used for project presentation.
- You must be able to have the project designed, developed, written, coded, and live in a network space by Thursday, May 15, 2014. Kudos and fabulous grades are awarded to projects that are built to continue to be used and to evolve beyond the parameters of the course.
- The project must be team developed, taking full advantage of the skills, experience, and knowledge of the team members.
The Collaborative, Researched Writing New Media Project Survey and Self-assessment Essay
Reflecting on what works and doesn’t work in a large-scale collaborative effort is often one of the most important learning experiences you can have. To that end, I will ask you to complete a self and team evaluation survey (link posted in Moodle) and to craft a longer piece of writing with your reflections on:
- the process of creating the project,
- the collaborative process itself,
- your assessment of how well the project does what you hoped it would do,
- a reflection on what you would do differently
- your reflection on what you learned about “writing new media” in the process of creating the project and engaging with our course materials
Post this final writing to your course web space by May 15, 2014 – and, of course, tweet the link with #cccwnm.