Most of the work for this class consists of a series of design projects, which we will call “hacks.” Each hack revolves around a theme or challenge and requires an accompanying Design Statement.
- Hack #1 (Play): This hack asks you to create a playful interface to some digital tool. Hack #1 is ungraded.
- Hack #2 (Critical Play): This hack is a critical intervention into an existing game or playful space. Hack #2 is worth 15% of your final grade.
- Hack #3 (Software Invasion): This hack requires you to do something interesting with an existing piece of software by using it the wrong way. Hack #3 is worth 15% of your final grade.
- Hack #4 (Remix): For this hack you’ll appropriate existing cultural material and remix it in a transformative way. Hack #4 is worth 15% of your final grade.
- Hack #5 (Beta Release): For this final hack you will build upon one of your previous hacks, taking it to the next level. If your original hack was the alpha version, this is the beta. The final hack is worth 15% of your final grade.
There are two other components of the class:
- Flog (Failure Log): This is a weekly failure log, kept blog-style. You’ll set up the flog on your Davidson Domain, on a WordPress site devoted to this class. The flog gives you a chance to reflect on things that don’t work for you in this class. It may be something that’s not working with one of your projects, something you don’t understand with the weekly reading, or anything else related to the course that just isn’t optimal. The flog is worth 15% of your final grade.
- Final Portfolio: The portfolio is an online exhibit of your work, with a reflective frame around that work. Your portfolio will be an act of curation, preservation, and contemplation. The final portfolio is worth 15% of your final grade.
Attendance and Engagement
Your participation in this course is crucial. Engagement comes in many forms, not just attendance. Taken holistically, engagement includes (but is not limited to) the following:
- Preparation (reviewing readings and material before class)
- Focus (avoiding distractions during in-person and online activities)
- Asking questions (in both synchronous and asynchronous forms, and in class and out of class)
- Specificity (referring to specific ideas from readings and discussions)
- Synchronous presence (verbally and nonverbally engaged during synchronous activities)
- Asynchronous presence (being responsive on Moodle and email)
Engagement is worth 10% of your final grade.
Please note Davidson’s campus-wide attendance policy. Missing more than 25% of class meetings will result in an automatic F for the class. In our case, that means more than 7 absences. Even if you miss fewer than 7, excessive absences will invariably affect your engagement in the class.
Icon: writing tools by Dahlia nur aini from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)