DTC|Am St 475

 

Course Description
What is Digital Diversity?
The Washington State Univeristy catalog describes this course as an exploration of the “cultural impact of electronic media, especially the World Wide Web; issues of race, class, gender, and sexuality online.”

In more and other words, we'll be examining how digital or cybercultures (i.e. the Internet, computer interfaces, cut & paste technologies, and gaming) reflect, deflect, and generate social constructions of gender, sexuality, race, the body, and class. For instance, we'll be trying to understand why and how the visual and personality choices one can make for a character in SIMS 3 promote a particular worldview. In some final words, we'll be analyzing the rhetorical impact of digital technologies on our worlds.

Course Goals
Abstract
1. To develop and encourage an understanding of how digital media generates cultural differences.

2. To enhance and build upon students' knowledge of cyberculture beyond bits, bytes, and programs.

3. To cultivate active and critical thinking about the relationships between cyber and non-cyber cultures.

Concrete
1. To learn and practice using the discourse of cyberculture analysis and critique through readings and writings.

2. To investigate the cultural impacts of non-digital and digital technologies through primary and secondary reseach.

3. To be an expert and teach the class about a particular reading.

Course Readings
Always bring the required readings to class.
1. Printouts of any online only texts unless you have it on your desktop or cell-phone.
2. The Cybercultures Reader 2nd ed. ISBN-13=978-0-415-41067-0

Policies
Attendance
Since we will be working collaboratively on many assignments, and since learning is a communal effort, your regular attendance is vital. If you miss more than six classes, you will receive an “F” for the course.

If you are tardy for class and I or your classmate has begun a lecture or presentation, you will be given an absence.  Please schedule your tardiness in advance.  And since some things come up unexpectedly, please remember you have three absences to account for these unexpected happenings.

Quizzes can be made up if you have an excused absence on the day of the quiz.

Late Work
Here is the deal: You can turn in one assignment one week late.  This assignment cannot be a presentation and must be an individual project.  You must email me on or before the due date and announce to me that this is the assignment you will turn in one week late.  Otherwise, late work is not accepted.

Cellular telephones, Laptops, and iPads
Cellular phones calls and texting are banned forthwith from our classroom.  If you do call or text or your phone rings, then you will be given a warning. The second time will result in an absence.

Laptops, cell phones and iPads are allowed for taking notes and class discussion related searches.  They are not for random surfing no matter how uninterested you might be.

iPad exception:  If an iPad rings or bleeps an incoming text does during class, you are exempt from the above rule for two occurences as long as you allow me to use your iPad for five minutes.

Students with Disabilities
I am committed to providing assistance to help you be successful in this course. Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have a documented disability. Classroom accommodation forms are available through the Disability Services Office.

If you have a documented disability, even temporary, make an appointment as soon as possible with the Disability Services Coordinator, Cherish Tijerina, West Building, Room 269J, at 372-7352 or ctijerina@tricity.wsu.edu.

You will need to provide your instructor with the appropriate classroom accommodation form. The form should be completed and submitted during the first week of class. Late notification can delay your accommodations or cause them to be unavailable. All accommodations for disabilities must be approved through the Disability Services Coordinator.

@#*%! Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism is not tolerated in any form. You will fail the course if you commit plagiarism knowingly or unknowingly. Please come to my office if you have any questions about citing sources.

WSU has developed helpful resources on plagiarism which identifies two types of plagiarism:

° Intentional plagiarism (i.e. cheating), “where one knowingly appropriates the work of others and    passes it  off as their own.”

° Unintentional plagiarism (i.e. misuse of sources), which includes “accidental appropriation of the  ideas and materials of others due to a lack of understanding of the conventions of citation and  documentation.” 

See the following sites for more information on the university’s treatment of plagiarism:
Library Instruction Services
Office of Student Conduct

Grading
Grades for assignments will be posted on ANGEL. Grading criteria will be distributed for each of your assignments. Grading criteria will come in the form of a variety of rubrics for evaluatinng your work.

Grades
A    93-100%
A-   90-92%
B+   87-89%
B    84-86%
B-   80-83%
C+   77-79%
C    70-76%
D    60-69%
F     0-59%

Copyright
WSU requires all users of campus Internet services to comply with all state and federal laws including copyright laws. The students, faculty and staff at WSU have access to the fundamentals of copyright law and WSU's guidelines for educational use of copyright materials at WSU's Copyright Home Page and the U.S. Copyright Office's Home Page. There are also helpful resources explaining copyright on the Resources page of this website.

University Evacuation Policy
Washington State University Tri-Cities is committed to maintaining the safety of the students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the campus. As part of this commitment this Campus Safety Plan contains a comprehensive listing of policies, procedures, statistics and information relating to campus safety, emergency management and the health and welfare of the campus community. Evacuation procedures are located on most doors and can be found here: Campus Emergency Evacuation Plan.

It is recommended that you sign-up for WSU Tri-Cities alerts using your WSU portal.
Alerts can be found here: WSU Tri-Cities Campus Alerts.

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