Intro to New Media

NMIX 2020

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Casey O'Donnell
MEETINGS: Monday/Wednesday/Friday 2:30PM – 3:20 PM
e: caseyod {AT} uga {DOT} edu
v: 706.457.6373

TEACHING ASSISTANTS: Andrea Feminella and William Wickey
e: NMIX2020TA@gmail.com

OBJECTIVES

To become technowledgeable a make your world a better place.

DISCLAIMER

The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary.

TEXTS

All texts will be assigned via an RSS feed for the class. You can subscribe to the feed using an RSS reader of your choice. All articles in this feed, and in particular those coming from Dr. Shamp's Delicious bookmarks, will be used in your weekly quizzes.

POINT DISTRIBUTION

CHAIN OF COMMAND

All companies, no matter how "flat," have a chain of command. Violating the chain of command can get you fired. Your chain of command starts at your TA. If you feel your TA hasn't adequately answered your question, then the other TA is your second point of contact. If you feel you still have not received an adequate response, then you can contact me. If you feel I have not answered your question or concern, then you can contact Dr. Scott Shamp, the Director of the New Media Institute. If Dr. Shamp is unable to address your concern, then you may proceed to the Dean of the Grady College. Violation of the chain of command will result in a (1) point deduction.

QUIZES

Each student is expected to read selected articles each week from a variety of sources. These can be found in the RSS feed noted above. These articles can also be found on the NMI Home Page. Every Friday morning quizzes will be posted online. This quiz is self administered using the QUIZSTAR system (please note the Honesty Policy below). You must sign up using the instructions below. The quiz closes at 5PM on Monday.

Quizstar Student Sign-up Instructions

Go to quizstar.4teachers.org and click on Student Site under the Student Login Page section.
Click the large Sign Up arrow.
Enter you information on the Student Registration Page and click Register.
**** Your username must be your UGA MY ID.
Once registered, click on the link: Click here to search for a new class.
Under Class Search, type UGA New Media Institute in the Class #1 row and click Exact Match.
Select UGA NEW MEDIA INSTITUTE and Click Register.
One you have successfully registered, Click on My Classes to view.
**** You only need to register once!! If you are taking 3 NMI classes DO NOT register 3 times. One registration will count for all of your NMI classes.

EXAMS

Exams will be administered online using the eLC learning management system. The exam will be open from 2:15PM-3:35PM during the day of the exam. You will need to find a location and a computer with Internet access from which to take the exam. Excuses are unacceptable. Trouble shoot first. Only medical emergencies or a family death will qualify you for a make-up exam. You must provide documentation for this reason. I reserve the right to substitute an entirely different assignment for the makeup exam.

While the exam is self administered, I would again encourage you to pay attention to the Honesty Policy information below.

SUBMITTING EXAM QUESTIONS

Your team will have the opportunity submit exam questions for inclusion on the test. I would encourage each team to designate a Scout to submit one question per day. More than one submission for any given day will be discarded, so make your only submission, your best. If we select your question and that question creates a bell-curve distribution of success vs. failure (~50% get it right and ~50% get it wrong), I will give your team an additional point on the exam.

FINAL PROJECT

Each member of the class will participate in a final group project. Each group will develop a technology proposal. Each group will present their proposal to a group of investors (the rest of the class). Presentations can take any form and will take place during class times.

TEAMS

Your team will be designated by your assigned seat. Your team will develop your project and submit exam questions. You are there to support one another, within the limits of the Honesty Policy. Your team is your family for this class.

ASSIGNED SEATING

On 08/22/11 seats and teams will be assigned. Failure to sit in your assigned seat will result in your being counted as absent. No excuses.

BUSINESS/PERSONAL CARDS

Each student in this class must have at least 100 business cards. This card should contain your name, email address, major, and one other piece of information [your website, if you have it would be a good idea] about yourself. These will be used for accruing additional points throughout the semester.

AGENTS OF SHARING

You are expected to attend class every day. Each day I will select randomly 2 or 3 "agents of sharing." These individuals will come to the front of the class and share a media technology experience. This can be something you've read, an opinion (which I will likely ask you to support), etc. Sharing will be rewarded with (1) point if you draw on something you were expected to read or (2) points if it is an original source. You may chose to not share with NO repercussion.

NMI SCOUTS (and CUB SCOUTS)

These individuals will voluntarily help with a variety of tasks in the class (taking attendance, researching items for lectures, leading projects, etc.). Did I mention that it was voluntary? Why would you do it for no points? The NMI offers the New Media Interdisciplinary Certificate. It has proven very valuable in helping graduates get jobs. Each semester we have about three times as many applicants for the certificate as we can serve. NMI Scouts may very well get a leg up on their application process. There will be a meeting during the first week of the semester to talk about the NMI Scout program. The "cub scouts" are those scouts that are on probation for some reason. A second warning will result in the removal of your scout status.

MISC ASSIGNMENTS

Throughout the semester, students will be called to perform small assignments. You must be present to complete these assignments and an additional (1) point may be given if completed.

NMI and NMIX 2020 LISTSERVE

You will be subscribed automatically to the NMI and NMIX 2020 listserve. You are required to remain subscribed throughout the semester. After the course is over, you can chose to unsubscribe.

SCHEDULE and GRADING

The class schedule is tight and somewhat tentative.

Course Schedule

A continually updated course calendar is available online. I strongly recommending subscribing to it in your Google Calendar while a student of mine.

Grading Policy

Grading in the course will be based on the percentage of points earned out of the total points possible. The standard scale will be used (Note: rounding is based entirely on in-class participation):
A: 93.000-100%;
A-: 89.995-92.995%;
B+: 86.995-89.994%;
B: 82.995-86.994%;
B-:79.995-82.994%;
C+: 76.995%-79.994%;
C: 69.995-76.994%;
D: 59.995-69.994%;
F = below 59.995%

STANDARDS OF PRACTICE

Classes in the New Media Institute will teach you about new media. But they will also teach you how to be successful professionals in whatever field you choose. Below you will find some standards of practice for students in New Media Institute (NMIX) classes. Adhering to these rules will not only make you a more successful student, practicing them in your career will make you a better professional. If you feel that you cannot conform to these practices, please consult with your teacher – maybe a New Media Institute course isn't right for you.

Class Conduct.

You bear a major part of the responsibility for class a pleasant experience. If you feel the compulsion to read, talk, sleep, or engage in any other type of disruptive behavior, DON'T COME TO CLASS. If I have to ask you to change your in-class behavior, you may be asked to drop the class. If you find you cannot be in your seat at the beginning of class, please drop the class. If you repeatedly come to class late, you may be asked to drop the class.

Entrepreneurial work.

Your work on projects will require a considerable amount of independent learning, planning, and just plain hustle. You may not have a passion about your assigned topic, but in a professional work environment, your employer and clients will rarely ask you what cool stuff do you want to work on and who do you want to work with. A professional is someone who does a great job even when they do not feel like it.

Attendance.

Good workers come to work. Your class attendance not only helps you learn more, it makes the class better. But sometimes things happen. You may be absent from 10% of class with no deduction (~4 days). However, you are still expected to

Coming Late.

Good workers arrive on time. You must come to class on time to receive the full benefit from your class. If you disrupt the flow of class, you will be encouraged to leave or not come at all. Please arrive on time.

Cell Phones Off.

It is unprofessional to allow outside interruptions to disrupt meetings. The same goes for class. Turn your cell phone off before you enter class.

Challenging Evaluations.

In your jobs and your classes, you will be evaluated. Your work will be presented to the entire class and put on the web. How you handle and use criticism will greatly determine your eventual success. There is a professional approach for addressing criticisms and evaluations (or grades) with which you do not agree. First, take some time to consider the evaluation. After you receive the evaluation, think about it for at least 24 hours before doing anything – this cooling off period will help you present your case in a positive manner. Second, formulate a rational argument for why you deserve a better evaluation. Develop at least three points that you think prove you deserve a better evaluation. And third, first present your argument in writing (email is cool) then request a meeting to discuss your evaluation. Hey, your teacher (or supervisor) might buy your argument and you won't need to have a meeting at all! Handling disputes constructively is the mark of a true professional.

These are the standards of practice for students in the New Media Institute. Learn them, love them, live them.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

In this class, we will adhere to the University of Georgia's Academic Honesty Policy. You can read the entire policy online but the short story is don't cheat. You will be expected to do your own work and to report individuals who do not do their own work. You will have several assignments where you will not be monitored but that does not excuse appropriating other individual's work. The punishments for violations of the Academic Honesty Policy are severe. Frankly, the pay off isn't worth the risk – don't do it.

All academic work must meet the standards contained in “A Culture of Honesty.” All students are responsible to inform themselves about those standards before performing any academic work. More detailed information about academic honesty can be found at: http://www.uga.edu/honesty/ahpd/culture_honesty.htm

Violation of Honesty Policy

I will vigorously prosecute all instances of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, cheating, or other information fabrication. The minimum penalty for being found in violation of violations of the University's academic honesty policy will be failure of the entire course – regardless of how small a proportion of the final grade the assignment or material represented.

OFFICE OF DISABILITY SERVICES

Any student who is working with the University's Office of Disability Services and who needs special consideration on assignments or exams should let me know as soon as possible.

END OF SEMESTER EVALUATIONS

At the end of the semester I will ask you to evaluate me. This can be done here.

NMIX 2020