Syllabus

Professor

• Joline Blais
• Associate Professor of New Media
• 126 IMRC/244 Boardman (Jan 31–)
• jblais@

INSTRUCTOR

• Steve Norton
• Intermedia MFA candidate, 2nd year
• IMRC 118, studio 4
• steven.norton@
• Skype: s.e.norton (send me a connection request)
• phone: 617-460-2920

LOGISTICS

Class

• T/Th 2:00-3:15
• Shibles 202
• Lab: Mon 9 – 10:50am OR 11:00 – 12:50pm
• IMRC 113
• 3 credit hours.

Office hours

• Joline:  T/Th 12:30-1:30pm  IMRC 126 , Wednesday by Skype (jolineblais), and by appointment
• Steve: IMRC 118, 1:00 – 2:30, and by appointment

OVERVIEW

An overview of New Media projects, strategies and techniques. We will explore New Media projects from three major genres: Hacktivism, Autobotography, EcoArt.  For each genre, you will will create an idea (intent), and a rough prototype (approach) . Final projects will be a fully realized version of one of your three prototypes.

MATERIALS

• Website:
• 206.nmdprojects.net/2017/
• Login:  206.nmdprojects.net/2017/wp-admin/
• Texts, video and other materials via website or New Media Dropbox
• You own WordPress account/NMD Portfolio 

OUTCOMES

• Understanding the range of work in the field, from hacktivism to autobiography, from EcoArt to Makerspaces.
• Learn the tools and techniques of New Media production appropriate to each genre
• Apply conceptual New Media strategies as well as technical tools to produce agency in the communities we inhabit
• Think critically about both benefits and dangers of the new technologies we are exploring and how their use influences cultural, political and economic outcomes
• Learn to give helpful feedback, work in peer environments, and collaborate in teams
• Think creatively and with purpose and responsibility about the uses of New Media
• Document your learning and projects, and publish in your own portfolio, so you can share your discoveries and creative work with others
• Participate in the social media culture of the department with contributions to THE NMD Website & its social media outlets.

GRADING

Grading criteria

• 24% Responses
• 24% Intents
• 24% Approaches
• 16% Final Project
• 12% Class & Lab attendance/participation

There will be no final exam. Class will determine best final projects for showing during New Media Night.

Grading scale

• A Outstanding—you have excelled in more than one area in the completion of assignments
  • completed and posted (on class website) ALL assignments in satisfactory way (9 main assignments, 1 final, and a few extra class/lab exercises) ( S or B- or better); and have an excellent Final Project and at least 1 excellent Approach
  • you have attended ALL classes (with one excused absence);
• • you have contributed to class/lab work and conversations and provided helpful classmate feedback
• B Above average—you have exceeded average completion of assignments. You have:
  • completed and posted (on class website) ALL assignments in satisfactory way (9 main assignments, 1 final, and a few extra class/lab exercises) ( S or B- or better);
  • you have missed no more than 2 unexcused absences from class/lab
• • you have contributed to class/lab work and conversations and provided helpful classmate feedback
• C Average—you have completed all assignments in an average way. You have
  • completed and posted (on class website) ALL Approaches and Final Project, and 4 out of 6 of Responses/Intents, in a satisfactory way ( S or B- or better);
  • you have missed no more than 4 absences from class/lab
• • you have little contribution to class/lab work and conversations and provided little helpful classmate feedback
• D Poor—you have some work missing, and average or below results for work turned in. You have:
  • completed and posted (on class website) fewer than 70% of 10 assignments in a satisfactory way ( S or B- or better); i.e. you are missing 3 or more assignments, especially if Final Project is missing.
  • you have no more than 4 absences from class/lab
• • you have little contribution to class/lab work and conversations and provided little helpful classmate feedback
• F Failing—you have significant work missing and below average achievement. You have:
  • completed and posted (on class website) fewer than 60% of 10 assignments in a satisfactory way ( S or B- or better); i.e. you are missing 4 or more assignments, especially if Final Project is missing.
• • you have more than 4 absences from class/lab
  • you have little contribution to class/lab work and conversations and provided little helpful classmate feedback

COURSE EXPECTATIONS

Completing work

Get your assignments done on time. Assignments have clear logged due dates on the class website, and you will lose points for unexcused late work.

Still, be mindful of health and human issues, as long as lateness isn’t a persistent issue, I can be flexible for the exceptional circumstance.

Attendance

Come to class.  We have fun.  Attendance is tallied at 1 point per class and adds up to the 12 points of your 12% attendance grade.

Talk to me beforehand if you know you’ll have to miss time in class. We MAY be able to schedule remote make-ups IF we have enough lead-time.

Behavior

Raise your hand to ask me a question at any time. (You’ll get equal participation credit for naïve or sophisticated questions!)

Respect your own views and the views of others. See it all real and genuine. I do not penalize for opinions that challenge the class discussion. As in a good e-mail list, keep controversy to a maximum but flaming to a minimum.

Feel free to stand up and move around during class as long as you respect whoever is speaking.

Give your fellow students your attention and respect as you would any teacher..

Equipment

Bring your laptop to every class. Your instructor will let you know exceptions to this rule.

You may also make use of the various labs on campus, including IMRC, and the Collaborative Media Lab in Fogler Library (features specialized audiovisual equipment and individual rooms), as well as the lab the first floor of Boardman

Class is short–stay focused on it, and resist temptation to check your snapchat.

Personal constraints

If you qualify for financial aid for a new laptop, take advantage of that. Most New Media students use macs.

• Ask the Computer Connection to send Velma a quote for the price.
• Bring the letter she prepares for dept chair signature to Financial Aid in Wingate Hall.

Note:

• If you want a laptop over $2000, it may help if you ask Velma to include the reason you need this in her letter.
• This award refunds your purchase when your loan is dispersed. So if you owe a balance on your bill the money will go to that first.
• You can only do this once in your college ‘career’.
• For more answers check with Financial Aid at 581-1324.

See me if you have an especially difficult personal constraint–such as your own illness, or children or parents you need to care for. I may not be able to help, but I can probably direct you to someone who can. Students with disabilities can also do an end-run around me and go directly to the office of Ann Smith of Services for Students with Disabilities (581-2319).

You earn my respect by telling me up front as issues interfere with your classwork–I can help you navigate that and still succeed.

POLICIES

Academic honesty

So cheating is unlikely in this class as collaboration is the model rather than competition and ownership  But UMaine has a standard policy you should know about: An instructor who has probable cause or reason to believe a student has cheated may act upon such evidence, and should report the case to the supervising faculty member or the Department Chair for appropriate action.

Disabilities

If you have a disability (ok gaming is a disability if you really are leaning on it for your dopamine kick, try mixing that up with a sauna, exercise, hot sex, or some other body-based dopamine, eh? ) for other disabilities, you may request an accommodation from Ann Smith, Director of Disabilities Services, 121 East Annex, 581-2319, do this as early as possible in the term.

Discriminatory language

The University of Maine’s non-sexist language policy may be viewed at:   http://www.umaine.edu/WIC/both/language.htm.

Sexual Discrimination Reporting

The University of Maine is committed to making campus a safe place for students. Because of this commitment, if you tell a teacher about an experience of sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, relationship abuse (dating violence and domestic violence), sexual misconduct or any form of gender discrimination involving members of the campus, your teacher is required to report this information to the campus Office of Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention or the Office of Equal Opportunity.

If you want to talk in confidence to someone about an experience of sexual discrimination, contact:

For confidential resources on campus: Counseling Center: 207-581-1392 or Cutler Health Center: at 207-581-4000.

For confidential resources off campus:  Rape Response Services: 1-800-310-0000 or Spruce Run: 1-800-863-9909.

For non-confidential support services on campus (helpers may have to report the incident to others who can help):

Office of Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention: 207-581-1406

Office of Community Standards: 207-581-1409

University of Maine Police: 207-581-4040 or 911

Or see the OSAVP website for a complete list of services at http://www.umaine.edu/osavp/

Syllabus Disclaimer

In the event of an extended disruption of normal classroom activities, (like a seriously funny Trump Tweet that stalls all traffic on I95), the format for this course may be modified to enable its completion within its programmed time frame. In that event, you will be provided an addendum to the syllabus that will supersede this version, (and Stephen King’s twitter stream as he’s kick ass in responses to our pumpkin spice leader).