Notebook and Laptop

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Assignments in this course fall into three categories:

  1. Homework
  2. Reading Responses
  3. Term Paper

With few exceptions, assignments will be written in Markdown and submitted through the course LMS. Assignment lengths are based on number of words, not number of pages. Markdown files can be written in any text editor (even Google Documents or Word), but if you want to preview the styled results while you type, you can use the online platform StackEdit. Also, many of the JetBrains IDEs, such as WebStorm, PyCharm, and IntelliJ natively support Markdown rendering. So, if you already have one of those from the many computer science courses in which they are useful, you may already have an editor on your computer.

Once you get the hang of the basic syntax of Markdown, you may want to try some more advanced features. Even when you have some familiarity with it, you may need to refer to the cheat sheet for guidance.

Why Markdown? Using markdown allows us to ignore distracting elements such as fonts and pagination and cut through to the core of your writing. While it’s not a programming language, the scripting features are extremely useful for writing articles online that can be styled to fit the website that you are posting to. Markdown is useful for developers and writers, and since most of you are both, it’s good practice.

Homework

Assignments regularly change, but often conform to one of the following topics. Check the course LMS for detailed instructions during your semester.

  1. Analyzing the arguments of an article
  2. Applying different ethical frameworks to a dilemma
  3. Platform policy analysis
  4. Computer science fiction

Reading Responses

The success of this course depends heavily on doing the reading and starting each lesson prepared for a vigorous discussion. To help you prepare, you will write a brief reading response each week for the assigned reading. These are not graded as critically as other writing assignments, so do not agonize over them. Instead, see them as an opportunity for collecting your thoughts and jotting them down before we jump into a discussion about the material each week.

Why write these?

These responses are designed to help you work through the class material. I want you to feel free to explore ideas in these responses. The material demands the type of active engagement and thinking that responses offer.

When/where are the responses due?

You’ll need to read the assigned reading, complete the reading response, and post it to the course LMS. All reading responses must be posted to the course LMS before the class meeting in which we will discuss the readings. Though these will be typed into the course LMS, you should keep a file saved with the contents that you submitted handy for discussion during the in-class session or for sharing with your classmates.

What do I write about?

Your reading responses can address some problematic or puzzling aspect of the text, argue for a particular interpretation or application of a concept in the reading, relate the reading to previous thinkers or course readings, or simply refute the theory or theorist. I can provide some ideas in class for what you might write on, but these responses are open-ended so that you can write about what you want or need to. If two readings are assigned for the day your reading response is due, you can choose to focus on one, or talk about the similarities/differences between the two readings.

If you are struggling to come up with some ideas on what to address in your response, here are some broad prompts that might be able to help:

  • How well do the historical ethical frameworks that we have discussed relate to the issue discussed in the readings?
  • Are there any discrepancies in the text?
  • Where would the theory work/not work?
  • Where do you disagree with an author?

Who is the audience?

Your audience is the class. We will share these reading responses in class sometimes. As a writer, you can assume that we have read the material so you need not summarize the work for us (or provide unnecessary definitions). While the audience knows the material, we don’t know your take on it. So, one of your chief responsibilities is to explain your thinking to us clearly (i.e. use examples), concisely (i.e. this response should have gone through a draft or so), and convincingly (i.e. you should draw on the readings to strengthen/clarify your position).

What is the genre/format?

These should be short and polished think pieces. You are writing for an educated audience in a professional manner. In terms of content, you should adhere closely to the assigned text. That is, you should make multiple references to the text as a way of supporting/clarifying your thinking. Unless stated otherwise, the length is roughly 250 words. These will get better as you write more of them.

###How will you grade these responses? All reading responses will be graded on a ✓ +/- system.

A response will receive a “✓+”, if it:

  • Demonstrates a deep understanding of the assigned text(s) through analysis of the material
  • Demonstrates a synthesis of assigned text(s) and/or engagement with the writer’s own experience
  • Is roughly 250 words (+/- 25 is okay)
  • Is free of major spelling/grammar mistakes. It’s clear you proofread this
  • Is well written. The author’s main idea is clearly developed over multiple paragraphs.

A response will receive a “✓”, if it:

  • Demonstrates a grasp of the assigned text.
  • Addresses the assigned reading for that day, referencing some key ideas and citing some key passages.
  • Is roughly 250 words (+/- 25 is okay)
  • Is free of major typos, though there might be a few minor typos that should have been corrected.
  • Is competently written. The author’s main idea is clearly developed over multiple paragraphs

A response will receive a “✓-”, if it:

  • Does not demonstrate a grasp of the assigned text.
  • Does not respond to the assigned readings. A close reading of the text was not necessary in order to write this response.
  • Is too long or too short.
  • Appears hurriedly put together, including typos and grammar errors.
  • Is unclear. The author’s main idea is not evident. The paragraphs are disjointed.

CSC 484 vs 684

If you are enrolled as a graduate student in CSC 684, there will be additional readings assigned and additional requirements for each assignment. Be sure to check the course LMS for detailed guidance on each assignment.