Catalyst Dropbox for final course reflection
There are no exams in this course; instead, there are several assignments. Each of these assignments is required to successfully pass the course.
Your grade for this class will be based on a possible total of 1000 points, and your score will be directly translated into the 4.0 scale. Participation in the class and lab discussions will count towards your final grade. Regular attendance, contributions to the discussion of themes, and engagement and leadership in class exercises will result in a high participation grade.
Assignments will be turned in via Catalyst or on your blog. We will create blogs at WordPress.com. Students with work or family conflicts should make arrangements with the instructor before missing class or an assignment. Late assignments policy varies per assignment, but in general late = reduced or no credit (newsroom deadlines).
Grades are determined as follows:
- Weekly Assignments: 500 (includes audio, photo, soundslides, video)
- Twitter: 100
- Individual Project: 225
- Final essay: 100
- Participation: 75
Weekly assignments in chronological order:
- Week 1: create blog, begin posting; media consumption survey; create Twitter account, begin following/posting : DETAILS Monday | Wednesday
- Week 2: Twitter begin following/posting; NewsU ethics tutorial : DETAILS M 4 April | W 6 April
- Week 3: Interviewing; examples of good/bad multimedia news sites : DETAILS Monday | Wednesday
- Week 4: NewsU audio tutorial; audio story edit clips : DETAILS Monday | Wednesday | Resource: Creating Your First Story In Audacity | Summary Mon/Wed Lab Results
- Week 5: audio story : DETAILS Monday | Wednesday | Proof of Concept Audio Story, due Friday at noon (29 April)
- Week 6: photo project : DETAILS Monday | Wednesday | Photo-A-Day Reflection Due Friday noon (May 6)
- Week 7: create photo/sound slideshow : DETAILS Monday | Wednesday | Proof of Concept Photo Story, due Wednesday at noon (11 May)
- Week 8: examples of good/bad “TV-like news” online : DETAILS Monday | Wednesday | Proof of Concept SoundSlides Project, due Friday at noon (20 May)
- Week 9: identify your personal URL : Monday | Wednesday | edit video [bring about 5 min of video to class on Monday – can be shot with camera phone, digital camera, Flip, etc. Goal is editing!] |
Rough Cut Video due Fri at noon (27 May) - Week 10: individual project final draft [no class Monday – holiday] : Wednesday
- Week 11: finals week – all due Monday 6 June at 4.30 pm
* Individual project (due WED at 4.30 pm)
* Twitter essay
* Final course reflection – Catalyst link
* post-class webQ
Twitter (100 points)
Students will use Twitter as news gathering, monitoring tool throughout the quarter. Includes final essay on experience. Due Monday finals week: 500-700 word essay on Twitter experience. What did you learn? What do you think of the future of Twitter as a tool for journalists? For citizens? For news organizations? Give evidence for your opinion. Post to your course blog.
Audio Assignment – 75
2 minute audio story
Photo Assignment – 75
Shoot, edit and publish a photo a day for 10 days and then produce a slide show
Proof of Concept SoundSlides Project – 50
90- 120 second audio and minimum 20 photos
Video Assignment – 60
2 minute video story
Individual Project (225 points)
Standalone WordPress site that contains a minimum two-minute video story (post to YouTube) or two minute audio+photos story (Soundslides) with minimum of 20 photos; a textual story; still photography. These are new stories (not those turned in during the course of the quarter).
Final Essay (100 points)
This, the final assignment, substitutes for a final exam. In this essay, you should reflect upon what you have learned in the course; give examples (evidence, such as references to readings or speakers); illustrate how your thinking changed or detail other “ah-ha” moments. How will you apply these learnings outside the classroom? 750-900 words. Catalyst link for course reflection
Participation (75 points)
Students are expected to attend all classes and are responsible for completing all course material on deadline. Deadlines replicate a newsroom environment; class sessions include labs and discussions that require your presence. You must e-mail me if you miss class because of illness or emergency; this communication is part of your class participation. Moreover, rather than ask me what happened while you were away, you should check the course blog as well as talk to your classmates to “see what you missed.” In-class assignments cannot be made up except by prior arrangement.
There are many ways to participate in the class. This is a safe environment, where students can try new ways of engaging in discussion and learning with others. Discussion about readings and other class material will be conducted seminar-style, that is, with an exchange of questions, explanations and viewpoints about readings and key ideas.
- Contribute to in-class activities and discussions
- Complete in-class assignments
- Serve as peer trainer/mentor
Digital Journalism 
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