Course Syllabus

Spring 2015

Instructor Contact

• Instructor: Prof. Lani Harris
• Office: T224
• Office Hours:  Monday and Friday from 12:20- 2pm, and other days/times by appointment
• Phone: 407 823-2513
• E-mail:lani.harris@ucf.edu

Course Information 

• Course Name: Theatre Survey
• Course ID & Section: THE 2000
• Credit Hours: 3
• Semester/Year: Spring 2015
• Location: Online

Course Description

An overview of the art and craft of theatre.

Three credit hours.

Course Objectives

Understand the collaborative environment of the creation of theatre:

• Recognize the importance, value, and development of theatre in society
• Learn a context by which to understand various genres of theatre
• Develop a personal standard to delineate between good and bad theatre
• Identify types of theatrical performance
• Read a script for story, style and genre
• Critique a performance of a play
• Understand the process of creating a theatrical production
• Understand the function & conventions of a theatrical audience & display appropriate audience behavior
• Connect major characteristics within the genres of western theatre to their cultural context.

Required Text

• M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang (optional)
• Doll House by Henrik Ibsen (free online, do a search)
• Lysistrata by Aristophanes (free online, do a search)
• Oedipus Rex by Sophocles (free online, do a search)
• Exploring Theatre (required textbook) Pearson, available at UCF Bookstores, as well as online at www.pearsonexploretheatre.com.

Evaluation and Grading

Grades are based on the University grading system. (no plus & minus).

To calculate your grade, do the following:

1. total your points

2. total the number of points possible (at that particular time)

3. divide your total points by the number of points possible (at any given time) and this will provide you with your grade.

Letter Grade	Points
A	93 – 100 points
A-	90 – 92 points
B+	87 – 89 points
B	83 – 86 points
B-	80 – 82 points
C+	77 – 79 points
C	73 – 76 points
C-	70 – 72 points
D+	67 – 69 points
D	63 – 66 points
D-	60 – 62 points
F	59 and below

 

Assignments

• 3 assessments (modules 1-4, midterm, final ( 60 points each )
  

• 3 play quiz/assessment (2 required, 1 extra credit)

• pre and post course assessments (required)
  

• 1 production review (required)
  

• various assignments/responding to a question or providing an opinion (all 10 points, except one 50pt.)

Class Notes

• This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor
• Violations of student academic behavior standards are outlined in the Golden Rule, the University of Central Florida's student handbook
• Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact Student Disabilities at UCF ASAP.
• There are plays and materials that may express adult to controversial themes, as well as, adult and strong language. If this presents a problem for you, please contact the instructor immediately to assess your chances for success in the course
• Assignments must meet deadlines
• Please allow time for a response to e-mail. Sending multiple emails will delay the response, as well as including urgent or high priority. Mail is answered in the order it is received. Please include your full name and the name of the course.
• All assignments must be placed in the correct area. Assignments placed in the incorrect area will receive zero points.

Course Expectations 

Tips for Success

The following expectations will help you be successful in this course. Please carefully review these expectations and follow them.

1. Log into the course several times each week to check the course content, announcements, conversations, and discussions.
2. Keep up with the weekly readings and assignments. Students who keep up with the weekly reading and assignments tend to do much better in an online course than those who do not.
3. Please do not miss an assignment deadline. Refer to the course schedule/calendar to ensure that you submit assignments on time.
4. Remember that academic integrity will be appraised according to the student academic behavior standards outlined in The Golden Rule of the University of Central Florida’s Student Handbook. See http://www.goldenrule.sdes.ucf.edu/ for further details

Notifications 

Each semester, review your Notification settings to make sure you receive course information in a timely manner. Use this notification guide to make adjustments. 

Conversations

Conversations will be an integral part of this course. Make sure you:

1. Check your inbox at least twice per week (more often is better).
2. Be patient. Don’t expect an immediate response when you send a message. Generally, two days is considered reasonable amount of time to receive a reply.
3. Be courteous and considerate. Being honest and expressing yourself freely is very important but being considerate of others online is just as important as in the classroom.
4. Make every effort to be clear. Online communication lacks the nonverbal cues that fill in much of the meaning in face-to-face communication.
5. Do not use all caps. This makes the message very hard to read and is considered "shouting." Check spelling, grammar, and punctuation (you may want to compose in a word processor, then cut and paste the message into the discussion or message).
6. Break up large blocks of text into paragraphs and use a space between paragraphs. 

Interaction Guidelines

Many of the "rules of the road" that apply to conversations also apply to the use of interactive tools used in this course. Use the following conventions when interacting with the instructor and fellow students:

1. While using synchronous tools, such as chat and conferences, be located in a quiet, private environment.  This will help you stay clear of disturbances.
2. If you want to send a personal message to the instructor or to another student, use conversations rather than the discussions (see Conversations).
3. Be patient. Don’t expect an immediate response when you post to a discussion.
4. Respect each other’s ideas, feelings and experience.
5. Be courteous and considerate. It is important to be honest and to express yourself freely, but being considerate of others is just as important and expected online, as it is in the classroom.
6. Explore disagreements and support assertions with data and evidence.
7. Be sure to post discussions in the appropriate discussion topic.
8. Do not use postings such as "I agree," "I don’t know either," "Who cares," or "ditto." They do not add to the discussion, take up space on the Discussions, and will not be counted for assignment credit.
9. Avoid posting large blocks of text. If you must, break them into paragraphs and use a space between paragraphs.
10. During a discussion assignment, deadlines for posting to and replying will be specified with each assignment. It is a good practice to always check the discussions tool multiple times during the week.

Viruses and Redundancy

A virus can spell disaster. Your use of a reputable anti-virus program is a requirement for participation in this course. AVG is a great, free antivirus program. Malwarebytes is a great anti-malware program

Back up your files using Microsoft Skydrive through Knightsmail. Technical issues can and will happen. These problems do occur and are really inconvenient, however, they are not a valid excuse for failing to get your work in on time. Store your documents using skydrive to minimize the impact of such events.

Technical Resources

• UCF’s Learning Online website provides information about Support Services and resources available for distance learners (e.g., UCF Service Desk, UCF Computer Store, and campus computer labs).
• Online@UCF Support provides technical support for students taking online courses at UCF.
• Knights Online: Resources specific for online students including Webcourses@UCF tutorials.

 

 

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism and cheating of any kind on an examination, quiz, or assignment will result at least in an "F" for that assignment (and may, depending on the severity of the case, lead to an "F" for the entire course) and may be subject to appropriate referral to the Office of Student Conduct for further action. See the UCF Golden Rule for further information. I will assume for this course that you will adhere to the academic creed of this University and will maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. In other words, don't cheat by giving answers to others or taking them from anyone else. I will also adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity, so please do not ask me to change (or expect me to change) your grade illegitimately or to bend or break rules for one person that will not apply to everyone.

Disability Statement

The University of Central Florida is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. This syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request. Students with disabilities who need accommodations in this course must contact the professor at the beginning of the semester to discuss needed accommodations. No accommodations will be provided until the student has met with the professor to request accommodations. Students who need accommodations must be registered with Student Disability Services, Ferrell Commons, 7F, Room 185, phone (407) 823-2371, TTY/TDD only phone (407) 823-2116, before requesting accommodations from the professor.

Copyright

This course may contain copyright protected materials such as audio or video clips, images, text materials, etc. These items are being used with regard to the Fair Use doctrine in order to enhance the learning environment. Please do not copy, duplicate, download or distribute these items. The use of these materials is strictly reserved for this online classroom environment and your use only. All copyright materials are credited to the copyright holder.

Third-Party Software and FERPA

During this course you might have the opportunity to use public online services and/or software applications sometimes called third-party software such as a blog or wiki. While some of these could be required assignments, you need not make any personally identifying information on a public site. Do not post or provide any private information about yourself or your classmates. Where appropriate you may use a pseudonym or nickname. Some written assignments posted publicly may require personal reflection/comments, but the assignments will not require you to disclose any personally identity-sensitive information. If you have any concerns about this, please contact your instructor.