Course Syllabus

The class grade is divided into two main categories:

Classwork: 40% of your final grade

Final Project: 60% of your final grade

Classwork

Throughout the semester you will complete shorter assignments both in class and online. Classwork is divided into two main categories:

Class Participation, Notes, and Attendance (10% of Total Grade)

You are responsible for keeping up with the games and readings and contributing to class discussion both in person and online. Points are earned for meaningful participation in class; points are deducted for disruptive behavior.

This grade includes but is not limited to:

• quizzes that serve to make sure that you are reading/playing on schedule and to take attendance
• notes that serve to make sure that you are critically thinking about the readings/playings
• attendance which serves to make sure that you are continuing to give this class the appropriate amount of time and attention. You are expected to come to class on a regular basis. After two days or one week’s worth of unexplained absences your grade may be penalized.

Initial Response (30% of Total Grade)

For each reading assignment you will turn in a one page response to the games, texts, and/or videos. This amounts to about one per week until the Mock Conference starts (see below).

Note: Your response doubles as your attendance for Monday. Failure to turn in this response tells me that you did not do the readings and therefore counts as an absence for the day.

Final Project

By the end of the semester you will create a conference-level paper that can be submitted to academic conferences. This final project will be submitted in three parts:

Abstract (10% of Total Grade)

Before you are allowed to present at an academic conference you submit a summary abstract to a Call For Papers (CFP). You will receive a mock CFP midway through the semester and write an abstract to that CFP including a bibliography of 5-10 works you will use in the final conference paper.

You will not be able to give a presentation without completing the abstract.

Mock Conference Presentation (10% of Total Grade)

The last few weeks of class will be dedicated to a mock conference in which students will present a 10 minute rough draft of their final conference paper. Each day after the 3 or 4 students give their presentations, students in the audience will be given the chance to ask questions that the presenters must answer intelligently.

Mock Conference Participation (10% of Total Grade)

When a student is not presenting, you will be taking notes and asking intelligent questions at the end of the presentation. Each day, you will turn in a worksheet online with your day’s notes for participation credit.

Final Paper (30% of Total Grade)

The final paper will be a 20 minute (8-10 page) conference-level paper analyzing a game or games and/or community of your choice and incorporating at least one class reading and 5-10 outside sources.

Class Rules and UCF Services

Late Work

Absolutely no late work will be accepted unless under extreme and well-documented circumstances.

Class Discussion

Students are to remain respectful during class discussions at all times. Insults, hate speech, and other such inappropriate comments as defined in the Student Handbook will not be tolerated and, if persisted in after admonition by the teacher, will be grounds for removal from the class. This includes, but is not limited to: slurs, risqué jokes, and slang.

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.

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.

University Writing Center

Colbourn 105

Satellite Locations: Main Library, Rosen Library & Online

407-823-2197 http://uwc.cah.ucf.edu/

The University Writing Center (UWC) offers writing support to UCF students from first-year to graduate in every discipline. Trained peer consultants provide help at every stage of the writing process, including understanding assignments, researching, drafting, revising, incorporating sources, and learning to proofread and edit. The UWC’s purpose is not merely to fix papers or to make better writers, but to teach writers strategies to navigate complex situations for writing, both in and outside the University. Consultations are available for individuals and small groups. To make the best use of the UWC, visit far enough before your due date to allow yourself time to revise after your consultation, browse the writing resources on our website, and arrange a regular weekly appointment if you’d like long-term help. You may schedule a 45-minute appointment by phone or by using the TutorTrac scheduler on our website; walk-in consultations are also available. In addition, the UWC seeks graduate and undergraduate tutors from all majors; contact the UWC to learn more about peer writing consulting and ENC 4275/5276: Theory & Practice of Tutoring Writing, our three-credit tutor-education course.

Disability Statement

UCF 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, Student Resource Center Room 132, phone (407) 823-2371.

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.