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Description:
Introduction to Technology, Literacy, and Culture is an interdisciplinary course that examines some of the shared principles and approaches of the disciplines that make up the Liberal Arts. In this course we will explore the ways that changes in the technologies of communication and human interaction are transforming the environments for teaching and learning, for work, and for the culture in general. This course closely examines a wide range of perspectives held by people with very different attitudes toward, and experiences with the integration of technology in their lives.
We will consider the following questions:
- How do new forms of literacy develop in technologically enhanced environments, and how do new media change both the methods of conducting research and our ways of communicating our results?
- How are these changes taking place today, and what implications can we anticipate in the future?
- Who is being served well by new technologies, and who is being excluded or served badly?
- What are some of the unintended consequences of adopting new technologies?
The course has a substantial writing component and an extensive practical component (studio, lab, or computer-based environment) in which students will gain experience and competence with several kinds of information technology.
Prerequisite:
Completion of thirty semester hours of coursework.
Requirements:
There are 4 major project assignments and regular informal writing assignments required for TLC 321. Please note the policies on late work, below.
Course Objectives:
The objectives for students include the following:
- Students will be introduced to a new field of study, which has the potential for transforming the relationships between technology, human beings, and their cultures.
- Students will gain experience with a variety of research methods and strategies for comparative analysis
- Students will explore implications of diverse information structures, including hypertext, text-based virtual reality, and the Web.
- Students will experiment with design, for aggregating, organizing, and presenting information.
- Students will develop their own projects based on existing challenges in this field.
The CWRL classroom:
This course is held in a CWRL networked computer classroom, which offers a variety of resources for constructing projects, researching topics, and communicating with each other and with other researchers.
Texts and Materials:
Required: Literacy, Technology, and Society: Confronting the Issues, by Gail E. Hawisher and Cynthia L. Selfe, available at the campus area bookstores and online sources
TLC 321 Course Manual, available only at the University Co-op
At least two zip disks (one for backups!); may be purchased at the Campus Computer Store. Alternatively, you may use floppy disks, but you must have backup copies of all work. All disks must be labeled with your name and phone number.
Grading Policy:
Grades in this course are determined on the basis of an Online Learning Record, which accompanies a portfolio of work presented at the midterm and at the end of the course.These portfolios present a selection of student work, both formal and informal, completed during the semester, ongoing observations about student learning, and analysis of student work and interpretations with respect to the student's development across five dimensions of learning: confidence and independence, knowledge and understanding, skills and strategies, use of prior and emerging experience, and reflectiveness. This development centers around the major strands of work in the course: rhetoric and composition, research, technology, and collaboration. Please review the information at the OLR web site carefully.
Please note: All assigned work, including informal writing, proposals, rough drafts, finished projects, peer critiques, the midterm OLR and final OLR must be completed and submitted on time to receive a passing grade in this course. Except under extraordinary circumstances, there will be no incompletes in this class.
Class Policy
Attendance: Regular attendance is required. Please be prompt. IF YOU MISS MORE THAN THREE CLASSES, YOU WILL FAIL THE COURSE. If you are late to class, or leave before the end of class, it counts as one-half of an absence.
Reading Assignments: Any reading assignment should be completed before the class period in which it is discussed.
Participation: An important part of your grade is based on your contributions to the class, through our discussion forums and other assigned informal writing. You should post a message of substance (at least a paragraph) by Monday evening for the topic(s) discussed that week, generally based on the course readings. We will give you suggestions of what you might consider, but you can raise other issues.
Late Assignments: Projects, drafts, and other out-of-class assignments are due at the BEGINNING of the class period for which they have been assigned. Missing a workshop session results in an absence for that day. There is no make-up of in-class work. Short out-of-class assignments are NOT accepted late.
Personal Web Site: To be able to publish on the Web, you will need a ACITS computer account validated for a UNIX or VMS system (Start Here). To open an account, or to get an existing one validated for one of these machines, go to the Help Desk in WCH 1.104. Bring your UT ID. For more information, call the Help Desk at 475-9400.
Honesty: All work submitted must be your own. You may discuss assignments together, but all that you write should be yours. If you wish to incorporate someone else's ideas, you must acknowledge your source whether or not you quote the material directly. Be sure you read and understand the DRC Statement on Scholastic Responsibility. If you have questions about the use of source materials, see me before turning in the assignment. Plagiarism is a serious offense in college. See the Student Judicial Services statement on Academic Integrity. Serious cases of plagiarism will result in failing the course and possibly expulsion from the university. Do not use editing services other than those provided by the Undergraduate Writing Center or the Learning Skills Center.
Complaints: Bring any complaints to the instructor's attention first.
Please Be Aware of the Public Nature of This Course: The Computer Writing and Research Lab (CWRL) is both a teaching and a research lab. Students in CWRL classes and CWRL instructors have made valuable contributions to research in teaching writing. Some of this work has found its way into research journals and books intended to help improve writing instruction. To continue this research, the CWRL is required to get student signatures on a release form. On the 12th class day, all students taking classes in the CWRL are required to sign a release that states:
"All work that you produce for this class and in online class discussions are public and are archived for future research. Faculty and graduate students who teach in computer classrooms are conducting on-going research to make writing instruction more effective. These and other researchers may read and quote from these archives. If you wish to take a course in the CWRL, you must sign an agreement that your work for the course, including Internet postings, is in the public domain and may be read and reproduced (edited as appropriate) in future publications by researchers.
The CWRL will not assume responsibility for personal views or any offensive material that you may post to a public forum as a result of your work in this class. Neither will the CWRL assume responsibility for further distribution of any work that is posted to a public forum."
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