Reading Responses (6 of 7)....................24% (4% each, +1% extra credit for turning in all 7)
Group Presentation/Participation........15%
Labs (8)....................................................24% (3% each)
Quizzes 1, 2, & 3......................................21% (7% each)
Final Quiz................................................16%

Reading Responses 

Reading responses are due every Tuesday and Thursday. You are required to turn in six out of seven; if you turn in all seven, you will receive 1% extra credit on your overall final grade, and your lowest reading response score will be dropped. 

The purpose of the reading responses is to encourage you to think creatively about the literature you are reading, and to express those thoughts clearly and succinctly in writing.  Each response should be roughly 250-500 words (about 1-2 pages double-spaced in 12-point font) and should cover some aspect of the readings that interested you.  For example: Do you agree with the author(s)? Disagree? Does an example or theory presented in the readings remind you of something from your own experiences?  Something from another reading?  Something from another class?  Why do you think you should care about these topics?  Should you?  Did one of the articles forget to cover something that you thought should have been covered? Was one of the chapters just really great?  Why? 

These are just a few of the questions you might start with - feel free to create your own.  Just avoid ad hominem critiques (where you critique the author, rather than the argument) - they’re unprofessional, and generally not as productive as other approaches.

Each response should focus on the articles/chapters assigned since the last response.  Referencing previous readings for comparison is great - just make sure those previous readings are not the focus.  Also, there’s no need to try to cram every article you read into your responses.  Feel free to respond to one particular article, or to compare a few different ones. Above all, think critically and creatively! 

Responses will be evaluated on a 20-point scale, according to:

1. •Relevance and completeness (On the appropriate readings; includes all required elements). 30%
   

2. •Quality of content: (Shows insight, critical analysis, and logical reasoning. Assertions supported by linking to data, examples, and references). 40%
   

3. •Presentation: (Good grammar, direct and concise, no passive voice). 20%
   

4. •References: (Includes footnotes or endnotes in Chicago, MLA, or APA style; references do NOT count towards your word count; links to some online style guides are here). 10%
   

And please - don’t forget to proofread!

Group Presentation 

Part of the 15% Group Presentation/Participation Grade

Each student will participate in a group presentation during the term.

The task is to build on the assigned readings for a topic and to lead a discussion and critique of the issue(s) presented. The group should explain the main points, issues, or disputes. Are the authors correct? Why/Why not? Expand on the topic through at least two outside sources that are relevant to the topic–e.g. include content from a newspaper article, a website, a program, or other credible sources.

Some form of graphic presentation (e.g., PowerPoint) is expected along with relevant handouts. Videos, dialogues/debates, etc. are welcome. Anything goes as long as it is relevant to the topic being presented. Each group must consult with the TA prior to the presentation and receive feedback on the proposed presentation agenda and discussion topics.

The class presentation and ensuing discussion should take no more than 30 minutes.

The group members may split up the work. Student A may present the first half of a topic while Student B may present the second half. Student C may offer the critique. Not every group member must present, however ALL group members must contribute significantly. The group should get together and communicate to assign roles and discuss strategy.

Approach this assignment professionally: prepare an outline or note cards that you will talk through. Do not simply read several passages or points from the related course readings (we can all read the article) -- provide analysis, put it in your own words, use examples etc.

An initial group grade will be assigned, but students will also complete a group assessment of each member. Final grades will be assigned individually based on the presentation and group assessments. In particular, a very low grade will be assigned to any group member not contributing significantly.

Learning how to collaborate successfully is a key professional skill. This assignment will require that all group members take an active role in preparing the presentation, and speaking in front of the class. If any group experiences challenges in working together, please request assistance from the TA or Instructor.

Labs 

There are eight (8) required labs in this course. They will take place as part of the regular course time, on the following schedule:

1. Information is Everywhere (mini-lab)                     Monday, July 27   
   

2. Search, Structured & Unstructured Information          Tuesday, July 28
   

3. Knowledge Organization & Information Architecture   Thursday, July 30
   

4. Information Behavior                                                      Tuesday, August 4
   

5. Human-Computer Interaction                                Thursday, August 6
   

6. Intellectual Property                                                      Wednesday, August 12
   

7. Privacy & Security                                                      Monday, August 17
   

8. Cutting Edge Systems, Social Networking                    Wednesday, August 19
   

Lab descriptions and handouts are available here.

Quizzes 

Each of the first three quizzes will only cover the material covered since the previous quiz - they won’t be cumulative.  Quizzes will be open-note and open-book; laptops, etc. can also be used, so long as their wireless connections are turned off.  Since you will only be given 30 minutes to complete each of these quizzes, organizing and preparing the materials you are planning to use beforehand is highly recommended. 

The final quiz will follow the same general form as the first three quizzes, but will be cumulative, including everything we’ve covered in class.  You will be given 90 minutes to complete the final quiz on the last scheduled day of class. 

Collect It Dropbox

Reading Responses and Group Presentation self-evaluations will be turned in via Collect It (a Catalyst tool) at this site: https://catalysttools.washington.edu/collectit/dropbox/eaj6/5949

Class Participation

Your class participation grade (aside from your group presentation grade) reflects the quality of participation and the regularity of your involvement in discussion.

Grading

You will receive a decimal grade for this class.

General grading information for the University of Washington is available here.

Your written work will be graded based on its clarity, organization, balance, amount of pertinent detail included, depth and clarity of evaluative and analytical comments, and preparation. It will also be graded on the extent to which a good understanding of the material presented in the course is shown and on the extent to which directions are followed. If evaluative or analytical comments are required, they should be supported by factual evidence, either from readings or other documents. Other aspects of individual assignments may also be included in the grading.

Written work that shows a lack of understanding of subject matter, is unclear or poorly organized, contains few or irrelevant details, does not follow directions, contains little or unsubstantiated evaluative commentary, or is poorly written, prepared (e.g. typos, grammatical errors), or documented will receive low grades.

Late assignments: will incur an automatic .25 deduction in grade - per day.  Re extenuating circumstances: if at all possible please notify the instructor BEFORE the day the assignment is due.

Students are encouraged to take drafts of their writing assignments to the Odegaard Research & Writing Center for assistance with using citations ethically and effectively, and other writing issues. Information on scheduling an appointment can be found here.

Evaluation of Student Work:

You may expect to receive comments on and evaluations of assignments and submitted work in a timely fashion. All work from the course will be returned, with comments, within two weeks of the last class of the quarter.