Class Participation and Preparation Activities

Class discussion constitutes one key method of developing your analytical skills. Thus, I expect prompt, regular attendance and active participation in discussions of texts. You should come prepared for each class session, with required reading or film screenings completed. Throughout the term, I will assign class preparation activities in which you respond to questions or analyze particular passages or characters. These exercises will not only prepare you for class discussions, but they will also provide material for essays. During class discussions, students should plan to ask questions, make comments, summarize their class preparation activities, interpret passages, or contribute to small-group exchanges. Students should also expect me to call on them, as I want everyone to earn full points for class participation. Like all skills, speaking in class becomes easier with practice. I do not expect fully polished analyses in class discussion; rather, your contributions represent ideas for further development.

The computer-integrated environment presents the temptation of email and the web; therefore, students must follow basic ground rules in the lab:

• Students will not type when somebody is addressing the class.
• Students will not check email or surf the web during class, unless instructed to do so.

Lack of engagement in class activities, inadequate preparation, and failure to adhere to lab classroom rules will substantially lower your participation grade for the course.

Essays

You will complete three essays—a scene staging of Hamlet; a comparison of two cinematic adaptations of the play; and an analysis of Gertrude and Claudius. In class, we will complete pre-writing activities to help you formulate essay arguments, select effective supporting evidence, and logically organize thoughts. I encourage you to discuss your paper ideas with me in office hours. You may also seek feedback from consultants at the Odegaard Writing and Research Center. During the final week of class, we will work extensively on revision strategies. At that time, you may work with me and your peers to revise up to two of your essays for a new grade.

Please title, paginate, type and double-space your essays, using one-inch margins. In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, include your name, the course number, the assignment number, and the due date. Use a commonly installed font (Arial, Garamond, Georgia, Times New Roman, Verdana) for your papers. Students will use Collect It to turn in their essays in electronic format.

Presentation

Groups of three to four students will give a twenty-minute presentation that analyzes one filmmaker’s adaptation of Hamlet and offers a close reading of a key scene.

Email and Access to Course Web Site

You must have a UW Net ID, a working email account and a way to access the course web site. I will frequently upload schedule changes and other materials to the web. You will often submit class preparation exercises and essays using web-based tools. I also expect to communicate regularly with you—and for you to communicate with each other—via email.

As a student in a computer-integrated course, you have late-afternoon and early evening access to Mary Gates 076, a CIC-restricted lab connected to our class network. The lab is open afternoons Monday through Thursday.

Policies

Lateness Policy

Since class preparation activities form the basis of in-class discussion, I will not accept these assignments late, nor will I allow students to reschedule their group presentations. Essays are due at the time indicated; work submitted after the due date and time will be considered late. Late essays will receive a 10-point deduction per day late, including weekends and holidays. Please note that I will not accept late essay revisions, as such revisions are optional. I will make exceptions to the lateness policy only in cases of documented illness or family emergency.

Technology glitches do not constitute valid excuses for lateness. To avoid computer problems, you should save frequently while working, and you should back up work saved to a hard drive on memory stick or your Dante account. If you use a word processing program other than Microsoft Word, make sure to save in Rich Text Format to avoid file conversion problems.

Plagiarism Policy

In your class preparation, presentation, and essays, you may draw upon the ideas and words of other writers. However, you must make clear to your audience that you are incorporating another’s work by placing quotation marks around exact words and citing the author’s name whenever you quote, summarize or paraphrase. Failure to credit sources may result in a failing grade for the assignment, a failing grade for the course, or expulsion from the university.