Class work

Your grade in C250 is based on a 1,000-point system. Everything you do related to our class earns points, and you will build your grade for our class over the course of the next 15 weeks. Our project work is all team-based, so a big part of your success in C250 is based on your making valuable contributions to your team. In addition to the major projects, you will produce some work of worth in every lecture and lab session. Below is a breakdown of our coursework in StoryLab 1.

Major projects (60% / 600 points)

The bulk of your grade will be deterimined by your work on three major projects, each one focused on a different aspect of media storytelling: visual communication, journalism and public relations. Here are those projects (with deadlines in parentheses):

Each project is worth 20 percent (200 points) of your final grade.

You will work as part of a two-, three- or four-person team for each of these projects. For each project, three quarters of your score will be the team score, based on the quality of the work your team submits. The remaining 25 percent of your project grade will be your individual score, determined by your teammates’ ratings (and your own) of your contributions to your group and your professionalism, initiative and collaboration.

Projects are due at 11AM (shortly before the lecture starts) on the above dates. And each project will be accompanied by a project “reflection” of some sort — see the project prompts and assignments on Canvas for more details.

Participation (30% / 300 points)

You will steadily build your Participation score over the next 15 weeks, accumulating points by doing creative work in lectures and, especially, in weekly labs.

Most lecture exercises will involve a short response (on Packback) or completion of a Canvas assignment, and most will be worth three points. They will be given in lecture, and you must attend lecture to earn these points. For Participation via Packback, you must reach a “curiosity score” of 50 (out of a possible 100) to earn the full points.

Lab exercises are worth more — 10 points — because they are more involved. We will use the labs to have you learn and practice the skills you will need to employ for your project work; most are worth ten points. Lab exercises are designed to be completed within the 75 minutes of your lab sessions, but you can complete them later on Fridays if necessary — they are due at 11:59PM the day they are assigned.

If you are unable to attend lab, you can still get credit for the exercise (though not for attending class) if you submit the lab work before the deadline. If you miss the deadline, you have one week to complete the assignment and earn half credit. There will be handouts (which we will print but keep in the lab) and videos to help teach you the skills and take you step by step through creating the assigned exercise. If you miss a class with an excused absence, we will work with you on establishing an extended deadline for your lab work, but this will usually be a one-week extension.

“Supersized” participation work will involve creative and individual work outside of class, and there will be a weeklong “supersized” assignment with each of our three units. In the visual unit, you will create a gallery of images to define your life on campus. For the journalism unit, you will cover and report a breaking news story. And for the persuasive unit, you will create a press release. Each “supersized” assignment is worth double the points of a typical lab.

Quizzes (10% / 100 points)

We will have four short quizzes at various times throughout the semester — usually when we finish a unit. You will take these quizzes on Canvas, outside of class time. Quizzes will stay open for about 36 hours, which should give you ample time to complete them, and once they close they will not re-open (so please don’t ask). If something happens that absolutely prevents you from taking a quiz, please let us know.