Assessment
The English Department (which will be administering DHUM 250 this semester) uses the following scale for grading purposes: A+ (90-100), A (85-89), A- (80-84), B+ (77-79), B (73-76), B- (70-72), C+ (65-69), C (60-64), D (50-59), and F (0-49).
I do not use plagiarism detection software when assessing student work, and final grades will be determined in accordance with the University’s official grading system.
N Grades
Students who have completed the following elements of the course will be considered to have completed the course and will be assigned a final grade: At least four log entries, and the final reflection.
Failure to complete these elements will result in a grade of “N” regardless of the cumulative percentage on other elements of the course. An “N” is a failing grade, and it factors into a student’s GPA as 0 (the maximum percentage that can accompany an “N” on a transcript is 49).
A special note about the grades for log entries: Log entries will be marked in bundles of three or four, based partly upon learning outcomes specific to the logs. For each log, these learning outcomes will be explicitly stated in a “prompt” given in advance to students.
Circulation of Marks and Feedback
I will not—at any time—post grades online, outside my office door, or in any other public forum. Grades will be circulated privately.
Grading Rubric for the Research Log
A+: The content is well composed, and the markup is valid. The entry not only meets the requirements of the prompt but also adds additional, interesting code, features, or design elements that were not required for the assignment. These additions augment the overall quality of the log entry and demonstrate that the student is learning more than what is being taught during class meetings.
A- or A: The content is well composed, and the markup is valid. The entry not only meets the requirements of the prompt but also adds additional, interesting code, features, or design elements that were not required for the assignment. These additions augment the overall quality of the log entry and demonstrate that the student comprehends what is being taught during class meetings.
B- through B+: The content is well composed, and the markup is valid or contains fewer than five errors. The entry meets the requirements of the prompt.
C or C+: The content is not well composed, and the markup contains more than five errors. The entry meets some requirements of the prompt.
D: The content is not well composed, and the markup contains more than eight errors. The entry does not meet the requirements of the prompt.
F: The content is missing. The entry does not meet any requirements of the prompt.
How to Do Well in this Course
Write while you read material (online or offline). For me this means annotating a text as I read it. You can annotate print and digital texts.
Come to class with ideas and questions. Be curious. Seek connections between texts, between projects, and between this course and others, even in other disciplines.
Take notes during class meetings. A significant portion of your log entries intersects with what we talk about in class.
Let me know when you don’t follow what I’m saying. I am not aware of what you do not know or do not understand, and I may assume more contextual knowledge on your part than you have. I find this stuff fascinating, but I will not always know what you want to investigate or know more about—so please tell me.
Persuasive work takes time. Before you submit a log entry, consider circulating drafts. Ask friends or peers to give your work a gander. Come chat with me during office hours.
During class and in writing, be concrete when you comment on anyone’s work (including the materials we’re discussing). Quote it. Speak to specific elements. And then respond with your own interpretations. When the work is by a peer, be sure to affirm her or his ideas (e.g., “I like how you…”).
Use your research log to share ideas and discuss the texts outside of class. If you have a question, then ask your classmates or me. If you hear something you want to remember, then note it for later reference. If you like the work your peer’s done, then tell her or him so.
(“How to Do Well in this Course” adapted from a syllabus written by Christopher Douglas, University of Victoria Department of English.)