Author: Kayla_Yuh

This week’s WAC-friendly highlighted assignment

Professor: Becky Heritage

Course: Introduction to Interactive Media Technologies Design Process

Assignment (brief description): Essay 2

Students are to write an argumentative essay on how new technologies of communication have affected the way we live, think, and interact with one another. Several topics are given from which students can choose one or more topic(s) to focus on to make an argument on how specific technologies will affect a particular subculture/sub genre they choose to discuss.

What WAC principle(s) does this assignment exemplify?

– Clear and Detailed Instruction: One thing that stands out the most about this assignment is that the instructor has clearly laid out what students are expected to do to complete this assignment, including some tips that students can bear in mind as they compose their argumentative essay as instructed.

– Scaffolding and Minimal Marking: The instructor asks students to write an outline and a draft before they hand in their final draft, which invites students to polish their writing as well as their arguments. There seems to be an in-class discussion portion as well as a blog posting portion before and after they write their papers, which further shows the principle of “writing as process”. Moreover, the outline seems to be a process for the students to develop their ideas, while the first draft is a part where the instructor will provide appropriate feedback. This exemplifies the principle of minimal marking, in that not everything has to be marked with feedbacks, depending on the process and purpose of the assignment. The assignment is also thematically scaffolded, in that some of the issues that students are asked to discuss in their essay derive from the concepts that students had already been asked to respond to in previous classes.

– Learning (Technology) through Writing: As an introductory course into the field of interactive media technology, the course covers different technical aspects of the audio, visual, tactile, and interaction design. Considering the specificities of the course content, writing about technology in lieu of relevant current issues and future implications is a great way to not only improve their critical thinking skills in analyzing the uses of technology in life, but also deepen their understanding on the technological concepts covered in class.

How might this type of assignment be used in other courses across the curriculum?

Any courses in the School of Technology and Design could definitely benefit from the model that Professor Heritage has created with this assignment as a way to expand and deepen students’ grasp on the technical concepts that are covered in the course. However, bridging contemporary social issues and the course content is something that can be executed in different forms in any discipline, whether as case study or research paper type final projects or as preliminary research portion for a larger and more technologically in-depth projects.

This week’s WAC-friendly highlighted assignment

Professor: Jenna Spevack

Course:
Graphic Design Principles I

Assignment (brief description):
 View From My Window

Create black and white figure-ground compositions (stable and ambiguous) using the simplified forms observed within the bounds of your home window (frame).

What WAC principle(s) does this assignment exemplify?

– Scaffolding : In each class for about two weeks, students are asked to complete small assignments that go toward the final assignment that will be presented.

– Writing as a creative tool : The assignment begins with a short low-stake writing segment that will help students verbalize their inspiration for the project.  The assignment ends with a short low-stake writing that documents their thoughts about this project, which will help students with their other projects in the course.

– Writing as a process : For the initial short writing, students are asked to write a draft in their Creative Process Book and then post a refined version of that writing on a blog, thereby helping students refine and clarify their inspirations for the project.

How might this type of assignment be used in other courses across the curriculum?

Scaffolding of the assignment into small segments can be used in any courses across the curriculum to provide a clear guideline for students, to enhance students’ understanding of and commitment to the assignment, and eventually to deepen students’ grasp of the course material.

Additionally, any course could model the way blog was used for this assignment.  As exemplified here, framing the writing portion of the assignment as a blog posting can give students ownership of their own writing, especially in determining when it is ready to publicize it. As a result, students were able to find the fine balance between formal and informal tone of voice in their writing. Such a writing practice can enhance students’ initial engagement with the project, but more importantly, can serve as a tool to improve students’ writing by giving them just the right amount of pressure.