Assignments
Grading System
Grades for this course are figured using a weighted points system. What does that mean? You will earn points in the categories listed below. Your percentage grade in each category (points earned ÷ points possible = percentage) will then hold the following “weight” in your final grade:
- Reading checks on Perusall 15%
- Flash pitch 10%
- Drafting and feedback 25%
- Business plan (your assigned section) 25%
- Participation 25%
I will use Canvas to log your grades. I will round to the nearest whole point. (89.3= 89%, 89.7= 90%, etc.). I offer no extra credit. Here are the letter grades that correspond with the percentages:
| Grade | Percentage | Grade | Percentage | Grade | Percentage | Grade | Percentage | Grade | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | B+ | 88-89 | C+ | 78-79 | D+ | 68-69 | F | Below 60 | |
| A | 94-100 | B | 84-87 | C | 74-77 | D | 64-67 | - | |
| A- | 90-93 | B- | 80-83 | C- | 70-73 | D- | 60-63 | - |
Assignments
All assignments are due to Canvas 15 minutes before class starts. You should expect to read and write for almost every class period. The prompt for each assignment, linked below, gives more details on how you’ll be graded, including rubrics, when relevant.
Reading checks: Reading and taking notes will be essential to your learning in this course. I want to give you credit for doing it. For that reason (and because I try to avoid tests/quizzes whenever possible), we’ll use Perusall, a reading and annotation platform that allows for social interaction (e.g. “upvoting,” “nested comments,” etc.) to improve group comprehension and discussion.
Flash pitch: At midterms, you’ll do a 4-minute mini-pitch of an original media startup idea. Everyone will evaluate the pitches and, as a discussion section, you’ll choose one idea to pursue collectively for the rest of the term.
Media business plan: During the second half of the semester, you’ll work with your discussion section to conceive and develop a business plan for an original media startup. You’ll conduct market research, identify the project’s purpose (value proposition), evaluate revenue streams, and more. You’ll each be responsible for writing different sections, which you’ll submit to the class for extensive feedback. At the end, your project managers will pitch the project to the class.
Drafting and feedback: The team members responsible for a given section of the media business plan will post it to a Canvas discussion board. Everyone in the class is then responsible for line editing the document and giving them feedback in the form of a written letter. For information about the structure of our in-class peer review workshops, see here.
Participation: We will spend the majority of our class time doing hands-on activities in which you are actively responding to your own and others’ work. Everyone’s progress in the class depends upon these activities. For that reason, it is crucial that you participate to the best of your ability. The most successful class participants, in my experience, are those that listen well, stay focused, think before they speak, and work hard to make sure everyone in the class—even shy or quiet members—feels heard and included.
You can earn a maximum of 2 participation points per day, which I will track in an Excel spreadsheet. If you show up on time and pay attention (not on your phone, checking email, working on other assignments, sleeping, etc.), you earn 1 point. You earn the second point by actively contributing to the class discussions or, when we have a guest speaker, asking or responding to questions. Note: During group work, if I have to tell your small group to focus and/or talk to each other, you’ve already lost that second point. If you don’t know what to do or say, it’s your responsibility to call me over for help. I’m always happy to help get your conversation started if you’re stuck.