Professor: Jim Brown
Teaching Assistant: Michael Russo
Meeting Place: Paul Robeson Library, Room 401
Meeting Time
Tuesday/Thursday, 9:30am-10:50am
Jim's Office: 213 Fine Arts
Jim's Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday, 11:00am-12:00pm [Make an Appointment]
Jim's Email: jim[dot]brown[at]rutgers[dot]edu
Michael's Office: 467 Armitage
Michael's Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday, 2:00pm-3:00pm [Please email in advance]
Michael's Email: russo[dot]ink[at]rutgers[dot]edu
Course Website: http://courses.jamesjbrownjr.net/225_fall2014
Prerequisites
"English Composition II" or "Critical Methods in English"
Learning Outcomes
- Students will learn strategies for conducting close analysis of both videogames and literature, determining which critical tools are best suited for different kinds of expressive artifacts.
- Students will learn how to compose and design texts and games with digital tools.
- Students will develop effective writing and design processes by creating multiple drafts and incorporating feedback from peers and instructors.
- Students will learn strategies for collaborating with others on writing and design projects.
Required Texts and Games
Available at the University District Bookstore
- Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline
- First Person: New Media as Story, Performance, and Game, edited by Noah Wardrip-Fruin and Pat Harrigan
Available at Amazon:
- Lucky Wander Boy (Kindle Version), by D.B. Weiss
Available at various websites for various platforms:
Optional Equipment
Available at various websites and stores:
- USB Flash Drive
Course Work
Course work will be uploaded to Sakai, and Michael will inform you of the proper procedures for doing so. The grade breakdown for work in this class is as follows (see the Assignments page for details):
- 15% Attendance
- 10% Twitter
- 15% Storify of one week's tweets
- 25% Catalogue of Obsolete Entertainments Essay
- 25% OASIS Twine Game (Group Project)
- 20% Videogame Storify (Group Project)
Attendance
Success in this class will require regular attendance. With adequate notice, absences resulting from religious observances and university-endorsed extracurricular activities will be excused. Michael will take attendance at the beginning class meetings. You are required to attend class daily, arrive on time, do assigned reading and writing, and participate in all in-class work. Please save absences for when you are sick or have a personal emergency. If you find that an unavoidable problem prevents you from attending class or from arriving on time, please discuss the problem with me and Michael.
Lateness
If you are more than 5 minutes late for class, you will be considered absent. If there is something keeping you from getting to class on time (i.e., you have a long trek across campus right before our class), please let me and Michael know during the first week of class.
Computers, Smartphones, etc.
Please feel free to use your computer or any other device during class, provided that your use of it is related to what we are working on in class. Please silence cell phones during class.
Late Assignments
Due dates for assignments are posted on the course schedule. We will not accept late work, and anything submitted after the deadline will receive a grade of zero.
Intellectual Property
All writing and design involves some level of appropriation - we cite the work of others and in some cases we even imitate that work. However, copying and pasting existing texts, having another student complete an assignment for you, or any other violations of the university's Academic Integrity Policy will result in a failing grade. If you have questions about the that policy, please see the Dean of Student Affairs website.
Technology Policy
We will use technology frequently in this class. Although we are assuming that you have some basic knowledge of computers, such as how to use a keyboard and mouse, and how to use the Web and check email, our use of technology will be explained in class. If you don’t understand what we are doing, please ask for help. If you are familiar with the technology we are using, please lend a helping hand to your classmates.
Sakai, Course Website, and Email
You should check your email daily. Class announcements and assignments may be distributed through email. The course website will also have important information about assignments and policies. Pay close attention to the course calendar as we move through the semester. We reserve the right to move things around if necessary.
The Office of Disability Services
From the The Office of Disability Services (ODS):
"The ODS provides students with confidential advising and accommodation services in order to allow students with documented physical, mental, and learning disabilities to successfully complete their course of study at Rutgers University – Camden. The ODS provides for the confidential documentation and verification of student accommodations, and communicates with faculty regarding disabilities and accommodations. The ODS provides accommodation services, which can include readers, interpreters, alternate text, special equipment, and note takers. The ODS acts as a signatory for special waivers. The ODS also works with students, faculty, staff and administrators to enforce the American with Disabilities Act of 1990."
If you believe you might require an accommodation, please contact the ODS early in the semester.
Contacting Instructors
If you have questions, you should first contact Michael either in person or via email. If Michael cannot answer the question, he will put you in touch with Jim. Emails to Jim and Michael must come from your Rutgers email address. They must include a title describing the purpose of the email, a salutation (for example, "Dear Jim"), a clear explanation of what the email is about, and a signature.
