Bucknell CSCI 240 - Computers and Society, Spring 2020, COVID UPDATE

Slack

To create a more supportive, responsive environment, we are going to use Slack, a message board environment that has been used successfully in several of my courses (and indeed in several Universities across the country). You should turn on notifications. I'll use Slack to send out any announcements. You will also use Slack to post any materials related to your group's presentation. Signup for Slack on the moodle

Reading Materials

The schedule has been updated! Make sure you keep track - course schedule

Structure of the Course

Now that we are remote, obviously things will need to change.
As previously, students must submit two questions the corresponding Moodle forum before that class.
In addition, each student should engage with two of the questions I post for the relevant channel (e.g., #computing-politics) in their respective threads (engaging can just be posting a response to the question or posing your own question based on the original question. I would ask that, as before, you continue to use the readings for context while engaging in those questions).
You should complete these responses within 7 days of that particular topic day

For example: We have computing and politics on 20-Mar (Friday). You should engage in two questions by 27-Mar (Sunday) 11:59pm Students are expected to frequently check the schedule to ensure that they are up to date with course plans. Students are expected to have read the listed assigned readings before that class on that corresponding date

Grading

The grading scheme will remain unchanged

Students will be assessed based on their professionalism and participation in the course, the classes they lead, a Medium Post based on the topic from the class they lead, Their entries in a weekly journal, and an end of the term project that includes a Poster and Medium Post.

Category	Weight
Weekly Journal	5%
Student led presentation on topic	25%
Medium post for student led presentation topic	10%
Professionalism and Participation	10%
End of Semester Medium Post	25%
End of Semester Videos	25%

Weekly Journal (5%)

You still should be completing weekly journals. The 1st official week to start completing journals again will be the week of 25-March

You will be required to keep a weekly journal in Moodle. You must create one entry every week, and only one entry. You cannot make up entries if you forget. If you do, they will not be counted toward your journal grade. Please use the Moodle built-in text editor to enter your entries, and do NOT attach other documents. Make your entry by selecting the “Add a new discussion topic” button. Your journal entry should contain the following information:

A brief outline of what you have learned since your last journal entry
Any challenges you may be facing or questions you may still have regarding with the current topics, as well as how you plan to approach these questions.
Any general comments regarding anything related to the course. This is not designed to take an large amount of time. It helps you reflect on your learning and me gauge how well the class is doing. In general, two or more paragraphs should be sufficient for most of your entries.

Student led classes (25% + 10%)

Students will organize activities for when they are scheduled to lead the discussion of a pre-determined topic. The schedule of topics for the semester is posted here.
There are (obviously) updates to what will be required of the remaining student presentations, some things will remain the same:

The student(s) will have done research in their topic to find at least 2 scholarly articles and as many journalistic articles as they want on their topic.
The group will communicate with Prof. Dancy (either via Slack or Zoom if they'd like) a draft of prepared slides and critical questions they'll use as prompts in the Slack channel for their particular topic. If you want to do something more creative and make a video based on your slides (idk, maybe you're a bit bored) feel free! But I'm just asking for the slides.
Two class periods before they are discussion leaders, students will distribute to the instructor and to the rest of the class the articles they have selected for their activity, electronically. (I can place them on the schedule & Moodle when I receive them.)
The discussion leaders will write and post a Medium Article (roughly equivalent to a 2-page paper), which demonstrates that they have thought through and consolidated the ideas they found in the literature within a week of their lecture presentation. This paper may include aspects of the discussion in class and must adhere to the well-understood principles of academic responsibility (indicate material that is being quoted, cite your sources, provide an organized bibliography or links to web resources, etc.) The rubric for this Medium article will be available here. This post is an example of a good (albeit longer) medium post that addresses a topic relating computing and society.
As long as the above instructions are followed, the remaining groups will receive the same presentation grade as the previous group that had the highest grade. In addition all groups that previously presented will have their original grade replaced with this same highest grade (I will update this when I have the highest grade...the last student-led presentation grades are currently sitting on a stack in my office)

Professionalism, Participation, and Questions (10%)

Students will be expected to attend class and submit two questions for every lecture that has a corresponding reading assignment. These questions will be submitted by students before that particular lecture and should be related to the readings (submitted via Moodle).
For participation, I'm just copying the message from above:
As previously, students must submit two questions the corresponding Moodle forum before that class.
In addition, each student should engage with two of the questions I post for the relevant channel (e.g., #computing-politics) in their respective threads (engaging can just be posting a response to the question or posing your own question based on the original question. I would ask that, as before, you continue to use the readings for context while engaging in those questions).
You should complete these responses within 7 days of that particular topic day

For example: We have computing and politics on 20-Mar (Friday). You should engage in two questions by 27-Mar (Friday) 11:59pm

Details of the Final Project (Medium Post & Poster/Videos) can be found HERE

End of Semester Medium Post (25%)

Student-pairs will choose a topic related to the learning objectives of this class and will write a proposal for their Medium post.

The topic chosen must be related to the topics discussed (or that will be discussed) in the class and the paper must address contemporary issues within the chosen theme. The rubric for the Medium Post is available here.
The Medium Post will be due the last day of classes, 27-April-2020, before midnight.

End of Semester Digital Poster & Videos based on Final Project Topic (25%)

Details of the requirements for the digital poster/videos can be found HERE

Attendance is mandatory?

Rejoice for you now don't have to worry about attendance.

Late Assignments

Late assignments will be accepted at the discretion of the instructor, we'll figure it out.

Emergencies, Special Circumstances, etc.

Emergencies happen. If one occurs, please contact your Dean as soon as possible. I am likely to give extensions or excused absences if you contact me before things are due. Please note that you should follow the school's policy for sports trip. If necessary, I can give you an assignment early or send an exam with you on the trip.

Special Accommodations

If you have a disability that may have some impact on your work in this class and for which you may require accommodations, please see me and Heather Fowler, Director of the Office of Accessibility Resources at hf007@bucknell.edu, 570-577-1188 or in room 212 Carnegie Building so that such accommodations may be arranged.

Non-Student Circumstances

I recognize that the college experience can sometimes be overwhelming and stressful trying to balance your academic pursuits with your non-academic life and interests. If you feel that things are getting overwhelming, please seek help. I am happy to talk to you and point you to a resource on campus that can work with you to get the help you need. If you feel comfortable, please reach out to me. If not, I do advise that you do get help. The Division of Student Affairs is the best starting point. You can find more information on their website: https://www.bucknell.edu/StudentAffairs

Basic Needs Security

Any student who has difficulty affording groceries or accessing sufficient and nutritious food to eat every day, or who lacks a safe and stable place to live, and believes it is affecting their learning, is urged to contact the Dean of Students for support. Furthermore, I encourage you to notify me of this as well - I will keep all such information confidential. This will enable me to provide any resources that I may possess and identify other resources in the University.

Important Disclaimer

The instructor promises the best effort in adhering to the above rules but reserve the right to change them if deemed necessary. For instance, slight alterations to the course schedule are possible if the class needs more/less time for a certain topic; additional readings may be assigned during the semester as needed; and so on. Updates will be announced in class and by email, posted on course webpage and on Moodle. Check your Bucknell email and Slack Forum at least daily.

This syllabus has benefitted from the ideas of and discussion with Prof. Felipe Perrone and Prof. Darakhshan Mir @ Bucknell University.