Benjamin Franklin Scholars Seminar fnar 238/538 â401 ...

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Open Book, page 2 p r e r e q u i s i t e s , e x p e c t a t i o n s , r e q u i r e m e n t s There are no prerequisites for this course. The class is intended for students who are strongly motivated to pursue a particular interest, and who can work independently—that means with plenty of feedback and support but little supervision. Because most of the work will be done outside of class, you will be expected to self-direct your work, both in terms of adhering to a (self-imposed) time schedule and in taking the initiative to find the resources you need. The freedom you will have in shaping your project might present difficulties different from a traditional classroom assignment. You will be engaged in a creative process which is, by nature, an open-ended endeavor; it comes with surprises and challenges. weekly presentations of work-in-progress Every Wednesday, we will discuss your project in class. You will present the progress you have made and receive feedback. From the very beginning, we will focus on articulating information visually, on keeping material records of one’s thinking process, on actually creating these records in cases in which we would normally forego the visual and rely on a (written or mental) note. You should get into the habit of drawing diagrams, visualizing abstract relationships, writing down ‘irrelevant’ thoughts, collecting seemingly unrelated artefacts and clippings, taking photographs, and collaging. In short, you should allow yourself to explore without the constant corrective of what is ‘relevant’ to your project. These visual records (preferably in the form of a bound sketchbook) will be part of your weekly presentation and should help you to convey your ideas more clearly. As we explore different media — computers, drawing, photography, letterpress, paper crafts, collage, typewriter, etc.— you will be expected to experiment with the newly acquired skills by applying them to in-progress models of your project. This might be a single letterpressed sheet, a digitally printed double-page spread of text and images, a paper dummy of an experimental binding method, etc. peer editing and feedback Students will be expected to engage with each other’s projects. This will involve—in addition to in-class discussions—reading fellow students’ work-in-progress and making editing suggestions. student slide presentations We will discuss traditional and alternative book forms and look at examples of book-related arts. During the semester, each student will be asked to make a 10–15 minute presentation accompanied by images (slides, powerpoint, etc.) on assigned topics. The presentation should include outline handouts.
Open Book, page 3 readings; response papers Occasionally, short readings will be assigned, either to the whole class, or individually. You will be asked to write informal responses to these readings. These responses will be due by the Sunday following the assignment. creative writing resources The Penn Critical Writing Program offers writing tutorials and other types of writing assistance. You are strongly encouraged to meet with a tutor to discuss your work. r e v i e w s , g r a d i n g , a t t e n d a n c e In addition to the ongoing informal in-class critiques, there will be a mid-term review with invited faculty. The finished project will be presented during a formal final review at the end of the semester. grading scheme About 40% of your final grade will be based on class participation (your weekly progress presentations and discussion). 60% will be derived from the grades you receive during the semester (mid-term review, slide presentation, response papers, final book). attendance If you miss more than two classes, each additional absence will lower your grade by one full letter. Please refer to departmental policies on attendance. If you have to miss a class (for whatever reason), you will need to contact the instructor as soon as possible and obtain any assignments to be completed for the next class. Please remember that it is your responsibility to stay on schedule with the rest of the class. d i g i t a l l a b s , p o l i c i e s There are several computer labs available to you (Van Pelt Library – Vitale Digital Media Lab at the Weigle Information Commons; Rosengarten Computer Lab). Please check on hours, access, equipment and compatibility of software. (www.library.upenn.edu/computing/laptops_labs.html ) We will have a couple of tutorials covering the basics of digital imaging. Those of you who have no or litle background in digital imaging (Photoshop, InDesign) will be required to attend additional scheduled tutorials. internet, earphones, cellphones Internet use and text-messaging during class time is not allowed (unless specifically permitted by the instructor). Any communication devices, such as cellphones, must be switched off and hidden out of sight.
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