Storytelling in New Media
Introductory Topics in Literary Study: EN 220-A
Spring 2016, M/W 1-2:15, Cushing-Martin 142
Digital Media Production. LC 339-A W 2:30-5:00, Duffy
210
Wendy
Chapman Peek
Office:
Cushing-Martin 123
508-565-1706
Office
Hours: Wednesdays 11:00-1:00, Thursdays 3-4 & other times by appt.
Course objective: This course
offers an investigation of the art of storytelling in media forms developed or
popularized within the last hundred years: film, television, and comics. Our
interest will be primarily formal; that is, we will focus on the forms artists
choose in telling their stories, including the move toward formal innovation in
narrative. We will also look at
lyric expression in poetry and film, what are often referred to in film as
non-narrative or avant-garde forms, so as to understand the differences between
the two modes of expression.
My primary aim is to give you exposure to a wide array
of artistic options, so that you can clearly evaluate the utility of each when
you create your own artistic production.
This class is 3 credits, which means that you are
expected to put in 6-9 hours per week outside of class for preparation. Your
daily responsibilities include coming to class on time every day with the
materials assigned
for discussion, with notes from your readings, and with the assignment completed.
NOTE: The class-determined penalty for not bringing assigned reading to class will be that the violator must …
Assignments: I will calculate your final grade based on the work you do on three
papers (20% each), 10 short assignments (5% apiece, the 2 lowest grades will be
dropped) and participation. If you participate effectively in every class,
you’ll earn an A for participation; irregular but effective participation = B;
very limited participation = C. Short assignments will be graded with a √ +, √ , or √ -. These checks roughly equal a 90, 80,
70.
You must turn in all of the
assignments to pass the class; this is a necessary though not sufficient
requirement for passing the class.
Attendance
Policy: Come to every class unless
you’re very ill. Missing class
will inevitably have a negative affect on the grades you receive on your
regular assignments.
If you miss
more than two classes, your final grade in the course will lower by 1/3 for
each absence (e. g. from a C- to a D).
If you encounter circumstances that make it difficult to abide by this
policy, come and talk with me.
Policies on Papers, Quizzes, and Other Miscellaneous Items:
1) Watch your
Stonehill email account for regular updates from me.
2) Format on
papers: Format your papers with 1” margins on all sides, double-spaced, with
fonts no larger than 12 points (scaled roughly to Times New York size). Cover sheets are a waste of paper.
3) The grade on
late papers will drop 10 points per calendar day that the paper is late. A
paper is considered late if it is turned in after the end of class on the day
it is due.
4) I will not
accept assignments submitted via e-mail unless you have made arrangements with
me ahead of time, or unless you’re sick the day the paper is due. If illness
prevents you from turning an assignment in on time, email me as soon as
possible, and we’ll make appropriate arrangements. If you have an computer draft of an assignment, you may
email that to me on the due date.
5) I give out
numerical rather than alphabetic grades.
The scale is:
a. 97 = A+
b. 93 = A
c. 90 = A-
d. 87 = B+
e. 83 = B
f. 80 = B-
g. 77 = C+
h. 73 = C
i. 70 = C-
j. 67 = D+
k. 63 = D
l. 59 and below
= F
6) Grading
System:
a.
F = You fail to turn in the assignment, the assignment
lacks thematic or narrative focus, you make little or no reference to the
source work. Your points may be incomprehensible. Simply completing the work
does not guarantee a passing grade.
b.
D = A “D” signifies serious problems with the
development of your point and/or with expression (diction, wordiness, poor
grammar, mechanical errors, lack of necessary specifics). There is some reference to the source
work, but it is poor.
c.
C = A “C” indicates that there are problems with the
development of your point, although the writing may be clear. Or the ideas may be strong, but
expression is hindered by mechanical problems.
d.
B = A clear discussion of both your source work and
your own creative efforts, with fully developed and convincing references to
the source work. Appropriate and
helpful examples/quotations.
Careful attention to details of expression, whether verbal or visual. Sensitivity to the subtleties of the
text. You demonstrate that you are
a careful reader as well as a competent writer. Free of mechanical errors.
e.
A = Everything required for a “B,” plus significant,
original thought. The analysis in
an “A” paper is sophisticated, complex, subtle.
Students
with Disabilities
Stonehill College is
committed to providing a welcoming, supportive and inclusive environment for
students with disabilities. The Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR)
provides a point of coordination, resources and support for students with
disabilities and the campus community. If you anticipate or experience physical
or academic barriers based on disability, please let me know so that we can
discuss options. You are also welcome to contact OAR to begin this conversation
or to establish reasonable accommodations for this or other courses. OAR is
located within the Academic Services & Advising Suite in Duffy 104. For
additional information please call (508) 565-1306 or email accessibility-resources@stonehill.edu.
Diversity and Inclusion Statement
Stonehill College embraces
the diversity of students, faculty, and staff, honors the inherent dignity of
each individual, and welcomes their unique cultural and religious experiences,
beliefs, and perspectives. We all benefit from a diverse living and
learning environment, and the sharing of differences in ideas, experiences, and
beliefs help us shape our own perspectives. Course content and campus
discussions will heighten your awareness to these differences.
The Office of Intercultural
Affairs (Duffy 149) serves as an accessible resource to anyone
seeking support or with questions about diversity and inclusion at Stonehill.
If you are a witness to or experience acts of bias at Stonehill or would like
to learn more about how we address bias incidents, please email diversity@stonehill.edu.
-->Academic Integrity:
(From the The
Hill Book): Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to the
following actions:
a) presenting
another's work as if it were one's own;
b) failing to
acknowledge or document a source even if the action is unintended (i. e.
plagiarism)
[N. B. This
can take various forms: 1) using the writer's exact words; 2) paraphrasing the
argument; 3) even following the general outline or drift of the argument];
c) giving or
receiving, or attempting to give or receive, unauthorized assistance or
information in an assignment or examination;
d) fabricating
data;
e) submitting
the same assignment in two or more courses without prior permission of the
respective instructors; or
f) having
another person write a paper or sit for an examination.
English Department Policy on Academic Integrity
In support of Stonehill College’s Academic Integrity Policy, the
English Department requires that faculty notify the Director of Academic
Services about every student who has plagiarized or violated the Academic Honor
Code in any manner. All members of
the College community have the responsibility to be familiar with and to follow
the College’s policy on academic integrity. Since the actions that constitute violation of the policy
are covered in many places, in The Hill Book and in presentations at orientation,
pleading ignorance will not work. If you have questions about what constitutes
a violation of the code or how to incorporate outside sources in your work,
please consult with your professor before you turn in your assignments.
Resources for Academic Support
The Center for Writing and
Academic Achievement (CWAA) provides academic support services in a welcoming,
professional environment that emphasizes collaborative learning and peer
tutoring, supplemented with professional-level support. The CWAA offers a
variety of academic support services, including peer tutoring in writing, math,
and foreign languages.
The CWAA is located in MacPháidín Library, Room 314. Drop-in hours are offered Sunday – Thursday. Students can visit the CWAA website to view schedules, make appointments, or request a tutor.
The CWAA is located in MacPháidín Library, Room 314. Drop-in hours are offered Sunday – Thursday. Students can visit the CWAA website to view schedules, make appointments, or request a tutor.
I reserve the right to alter
the syllabus if necessary to better achieve our educational goals.
Texts: All
assigned materials are on reserve in the MacPhaidin library if your copy of the
reading isn’t available (except for Aristotle’s Poetics).
In Stonehill Bookstore:
Aristotle.
The Poetics. Trans.
James Hutton. New York: Norton,
1982.
Bechdel, Alison.
Fun Home. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin, 2006.
Pekar, Harvey, ed. The Best American Comics 2006. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006.
Spiegelman, Art. Maus I and Maus II. New York:
Pantheon, 1986.
Thompson, Kristin. Storytelling in Film and Television. Cambridge:
Harvard UP, 2003.
