Grade Distribution: 100 points total
Case Study: Oral Presentation and Written Essay 40
Final Examination 40
Class Participation & Attendance 20 [14 pts attendance; 6 participation]Description of Projects and Papers:
- Case Study: Oral Presentation & Written Report 20 pts Students will sign up for a postmodern practice/artifact from the realm of architecture, film, fine art, music, literature, etc. and present an analysis of the artifact/practice in context of postmodernism. The written report (5-8 pages) and oral presentation (10-20 minutes) will explore the object/practice, situate it in terms of its cultural history, and analyze its postmodern aspects. You must provide an overview of postmodernism as it is understood in the discipline/artform you've chosen, and perhaps focus on several salient examples. You must present the project in class on your assigned day to receive credit for the written paper.
- Final Examination 40 pts Students will write a comprehensive final examination connecting the issues and readings studied in the seminar.
- Class Participation 6 pts Students will read a variety of texts, providing active analysis in weekly seminar. Students will arrive prepared with all assigned texts in tow, marked and notated for analysis. Participation by students is expected, as your input, ideas, thoughts, and questions will make the class worthwhile. This is a seminar course conducted at the highest level of theoretical reading and analysis. It is NOT a lecture; it CANNOT succeed without your focused and thoughtful input.
- Attendance Policy: 14 pts It is extremely important that you come to class. This is a reading seminar and you need to be present. You are allowed two unexcused absences during the semester. After that, you WILL jeopardize the completion of this course. You are responsible for the material covered in each class you were absent. Absence is not a legitimate excuse for coming unprepared to class or for not turning an assignment in on time. Late arrivals, early departures: every two instances that you either arrive FIFTEEN minutes late or more, or leave FIFTEEN minutes or more before class ends, count as one absence.
Reading: This course has a great deal of assigned reading at the highest level of complexity. You will need patience, re-reading, and an ability to tolerate being confused. It will be imperative that you take good notes, mark up your texts, and bring questions about difficulties. We will analyze and work through the texts together as a group. If you are not comfortable with close reading, this course is not a good fit for you. There is little AV material or visual material – it is primarily a serious theoretical reading course, designed to bring you to a new level of understanding in theoretical discussions.
© 2007 - Ann Hetzel Gunkel
agunkel@colum.edu
