Learning Environment & Required Materials

This course is a face-to-face course at East Carolina University, although we will also do a substantial amount of online work. Online spaces include this website as well as a password-protected space (for distributing proprietary material and for turning in assignments) at blackboard.ecu.edu. In all realms, I strive to promote student success. Please talk with me if I can do something to assist you in learning. Further, be aware that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal antidiscrimination statute that requires that all students with documented disabilities be guaranteed reasonable accommodation. While I consider the requirements of the ADA a minimum threshold, do be aware that I may not be able to provide retroactive accommodations, so you should make arrangements with me for accommodation as soon as possible. I also am dedicated to creating a learning environment that is just regardless of social situation as well as ability. If you need to bring your child/children to class occasionally, please do so. Realize also that you are an important part of the learning environment, since we all learn from each other! As such, your regular attendance is a requirement of the course.

The materials for this course are non-traditional. If you have trouble getting these materials, please see me–but do recognize that while I will do my best to help, you are ultimately responsible for procuring/accessing required course materials.

A console or computer that will allow you to play Fortnite, which is an open-access (free) game but that does require significant memory

A gaming console that will allow you to play Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch or Wii)

Regular internet access with streaming capability

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (978-0307887443)

Software for reading PDF and Word documents

Academic Integrity

The Academic Integrity Policy governs student conduct related to academic activities. All alleged violations of the policy must be resolved in accordance with the procedures outlined in ECU’s Academic Integrity Policy as administered by the Office of Students Rights and Responsibilities. You are responsible for knowing about and meeting requirements of this code. In the context of this course, engaging in the following practices are signs that you exhibit academic integrity and professionalism:

Thoroughly prepare the readings so that you can best complete the challenging work of this course. This means you should actively read for content and themes (rather than trying to read every word on every page), taking main ideas and significant occurrences from the texts we cover and critically examining them. You should be prepared to offer notes, questions, and ideas about the readings.

Be a responsible member of the class community. This means being respectful of peers, the instructor, and any guests. Hate speech, discriminatory language, and other means of disrespecting learning community members will not be tolerated. For more information, check out the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities and the ECU Creed.

Complete and submit your own original work. The use of all sources should be properly documented in all work for this course. Please use a contextually appropriate style for documentation, and default to APA if you are unsure. (This might mean you use a hyperlink if you’re developing a website, for example.) When submitting written work, do so with single-spacing since we’ll be doing so much online reading. If you have any questions about how or when to cite sources, contact me.

Prepare your work on time. Since this class engages in community learning, your peers are relying on you to complete your work on our common timeline. Thus, no late work will be allowed. Do note, however, that I understand that life does not begin or end with class and I will do my best to work with you should life conspire to make keeping up difficult.

Grading

Grades in this course are determined by a badging system; see Course Quests for more information. You are always welcome to discuss your grade with me, though this is best done during office hours in order to comply with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Your grade will be determined by your performance on class assignments, attendance, and academic integrity.