Course Policies
You must use your assigned ASU e-mail address for all course correspondence. I cannot respond or send course materials to Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.
Academic Integrity Policy
Plagiarism is a serious offense, one whose sanctions range from a reduction in grades to expulsion from the University. According to ASU’s Student Academic Integrity Policy:
| “Plagiarism” means using another’s words, ideas, materials or work without properly acknowledging and documenting the source. Students are responsible for knowing the rules governing the use of another’s work or materials and for acknowledging and documenting the source appropriately. |
Your rights, according to the Student Academic Integrity Policy, include the opportunity to respond to allegations of plagiarism, and subsequent review by College/School Board members: “procedures are designed to encourage a fair and appropriate response to allegations of academic dishonesty. They may be modified in individual cases, so long as the student is provided an opportunity to respond to allegations of academic dishonesty within a reasonable time after those allegations have been made.” (See Allegations of Academic Dishonesty)
I strongly recommend that when in doubt, always provide citations and direct attribution when using anyone else’s work, from print or online sources, and when summarizing, paraphrasing, or quoting from someone else’s work.
Why am I making such a big deal out of this? As you know, with the increasing use of communication technologies such as the internet, there is a simultaneous increase of copy-and-paste uses of other people’s work. In academic contexts, using someone else’s work without attribution can result in consequences ranging from a lowered grade (in my course, you fail the entire course) to expulsion from the university; in professional contexts, you surrender your credibility and probably your job. I’d encourage you, then, when tempted to use someone else’s work to stop and ask for help, or for a deadline extension, which I usually give automatically under most reasonable circumstances.
I am always available via e-mail to discuss any plagiarism or other intellectual-property concerns or questions you might have for this or for any other class.
Assignment Requirements
Keep copies of all work submitted for grading. In the case of loss or damage, you are responsible for having another copy. Backup all your work for this or any other course when you are using a computer. Computer failure is a tragedy but not an excuse for late assignments.
Required Work
We will do a lot of reading, writing, prototyping, and designing in this course, and we will review and discuss your work at various stages in its production. You should plan ahead in order to stay abreast of the course calendar and to allow time for the most important parts of the writing & designing processes: rereading, revising, and rethinking.
Online courses require more time, effort, follow-through, active problem solving, self discipline, and time management than face-to-face courses. You can expect to spend 9-12 hours per week during a regular 15-week online version of TWC5/401; summer five-week online versions are even more intensive, and you should plan to dedicate 10-15 hours per week on the course. Plan to log on daily and to spend a couple of hours daily on this course.
The revision process that occurs between your first and final iterations usually requires attention to several elements, such as mechanics, tone, and arrangement, and grading criteria will include an evaluation of your initiative and follow-through in the revising process.
Each major assignment must be completed to receive a passing grade in the course. Deadlines are negotiable only in cases of a documented medical emergency; without prior arrangements, late work will be marked down one letter grade for every day it is late.
Note that each week’s activities on the course calendar contains three main emphases: reading, discussing, and production deadlines. We will use the course Discussion Forum site to plan and discuss our weekly work, so check there for updates, assignment details, and deadlines. If you are ever unclear about an assignment or deadline, please post your question on the Blackboard Discussion Board so that we can all see it (it’s a safe assumption that if you have a question, several of your colleagues will have the same question).
Peer Responses & Writing/Design Group Work
The most important resource we have in this course is each other. We will spend time discussing collaborative work and how to create and sustain productive online writing, designing, and editing groups. Part of your own grade will be based on your contribution to your writing & design group, as well as your collegial and professional responsiveness to their feedback.