Quizzes (10%):

On any day for which reading is assigned, I may give a short in-class quiz. Quizzes will be short and focused on the main ideas from the assigned reading. You may use notes you have taken on the reading if they are on paper (you should print them out if you’ve typed your notes). Quizzes cannot be made up for any reason but I will drop the lowest quiz grade at the end of the semester.

Midterm (25%)

There will be an in-class midterm on Thursday March 7th. A study guide will be provided about a week in advance. The exam will consist of short answer identification questions and an in class essay.

Blog Posts (15%) and Blog Discussion Groups (10%)

Throughout the semester you will write eight blog posts. Each blog post will build on a topic discussed in class and ask you to use the readings to contextualize your answer and address the prompt. Your blog posts should be at least 350-500 words and should be written in a semi-formal scholarly style (complete thoughts, correct spelling, grammar and syntax.) You should demonstrate a familiarity with the relevant course readings and use them as evidence within your post. Please use the Chicago style guide to cite your sources. Each blog post is worth a total of 3 points. A grading rubric can be found on the Blog Criteria page.

Collaboration is key to digital work. Therefore throughout the semester I will ask you to look at and comment on your peers work. To facilitate this the class will be divided into 7 discussion groups and you will sign up for a group on the first day of class. Each group will get their own slack channel where you’ll post your blog posts and then comment on at least 2 of your group members posts. The idea here is to facilitate a discussion about the course material and allow you to get to know your classmates. Commenting on your peer’s posts is worth 10% of your grade. Due dates are listed with each blog prompt but are generally due two days after the initial blog is due.

Your comments such be substantive and add to the conversation. Your comments should elaborate on the post with further comment or observations based on course material. Comments are graded on a credit/no credit basis. Posts that add to the conversation in a substantial manner will get full credit while posts that are merely complimentary or are not substantive and fail to engage with the material at hand will get no credit.

Mini Skills Projects (8 @ 5% each = 40%):

Throughout the course we will learn to use a series of digital tools and methodologies to ask and answer historical questions. The results of each small project will be embedded on your blog. The 8 projects are: (1) metadata in Omeka, (2) exhibits and digital storytelling in Omeka, (3) a database, (4) mapping, (5) text mining, (6) visualizations, (7) a timeline, (8) a reflection and portfolio of your work throughout the class. Further details for each are available on the course schedule.

Grading Scale