GLST 210 Evaluation & Assignments

Participation & Attendance (20%):
As noted, participation accounts for 20% of your grade.  Attendance is required; after the first two weeks, a sign-in sheet will be circulated.   If you sign-in and depart, this will be noted.  There will be some in-class activities.  If you are absent, you cannot participate.  (See VIU General Regulations–Attendance.)

Active participation is contributing to all class activities; discussion is the primary one.  I am interested in the quality of comments and/or questions raised during discussion.  Be an informed participant, i.e., read the assigned materials.

Please submit a self-evaluation of your participation (no more than 250 words, through VIULearn): 1) by October 13; and 2) by December 8.  What are you learning?  What is working for you?  What challenges may be impacting your learning?  Face-to-face teaching allows for greater spontaneity and reaction to global and local events.  Be reflective and honest about your participation.

For those who are less confident about speaking in class, you can still participate through VIULearn.  Each student is expected to contribute to the various discussion topics throughout the semester, either by posting a relevant article, or commenting on one submitted by a classmate (minimum of SIX posts).  The latter should be substantive, i.e., an informed opinion, not one that states agreement.  Whether you do all or some remains your choice; your participation mark will reflect this.

To receive full credit for participation (quality counts!), you must 1) attend class,
2) participate fully in class activities (discussion, evaluation, etc.), 3) provide two self-evaluations of participation, and 4) post to VIULearn.

Last day to post or submit an opinion piece to VIULearn, if you want it to be considered as part of your overall mark, is Friday, December 15, 11:30pm!

Opinion piece (5%):
You are encouraged to learn outside the classroom by taking advantage of on- and off-campus events.  During the semester, I will post possibilities as I become aware of them.  If there is an event that you wish to attend that I have not listed, please check with me.  Attend an event and submit an opinion piece (no more than 250-300 words) through VIULearn.

opin-ion \ ə-‘pin-yə n \ n. 1 a: a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter.  (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate® Dictionary 11th Edition)

As the above definition implies, I am interested in your response to the event.  Your commentary is NOT to be a summary.  Be reflective, support your opinion.

NOTE: This is the only assignment that can be considered ‘optional’; there is no penalty if you do not complete this other than missing 5% of your mark.

Exams (two, 20% each)
The exam is based on course materials, including films.  Each exam will consist of two short answer questions (<250 words) and one essay (<500 words).  As these are open book exams, the quality of your response matters, i.e., synthesis, argument, spelling and grammar, presentation, etc.

Answers should be typed, double-spaced, 11-12-pt font.  Please save as docx or pdf-format; submit through VIULearn.  No bibliography is needed, unless other sources are used.  You will be using your course materials so in-text citation, such as, (Moss 2013, 203) or (Steger 2023, 13-15).  NOTE: Include page numbers.  I spot check for accuracy.

Exam #1 DUE: October 5
Exam #2 DUE: November 23

Video Shorts (5%):
Before each exam, students (two groups) will submit a video short (October 3 and November 21).  A sign-up list will be posted on VIULearn. Each group (#1 or #2) will consist of approximately half of the class. Every student will submit ONE video individually, or as a two-some. Identify the video by name and URL, ASAP, so there will be no duplication.  Each video should be no more than 5 minutes in length.  On VIULearn indicate the reason for your selection.  Videos should be related to the topics covered during that exam period, in this way, they serve as a review for each exam, respectively.  Besides YouTube.com and vimeo.com, there is also Films on Demand.

Action paper/response (30%):
You have a choice regarding format, that is, the more traditional paper, OR a presentation, which can be a standard PowerPoint or non-traditional, e.g., poem, painting, video, etc.  If you want to do the latter, please speak with me.  Indicate this by October 12, as I will need to approve your plan. The early date is to ensure that those undertaking the production of a video have adequate time to do so.

For this final assignment, you are to select one of five films from Konnected.TV and use it as the focus.  Your five choices are: E1, Food For Thought; E4, What If You Could Go Back?; E6, A Green Revolution; E10, Awakening a Generation and E13, Nation to Nation—not all are food related so there is plenty of choice!  Each episode is 22-minutes in length. These films are available for viewing via the Knowledge Network (FREE registration).  You are to respond to one of these calls to activism.  In choosing a particular film, here are some questions to consider: How did it speak to you? Is this something that is found in your community (home, wherever that might be, or in Nanaimo)?  If not, would you like to see this happening and why?  How effective is this action or change?  What are you doing (or not) and why?

This response should illustrate your ability to think and write critically and intelligently.  If you write or present a solely descriptive work, do not expect a high mark.  I am interested in hearing your opinion; therefore, you need to take a position regarding the chosen theme, and, then, support it.  Incorporate information from your class readings,  films, and discussion, when appropriate.

Many of you come from different disciplines.  As an anthropologist, I will appreciate your use of the Chicago Manual of Style (Author-Date).  You will not be penalized for using another style format, but I will be looking for consistency.  All citations are to be fully referenced.  (Paraphrasing also requires citation of source.)  To not do so will be considered plagiarism (which comes with an academic penalty).  Wikipedia is NOT an appropriate reference source!  It is a starting point for your research; check the sources used in the creation of the item.

Papers should be 5-7 pages in length, approximately 1250-2100 words, excluding endnotes and/or bibliography.  Your paper is to be submitted typed, double-spaced, 11-12pt font size as a Word-docx or as a pdf.  Margins should be 2.5cm (1 in).    For further information on how to present and write a paper, go to On Writing.

If you are submitting a response in a non-traditional format, such as video, painting, poem, etc., it should still be accompanied by a 250-500 word statement to explain your thinking in its creation.  If a video, post it directly to VIULearn.  If appropriate, statements are to be accompanied by a bibliography.  If you decide to post to YouTube, please provide the URL.

Non-traditional format responses still need to illustrate your ability to think critically and express a point of view.  The format also implies a degree of creativity.  These are the criteria for assessment.

No research involving human subjects is permitted.

Your “response” will be evaluated according to the following: 1) your understanding of the selected film’s theme; 2) research of the issue(s); 3) critical thinking; 4) incorporating class material when appropriate; and 5) spelling, grammar, and presentation.

Action Response DUE: Thursday, December 7

NOTE:

  • If you are facing exceptional circumstances (e.g., ill-health), please contact me as soon as possible so that an extension can be made.  Every student’s situation is a bit different; I will try to support you as best I can.  Please keep communication lines open.  (See VIU General Regulations.)
  • Read “On Writing” to ensure that you understand my expectations of a writing assignment.
  • If you need help with your writing, please seek assistance from the Writing Centre, The Library, Nanaimo Campus, Fourth Floor, Room 474 Contact the Writing Centre at local 2115, or make an appointment online.  As well, refer to the numerous “how to” handouts available online.
  • Plagiarism will not be tolerated.  Students caught plagiarizing will automatically receive an F as their final grade. VIU Student Academic Code of Conduct (policy 96.01)

Just the other day, I was in my neighborhood Starbucks, waiting for the post office to open. I was enjoying a chocolatey cafe mocha when it occurred to me that to drink a mocha is to gulp down the entire history of the New World. From the Spanish exportation of Aztec cacao, and the Dutch invention of the chemical process for making cocoa, on down to the capitalist empire of Hershey, PA, and the lifestyle marketing of Seattle’s Starbucks, the modern mocha is a bittersweet concoction of imperialism, genocide, invention, and consumerism served with whipped cream on top. No wonder it costs so much.

–Sarah Vowell, author and journalist (b. 27 Dec 1969)

Created 2003-09-03; last updated 2023-12-27