DTC354: Digital Storytelling

Summer 2016
Class: TTH 11:00am – 2:20pm
Location: VMMC 111
Instructor: Will Luers
Phone: 503-975-3254
Email: wluers@wsu.edu
Office Hours: TTH 10:00am – 11:00am, VMMC 111

NOTE: All matters associated with this course are subject to change. Any changes will be communicated to students.

Course Rational

DTC 354 / Digital Storytelling will immerse students in the  theory and practice of creating and delivering stories in a digital and computational environment. We will look at narrative traditions that precede the digital to understand the foundations of storytelling as an evolved and evolving form of meaning-making and then proceed through different digital storytelling modalities – textual, typographic, visual/auditory, cinematic and hypermedial – to arrive at an integrated approach to networked, multilinear and multimedia storytelling.

Lectures, blogging, in-depth readings and in-class discussion will offer students multiple modes for understanding the theories and expressive possibilities behind “digital storytelling.”  Concepts  explored will be the spring boards for students to develop their own practice-based research. Through short creative assignments and collaborative group projects, students will have the opportunity to work with text, digital imaging, sound, video, and other media to create new forms of the digital stories.

Learning Goals

The assignments and activities for this course reflect these objectives and serve to assist students with reaching program goals.

Course Structure

• Focus on the manual creation of web-based objects and other digital interfaces
• Readings, discussion of concepts, and application of theory
• Multiple assignments and projects
• Conceptual and creative work with ideas explored in this course

Required Course Texts and other resources

• Poetics, by Aristotle
• Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud
• Selected online readings
• Access to smartphone and/or digital camera
• Flash drive or portable media storage on which you can save and transport your work

Course Point-Earning Opportunities

• Blogging: 10%
• Participation 10%
• Typographic Narrative: 15%
• Visual Narrative: 15%
• Hypermedia Narrative: 15%
• Final Project: 35%

General Project Guidelines

• Multimedia projects should address usability, navigation, and design issues raised in this course
• Multimedia projects should utilize attractive and effective design and layout
• Design and content must be your own work, unless otherwise stated.
• All images not created or significantly altered by you must be clearly labeled with ownership and copyright information
• Multimedia projects should be checked thoroughly for errors. There is no excuse for sloppy writing and such mistakes will count against you.

Assessment and Final Grades

Both attendance and participation will be monitored and deficiencies in either/both will result in lower final grades. Participation means being attentive in class, joining in discussions, engaging in informal critiques and completing all in-class and outside assignments.

You are allowed 1 class absences. Each class absence after that will result in a five (5) point deduction from the final cumulative points. It is your responsibility to make sure I check your attendance if you arrive after the start of class. Frequent late arrivals, leaving early, or other forms of lack of attendance will also deduct points from the cumulative total. Absent students remain responsible for all course matters during their absence(s). Opportunities to make up missed work may not be available.

Final grades are determined from the cumulative points earned, plus or minus any deductions or additions for attendance or participation. No curving, averaging, or other manipulations are utilized. No other assessment or extra credit opportunities are planned. Incompletes are not available. Final grades are based on the following scale:

Submission of Late Work

All work must be submitted as and when required. Late work may not be accepted, or accepted with a substantial penalty. Email submissions of work or work submitted “under the door” or “in the mailbox” will not be accepted. No excuses, no exceptions.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the cornerstone of the university and will be strongly enforced in this course. Any student found in violation of the academic integrity policy will earn an “F” for the course and will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. For additional information about WSU’s Academic Integrity policy/procedures please contact (360) 546-9781.

Disability Accommodation

Accommodations may be available for disabled students to fully participate in this class. Accommodations may take some time to implement so it is critical that you contact Disability Services as soon as possible. All accommodations must be approved through Disability Services, located in the Student Resource Center on the Lower Level of Student Services Center (360) 546-9138.

Emergency Notification System

WSUV has made an emergency notification system available for faculty, students and staff. Please register at myWSU with emergency contact information (cell, email, text, etc). You may have been prompted to complete emergency contact information when registering for classes on RONet. In the event of a Building Evacuation, a map at each classroom entrance shows the evacuation point for each building. Please refer to it. Finally, for information about class cancellation campus-wide, please check local media, the WSU Vancouver web page and/or http://www.flashalert.net/. Individual class cancellations may be made at the discretion of the instructor. Individuals are expected to make the best decision for their personal circumstances, taking safety into account.