The assignments in this course develop a set of basic skills representing the core capabilities possessed by majors in English.
- Critical Analysis
The ability to extract in manageable form the information stored in specialized books (as opposed to “textbooks” that pre-digest the disciplinary materials). This skill includes taking notes on the readings, in order to condense the information for ready understanding and retrieval. The purpose of the exams is to motivate careful note-taking. - Extrapolation
Extracting the information from the books is only the first step. The next skill is to extrapolate from the immediate explicit concerns of the book to those of the course assignment. The book’s argument is converted into instructions for generalizing the formal pricniples of the book to a different area of application. The true proof of understanding is the ability to apply the insights of a book to new and different questions. - Collaborative Learning
Working in concert with peers to share ideas and insights relating to the assigned project. The group cooperation is conducted through team dialogue, oral presentation to the class, and written comments through email. - Problem-Solving
The assignments are posed as problems to be solved, rather then described fully as a set of rules to follow. The creative approach is required because the projects in both form (Website) and method (heuretics) are not a conventional part of academic work. - Creative Thinking and Writing
The projects include aesthetic, literary, and artistic forms of production and making. The writing includes critical analysis, but more substantially requires imaginative work, using narrative and poetic forms of literature for personal expression. - Web Authoring
The blog medium provides a good introduction to the aesthetics of the Web. Learning basic photoshop provides a fundamental skill of image culture.