COM473: Digital Storytelling, Project Bloom

Digital Storytelling D02 Fall 2019

Instructor Information

Dr. Steven Hammer
301 Bronstein Hall
shammer@sju.edu
office hours: 10a-12p MWF, or by appointment
for appointments: hammer.youcanbook.me (Links to an external site.)

Catalog Description

Students in this course will critique and create a variety of digital stories through multiple lenses. Topics include 1) the lens of craft (narrative paths, spectatorship, structure); 2) the lens of convergence (trans-media storytelling, immersion, and storytelling via games) ; 3) the lens of social change (first-person narratives, documentaries, and social justice), 4) the lens of aesthetics (style, time, and space).

Learning Objectives

• Work in a collaborative environment on a complex multimedia project;
• Become proficient in 360 video, audio, and publishing;
• Engage thoughtfully with accessibility, design, and narratives of people with disabilities

Required Materials

• External Hard Drive
• 16GB or larger SD card compatible with Zoom H5, Canon t7i
• Slack Account
• Readings linked on Schedule and in “Files” Section of Canvas Course

Equipment

COM Gear Room Policies & Procedures

Policies

Academic Honesty
Please familiarize yourself with the University’s Academic Honesty Policy 

Accessibility and Disability Support
If you have any concerns as we begin–or throughout–the semester in regard to the accessibility of course materials or presentation, please contact me as soon as possible.

In accordance with state and federal laws, the University will make reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. For those who have or think that you may have a disability requiring an accommodation (learning, physical, psychological) should contact Services for Students with Disabilities, Room G10, Bellarmine, 610-660-1774 (voice) or 610-660-1620 (TTY) as early as possible in the semester for additional information and so that an accommodation, if appropriate, can be made in a timely manner. You will be required to provide current (within 3 years) documentation of the disability. For a more detailed explanation of the University’s accommodation process, as well as the programs and services offered to students with disabilities, please see the Student Resources Page. If you have any difficulty accessing the information on-line, please contact Services for Students with Disabilities at the telephone numbers above.

Collaborative Work
This course is highly collaborative in order to simulate professional production situations you may encounter after the semester. Sometimes, part of that experience is frustration, conflict, and/or unequal workloads. If you experience conflicts you are unable to resolve by communicating with one another directly, please contact me.

Attendance
Attendance (being in class, on time) and participation (engaging with us while you’re in class) are vital to your success in this course. You are allowed three for the semester without penalty, so use them wisely. If you miss four to five classes, your final grade will be lowered by 10%. If you miss six to eight classes, 15%. If you miss nine, you will automatically fail the course. If you do miss class, you are responsible for the content you’ve missed (please don’t email to ask me if we did anything in class on the day you missed). If you miss days in which your group requires you, your grade for that project will likely suffer.

Assignments & Evaluation

There are 1000 points available to earn this semester. You will have an opportunity to revise all of your assignments once.

Final grades will be determined using the following scale:

A: 94-100; A-: 90-93
B+: 87-89; B: 84-86; B-: 80-83
C+: 77-79; C: 74-76; C-: 70-73
D+: 67-69; D: 64-66; D-: 60-63
F: 0-59

Universal Design Assessment Essay- 10%

You will write an 1000-word multimedia essay that documents and assesses a building on our campus based on universal design principles. 

Midterm Exam – 20%

For your midterm exam, you will be asked to show technical proficiency in audio and/or video production or post production. For instance, you may be asked to set up audio and video for an interview, or you may be asked to set up and shoot a 360 video with head trackable audio. Or you may be asked to mix, master, and export an audio mix. You will complete this exam in person in small teams. You will be evaluated on both process and final product.

Campus Access Map Proposal – 20%

100 pts: Course-wide Proposal 
100 pts: Committee-level Proposals 

Because this project is so complex and involves so many people, it is vital that we establish roles, expectations, and a timeline to ensure the project’s success. You will submit one proposal with two components.

The course-wide proposal will include:

• A 500-word description of the project that includes background research, purpose, audience
• A plan for the website including design, menus, media integration, colors, logos, sketches
• A social media plan including platforms, scheduling, content, audience
• A blog/profile/interview plan including content and schedule
• An overview of mapping components, including scheduling and final product/site integration
• Group/Committee descriptions: group leaders and members’ responsibilities, timelines
• Weekly schedules, including intra-class meetings
• Plans for resolving conflict (failure to complete work, dropping class, etc.)

Campus Access Map Project – 50%

The Campus Access Map Project explores the accessibility of our campus to a wide range of bodies and identities through text, audio, video, interviews, interactive maps, and immersive media. You will work across sections of Digital Storytelling to develop this project for the campus community and those interested in universal design, accessible institutions, and disability advocacy.

This project that includes:

• a well-designed and accessible website;
• a consistent, diverse, and substantive social media presence;
• an interactive/informative map with street view (outdoor), vr video/audio, and interior images;
• blog posts that engage accessibility issues;
• multimedia profiles of campus figures/experts/students/etc.;

You will form three committees per class: Web/Social, Audio/Video, and Writing. Each committee will elect leader(s) and establish roles, but I expect each of you to help others when needed. You will have approximately six weeks of production time to deliver your final product.

Schedule

WeekOne
aug 26: Introductions to each other, to accessibility & design

aug 28: Read Hamrai, Introduction. Discuss access, bodies, deficiency-model.

aug 30: Read/Explore ProjectBloomSju.org, social media, review memo

WeekTwo

sept 2: No Class, laborDay

sept 4: Read Hamrai, Ch. 1

sept 6: Committee Formation, Planning, Goals

WeekThree

sept 9: Meetings, Proposal Workshop

sept 11: Read Hamrai, Ch. 2

sept 13: Audio Workshop

WeekFour

sept 16: Meetings, Proposal Workshop

sept 18: Read Hamrai, Ch. 3

sept 20: Photo Workshop

WeekFive

sept 23: Meetings, Proposal Workshop

sept 25: Read Hamrai, Ch. 4

sept 27: Video Workshop

WeekSix

sept 30: Meetings, Proposal Workshop

oct 2: Read Hamrai, Ch. 5

oct 4: 360 Workshop

WeekSeven

oct 7: Accessibility Assessment Due

oct 9: Midterm 1

oct 11: Midterm 2

WeekEight

oct 14: No Class, Fall Break

oct 16: No Class, Fall Break

oct 18: No Class. Proposals Due

WeekNine 


oct 21: Meetings

oct 23: Read Hamrai, Ch. 6

oct 25: Production

WeekTen

oct 28: Meetings

oct 30: Read Hamrai, Ch. 7

nov 1: Production

WeekEleven 


nov 4: Meetings

nov 6: Production

nov 8: Production

WeekTwelve 


nov 11: Production

nov 13: Production

nov 15: Production

WeekThirteen 


nov 18: Production

nov 20: Production

nov 22: Production

WeekFourteen 

nov 25: Production

nov 27: No Class. Thanksgiving.

nov 29: No Class. Thanksgiving.

WeekFifteen 


dec 2: Production

dec 4: Production

dec 6:Production

Week Sixteen

dec 9: Wrap

Final Exams, dec 11-17
We will meet during our scheduled exam time in our usual meeting place.