ARTD 355 Critical Topics

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Critical Topics is a seminar based course exploring the theoretical, social and aesthetic issues associated with interactive and time-based media art. Utilizing the course text, assigned readings, lectures and personal research, students will build critical thinking skills which will enable them to critique art movements and contextualize art from a solid theoretical base. Students will engage in discussions and presentations relating to the field of new media and time-based arts, and will further develop their critical analytical skills through personal research and exploration.

COURSE OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course the student will:

• Be able to apply critical theory to the evaluation and appreciation of contemporary art works.
• Build a cognitive skill set which will enrich their creative art practice.
• Develop an understanding of contemporary art methodology and practice.
• Have a deeper understanding of the conceptual and aesthetic nature of electronic and time-based art media.

REQUIRED TEXTS

Digital Art, Second Edition by Christiane Paul

ASSIGNMENTS (due dates subject to change - refer to timeline)

10% Manifesto (Due Sept. 9)
10% ActTactical (Due Sept. 16)
10% Plunder (Due October 5)
10% Game Character (Due October 28)
10% Data Visualization (Due November 4)
10% Theory into Practice (Due November 16)
20% Curatorial or Personal Proposal (Due Nov. 30, Dec. 2, and Dec. 7)
20% In-class and on-line (Blackboard) participation
______________
100% Total

ASSESSMENT

Participation

* You will be required to discuss topics, present your work, and provide constructive feedback about your colleague's work.
* You will be required to participate in online readings, research, and discussions (blackboard).
* Part of each assignment grade will be based on your participation during critique and in online discussions.
* Ideas and comments that intentionally cause any physical or emotional harm to the student or anyone else will not be accepted.
* A student may excuse themselves for a short duration if there is a conflict of religious beliefs with the content presented.

Attendance

Attendance is mandatory and taken at the beginning of class. If you arrive after attendance has been taken, it is your responsibility to notify the instructor.

Attendance and tardy final grade modifications as follows:

* Each three tardies equal one absence.
* Each three absences equal reduction of total points by one letter grade.
* Work-in-class days are not "free" days, and you are required to attend.
* Attendance to the final critique during exam week is mandatory. Failure to appear will result in the reduction of total points by one letter grade.

Grading

* Any appeal for grades must be brought to the instructor during office hours or at a scheduled time convenient to both parties.

* Incomplete grades ("I") will only be granted for the death of a family member during the semester, or a note from a doctor documenting a hospitalization representing a significant period of time.

* Only if given the final grade of "I" (incomplete) will additional work after the conclusion of a semester be accepted.

Grades are not curved and adhere to the following scale:

100-90 A = Excellent work that exhibits a mastery of all aspects of the assignment.
89-80 B = Above average work that satisfies all basic requirements.
79-70 C = Adequate work that satisfies all basic requirements.
69-60 D = Weak work that is careless or lacks effort.
59-0 F = Incomplete or failing work.

Note: I will send grades and official announcements via blackboard so make sure to read your official NIU email. This syllabus may be modified at the instructor’s discretion. Students will be notified in a timely manner of any changes.

Exhibiting Student Work:

I customarily document student assignments, which I want reproduce (with credit) in my scholarly work. If you do not want me to reproduce your work or use your name, please notify me in writing. I customarily credit student work when it’s displayed on the boards or posted on the Internet. If you do not want me to use your name or post your work, please notify me in writing.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Student-teacher relationships are built on trust. Students must trust that teachers have made appropriate decisions about the structure and content of the courses they teach. Additionally, teachers must trust that the assignments that students turn in are theirs. Acts that violate this trust undermine the educational process. All work produced in this course must be original and created by the student. The first infraction will result in a failure for the course and a report to the Office of the Dean. Works that involved the use of appropriation should be discussed with your instructor before you submit them for grading. Collaborative work and discussion is encouraged. Instructor must be notified of students' intention to collaborate on assignments well ahead of that assignment's deadline. Instructor will determine whether or not collaboration will be allowed. Upon assignment completion, there must be documentation of each member's contribution to the finished assignment. The instructor reserves the right to award members of the collaboration different grades.

Statement on Plagiarism and Appropriation
Plagiarism is a serious offense, it is not allowed, and will be taken very seriously in this class (typically resulting in course or project failure - depending upon the severity of the act). Very simply, plagiarism is the act of taking someone else's work (in part or whole) and claiming that it was yours. Do not get plagiarism and appropriation confused. Appropriation is the act of using someone else's work to create a new work - often retaining the original authorship and/or creating a commentary on the original context. Appropriation plays an important role in cultural criticism and can be very effective artistically. Appropriation will be allowed for this class provided that you either receive written permission from the owner or are using work that follows the Creative Commons "Attribution + Noncommercial + ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)" license or Copyleft license. You must always make a reference to the work you are appropriating in the documentation of your work.

Look for these symbols:

For more information you should review these links:

http://www.appropriationart.ca/
http://www.illegal-art.org/
http://www.prelinger.com/
http://creativecommons.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyleft

DISABILITY CLAUSE

NIU abides by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that mandates reasonable accommodations are provided for qualified students with disabilities. If you have a disability and may require some type of instructional and/or examination accommodation, please contact me early in the semester so that I can provide or facilitate in providing accommodations you may need.

If you have not already done so, you will need to register with the Center for Access-Ability Resources (CAAR), the designated office on campus to provide services and administer exams with accommodations for students with disabilities. The CAAR office is located on the 4th floor of the University Health Services building (815-753-1303). I look forward to talking with you soon to learn how I may be helpful in enhancing your academic success in this course.

CLUSTER CLASSES (Graduate Students)

Graduate students are required to submit the same coursework (including readings) that is assigned for undergraduates, however the quality and concept should be of a higher caliber than that of the undergraduate level. At times, additional readings or exercises may be assigned for graduate students.

You may only submit work that is being graded in multiple courses with the written approval (email) of all instructors involved.