DHUM 350 at UVic: What's in a Game? (Spring 2015)

ASSESSMENT

What we call a videogame is not a product. It's the creation of an author and her accomplice, the player; it is handmade by the former and personally distributed to the latter. The videogame is a zine. -- Anna Anthropy, Rise of the Videogame Zinesters

The English Department (which administers all DHUM courses at UVic) uses the following scale for grading purposes: A+ (90-100), A (85-89), A- (80-84), B+ (77-79), B (73-76), B- (70-72), C+ (65-69), C (60-64), D (50-59), and F (0-49).

I do not use plagiarism detection software when assessing student work, and final grades will be determined in accordance with the University’s official grading system.

N Grades

Students who have completed the following elements of the course will be considered to have completed the course and will be assigned a final grade:

the final game prototype and at least one mark for the game manual.

Failure to complete these elements will result in a grade of “N” regardless of the cumulative percentage on other elements of the course. An “N” is a failing grade, and it factors into a student’s GPA as 0 (the maximum percentage that can accompany an “N” on a transcript is 49).

Circulation of Marks and Feedback

I will not, at any time, post grades online, outside my office door, or in any other public forum. Grades will be circulated privately.

Grading Rubric for the Game Manual

A+: The content is persuasive, creative, reflexive, and supported by a significant amount of evidence. It not only meets the requirements of the prompt but also adds interesting code, features, or design elements that were not required for the assignment. These additions augment the overall quality of the manual and demonstrate that you are learning more than what is being taught during class meetings.

A- or A: The content is persuasive, creative, reflexive, and supported by evidence. It not only meets the requirements of the prompt but also adds interesting code, features, or design elements that were not required for the assignment. These additions augment the overall quality of the manual and demonstrate that you are learning what is being taught during class meetings.

B- through B+: The content is persuasive and supported by evidence. It meets the requirements of the prompt and demonstrates that you are learning what is being taught during class meetings.

C or C+: The content is not persuasive, and it is not supported by evidence. It meets some requirements of the prompt.

D: The content is not persuasive, and there is no evidence. It does not meet the requirements of the prompt.

F: The content is missing and/or it does not meet any requirements of the prompt.

This rubric was adapted from a syllabus written by Mark Sample at Davidson College.

Grading Rubric for the Final Presentation

A+: The combined talk and demonstration are persuasive and engaging for the entirety of the presentation. The description of the game is precise, and components of the presentation demonstrate a clear awareness of how, why, and under what assumptions the prototype was made. The presentation is also creative, organized, and anchored (either implicitly or explicitly) in the course material, including readings and games we discussed.

A- or A: The combined talk and demonstration are persuasive and engaging for most of the presentation. The description of the game is precise, and components of the presentation demonstrate an awareness of how, why, and under what assumptions the prototype was made. The presentation is also creative, organized, and anchored (either implicitly or explicitly) in the course material, including readings and games we discussed.

B- through B+: The combined talk and demonstration are persuasive and engaging for some of the presentation. The description of the game is precise, and components of the presentation demonstrate an awareness of how, why, and under what assumptions the prototype was made. The presentation is also organized and anchored (either implicitly or explicitly) in the course material, including readings and games we discussed.

C or C+: The combined talk and demonstration lack persuasion. The description of the game is not consistently precise, and components of the presentation only occasionally demonstrate an awareness of how, why, and under what assumptions the prototype was made. The presentation is not especially organized, and its relation to the course material isn't always clear.

D: The presentation lacks either a talk or a demonstration. It is not organized, and its relation to the course material isn't always clear.

F: The presentation is clearly incomplete and lacks either a talk or a demonstration. It is not organized, and it has no relation to the course material.

Grading Rubric for the Final Prototype

Your final prototype will be assessed using a rubric comprised of five categories: design, culture, theme, procedure, and audience. For more details, see the prompt for the prototype assignment.

A+: The prototype's design, theme, and procedures are original, and its attention to culture and audience are compelling. The prototype is both persuasive and creative, and it explicitly or implicitly makes an argument about systems and processes. It demonstrates how a novel, fully developed game could emerge from it with more time, materials, and labour. The prototype not only meets the requirements of the prompt but also adds a significant amount of code, features, or design elements that were not required for the assignment. These additions augment the overall quality of the proposed game and demonstrate that you are learning more than what is being taught during class meetings.

A- or A: The prototype's design, theme, and procedures are unique, and its attention to culture and audience are noteworthy. The prototype is both persuasive and creative, and it explicitly or implicitly makes an argument about systems and processes. It demonstrates how a fully developed game could emerge from it with more time, materials, and labour. The prototype not only meets the requirements of the prompt but also adds code, features, or design elements that were not required for the assignment. These additions tend to augment the overall quality of the proposed game and demonstrate that you are learning more than what is being taught during class meetings.

B- through B+: The prototype's design, theme, and procedures are apparent to players, and it attends to questions of culture and audience. Either explicitly or implicitly, the prototype makes an argument about systems and processes. It demonstrates how a game could emerge from it with more time, materials, and labour. The prototype meets the requirements of the prompt and at points adds code, features, or design elements that were not required for the assignment. These additions may augment the overall quality of the proposed game.

C or C+: The prototype's design, theme, and procedures are not always apparent to players, and it does not clearly attend to questions of culture and audience. Aspects of the prototype demonstrate how a game could emerge from it with more time, materials, and labour. The prototype meets most requirements of the prompt.

D: The prototype's design, theme, and procedures are not apparent to players, and it does not attend to questions of culture and audience. The prototype does not meet all requirements of the prompt.

F: The prototype does not any requirements of the prompt.

How to Do Well in this Course

Write while you read material or play a game. For me this means annotating content as I engage it. You can annotate print and digital material.

Come to class with ideas and questions. Be curious. Seek connections between texts, between projects, between games, and between this course and others, even in other disciplines.

Take notes during class meetings. A significant portion of your game manual intersects with what we talk about in class.

Let me know when you don’t follow what I’m saying. I am not aware of what you do not know or do not understand, and I may assume more contextual knowledge on your part than you have. I find this stuff fascinating, but I will not always know what you want to investigate or know more about---so please tell me.

Persuasive work takes time. Before you submit content, consider circulating drafts. Ask friends or peers to give your prototype or writing a gander. Come chat with me during office hours.

During class and in writing, be concrete when you comment on anyone’s work (including the materials we’re discussing). Quote it. Speak to specific elements. And then respond with your own interpretations. When the work is by a peer, be sure to affirm their ideas (e.g., “I like how you…”).

Use your game manual to share ideas and discuss material (including games) outside of class. If you have a question, then ask your classmates or me. If you hear something you want to remember, then note it for later reference. If you like the work your peer’s done, then tell them so.

“How to Do Well in this Course” was adapted from a syllabus written by Christopher Douglas, University of Victoria Department of English.