4/03/2015 IST 646: Storytelling for Information Professionals Course Syllabus Summer Session #1: 2015 Contact Information: Course Instructor Dr. Marilyn P. Arnone School of Information Studies, Syracuse University Email: [email protected] Twitter: @CuriousMimi 252-‐649-‐4522 Course dates: May 18 – June 26, 2015 (course Web site will be accessible starting May 11) Virtual Office Hours: Email anytime; Skype or Adobe Connect by appointment To access your summer courses: URL: http://blackboard.syr.edu Account: Please log in with your NetID and password Assistance: Please contact the iLMS administrators if you need assistance. GENERAL INFORMATION COURSE DESCRIPTION This course is designed for librarians and educators, entrepreneurs, community-‐based organizations, and anyone who embraces storytelling as an essential part of information delivery in the 21st century. The course begins with the oral tradition, historical significance, and research supporting storytelling to show the evolution of storytelling in the modern world. While the elements of story and narrative remain the same, the role of digital technology and social media has expanded how the power of story is used in preserving personal/family history, advocacy efforts of libraries, business/enterprise promotion, public policy, and the engagement of community. Students will gain experience in various techniques and digital tools for story creation. This course will also use case studies to explore storytelling in social spaces and how major corporations, libraries, and innovators have used “story” as the backbone of their outreach efforts and have allowed consumers to become a part of their stories, as well. Story has become a vital aspect of information innovation. The late Steve Jobs presented an entire speech several years ago on the power of storytelling. Others have referred to the use of storytelling in business applications as “authentic storytelling,” “sustainable storytelling,” and “contemporary storytelling.” “Transmedia storytelling” will also be addressed. LEARNING OUTCOMES (with Assessment Method) By the end of the course, students will: 1. Be able to compare the ancient and modern art of storytelling (Assessment: Quiz). 1
2. Understand and apply the research on using stories in informational, educational, marketing in social media spaces, cultural/family history preservation, and to contribute to community-‐based solutions to problems (Assessment: Final Project). 3. Develop a deeper understanding of the technical and aesthetic concepts underlying the making of media (Assessment: Exercise #3). 4. Understand and demonstrate techniques of storytelling from oral traditions and apply to a modern day digital story to preserve local culture or family history (Assessment: Exercise #1). 5. Challenge their creative and critical approaches to the telling of stories through sound and image (Assessments: Exercise #3, Mid-‐Term, Final Project). 6. Be able to conduct a fruitful story interview as part of collecting artifacts for story creation (Assessment: Mid-‐term Project). 7. Use several digital tools and the elements of story architecture for creation of digital stories (Assessment: Exercises, Mid-‐term Project, Final Project). 8. Evaluate whether music, props, and artistic transitions or effects will contribute or detract from the student’s story (Assessment: Exercise #2). 9. Evaluate peer storytellers and provide constructive feedback for improvement (Assessments: Exercises; Participation in Story Circles). 10. Discuss issues that relate to ethics of storytelling, copyright, and etiquette (Assessments: Participation in Intellectual Discussions; Quiz). 11. Be aware of resources that can be used to continue their development as storytellers or contribute to their programmatic use of storytelling in their library, corporation, or community. (Assessment: Participation and Contribution to Class Wiki) 12. Apply traditions of storytelling to a current information, marketing, advocacy, instructional, cultural heritage, or community purpose as a final project (Assessment: Final Project). COURSE REQUIREMENTS Each online learning course offered through the School of Information Studies has its own space within the Blackboard learning management system which typically includes the syllabus, lectures, videos, podcasts, and a forum for class discussions, a grade center, etc. Please review Blackboard tutorials online to become familiar with its new interface. Use your NET ID and password to login. Students are not required to be online at a specific time (except for small group story circles wherein students will arrange online times among themselves.) They can log in and complete their assignments whenever it is convenient for them, as long as they meet course deadlines. All students are expected to participate in all class and online activities, and to complete all course assignments and readings on time. Students needing an extension of the assignment deadline are expected to notify the instructor in advance. Final grades of assignments submitted late without prior permission of the instructor will be lowered 10% for each late day. All written assignments must be submitted using Microsoft Word or as a PDF document. Please include your last name in the filename. COURSE DELIVERY METHODS AND TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS IST 646 will use a variety of methods to deliver instruction including but not limited to instructor lectures, videos, podcasts, discussions, guest lecturer, and readings. Free downloadable software may be suggested. You will also need access to a built-‐in laptop video camera or webcam and a headset with 2
a microphone. Please do not arrive to Story Circles without a headset and microphone as without them the audio experience will be poor and frustrating for both you and your colleagues (e.g., audio delays, overlapping, etc.). You should have some way of taking digital photos (camera, iPhone, iPad, etc.). Access to a digital camcorder would be helpful, but is not a requirement. Gentle Advice: This course moves swiftly. With the combination of content presented, weekly activities, and assignments, it is essential that you are consistent about your participation and pace yourself for upcoming assignments. YOU MUST COMPLETE A PRE-‐COURSE MODULE IN THE WEEK BEORE CLASS OFFICIALLY BEGINS. PARTICIPATION The participation portion of your final grade is comprised of your thoughtful contribution to discussions and responses to colleagues' posts. Participation is also encouraged through using Twitter and the course hashtag (#ist646) to share news, useful links, and current events related to the topic of modern storytelling. The following are the discussion forums set up for different purposes: Discussion Forums Reflections on Learning Module Topics Each week there will be a major topic with several reflection topics for discussion; most often students are given a choice in responding to topics. In most cases, students must post at least once but not more than three times to a forum discussion. The course instructor will monitor all discussions and will post responses and/or questions as appropriate or necessary. Contributions should be well thought out, substantive, clear, and concise and will be assessed on these criteria. Your posts should indicate that you have reviewed the learning module, completed the readings, and are able to relate that information to the topic. You may include anecdotes from your experiences, completed assignments, things you've learned in other courses, or descriptions of other relevant readings, videos, etc. Please keep these discussions on the topic. You are allowed to respond to your discussions using blog posts with a link to the post in the discussion thread. Story Circles and Skype Story Buddies Central to the course and to storytelling is the concept of Story Circles, which are small groups for sharing and feedback. You will be assigned to a story circle based on your interests. Visit the Wiki (access Wiki through course menu) for Story Group assignments. Each group will set up mutually agreeable times to meet with their story circle three times during the summer session as noted in the Course Calendar (starts on p. 4). Adobe Connect will be the medium for Story Circles. Each Story Circle will also have its own Discussion Forums to share advice and get peer feedback (not instructor monitored). Additionally, you will be paired with a Skype rehearsal buddy to practice oral storytelling techniques at mutually convenient times. Exercise and Project Sharing Those wishing to share their exercises and projects with the entire class will use this forum. At one point in the semester, you will be required to post your updated Learning Contract/Journey Report for students and professor to review and share comments. This thread within the discussion will be labeled "Required: Update to LC/JR." Ask the Prof There is also a discussion forum labeled “Ask the Prof” so that students may post general course-‐
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related or assignment questions to the course instructor. Questions related to your specific situation should be emailed directly to the instructor. Blogs Students will be asked to set up their own personal blogs, if they do not already have one, as bloggers are considered storytellers in this course. Sometimes students will be required to post their discussion responses in their blogs to build portfolio links. Microblogging We use Twitter in this course to increase communications among students as well as to explore social media spaces like Twitter and Face Book as conduits for story. When students find relevant links to useful resources, they are requested to share these links by posting to the #IST646 Twitter hash tag. Useful links may later be organized within the Wiki on the Course site. Any and all students can add to or edit the Wiki although not mandatory. COURSE READINGS Required texts for this class is: • Digital Storytelling: Capturing Lives, Creating Community, by Joe Lambert, 4th edition, 2013, published by Routledge. • A list of assigned and recommended course readings, viewings, and other learning materials will be posted on the course site on a weekly basis. Other Recommended (Optional) Readings: • Winning the Story Wars: Why Those Who Tell (and Live) the Best Stories Will Rule the Future by Jonah Sachs, 2012. COURSE CALENDAR and TOPICS Each week’s module will contain three sections including storytelling 1) Topics, 2) Techniques, and 3) Tools. Below is an overview and schedule of the course modules and their components. Some weeks will include exercises; some will also include activities such as story circles. Graded assignments, exercises, and quizzes are highlighted in yellow. WEEK 1: Dates: Content: Reading(s): Exercise #1: WEEK 2: Dates: FROM THE ORAL TRADITION TO MODERN DAY STORYTELLING May 18 – 24 Topics include oral and digital stories, defining story and story structure, story uses, preserving personal/family/cultural stories, strategies drawn from the best Ted Talks; plus techniques for digital and oral stories; tools we will use in this class (e.g., Adobe Connect, blogs, Skype, etc.). Chapter 1 of textbook, Digital Storytelling: Capturing Lives, Creating Community by by Joe Lambert; additional reading(s) may be provided within module. Personal Podcast (personal, family, or cultural story) embedded in blog. (Value = 5 pts.) WEB 2.0 STORYTELLING AND PARTICIPATORY MEDIA May 25 – May 30 4
Content: Reading(s): QUIZ #1: Exercise #2: Activity: WEEK 3: Dates: Content: Topics include bloggers as storytellers, stories as change agents, striking a balance between hard data and stories, infographics that tell stories, participatory media; plus techniques for character development, scripting, framing; audio tools. Chapter 2 of textbook, Digital Storytelling: Capturing Lives, Creating Community by by Joe Lambert; additional reading may be provided in module. Timed 10-‐item quiz (reading & module for Week 2) taken anytime this week (Value = 5 pts.) Blogging: You As Storyteller (Value = 5 pts.) Story Circle #1 (small story circle groups meet in Adobe Connect at mutually agreed times) STORYTELLING IN SOCIAL SPACES; GAMING AS STORYTELLING June 1 – June 7 Topics include storytelling for marketing and advocacy, the intersection of gaming and storytelling; plus techniques for audio, sound mixing, finding music and sound effects, creative commons; download trial version of an approved nonlinear editing tool. Reading(s): Chapters 3 and 4 of textbook, ; additional reading(s) provided within module. Exercise #3: Use your blog story from Exercise #2 and turn it into a theatre of the mind audio story with music, and you as teller/narrator. (Value = 10 pts.) Activity: Story Circle #2 (sharing final project progress/journey report and sharing ideas) WEEK 4: STORYTELLING FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC POLICY; AUTHENTICITY IS CRITICAL Dates: June 8 – June 14 Content: Topics include how storytelling is being used to influence public policy and to demonstrate social injustices, the power of first person narratives, case studies; plus nonlinear editing techniques and oral storytelling tips. Reading(s): Chapters 5 and 6 of textbook QUIZ #2: Timed 10-‐item quiz (reading & module for Week 4) taken anytime this week (Value = 5 pts.) Project Due: Mid-‐Term Project (Value = 20 pts.) WEEK 5: STORYTELLING IN EDUCATION Dates: June 15 – 21 Content: Topics include research on learning and stories, use of stories to aid recall, retention, and comprehension, story creation as products of learning; techniques and strategies for educational storytelling; plus storytelling tools for learners. Reading(s): Chapter 7 of textbook; additional reading(s) provided within module. Activity: Story Circle #3 (sharing and discussing mid-‐term projects) WEEK 6: STORYTELLING AND ACCESSIBILITY; FUTURE OF STORYTELLING Dates: June 22 – 28 Content: Topics include making stories accessible and the next wave in storytelling; techniques for fine-‐tuning the edit process plus more strategies for oral tellings; Reading(s): Final chapters of textbook; additional reading(s) provided within module. Project Due: Final Project (Value = 35 pts.) ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING Table of Assignments and Due Dates 1 2 3 4 Exercise #1 (peer feedback and self assessment) Exercise #2 (peer feedback and self assessment) Exercise #3 (peer, self, and instructor assessed) Midterm Project 5
5 points 5 points 10 points 20 points May 24 May 31 June 7 June 14 5 6 7 Final Project Quizzes (two online quizzes at 5 points each) Participation in Story Circles, discussions, Twitter, and providing comments to tellers on their blogs. TOTAL 35 points 10 points 15 points June 28 Wks 3 & 5 ONGOING 100 points All assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. on the date listed—there is an automatic 1-‐hour grace period allotted. Instructor will not accept late work unless there is a documented explanation provided (such as a doctor’s note, etc.). Please inform the instructor as quickly as possible if you must submit an assignment late and have a “documentable” explanation. PLEASE be cognizant of spelling and grammatical errors. While not everyone is a great speller, there are numerous means of receiving assistance that should practically eliminate any typographical errors. Instructor expects to receive high quality work commensurate with that of a serious graduate level student. Overview of Assignments and Exercises (Detailed assignment instructions and checklists are available through the course site.) Assignments for this course will include both instructor-‐graded and peer/self assessed assignments and exercises. The two major assignments are the Final Project and the Mid-‐Term Project which taken together account for 55% of the course grade. FINAL PROJECT: The Final Project allows for a high degree of personal choice. Preparation for your final project starts at the beginning of the semester and continues throughout. Two products will be submitted for this assignment: 1) the link to the Digital Video Story embedded within your blog, and 2) the Learning Contract/Journey Report (LC/JR). The LC/JR is completed by the student at the beginning of the semester and approved by the professor. The digital story will require a number of technical elements (e.g., audio in form of an interview, voiceover/narration, music, use of transitions, layering, titling, images and/or video, etc.) as well as conceptual elements such as purpose, story structure, pacing/rhythm that contributes to the story's meaning, and understanding of the target audience. See Assignments menu on course site for complete details. MID-‐TERM PROJECT: The Mid-‐term Project also allows flexibility for the student to tackle the type of digital story project that best suits his/her needs and interests. For this project, students will tell a story with a sequence of stills and/or video clips and audio from public domain sources (or personal sources, if available). The mid-‐term project may build on any of the exercises completed prior to the mid-‐term project. Exercises are described next. EXERCISES: Several exercises in writing and creating digital stories for social media, podcasting, blogging, etc. will be peer and self-‐assessed through online story circles; these will collectively contribute to the exercise completion portion of your grade valued at 20%. The exercises are designed to build your skills 6
incrementally preparing you for your Mid-‐Term and Final Projects. For example, for Exercise #1, you will tell a folktale, family story, or personal story in a 2 -‐ 3 minute simple podcast that you will first rehearse with your story rehearsal buddy (via Skype). New skills are introduced in subsequent exercises. QUIZZES Two short, timed quizzes based on readings and module content are valued at 5 points each, comprising 10% of your grade. Readings are important to this course. For each quiz, there are 10 multiple-‐choice questions that must be answered in 5 minutes. At 5 minutes exactly, the quizzes will terminate. These are not open-‐book quizzes and there are no re-‐takes. PARTICIPATION Participation including contributions to discussion forums and social media venues will account for 15% of the total grade. GRADING SCALE The chart below shows how letter grades will be assigned based upon points earned for each assignment. Grades may include partial points such as 8.5 points of 10 possible points. POINTS EARNED LETTER GRADE 95-‐ 100 A 90 -‐ 94 A-‐ 87 -‐ 89 B+ 83 -‐ 86 B 80 -‐ 82 B-‐ 77 -‐ 79 C+ 73 -‐ 76 C 70 -‐ 72 C-‐ Below 70 F NOTE: Occasionally, a student may need to take an incomplete in a class due to extenuating circumstances. It should be noted that the highest possible grade for any incomplete for whatever reason is a B+ and this is given only for exemplary work. STATEMENT OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY The academic community of Syracuse University and of the School of Information Studies requires the highest standards of professional ethics and personal integrity from all members of the community. Violations of these standards are violations of a mutual obligation characterized by trust, honesty, and personal honor. As a community, we commit ourselves to standards of academic conduct, impose sanctions against those who violate these standards, and keep appropriate records of violations. The course instructors will adhere to and comply with the policies and procedures set forth in the University’s academic integrity statement. Information related to academic integrity can be found at: https://ischool.syr.edu/ilife/current/advising/integrity/integrity.aspx 7
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Our community values diversity and seeks to promote meaningful access to educational opportunities for all students. Syracuse University and I are committed to your success and to supporting Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990). This means that in general no individual who is otherwise qualified shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity, solely be reason of having a disability. If you believe that you need accommodations for a disability, please contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS), http://disabilityservices.syr.edu, located at 804 University Avenue, room 309, or call (315) 443-‐4498 for an appointment to discuss your needs and the process for requesting accommodations. ODS is responsible for coordinating disability-‐related accommodations and will issue students with documented disabilities “Accommodation Authorization Letters” as appropriate. Since accommodations may require early planning and generally are not provided retroactively, please contact ODS as soon as possible. Also, please contact the instructor via email or telephone so that she is aware in advance. OWNERSHIP OF STUDENT WORK In compliance with the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, works in all media produced by students as part of their course participation at Syracuse University may be used for educational purposes, provided that the course syllabus makes clear that such use may occur. It is understood that registration for and continued enrollment in a course where such use of student works is announced constitutes permission by the student. After such a course has been completed, any further use of student works will meet one of the following conditions: (1) the work will be rendered anonymous through the removal of all personal identification of the work’s creator/originator(s); or (2) the creator/originator(s)’ written permission will be secured. As generally accepted practice, honors theses, graduate theses, graduate research projects, dissertations, or other exit projects submitted in partial fulfillment of degree requirements are placed in the library, University Archives, or academic departments for public reference. 8