Telecommunications 5990
(Video)games as New Media


Term: Spring 2009
Meeting Days: Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Meeting Time: 12:20PM - 1:10PM
Prerequisite: TELE 3010

Professor: Dr. Casey O'Donnell
Email: caseyod@uga.edu
Email Note: Please put "[TELE 5990]" at the beginning of your email subject line. It will improve my response time to your email.
Office location: Grady 101-J
Office hours: Wednesday 9:00AM-Noon; By Appointment
Phone: 706-542-5951

Course Location: Journalism 132

Disclaimer
The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary.

Attendance
Good workers come to work. Your class attendance not only helps you learn more, it makes the class better. Let me know ahead of time via email if you are unable to attend class. In order for an absence to be excused you must present me a note from your doctor or health center or provide some other documentation.

Missing more than four classes will result in a FAIL grade for this course. Missing classes can negatively affect your in-class participation points as well. If this isn't the kind of commitment you are willing to make, drop the class.

Course Goals and Requirements
Upon completion of this course, students will have an understanding of the interconnection between videogame technologies, their social/political/economic context, and the media which are created for them. Students will also be given an introductory understanding of game design and critical game studies. Students will develop and appreciation for the complexity of "the industry," game technologies, and game design. Continually, students will be encouraged to draw connections between videogames and other forms of New Media. After completing this course, students should be able to:

  • Understand how technologies shape and are shaped by the (new) media they are intended to host.
  • Critically analyze the social, political, and economic context of videogames and videogame technologies.
  • Critically analyze the content of videogames and videogame mechanics.

Required Textbooks

Assignments
Throughout the semester each student will begin developing an area of expertise in (video)game analysis. Your approaches will draw upon your textbook. The class will be divided into two groups. Each member of the group assigned to post must have their posts completed by WEDNESDAY, prior to class each week. Each member of the group responding must have responded to TWO posts by FRIDAY, prior to class each week. Each post should be MINIMUM 250 words. Each response should be at MINIMUM 125 words.

You will be asked to complete TWO FEATURE ESSAYS throughout the semester. These are due by WEDNESDAY, prior to class, of your assigned week. You will be assigned weeks during class. These essays are longer in length than a typical post and should be at MINIMUM 1250 words.

The class will be divided into two groups, each of which will complete their own game design document and game prototype. This will be a combination of in-class work and out of class collaboration. Each group will also put together a final "pitch" which will be graded as your final. Your game design document, pitch, and prototype are all OUTCOMES of this class. They are products you are producing that are part of your portfolio. The content developed for the website also counts as elements of your digital outcomes.

Gamelab Scheduling
You will schedule your use of the gamelab on the website. The gamelab is not at your beck and call, it is a tool for use with the class which must be scheduled accordingly. Plan ahead.

Additional Readings
Additional readings will be assigned through the use of Google Reader, an RSS (Real Simple Syndication) news feed reader. Students will be required to subscribe to the feed through their own RSS feed reader. Other readings may be assigned and provided in electronic form.

RSS Feed:
http://www.google.com/reader/shared/user/14229394684930416384/label/TELE%205990

Ethics
All academic work must meet the standards contained in "A Culture of Honesty." All students are responsible to inform themselves about those standards before performing any academic work.

Plagiarism and Citations
You are required to review and learn the definition of plagiarism included in the UGA Student Code of Conduct. The idea that information that you provide will be complete, accurate, fair and original is the fundamental ethic of the mass communication industry. If you take more than four words directly from a source, they must be enclosed in quotation marks and the citation must appear at the end of the sentence in which the quotation appears. If you use facts or ideas from another source but paraphrase them into your own words, the source must be cited immediately after the paraphrased material.

Cooperative Work
More than one student may be using the same materials on assignments. You are ENCOURAGED to work together, help, and learn from one another. But you may NOT turn in identical or nearly identical papers. Each student is required to independently conduct his/her own analysis and write his/her own paper. Evidence that you are co-producing papers and turning them in individually will be considered plagiarism. If you have a question about whether your joint work is acceptable, ask me before you turn in the assignment. Group projects are of course not included in this category.

Violation of Honesty Policy
I will vigorously prosecute all instances of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, cheating, or other information fabrication. The minimum penalty for being found in violation of violations of the University's academic honesty policy will be failure of the entire course - regardless of how small a proportion of the final grade the assignment or material represented.

Office of Disability Services
Any student who is working with the University's Office of Disability Services and who needs special consideration on assignments or exams should let me know as soon as possible.

Coming Late
Good workers arrive on time. You must come to class on time to receive the full benefit from your class. For every two times you arrive late, you will be counted absent.

Cell Phones Off
It is unprofessional to allow outside interruptions to disrupt meetings. The same goes for class. Turn your cell phone off before you enter class (or at least turn it to vibrate).

Classroom Computer Use
Professionals do not engage in extraneous activities during meetings. Successful students do not engage in activities unrelated to a class during that class. In class, not use your computer for activities unrelated to the class. Answering email, working on other class projects, downloading songs - do these on your own time, not during class. If you engage in non-class related activities during class, you might as well not be in class - and you will be counted as absent.

Honors Option
This class is available for Honors Option credit. If you are interested in taking the course at the Honors level, please let me know by the beginning of the second full week of classes.

Challenging Evaluations
In your jobs and your classes, you will be evaluated. How you handle and use these evaluations will greatly determine your eventual success. There is a professional approach for addressing evaluations (or grades) with which you do not agree.
  • Take some time to consider the evaluation. After you receive the evaluation, think about it for at least 24 hours before doing anything - this cooling off period will help you present your case in a positive manner.
  • Formulate a rational argument for why you deserve a better evaluation. Develop at least three points that you think prove you deserve a better evaluation. Your opinion is not an argument. Support your argument with data and analysis.
  • Present your argument in writing (email is preferred) within one week of receiving the graded assignment, then request a meeting to discuss your evaluation. I may very well buy your argument and you won't need to meet with me at all! Handling disputes constructively is the mark of a true professional. I will not reconsider an evaluation if you challenge it more than one week after the assignment is returned. Missing class is not an excuse for not receiving a returned assignment.

End of Semester Evaluations
At the end of the semester I will ask you to evaluate me. This can be done here:
http://eval.franklin.uga.edu/

Grading Policy
Grading in the course will be based on the percentage of points earned out of the total points possible. The standard scale will be used (Note: rounding is based entirely on in-class participation):
A: 93.000-100%;
A-: 89.995-92.995%;
B+: 86.995-89.994%;
B: 82.995-86.994%;
B-:79.995-82.994
C+: 76.995%-79.994
C: 69.995-76.994 %
D: 59.995-69.994%
F = below 59.995%

Assignments
Description Due Date Percentage of Final Grade
In-Class Assignments/Participation N/A 10%
Analysis Posts/Responses Multiple - See Schedule 20%
Salen/Zimmerman Exam 02/23/2009 5%
Two FEATURE Posts Multiple - See Schedule 30%
Design Document/Prototype 04/27/2009 25%
Final Pitch 05/06/2009 10%

Assignments must be turned in to me by 12:20PM (Class time) on the day that they are due, except when noted. No late assignments will be accepted. Be aware that I do not accept computer and printer problems as an excuse for late assignments. Computer-problem solving is a critical professional skill.

Course Schedule
A continually updated course calendar is available online here: http://www.google.com/calendar

** Week 1 - Beginning 01/09/2009:
First Class Meeting: Welcome and Course Introduction
Complete Online Honesty and Plagiarism Policy Form

** Week 2 - Beginning 01/12/2009:
Introduction to Course Electronic Tools
Basic Videogame Industry Structures
Basic Videogame Technologies

Assignment Due:
Student Profile Form & Honesty Form;
Online Bio and Profile Posted to Website;
In-class Design Document and Branding Posted to Forum;

Read for Class
Assigned via RSS Feed;

** Week 3 - Beginning 01/21/2009:
Why Games Matter
Why Technology Matters
Game Design and Prototype

Assignment Due:
Divide and Conquering of Salen and Zimmerman Unit 1 Post to Forums;

Read for Class
Come Prepared to Discuss through P.27 of Salen and Zimmerman;
Assigned via RSS Feed;

** Week 4 - Beginning 01/26/2009:
Why Industry Structure Matters
Game Design and Prototype

Assignment Due:
Divide and Conquering of Salen and Zimmerman Unit 1 Post to Forums;
Presentations of Chapters 3-10 of Salen and Zimmerman;

Read for Class
Come Prepared to Discuss Sections of Unit 1 of Salen and Zimmerman;
Assigned via RSS Feed;

** Week 5 - Beginning 02/02/2009:
Why Gender/Race/Sexuality/... and Culture Matters;

Assignment Due:
Group 1: Post first Analysis
Group 2: Comment on Group 1 Posts

Read for Class
Assigned via RSS Feed;

** Week 6 - Beginning 02/09/2009:
Serious Games and Games as Argument;
Divide Chapters 14-20 and 23-28 for in-class presentations;

Assignment Due:
Group 2: Post first Analysis
Group 1: Comment on Group 2 Posts

Read for Class
Assigned via RSS Feed;

** Week 7 - Beginning 02/16/2009:
Presentations of Chapters 14-20 and 23-28;

Assignment Due:
Presentations of Chapters 14-20 and 23-28;

Read for Class
Assigned via RSS Feed;

** Week 8 - Beginning 02/23/2009:
MONDAY, 02/23/2009: TEST over Salen and Zimmerman Concepts;
What's in a PITCH?
What's in a DESIGN DOCUMENT?
What counts as an OUTCOME/PRODUCT?
Game Design Document and Prototype

Assignment Due:
Group 1: Post second Analysis
Group 2: Comment on Group 1 Posts

Read for Class
Assigned via RSS Feed;

** Week 9 - Beginning 03/02/2009:
Game Design Document and Prototype

Assignment Due:
Group 2: Post second Analysis
Group 1: Comment on Group 2 Posts

Read for Class
Assigned via RSS Feed;

** Week 10 - Beginning 03/09/2009:
UGA SPRING BREAK - REST FOR UPCOMING SPRINT

** Week 11 - Beginning 03/16/2009:
Game Design Document and Prototype

Assignment Due:
Group 1: Post third Analysis
Group 2: Comment on Group 1 Posts

Read for Class
Assigned via RSS Feed;

** Week 12 - Beginning 03/23/2009:
Game Design Document and Prototype

Assignment Due:
Group 2: Post third Analysis
Group 1: Comment on Group 2 Posts

Read for Class
Assigned via RSS Feed;

** Week 13 - Beginning 03/30/2009:
Game Design Document and Prototype

Assignment Due:
Group 1: Post fourth Analysis
Group 2: Comment on Group 1 Posts

Read for Class
Assigned via RSS Feed;

** Week 14 - Beginning 04/06/2009:
Game Design Document and Prototype

Assignment Due:
Group 2: Post fourth Analysis
Group 1: Comment on Group 2 Posts

Read for Class
Assigned via RSS Feed;

** Week 15 - Beginning 04/13/2009:
Game Design Document and Prototype

Assignment Due:
Group 1: Post fifth Analysis
Group 2: Comment on Group 1 Posts

Read for Class
Assigned via RSS Feed;

** Week 16 - Beginning 04/20/2009:
Game Design Document and Prototype

Assignment Due:
Group 2: Post fifth Analysis
Group 1: Comment on Group 2 Posts

Read for Class
Assigned via RSS Feed;

** Week 17 - Beginning 04/27/2009:
Game Design Document and Prototype

Assignment Due:
Game Design Document and Prototype;

** FINAL EXAM DATE: Wed, May 6, 2009 @ Noon - 3PM:
Final Pitch Presentations

Assignment Due:
Final Pitch Presentations;