Banner created by my former ENGL 1102 student Alisa Petrusinskaia

**All Artifacts articulate their relevance in terms of course goals and learning outcomes, usually listing the 'top three' I see this project speaking to and aspects of the WOVEN curriculum. Their Icons are hyperlinks to the explanation of that concept in the "Goals" page of this Syllabus Site.***

Goals, Learning Outcomes, and WOVEN

Prompt

In this assignment, you will create a 60-90 second video to introduce yourself, identify the course you are taking, and articulate a challenge you anticipate facing in the coming semester of ENGL 1102. 

Argument/Purpose

Introduce yourself and Identify the course you are taking, the name of the professor, and the course theme (10-20 seconds)

Articulate a challenge you anticipate facing in the coming semester of ENGL 1102 in terms of WOVEN and Course Theme or Learning Outcomes

• Your video should articulate a challenge relating to one of the modes—written, oral, visual, electronic, or nonverbal communication—that you’ll be engaging with in-class projects this semester. Engage with some or all of these questions:

  • What challenges do you expect to face in relation to this particular mode (use specific examples from your past experience)?

  • How might you overcome these challenges (again using examples from your past experience)?

  • You might also use this assignment as an opportunity to set goals for yourself in terms of a specific mode of communication or in terms of the development of a specific skill.

Note: If you ‘met’ some of the challenges by familiarizing yourself with GIT video and audio recording spaces, make note of it in your video! See below in “Defining Features” for more information.

Audience

Imagine your audience to be other first-year students at Georgia Tech and other faculty members. They’re interested in your supported opinions and not your ability to summarize materials with which they are already familiar. Spend your time on your understanding of, hesitations with, or confidence in any aspect of the WOVEN curriculum, course goals and writing and communication outcomes.

Defining Features

An important aspect of any video is its design. Think about how you will not only deliver your argument to your audience but also present it in an engaging manner that uses the affordances of the video genre. If you speak directly to the camera, consider the angle and placement of the visuals, the setting in which you’re speaking, your appearance, your body language, and your eye contact. Or, consider if a slideshow, stop-motion, time-lapse, or other kind of creative style might be better suited to representing your argument. For any video, ensure that your voice is clearly audible and easy to follow.

I don't want to watch a video that is a single shot of you narrating to the camera. If I can imagine that you've been kidnapped and are being forced by your captors to read this script, you won't score over an 80%.

To record your video, use an easily accessible technology: your (or your family’s, friend’s, or classmate’s) smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer with webcam and mic.

Note: Early in the semester is a great time to familiarize yourself with available technology before it gets busier as the semester goes along. However, I am not expecting a full studio production for this. Consider checking out the available recording studios, which require you to complete a short training module you may sign up for here.

Process

**Process reflection is an important component of our class, as it helps you be careful and metacognitive with your composition processes, getting to know your strengths and weaknesses, and articulating for yourself some strategies for improvement. That said, your Final Portfolio requires you to provide process documents to help you 'track' your thought process. In this Artifact, Planning and Rehearsal are important, so make sure to save things like your script, images of your video editing process, etc.**

Planning

In planning this video, you need to create a script (or at least elaborated talking points). Try to avoid speaking ‘off the cuff.’

What GIT says: Consider that for most people speaking at a normal conversational rate, a half-page paragraph (in 12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced, with 1” margins) is equivalent to about one-minute of talk, so your 60-90 second video will have a script that’s one-half to three-fourths of a double-spaced page long.

What I say: Conversationally, native English speakers speak at about 100-150 words per minute. This means that if you’re making a video of nothing but speaking, delays, etc. your script would be, for a 60-90 second video, between 100 and 225 words. I would recommend you write at least 150 words, read it aloud to yourself at a relaxed pace and time it, then edit from there.

Rehearsal

Do NOT just wing it. The first recording should not be the final take. Rehearse maybe five or six or even ten times. In your video, you want to appear and sound relaxed, poised, and confident.

Editing

There are several ways to compose and edit together your video. if you have a Mac, iMovie is a great program. You can also do simple editing via Canva.com. You have to create an account with Canva, but it's free. Make sure your video is between 60-90 seconds and you are clearly audible. I recommend downloading the video to your local drive and not only Google Drive or Canva.

Submission

You'll have to submit your video as a Youtube link. You'll need a Google account or a Youtube account, but they are free. From the Youtube.com home screen, select the logo at the top right with your profile picture. Once selected, click "Your Channel." Then, select "Manage Videos." Then, select "Create" then "Upload Videos." Use that menu to submit the video file. Give the video a name: "[Last Name] Artifact 0 Video" and any description you think may be appropriate. Select "Next" until you get to the "Visibility" menu and select "Unlisted." (Unlisted means that your video can't be found by searching Youtube and only those that have the link can view it.) From there, select save. It gives you the option to copy the video's link. Submit that link to the "Artifact 0 Final" assignment in our course Canvas page. 

This is due by Monday, January 15 by 10:00 AM. 

Additionally, you will need to submit the 'script' you used for your video. It can be blurbs and little notes you scribbled down to 'riff' on or it could be a full script you read and composed for the video. Regardless, that will need to be submitted via the "Artifact 0 Script" in our Course Canvas page by the beginning of class on Tuesday, January 16.

Reflection

During the class period after you submit your assignment, your instructor will ask you to reflect on the project. “Reflecting” in this case means that you’ll respond in writing to a set of prompts or questions that ask you to consider how and why you made the choices you made in completing the diagnostic assignment. You’ll then save that reflection and return to it later in the semester as you prepare your final portfolio.

Why is reflection important? Because when you take a step back to critically review the ways you approached a problem and implemented a solution, you learn how to apply those critical thinking, communication, and project management skills to other subjects and areas of your life.

Grading

The final video is worth 3.5% of your final grade. The script is worth 0.5%. Additionally, the Syllabus Quiz, which you may take an unlimited number of times, is worth another 0.5% of your final grade. Finally, 0.5% of your final grade is based on you fully completing all of the requested homework from Day 1. It's labeled as "Artifact 0 Journal Assignments Grade."

I will grade the video itself out of 100% and in increments of 5%. 100, 95, 90, 85, 80, and so on. The explanations below rely on the Rhetorical Awareness of the work, detailed in the Prompt section of this page, and the overall Design of the Medium detailed in the Defining Features section. 

100% = Wow! You've hit all the required stuff in the Argument/ Purpose section, have excellent editing, video quality, and audio, and you've done intriguing and 'cool' things with such a limited amount of time available to the medium including editing, voiceovers, action, performance, skits, etc. And, you've done it within the time limit! I would show this to other students as excellent work.

90 or 95% = Video hits all the required stuff in the Argument/ Purpose section, has great editing, video quality, and audio, with a few neat aspects. And, you've done it within the time limit. Good work!

80 or 85% = Video hits most of the required stuff in the Argument/ Purpose section and has good editing, video quality or audio that could be improved. And, it may fall outside of the time limits of 60-90 seconds. Fine work!

70 or 79% = Video hits some of the required stuff in the Argument/ Purpose section and has okay editing, video quality or audio that needs significant work. Video may fall outside of the time limit of 60-90 seconds. 'Okay' work. If I can imagine that you've been kidnapped and are being forced by your captors to read this script, you won't score over an 80%.

60-65% =  Video neglects most of the required stuff in the Argument/ Purpose section, poor editing, video, and audio quality that needs significant work. Video may fall outside of the time limit of 60-90 seconds. 

50-55% = Video overlooks almost the entirety of the requested Argument/ Purpose section and thus fails the Rhetorical Awareness necessary for the success of this project.  

The Late Work policy is in effect. That is, the late submission of artifacts will incur an automatic 7.5% point reduction in that artifact's grade for each 24-hour period the artifact is late. So, if I give your video a 100% but it was received 15 minutes late, then I apply a 7.5% penalty. This would result in a 92.5% grade. If it's late by 25 hours, it would be penalized 15%, and so on.

However, this Late Work penalty can be avoided if you complete the Extension Log. For more information, see the Extension Log policy on the Policies page of this syllabus site.

If you added the class late (after the first day of class), please be advised that I want to help you get caught up. Please reach out to me if this is applicable to you. However, the Artifact 0 video is shared among all ENGL 1102 classes, so you are not unfamiliar with this project if you attended any other ENGL 1102 class prior to this one. 

Honor Code and Artifact 0

If you completed a similar video in a previous class, you must create a new video that speaks to the class you are now in and the specific challenges you see in this course. Why? Because this is a different class with different expectations and different projects. Plus, you’ve grown as a writer and communicator since completing that previous video. If you’ve taken a previous class, use this activity to think about what you know about the WOVEN modes, what you see as challenges within this specific course, and how the strategies for how you might overcome those challenges have changed.

Further, submitting assignments that have been submitted to another class constitutes a special form of plagiarism called self-plagiarism and so constitutes a violation of Georgia Tech’s Honor Code. Videos that have been submitted in a previous course will cause you to receive an automatic zero for this assignment and will be referred to the Office of Student Integrity.