Overview of Phase 3

The purpose of this document is to give you an overview of how Phase 3 works.

1st:  See the phase 3 schedule.

CLASS PARTICIPATION & WHEN TO LEAVE:  In phase 3, students are expected to stay the duration of the class and to participate in class activities. 

In this phase of the class, students will be making the following…

1) a game which they will make together with their group members

2) a stenograph (a.k.a. a list of notes on what is said during group meetings)

3) a series of visual notes that they will present to their group members

4) an annotated infographic (a.k.a. a combination of images and text designed to inform)

– These 4 components will combine to make up the total point value for Report 3.

#1: The game will consist of a series of group discussions and brainstorming sessions through which students attempt to represent aspects of real-life through aspects of a game. In other words, students will work in a group to develop a game whose purpose is to model or simulate features of a real-life social system (i.e., capitalism, white supremacy, or patriarchy) when played. In these sessions, each student shares ideas that they have found in their readings. While sharing their ideas, the presenter and their group members try to figure out how to represent these ideas with aspects of the game. Often, the presenter will already have a “code” prepared and ready to propose before meeting with their group.

– A “code” is a way to represent ideas about a social system with aspects of a game. For example, if a group is working to represent the social system White Supremacy, then they might “code” the different races of their characters with different colored or different shaped pieces. Or, for example, they might “code” the idea of discrimination as this:  If a person with a white character rolls their dice, then the value of their roll (e.g., 5) is doubled (e.g., 10); if a person with a black character rolls their dice, then the value of their roll (e.g., 5) remains the same (e.g., 5).

#2: Stenographs are notes on the series of group discussions and brainstorming sessions mentioned above.  These will be the means through which groups organize and keep track of their conversations about ideas and codes, and they will also be the means through which students are graded for individual and group participation. Each student is expected to contribute a certain number of ideas per group meeting; each group is expected to contribute a certain number of codes per group meeting – achieving these standards leads to receiving full credit for the assignment. Stenographs are turned in at the end of each group session. 

#3: Visual notes are notes about ideas that consist of images and text. Before each meeting, each individual student reads about and illustrates 3 (or more) ideas from their readings (e.g., readings from their textbooks). Then for each group meeting, each student is expected to present these three illustrations to their group members, and they and their group members will try to code the illustrated ideas into their game. Students will then turn in their illustrations with their group’s stenographs at the end of each group session.

#4: Infographics, in phase 3, replace the essay-style papers of phase 1 and 2. Infographics consist of the 12 (or more) visual notes that students present for their group sessions. However, for the infographics, students will be expected to combine all of their 12 (or more) visual notes into a single set of visual notes; students will also be expected to revise, refine, and enhance their previously submitted visual notes (as needed) before they become part of their infographic. Also, infographics differ from visual notes because they will be paired with text-based notes on and elaborations of each visual note; each of these text-based notes will be cited.

 

Monday/Wednesday classes
Things To Be Graded For Report 3
Item	Stenographs	Visual Notes	Game	Infographic
# Due	4 per group	4 sets per student*	1 per group	1 per student
Due Date(s)	10/20, 10/22, 10/27, 10/29	10/20, 10/22, 10/27, 10/29	11/5	11/4
Links	1, 2, 3,	1, 2, 3, 4,	1,	1, 2,

* 1 set of visual notes = 3 different illustrations of 3 different ideas

Tuesday/Thursday classes
Things To Be Graded For Report 3
Item	Stenographs	Visual Notes	Game	Infographic
# Due	4 per group	4 sets per student*	1 per group	1 per student
Due Date(s)	10/21, 10/23, 10/28, 10/30	10/21, 10/23, 10/28, 10/30	11/6	11/5
Links	1, 2, 3,	1, 2, 3, 4,	1,	1, 2,

* 1 set of visual notes = 3 different illustrations of 3 different ideas

ON DRAFTS:  Whereas in the previous phases drafts were graded, in Phase 3 draft submissions are optional and are not graded.  Also, the process of reviewing drafts has changed drastically. Drafts can only be submitted to the teacher in person either during class time or during office hours. Draft reviews will be brief and will occur as soon as the student submits a draft. Feedback will be given briefly and immediately during this in-person encounter, so if you want specific aspects of your draft addressed, then point these aspects out to the teacher. 

– Perhaps the best practice in terms of getting feedback on your visual notes would be to present your visual notes to your group members without any explanation. Then, see if they can figure out the idea that you’re representing – i.e., you are not simply seeing if they can name the idea that you are trying to represent, rather you are seeing (based on the visual notes alone) if they can read, elaborate on, or explain the idea.  However, it is possible that some ideas are extremely difficult or impossible to represent as an image.  So, do what you can, and ask for advice or suggestions from your group members or your teacher.