ENC1145,Section10&11 ItsDangeroustoGoAlone!

TakeThis: WritingAbouttheRhetoricofVideogames
Fall2013 9:30AM10:45AMTuesday/Thursday 12:30PM1:45PMTuesday/Thursday WilliamsBuilding310 Instructor:JasonCuster Email:jc11w@my.fsu.edu Office:Williams329, OfficeHours:Wednesday10:00AM2:00PM ***AppointmentsAvailableUponRequest***

FirstYearCompositionMissionStatement FirstYearCompositioncoursesatFSUteachwritingasarecursiveandfrequentlycollaborative processofinvention,drafting,andrevising.Writingisbothpersonalandsocial,andstudentsshould learnhowtowriteforavarietyofpurposesandaudiences.Sincewritingisaprocessofmaking meaningaswellascommunicating,FYCteachersrespondtothecontentofstudentswritingaswellas tosurfaceerrors.Studentsshouldexpectfrequentwrittenandoralresponseonthecontentoftheir writingfrombothteacherandpeers.Classesrelyheavilyonaworkshopformat.Instructionemphasizes theconnectionbetweenwriting,reading,andcriticalthinkingstudentsshouldgivethoughtful,reasoned responsestothereadings.Bothreadingandwritingarethesubjectsofclassdiscussionsand workshops,andstudentsareexpectedtobeactiveparticipantsoftheclassroomcommunity.Learning fromeachotherwillbealargepartoftheclassroomexperience. IfyouwouldlikefurtherinformationregardingtheFirstYearCompositionProgram,feelfreetocontact theprogramdirector,Dr.DeborahCoxwellTeague(dteague@fsu.edu). CourseGoals Thiscourseaimstohelpyouimproveyourwritingskillsinallareas:discoveringwhatyouhavetosay, organizingyourthoughtsforavarietyofaudiences,andimprovingfluencyandrhetoricalsophistication. Youwillwriteandrevisethreeprojects,apresentation,andafinalproject,writesustainedexploratory blogentries,deviseyourownpurposesandstructuresforthosepapers,workdirectlywiththeaudience ofyourpeerstopracticecriticalreadingandresponse,andlearnnewwritingtechniques.Wewillbe doingallofthisthroughvideogameplaybothinsideandoutsidetheclassroomandusingthisasa catalystforourwritingandresearchprojects.

GeneralCourseInformation&Requirements RequiredTextbooksandMaterials 1. LimbobyPlaydead(Availableon360,PS3,Windows,Mac,Linux,iOS,andOnLive) 2. ThomasWasAlonebyMikeBithell(AvailableonPS3,Windows,Mac,andLinux) 3. BraidbyNumberNoneGames(Availableon360,PS3,Windows,Mac,LinuxandOnLive) 4. Monaco:WhatsYoursIsMinebyPocketwatchGames(Availableon360,Windows,and Mac) 5. TheMcGrawHillHandbook,FSUedition,byMaimon,Peritz,andYancey 6. APocketFolderandNotebook 7. About$30setasideforcopying/printingdraftsandreadings 8. Accesstoacomputerwithreliableinternetandawordprocessor(MicrosoftWordorfree alternativeslikeOpenOfficeorGoogleDocs) 9. Ameansforbackingupyourwork(anycombinationofflashdrives,externalharddrives, GoogleDrive,etc.) RequirementsofCourse Alloftheformalwrittenassignmentsbelowmustbeturnedintomeinordertopassthiscourse. Threepapersandthefinalproject,editedandpolished Threedrafts&revisionsofthe3formalprojects. Around10informalexploratoryblogentries(allmustbeturnedinontimeforcredit) Twoindividualconferencesscheduledbyyouandme,inlieuofclasstime,towork oneononeonadraft,writingstrategy,etc. Thoughtful,active,andresponsibleparticipationandcitizenship,includingdiscussion, preparationforclass,inclassinformalwriting. ComputerAccess: Wewillbeusingcomputersquiteabitinthisclass,andyouwillneedtodosomeofthisworkoutsideof class,includingplayingcomputergames.Technologyisnotalwaysreliable,andIunderstandthis. However,itisyourresponsibilitytohaveabackupplan.Ifyouhaveanunreliablecomputer,ifyour dormsinternethasatendencytogoout,ifyougohomefortheweekendanddonthaveinternetor computeraccessyouareresponsiblefortakingtheinitiativetomakeotherarrangements.Thereare computerlabsoncampus,includingtheFSUDigitalStudio,forgameplay.Findthem,gotothem,use them.WhileIamwillingtoaccommodatesituationswithextenuatingcircumstances,almostallproblems canbesolvedbygoingtooneofthecomputerlabsavailableoncampus. PaperbyPaperEvaluation Activeparticipationinclassdiscussion,discussionboards,conferences,workshops,andpreparedness inclassallfactorintohowyouareevaluated.Draftswillbediscussedbasedoncompletenessand potentialnotmechanicalissues.Finalpaperswillbegradedonelementssuchasaudienceawareness, organization,coherence,supportingevidence,thoroughanalysis,yourwritingprocessandediting.All otherwrittenandoralworkwillbegradedonmeaningorcontentandappropriatenesstothe

assignment. Project1(46Pages)15% Project2(810Pages)25% Project3(46Pages)20% Project4(46Pages)15% BlogEntries15% ClassParticipation10% While there will be due dates for each of your papers, allgradeswillbeconsideredasisevaluations. You may rewrite ANY of the papers you turn in during this course at any time in order toincorporate your own, your peers, or my revision suggestions or anyothertechniqueswediscussinclass.Thisalso presents you with the opportunity to continue revising your pieces throughout the course of the semester, as many times as you wish, to improveyourwriting.Significantprogressmayresultinraising a grade. Unless otherwise noted, final revisions of any paper will be accepted no later than our final class. Allpapersandrevisionsmustbesubmitted toSafeAssigntobeconsideredcompleteandontime. Wewilldiscussthistogetherinclass. **REMINDER:ALLFORMALPAPERSANDDRAFTSMUSTBECOMPLETEDAND TURNEDINTOEARNAPASSINGGRADEINTHISCOURSE** TheBlog Blogentrieswilldealwithreadingassignments,assignedpapers,orclassdiscussion.Allentriesmustbe postedtoyourblogbefore8PMonthedaystheyaredue.Thisisaspaceforyoutothinkthings throughandchallengeyourselfandyourideas(bothinclassandbeyond).Wemightshareentriesin classoccasionally,sobesuretowritethingsyouarecomfortablediscussing.Remember:Blogentries countas15%ofyourgradeandareallornothinggrades.Togetcredit,entriesmustbe200to300 words.Eachmissedblogis1.5pointsoffyourfinalgradethataddsupfast.Asmallpercentage ofthosepointscanbemadeupbycompletingmissed/lateblogentriesandrespondingtoyourpeers blogsandathoughtfulfinalreflectioninyourfinalblogentry. Drafts,Revisions,andFinalPapers Youllneedtosubmit/bringdigitalcopiesand/ormakecopiesofyourdrafts,revisions,andfinalpapers beforeyoucometoclass.Thenumberofdraftsneededwillbeprovidedtoyoupriortoeach workshop.Irequirethatalldraftsandrevisionsbetyped(MLAformat,1inchmargins)andsubmitted beforetheendofthesemester.Youhaveaccesstoanumberofcomputerlabsaroundcampus,soif youdonthaveyourowncomputerorprinter,takeadvantageofoneofFSUs.Allyourwrittenwork musthaveproperMLAformatting.Youwillberesponsibleforprintingyourpapersforthisclassand forworkshops.Youwillgenerallybechoosingyourowntopicsforthepapersinthisclass(afterthefirst week).Yourwritingforthisclassisnearlyalwayspublicwritinginthesensethatotherswillreadand commentonitkeepthisinmindwhenchoosingatopictowriteon.

LateWork ForFirstYearComposition,universitypolicymandatesthatallworkmustbeturnedintoearnapassing grade. In accordance with this, late workwillbeaccepted.Papersturnedinaftertheassignedduedate will lose half a letter grade per calendar day (Example: If you turn in your paper adaylate,thehighest possible grade you can earn will beanAtwodayslate:B+threedays:Betc).Ifyourcircumstances are extenuating, you must talk to me BEFORE the day the paper is due to make alternative arrangements, which Iamcompletelyflexibleinmaking.Furthermore,entriespostedlateto theblogwill not receive creditblog sites add timestamps to all blog entries and comments, so if you don't post whenyou'resupposedto,I'llseeit.Doyourworkanddoitontimetoavoidthesepenalties.

Rules,Regulations&OtherPolicies
Attendance TheFirstYearCompositionprogrammaintainsastrictattendancepolicytowhichthiscourseadheres: anexcessoffourabsencesinourclassisgroundsforfailure.Youshouldalwaysinformme,ahead oftimewhenpossible,aboutwhyyoumissclasssowecanmakearrangementsformissedwork(if possible).Youget4noquestionsaskedabsencesinmycoursetherearenosuchthingsasexcused absences.So,saveyourabsencesforwhenyougetsickorforfamilyemergencies(andbothcould happenatanypointthissemester).LatePolicy:Beingmorethan5minuteslate3timescountsasan absence.Additionally,being20+minuteslateoncecountsasanabsence.Conferences:Conferences meanscancelingclass,somissingascheduledconferencewithmecountsastwoabsencesas well. FirstYearCompositionCourseDropPolicy ThiscourseisNOTeligibletobedroppedinaccordancewiththeDropPolicyadoptedbythe FacultySenateinSpring2004.TheUndergraduateStudiesDeanwillnotconsiderdroprequestsfora FirstYearCompositioncourseunlessthereareextraordinaryandextenuatingcircumstancesutterly beyondthestudentscontrol(e.g.deathofaparentorsibling,illnessrequiringhospitalization,etc.).The FacultySenatespecificallyeliminatedFirstYearCompositioncoursesfromtheUniversityDropPolicy becauseoftheoverridingrequirementthatFirstYearCompositionbecompletedduringstudentsinitial FSUenrollment. Civility I refuse to tolerate disruptive language or behavior. Disruptive language includes, but is not limited to, violent and/or belligerent and/or insulting remarks, including sexist, racist, homophobic or antiethnic slurs, bigotry, offensive slang, and disparaging commentaryin spoken, written or digital forms. Ifyou think something might be inappropriate for my classroom, it is. While I do not disagree that you each have a right to your own opinions, inflammatory language founded in ignorance orhateisunacceptable intheclassroom,blogposts,oranydigitalcomponentofthiscourseandwillbedealtwithimmediately. Disruptive behavior includes the use of cell phones (more on this in a moment) or any other form of electronic communication during the class session (email, webbrowsing). Disruptive behavior also

includes whispering or talking when another member of the class is speaking or engaged in relevant conversation (and remember here thatIamamemberofthisclass aswell).Thisclassroomfunctionson thepremiseofrespect,andyouwillbeaskedtoleavetheclassroomifyouviolatethispolicy. CellPhones: SILENCEYOURPHONES.IfIseeyourphoneout,itwillresultinanimmediateandsharplossof Participationpoints.Ifyourphonegoesoffinclass,thesameistrue.Youcanusethebathroom wheneveryoulike,andcancheckyourphoneoruseitthen,butnotinmyclassroom.Andyes,Ican seeyourphonebehindyourlaptop,atyourside,andanyothermoveyouthinkisslick.Youllsilently haveyourfinalgradepenalized,andIwontsayawordunlessyouredistractingmeorothers. Just.....dont. Email: Check your email daily. No excuses for missed emails I send to you or the classyou should be checkingyouremaildailyforallofyourclasses.Nowyouhaveareasontodoexactlythat. ReadingWritingCenter(RWC) The Reading/Writing Center, located in Williams 222C, is devoted to individualized instruction in reading and writing. Part of the English Department, the RWC serves FloridaStateUniversitystudents at all levels and from all majors. Its clients include a crosssection of the campus: firstyear students writing for composition class, upperlevel students writing term papers, seniors composing letters of applications for jobs and graduate schools, graduate students working on theses and dissertations, multilingual students mastering English,andavarietyofothers.TheRWCservesmostlywalkintutoring appointments however, it also offers three different courses for credit that specifically target reading, undergraduatelevelwriting,andgraduatelevelwriting. The tutors in the RWC, all graduate students in English with training and experience in teaching composition, use a processcentered approach to help students at anystageofwriting:fromgenerating ideas, to drafting, organizing, and revising. While the RWC does not provide editing or proofreading services, its tutors can help writers buildtheir owneditingandproofreadingstrategies.Our approachto tutoring is to help students grow as writers, readers, and critical thinkers by developing strategies for writing in a varietyof situations.Duringthefallandspringsemesters,theRWCisopenMondaythrough Thursdayfrom106andFridayfrom102.Hoursofoperationvaryinsummer.VisittheRWCsiteor call6446495forinformation. StrozierSatelliteLocation The Strozier location serves students where its most convenient for them and alongside the research and advising services the library offers. Only walkin appointments are available at this RWClocation, on a firstcome firstserved basis, but students can sign up in advancethedayofanappointmentatthe tutoring area. Hours vary, but are updated on both the RWC website andtheStrozierLibrarywebsite atthestartofeachsemester.

DigitalStudio The Digital Studio provides support to students working individually or in groups on avarietyofdigital projects, such as designing a website, developing an electronic portfolio for a class, creating a blog, selecting images for a visual essay, addingvoiceovertoapresentation,or writingascriptforapodcast. Tutors who staff the Digital Studio can help students brainstorm essay ideas, provide feedback on the content and design of a digital project, or facilitate collaboration for group projects and presentations. Students can use the Digital Studio to work on their own to complete class assignments or toimprove overall capabilities in digital communication without a tutoringappointmentifaworkstationisavailable. However, tutor availability and workspace are limited so appointmentsarerecommended.Tomakean appointment email us at fsudigitalstudio@gmail.com or visittheDigitalStudioinWilliams222B.Hours varybysemesterandareupdatedatwebsite. Plagiarism Plagiarism is grounds for suspension from theuniversityas wellasforfailureinthiscourse.Itwillnotbe tolerated. Any instance of plagiarism must be reported to the Director of FirstYear Composition and the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Plagiarism is a counterproductive, nonwriting behavior that is unacceptable in a course intended to aid the growth of individual writers. Plagiarism is includedamong the violations defined in the Academic Honor Code, section b), paragraph 2, as follows: Regarding academic assignments, violations of the Academic Honor Code shall include representing anothers work or any part thereof, be it published or unpublished, as ones own. A plagiarism education assignment that further explains this issue will be administered during the second week of class. Each student will be responsible for completing assignments andaskingquestionsregardingpartstheydonot fullyunderstand. GordonRule To fulfill FSUs Gordon RuleWDesignation(writing)credit,thestudentmustearnaCorbetterin the course, and in order to receive a C or better, the student must earn at least a C on the required writingassignmentsforthecourse.IfthestudentdoesnotearnaCorbetter on therequired writing assignments for the course, the student will not earn an overall grade of C or better in the course, no matter how well the student performs in the remaining portion of thecourse.TheUniversity stipulates that students must write 7,000 words in ENC 1101 and 1102 (at least 3,500 words per course). ADA Students with disabilities needing academic accommodationsshouldinthefirstweekofclass1)register with andprovidedocumentation tothe StudentDisability ResourceCenter(SDRC)and2)bringaletter to the instructor from SDRC indicating theneedforacademicaccommodations.Thisandallotherclass materialsareavailableinalternativeformatuponrequest.

Papers&Projects **Note:AMoreDetailedAssignmentSheetWillbeProvidedforeachAssignmentasit Comes** Project1:SeeingYourselfinaGameWorld:Thefirstassignmentwillaskstudentstocreatean avatarforthemselves,eitherusingacharacterwhichalreadyexistsingamingtodayandrelating themselvestothischaracter,ordesigninganewonewhichrepresentsthemviacharactercreation toolsavailableincountlessfreegamesorbydrawing/modelingonebyhandoranyotherresources theyhaveavailable.Studentswillberequiredtoconsiderwhyandhowtheiravatarortheavatarofa givengamerepresentsthem,andconsiderthegenre/styleofgametheiravatarwould/doesappearin. Whowouldtheirenemiesbe?WouldtheyexistinafantasyworldlikeLink?Orexistinarealistic worldlikeColePhelps?Requirements:1,000wordminimum(successfulprojectswillbecloser to46pages),includesanimageofthestudent'savatarasdrawn/createdbythem. Project2:SeeingtheGameWorldRhetorically:Thesecondprojectwilldrawstudentsfurther intothegameworldbyaskingthemtorhetoricallyanalyzeagameoftheirchoosing.Itmustbeagame theyhaveplayedandknowwell.Thestudentwillberequiredtowriteapaperthatinterrogatesa videogameinsearchoftherhetoricalelementsofthegameinquestionincludingananalysisofthe natureandfunctionofthechosengameasanartifact.Thewritershouldasksuchquestionsas:What systemsdoestheplayerparticipatein?Whatstructuredoesthegamefollow?Whatgenreisitpartof andwhatelementsofthegenrearebeingrepresentedhere,andtowhatrhetoricaleffect?Howdoesa gamelikeCivilizationrepresentsocialgrowthandsystems,andwhydoesthatmatter?Thepurpose ofthisprojectwillbetorequirestudentstobeginseeinggamesastextswhichfunctionandexpress themselvesrhetoricallyratherthansimplyanengaginggameplayexperience.Thiswillbetheprimary researchcomponentofthecourse,requiringstudentstoseekoutinformationfromourreadingsin additiontolookingforscholarlysourcesonhowgamesfunctionrhetoricallyinadditiontobasic searchesforinformationonthegames,developers,publishers,genres,andotherelementsofgames, gameplay,anddesigninquestion.Requirements:2,000wordminimum(successfulprojectswill becloserto810pagesnotincludinganyscreenshotsofthegameinquestion). Project3:CreatingaGameWorldofYourOwn:Thisthirdassignmentwillbuildoffreadingswe willdoinclasswhichfocusonhowgamesoperateasrhetoricalstructures.Inthissense,studentswill berequiredtodesignashorttextbasedgamewhichwillrequirethemtonotonlylearntousethefree downloadableTwinesoftwareforcreatingtextbasedgames,buttoconsiderhowgamescan/do/did workasaformoftextualcomposition.Requirements:ACompleteTwinegame.Thiswillbe accompaniedbyeitheragameboxdesignedbyhand/usingInDesign/Photoshoporaposter doneinthesamefashionwitha1,000wordminimum(successfulprojectswillbecloserto 46page)writtencomponentwhichanalyzestherhetoricalchoicestheymadeandthose afforded/limitedbyatextbasedgameandexplainsthevisionforthegamecreated,and whetheritwasabletocaptureanyofthegoalsyouhad.

Project4:CreatingtheHeist:ParticipatinginaGameWorld:UsingthegameMonaco,our finalprojectwillinvolveusingthepowerfulcontentcreationtoolsaffordedbyValvetodesignourown levelstoaddtotheCommunity.First,studentswillberequiredtoplayMonaco,andfollowclass discussionsontherhetoricalandproceduralchoicesmadethroughoutPocketwatchsgame,students willbemakingtheirownheistswiththeMolesWorkshopwhichcomesfreewiththetitle.Asaclass wewillbepresentingourtestchamberstotheclass,whichtheclasswillplaythroughandevaluateas partofthefinalproject.Wewillalsobeanalyzingtherhetoricalstrategiesprovided/afforded/limitedby themapcreationtoolsinadditiontoexaminingthewaysinwhichthecommunitiessurroundingSteam andMonacousethesetoolsandparticipateindiscussionsinonlinespaces.Requirements:1,000 wordsminimum(successfulprojectswillbecloserto45pages)writtenonthecreationofa levelinMonacoinadditiontoinsightsontheMonacocommunityandrhetoricalinsightsinto alloftheabove.