COM 232: VISUAL LITERACY
SPRING 2010 / MWF 10:00AM to 11:10AM
Professor: Tom Hammond
Office: TBA
Office Hours: MWF by appointment
Phone: 813-900-4759
Email: thammond1946@yahoo.com
This syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
It is one of the great ironies of contemporary existence that we are beset, informed, controlled and constructed by images, yet we receive almost no formal training in understanding and creating visual communication. … Considering ideas from art history, photography, film, mass media and cultural studies, students are asked to analyze visual rhetoric, begin to see critically, articulate meaning, and author visual rhetoric of their own.
COURSE OBJECTIVE:
This course provides an introduction to the varied ways of understanding, analyzing, and theorizing visual culture. We will cover a few major concepts and debates in the broadly defined field of visual studies while exploring a number of key works and traditions in the visual arts.
COURSE GOALS:
The goals of this class are to learn to “read” visual images at a sophisticated level and to articulate your own informed ideas about visual communication, in both written and oral form.
READINGS:
You do not need to purchase any books. Readings will be posted at http://vislit7.blogspot.com or distributed in class. You are responsible for getting your readings and bringing them to class.
LEARNING EXERCISES:
There are four major learning exercises.
(1) Critical Analysis and Review Papers: two to four page critical analysis and reviews of specific topics, readings, and films. (4 papers, 30% of final grade)
(2) Response Papers: one to two page responses to questions put forward. (4 responses, 20% of final grade)
(3) Research Project. There are two choices here: (1) An analysis of a specific genre’s, director’s, producer’s, artist’s, or photographer’s visual aesthetic and its social role and meaning – OR – (2) a visual essay on a chosen topic/theme. Both assignments include a proposal, a final paper and class presentation. (3 parts, 30% of final grade)
(4) Participation. You should regard class participation and attendance as an assignment. Participation is required and is a component of your final grade. Consider this a seminar and come prepared to contribute. Come to every class ready to thoughtfully discuss the topic and material. (20% of final grade)
GRADING:
All learning exercises are given a letter grade.
| 100-94 A Outstanding |
| 93-87 A/B Excellent |
| 86-81 B Very Good |
| 80-76 B/C Good |
| 75-70 C Average |
| 69-74 C/D Below Average |
| 63-60 D Pass, Unsatisfactory |
| 59-0 F Failure |
The final course grade is composed of:
30% critical analysis/review papers (four in total, all weighted equally)
20% response papers (four in total, all weighted equally)
30% research paper and presentation (three parts in total – 10% for the proposal, 40% for the paper, and 50% for the presentation)
20% thoughtful and prepared class participation
ASSIGNMENT POLICIES:
There are no make-ups for in-class work and discussions.
In addition, please follow these guidelines on all work turned in for evaluation:
1) All assignments must be typewritten or done on a computer. No hand-written assignments will be accepted. Assignments more than one page in length must be stapled!
2) Hardcopies of work is preferred, but if you’re going to miss the class meeting that an assignment is due, you may email a Word copy of your work. Do NOT consider the assignment “accepted” by me until you receive an email message from stating that I’ve received the document. If you do not get an email acknowledging receipt, you can assume I did not get your paper. In other words, the excuse “I sent it to you via email” is unacceptable unless you can prove that I replied to your message.
3) Towards fairness to all students, assignments must be turned in at the beginning of the session at which they are due, with a one-full-grade-per-day penalty for those that are late. Emailed assignments received after the class start-time in which they are due are considered late. No exceptions here. Plan your semester accordingly. Also know that I do not provide comments or feedback on late papers – I only evaluate them and assign a grade.
4) Grades are posted on Blackboard. It is your responsibility to make sure I’ve received your assignments. A “0” in any column means I did not receive the assignment (letter grades are assigned to all work). Know that “0s” turn to “Fs” a week after an assignment is due, though I may not change the mark in Blackboard until the end of the semester.
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance is linked to the “class participation” portion of the final grade. No distinctions are made between excused and unexcused absences.
TARDINESS:
Class begins at 10:00am. Late arrivals will be noted. Any such pattern will negatively effect you grade.
GETTING HELP:
I’m more than happy to talk to you about the course, any assignments, general ideas, surviving school, academia in general, careers, or anything else that is on your mind. Currently, my office hours are MWF by appointment before and after class. Contact me in class or email me to schedule a time.
HONOR CODE:
All written work submitted in this class must be solely your own product. I expect that you know what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. If you have questions regarding this policy, error on the side of caution and raise them with me prior to turning in an assignment. Cheating, plagiarism, copying and any other behavior that is contrary to University standards of behavior will not be tolerated. Students found guilty of such offenses will be given an "F" as a final course grade and appropriate action taken with the University.
DISABILITIES STATEMENT:
If there is any student who has special needs because of a disability, please go directly to the Academic Center for Excellence in North Walker Hall. You may phone 813-258-7251, or e-mail jdelvalle@ut.edu to report your needs and provide documentation of your disability for certification. Jennifer Del Valle is the associate director of the Academic Center for Excellence, Student Disability Services. Please feel free to discuss this issue with me in private if you need more information.
SCHEDULE
Listed below is the tentative reading and assignment schedule, subject to change as our semester together progresses.
A NOTE ABOUT MOST FRIDAYS:
As you’ll see, many Fridays are designated “Writing Days.” These days are provided for you to advance writing assignments or to confer with me individually in the classroom. We will not meet as a class these days. I reserve a right, however, to hold class any of these days in order to cover missed material and/or continue a discussion with designated individuals or the class as a whole. Should I/we elect to meet, I will notify you in class or via email.
A NOTE ABOUT THE MEDIA SHOWN IN CLASS:
We will be watching media clips and/or entire films in almost every class meeting. While we can (and will) ask whether something is “good” or “bad” and whether we found it enjoyable or were bored, it is crucial to keep in mind that we’re not here to be entertained. We’re here as students and scholars. We’re here to move beyond the surface of things and to ask “why” and “how?” Given that a few of the films shown in this class deliberately seek to subvert if not oppose traditional forms of “entertainment,” I suspect that some of you may find a work or two difficult to watch. Keep in mind, though, that there is nothing shown in this class that hasn’t been greatly regarded by a number of people and, in almost every case, hasn’t been deemed significant by respected scholars and critics. If you’re bored or even offended by a film, I hope you’ll replace that first (perhaps very valuable response) by asking why someone else might find the work interesting and by thoughtfully considering the film’s visual content and techniques.
syllabus looks good.
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