Introduction
The assignments for this learning community combine regular short analyses (500 - 750 words) with two, semester-long projects, one individual and one collaborative. If you can complete the readings for the learning community, apply the theories and concepts from the readings in new contexts and construct coherent, succinct arguments (textual, visual, multimedia, etc.) you will encounter no problems with the short analyses.
But you should note you must understand the readings (and other texts) well enough to apply them. Thus, if you are running into any problems with any assigned text, you need to meet me as soon as possible, and we can spend some time working on them. I really enjoy discussing ideas in our field, and thus would genuinely welcome these conversations. My time is yours, whenever you need guidance in our learning community.
The semester-long projects both require research, but in very different ways. The Information Ecology project plunges you into an information environment with which you are very familiar, and asks you to observe and analyze it, in the light of theories and practices you are encountering in this learning community. The collaborative Teach Us Something Digital project requires that you not only gain sufficient familiarity with your "something" to teach it to your peers, but that you also research best practices for teaching, and enact them in your teaching session.
In the past, students have exploited these projects to follow their passions and share them with the rest of the learning community. I really do hope that you will be able to do the same.
Dazzle us all!