2025 Assignments

Still need to assign 5% of grade — could add to final assignment, or also each do a timeline post, or divide evenly between all 5 assignments.

 Part I – Print (and its predecessors) — Week 5, February 11 for presentation, with blog post due by Thursday, February 13.

Cave Pictograph: 

  • What: Individuals would make two advertisements for modern products (after 1970 ish) in the style of a cave painting. The challenge would be using simple/rudimentary imagery to market a product to cavemen. Lots of room for interpretation for what that looks like, but keep in mind it should be very simple imagery and definitely no words. Each person would then present their ads to the class (in an informal, brief way) and then the class would try to guess what the advertisement is for. After the class with the presentations each person would write a paragraph long blog post explaining what they got out of the exercise. As you are taking inspiration from modern advertisements, they should be cited in an informal bibliography (Chicago style note instead of full bibliographic style).  Projects should be digital in format.
  • Group/individual/hybrid: Individuals
  • Time to work on/complete/share: Cave Pictograph Project to be presented on Tuesday, February 11 with reflection blog post due Thursday, February 13.
  • Before Class work: Make the ads and post them in the work space anonymously
  • In Class work: Present the ads, explain the thought process, field questions, participate
    • Evaluation Criteria: Having two fully made ads ready for class, Explain the thought process behind your ads competently and completely, Participating in the guessing game for classmates; Blog post reflecting on cave pictograph work/research done to make symbols; Creative/innovative; Was ad correctly guessed by class; Quality of writing/argument/presentation
    • Proposed Percentage of Class Grade: 5%
  • In Timeline?: No
  • This assignment is meant to show how modern methods of communication have made it much easier for us to portray more complex ideas. By removing assumptions, we question how integrated our complex communication is ingrained in our lives

Part II – Early Networked Communication — Tuesday, 2/25 Thursday, 2/27

Radio Ad

  • What: Produce an audio file, uploaded to YoutTube or a similar video or audio file sharing website, that imitates early 20th-century radio advertisements from the Virginia area. Research and find your inspiration with real radio advertisements from the early 20th century on YouTube or other online databases. Cite the radio advertisements you find in your bibliography. [Must include a intro from a radio drama and a move back into the radio drama after the ad.]

Aim to make it convincingly sound like an early 20th century radio ad, microphone with low pass filter and white noise/ distortion, advertising a fictitious yet plausible product for the early 20th century market. This product may be based on a real product, or entirely fictitious. This product could be obviously harmful , based on our modern perspective, I.E poisonous , toxic, or banned ingredients. Adopt the vernacular of the era, as well as the norms of the medium. 

This project seeks to immerse the student in the mindset of the consumer of the era, as well as the advertisers, seeking to autodidactically  demonstrate how far marketing via technology has come.

  • Group/individual/hybrid: Group (2-3)
  • Time to work on/complete/share: 7-10 days
  • Before Class work: Come up with the idea, or script
  • In Class work: Some time in class set aside on Feb. 18 & 20, 25. Script writing, recording if you can’t find the time outside of class?
    • Evaluation Criteria: The accuracy of the imitation, as well as the accuracy of the claims of the product, reflecting the average understanding of the time period.
    • Proposed Percentage of Class Grade: 10%
  • In Timeline?: The project is fiction, but the era of radio advertising could be put on the timeline

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7-dri1B81k

 

Part III—Broadcasting — Start Feb. 27, due Tuesday, March 18

Propaganda assignment. We had the extremely original idea of doing a fake propaganda campaign for a fun fictional character. Each student would make two pieces of propaganda each using a different modality

  • What:
    • Create a propaganda piece meant to convey a message specific to the fun fictional character. Can be anything such as mobilizing for war, getting people to vote, or stoking fears/hatred against certain groups. One group advocates for one side.  All pieces will be part of the same scenario but will be done on their own.
    • Potential Scenarios could include: 
      • Make propaganda for either a silly dog/cat
      • Make propaganda for silly aliens
      • Yoda is running for President. He needs your help, he does
      • Boycott Coffee shops for random drinks (ex NO pumpkin spice, NO shamrock shakes)
      • Campaign to rename a food (ex Freedom Fries) 
      • Slander debate
  • Group/individual/hybrid: 
    • Individual
  • Time to work on/complete/share:  
    • Two weeks
  • Before Class work: 
    • None
  • In Class work: Work in class on part of Thursday 2/27
    • Research of real world material that fictional dictator(s) and their propaganda is based on.
    • Discuss how propaganda mediums have shifted throughout history
    • Evaluation Criteria: 
      • Does it make the Professor laugh?
      • How persuasive is it?
      • What techniques are used? (Appeal to authority, etc.)
      • What mediums are used? (Poster, Meme, Video, painted rocks)
    • Proposed Percentage of Class Grade: 
      • 10% of final grade.
  • In Timeline?: No, but historical references could be put on the timeline

 

Part IV — Information in the Digital Age — Due Thursday, March 27

Fake social media profile. Early 2000s myspace style, making predictions

  • What: Pick these social media forms: website, facebook, instagram, tumblr (or in the style of those on a WordPress site). Pick a year or timeline (12 months) parameter and post 12 posts (with an introductory post) 4 posts following trends of the time, 6 current event posts of the time, and 2 freebies. Create a fictional person or character who is designing and posting to this profile.
    • Username / Profile Picture
    • Bio
  • Group/individual/hybrid: 
    • individual
  • Time to work on/complete/share: 5-7 days 
  • Before Class work: create the posts? 
  • In Class work: None or Workshop — Some time spent in class on March 20 discussing project and potential tools/methods to recreate posts
    • Evaluation Criteria: parameters above (12 posts, 6 news, 4 culture, fits the vibe, sourced/cited photos/news articles). Minimum 2 secondary sources and 6 primary sources
    • Proposed Percentage of Class Grade: 10%
  • In Timeline?: No.

 

Part V — Looking Forward — Three proposals — will decide on one before spring break, start work week 11 and due week 14, Tuesday, 4/22
Value — 10% (15%?)

 

AI Historical Figure Interview (Specifically conflicting Historical Figures, or Figures so grand it’s impossible to pin them down). The assignment would be to interview these AIs mimicking the figures to see how far one can push the AI before it breaks character or says something out of character. 

Option 1

  • Table # : 4
  • What: Ask ai to act as a well known historical figure as you ask them questions about their life and accomplishment.  
  • Group/individual/hybrid: 2-3
  • Time to work on/complete/share:  5-7
  • Before Class work: Pick the historical figure and have a question outline. 
  • In Class work: Workshop. 
    • Evaluation Criteria: Ai transcript, 1-2 page evaluation of the accuracy of the transcript.
    • Proposed Percentage of Class Grade: 10%
  • In Timeline?: No

Option 2

  • Table #: 1
  • What: Produce a shortened interview written by AI, mimicking an historical figure of your choice. THis historical figure will be interviewed by a person from the present. The AI written script should be performed by the students in groups of 3 , 1 to be the interviewer, 1 to be the historical figure, and 1 to manage the technology, such as the camera or the audio equipment. 
  • Group/individual/hybrid: Groups of 3
  • Time to work on/complete/share:  7-10 days
  • Before Class work: Make the script, do the recordings, submit the final product
  • In Class work: Present the final products, ask questions 
    • Evaluation Criteria: 
    • Proposed Percentage of Class Grade: 
  • In Timeline?: No


Option 3

  • Table #6: 
  • What:
    • Panel interview of a historical figure. Ask it questions about their impact, legacies, choices and actions. If they have any regrets, or if they would do anything different. See how accurate the AI is, if it stays in character or not. Try and see how to make it break character.  
  • Group/individual/hybrid: 
    • Group 
  • Time to work on/complete/share:  
    • Three week window.
    • Week one: Research and write questions
    • Week two: Record panel interview
    • Week three: Edit interview and stitch everything together.
  • Before Class work: 
    • Ask AI questions
    • Prepare presentation, record audio of the panel asking questions and the figure responding based on what the AI said
    • Research into historical subject
    • Reserve DKC space to record panel interview
  • In Class work: 
    • Present the interview in a podcast format
    • Evaluation Criteria: 
      • Professionalism of panel interview, hard hitting questions to historical figure, how much accurate information one can extract from the AI
    • Proposed Percentage of Class Grade: 
  • In Timeline?: No