Assignments Overview
Right off the bat, this class really stands out in terms of the sheer variation of assignment opportunities. Every class I've ever taken has been strictly linear -- there's a set track of assignments and no choice in what you get to spend your time working on. While I don't mind that necessarily, this set-up is infinitely cooler: the whole point of college is that you get to focus your attention on the courses and subject matter that are relevant and interesting to you, and now I get to do that within those courses. It's also an intriguing concept that extra credit can be used to replace assignments -- I don't plan on skipping assignments and taking advantage of this, but I think that the freedom and variety that this feature lends to the coursework is really nice. This is about as customizable as a class can get and I think that that will manifest itself in being one of the most enjoyable, engaging classes I'll take here at OU -- you get to spend your time learning about subject matter that appeals to you. What a fabulous set-up.
Outside of the core assignments, the Tech Tips look like something I'll try to take advantage of. I've used Twine before, and there was a neat point-and-click feature for displaying photos and illustrations in Erin's storybook that I think would make a great addition to my storybook. Plus, any cool online programs that I learn during this class can be put to use in future semesters to make some sharp-looking projects. I've also heard great things about the Wikipedia Trail assignments from other students who have taken this class, so I plan on doing a number of those. It sounds similar to something called the "Wiki Game" where users start at a random Wikipedia page (i.e. "Bananas") and have to find their way to another page (i.e. "Chilean Coup of 1970") by clicking links within each page. First person to reach the goal page wins. It's a fun, free rabbit hole to kill an afternoon with if you have some time.
Finally, the Back-Up and Review seems like a very practical, common sense way of accruing some extra credit while ensuring that I'm not missing key announcements or losing progress on my blog if it crashes.
Outside of the core assignments, the Tech Tips look like something I'll try to take advantage of. I've used Twine before, and there was a neat point-and-click feature for displaying photos and illustrations in Erin's storybook that I think would make a great addition to my storybook. Plus, any cool online programs that I learn during this class can be put to use in future semesters to make some sharp-looking projects. I've also heard great things about the Wikipedia Trail assignments from other students who have taken this class, so I plan on doing a number of those. It sounds similar to something called the "Wiki Game" where users start at a random Wikipedia page (i.e. "Bananas") and have to find their way to another page (i.e. "Chilean Coup of 1970") by clicking links within each page. First person to reach the goal page wins. It's a fun, free rabbit hole to kill an afternoon with if you have some time.
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| The WikiRace logo, which is kind of like the generic brand version of the Wiki Game -- however, it's free for reuse unlike the official Wiki Game logo. Either way, you can play the Wiki Game here. Source: Wikipedia Commons. |
Finally, the Back-Up and Review seems like a very practical, common sense way of accruing some extra credit while ensuring that I'm not missing key announcements or losing progress on my blog if it crashes.
I love that Wikipedia game, Spencer! What's fun for me about the Wikipedia Trail tech tip is that it can be just for fun OR for serious research that people might want to do for writing a specific story or for working on their project. If I called it "research," people might just think "ugh" and move on... but by making it a fun Wikipedia thing, people are more likely to jump in and do that assignment. I am a huge fan of Wikipedia in general; especially for stuff related to mythology and folklore it's a very good resource because there are so many people involved in these topics who are motivated to write and edit the articles. I sometimes contribute on the topics I have some expertise in, like Aesop's fables. :-)
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