Soc. 3280 Group Project Requirements

FS 2007

All assigned projects must be published within the class MyGateway site using the the available Wikis found in the Group Areas section of the class MyGateway site.

Project 1 (due Tuesday, September 4, 2007 end of day: 11:59 PM)

Project 2 (due Technology and Everyday Life: Essay due Monday September 10, 2007 end of day)

Project 3 (due Monday, October 1, 2007 by beginning of class. Group presentations done on October 1 and 8)

Project 4 (due Monday October 29, 2007 by beginning of class. Group presentations done on October 29 and November 5)

Project 5 (due Monday, November 26, 2007 beginning of class. Presentations done on November 26 and December 3)

A few points:

• Each group must complete all of the projects. Your work, individual and group, should be presented in your group wiki as a series of inter-linked web pages. The wiki allows members of the group to share information and collaborate on the development of a “website.”
• Wiki Structure: There should be one report (main page) linked to the group’s wiki home page for each part of the project. This synthesis of group research and discussion can and should be supported with a set of inter-linked wiki pages documenting your group’s (i.e., including each individual participating member’s) research on the individual components of each part of the project and your group's discussion pertaining to each part.  For an example of a wiki modeling the ideal structure for the project, go to ‘Group Areas’ in the mygateway course site, click on ‘Sample Wikis from Previous Semesters’.  For an elaborate example of a wiki online, click here. 
• Group Members’ Responsibilities: Group members must document their individual contributions for group projects in the discussion forum (all individual contributions to the forum and wiki must be completed at least 48 hours before the activity's due date to allow the group leader 2 days to finalize the wiki site, and the group to add final comments and suggestions). Group members who complete some, but not all, of their chosen/assigned component(s) of an activity may be eligible for partial credit. Students will be evaluated for the work they contribute to the project. In effect, you will be building a web site that focuses on the details of your chosen project.
• Group Leader Responsibilities: Group leaders are responsible for coordinating and finalizing group work on activities. Group leaders must identify themselves and post the full names of all the individuals completing the requirements for the activities.  Group leaders are also responsible for organizing the group’s work on the wiki.  For an example of a wiki modeling the ideal structure for the project, go to ‘Group Areas’ in the mygateway course site, click on ‘Sample Wikis from Previous Semesters’. 
• Grading: Each part of the activity is grading according to:
• Documented contributions on the discussion board: This refers to each member’s posts in the group’s discussion board for each part of the project.  Each message is graded on a scale of 1-3 according to the quality of the message.  Individual members must contribute to the organization of the group (including assignment of roles for each part, discussion ideals, and generally communicating with the group) in the discussion board at least 48 hours before that part of the project is due.  If other mediums are used to communicate with the group (e.g., meeting face-to-face or in the live classroom, email, etc.) then the meetings must be documented in the group discussion board to receive credit.
• Individual Contributions: This refers to each individual group member’s work in the wiki for the project.  Individual contributions are grading according to the quality and quantity of work performed for the group, as well as the presentation of their work. Rubrics for evaluating individual and group work are available in both the Group Areas and Assignments/Group Projects: Wiki Work sections of MyGateway.
• Group Presentation: This refers to the final wiki presentation (style, spelling, grammar, images, links to other resources, and overall quality of the presentation) and the content of your presentation (use of course materials, demonstration of sociological imaginations, and application of course concepts, theories, and other relevant materials).
• All group members are responsible for the final presentation of each activity (i.e., inclusion of graphics and links, the organization of the group’s work, and the inclusion of each individual member’s contribution). If a group leader is unable to complete an activity, another member of the group must be contacted so that the activity can be completed. For this reason, it is wise for groups to designate co-leaders or back-up leaders for each activity. Group leaders can earn up to 5 additional points per activity for the extra work they take on.
• Rely on reputable studies, articles, and books. Websites that meet the criteria for reputable work (or here ) can also be used.  Course materials are expected to be utilized for every part of the project. 
• Be sure to correctly cite all information used from research resources (in-text citations and a list of references for each page) using the ASA style guide (full version).  Additional assistance with referencing online resources can be found here (or here).  Also, remember we are undertaking an academic activity, so please refrain from using opinion, unreliable or invalid resources, sensationalism, and other non-academic practices.

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1. Project 1: Group Wiki Site Set-up: Due Monday, September 4, 2007 at end of day (11:59 PM).

• Students will be assigned to groups, and will have access to their specific "group areas." Each group will have a variety of tools at its disposal: discussion forum and a wiki site. The requirements for this project is for each group to get their area set-up, work on wiki construction for the group and individuals in the group, use the discussion forum to organize your group and decide on individual assignments for projects 2, 3, 4, and 5.
• Introduce yourself to the group and organize the group.
• Find your group and open the group pages.
• Click on the "Group Discussion Board" link.
• Click on your group's discussion forum for Group Organization and post messages to get the group organized. 
• Group roles and assignments should be determined. Set up specific meeting dates for work throughout the semester--either face-to-face or online (all communications must be documented on the discussion board to receive credit for ‘documented contributions’). Work together as a group!
• Access the group wiki, and each group member must create their own wiki page providing a bit of information about yourselves and other interests you might have.  Experiment with the different features of the wiki--add external links, internal links (link back to your "home page") add an image or two--especially a picture of yourself. Update this page throughout the semester--adding links to your individual contributions to the project your group chooses.
• The group leader should work on creating a page to document your project choice and assignment of roles.  The group leader is responsible for the "Home" page (first page you come to).  This page should have links to other pages your group creates (i.e., a page for each part of the project), and have list of group members with links to their individual pages
• 25 points

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2. Project 2: Web Essay 1: Technology and Everyday Life: Essay due Monday September 10, 2007 end of day

• This is a short (2-3 page, approximately 500--750 word) essay intended to help you depict depict the intimate and omnipresent character of our social relationship with technology. Assigned Topic: Your understanding of the technology you experience throughout the 24 hours of a given day: What is technology? What forms does it take? What are the social dimensions of technology? How does technology enhance or limit human interaction and identity?
• Students must post their own "page" on the assigned topic in their group wiki and comment on at least two other student's postings.
• There should be a separate page in your group wiki that provides a brief introduction to this assignment and links to the work of the individual group members. Individuals should also link to their essay from their personal wiki page.
• Explore the work of other students and submit at least three, approximately 100-125 word comments on other student's work.
• See the grading rubric and information on resources, writing guides, and templates for analyzing articles in the "Assignments/GROUP PROJECTS: WIKI WORK" and the "Groups Areas" area of Mygateway.
• 30 points for individual essay, 10 points for group presentation, 10 points for comments: 50 points

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3. Project 3 and 4: Group Wiki Presentations.

• Project 3 wiki-work due on Monday, October 1, 2007 by beginning of class. Group presentations done on October 1 and 8.  These reports are based on the assigned articles/chapters from The Social Shaping of Technology, 2nd edition, Donald MacKenzie and Judy Wajcman, Open University Press, Philadelphia, 1999.
• Project 4 presentations due on Monday October 29, 2007 by beginning of class. Group presentations done on October 29 and November 5. These reports are based on the assigned articles/chapters from Society and Technological Change and Rudi Volti, 5th edition, Worth Publishing, 2005.

• These are more formal, approximately 6-8 pages (2 pages per student, plus group presentation) review presentations of the assigned readings, intended to reflect your understanding of the theoretical understandings of the relationship between technology and socio-cultural reality we have developed in our class discussions.
• You will use the wiki site available in the individual group areas in MyGateway.
• You are expected to create something more than just an "essay," and certainly more than a series of individual essays. Use the web (wiki) space to your advantage and create a hypertext presentation.
• You will also need to include at least 2 recent sociological articles your group determines to be of value in presenting the core ideas and perspectives. Rather than relying simply on websites to provide supplementary information and documentation for your presentations (and discussions), please make use of the wonderful academic databases available online through the UMSL library. You might need to work on your search terms, etc (and don't neglect the advanced search features of many of the databases). Here's the link to the library's database page: http://www.umsl.edu/services/library/databases/databases.html. Some of the databases to check out: "JSTOR," Journals@ovid full text, "Sociological Abstracts," and "EconLit," and a variety of others (check under the subject heading--history, social science, etc).
• Group assignments will be made early in the semester
  • We'll discuss these assignments in class, and groups will have the opportunity to select their own topical areas.
  • Specific group assignments will be posted in MyGateway.
• Each group will be responsible for presenting the material from a particular set of articles. 
• Each individual student must explore the work of other groups and submit at least two, 125 word comments on other groups' work, for each project.
• See the grading rubric and information on resources, writing guides, and templates for analyzing articles in the "Assignments/GROUP PROJECTS: WIKI WORK" and the "Groups Areas" area of Mygateway.
• Scoring: 30 points for individual work, 30 points for group presentation, 10 points for definitions, organization and bibliography, and 10 points for comments: 80 points total per project.  Groups can also earn 2.5 points each for up to 4 multiple choice questions concerning their work. See format for question submission in the "Assignments/GROUP PROJECTS: WIKI WORK" and the "Groups Areas" area of Mygateway).

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4. Group Project 5: Technology, Social Change, and Social Structure. Due Monday, November 26, 2007 beginning of class. Presentations done on November 26 and December 3.

• This formal project (equivalent of a 5 page paper, per student) is intended to reflect your understanding of the impact of the relationship between technology, social change, and the structure of human relationships.  Appropriate topics include: a historical analysis of the development of particular technics and their relationship to social structural elements, the shape of modern information technology and its relationship to ongoing social change, an analysis of the social forces which shape and direct technological change, etc.
• You will also need to include at least 4 recent sociological articles you determine to be of value in presenting the core ideas and perspectives. Rather than relying simply on websites to provide supplementary information and documentation for your presentations (and discussions), please make use of the wonderful academic databases available online through the UMSL library. You might need to work on your search terms, etc (and don?t neglect the advanced search features of many of the databases). Here's the link to the library's database page: http://www.umsl.edu/services/library/databases/databases.html. Some of the databases to check out: "JSTOR," Journals@ovid full text, "Sociological Abstracts," and "EconLit," and a variety of others (check under the subject heading--history, social science, etc).
• See the information on resources, writing guides, and templates for analyzing articles in the "Assignments" area of Mygateway.
• See the grading rubric and information on resources, writing guides, and templates for analyzing articles in the "Assignments/GROUP PROJECTS: WIKI WORK" and the "Groups Areas" area of Mygateway.
• This project will be presented "live" to the class during the last three weeks of the semester.
• 100 points

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URL: http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/280/crittech.html
Owner: Robert O. Keel: rok@umsl.edu
Last Updated: Friday, October 17, 2008 8:31