ART 80T - Digital Tools for Contemporary Art Practices Syllabus

DESCRIPTION
Introduces the digital tools and mediums available to contemporary art practices. Tools are explored from a historical and theoretical context and from a technical perspective through hands-on tutorials. A variety of artworks that use digital mediums are also examined. Covers photo and vector editors, sound and video editing, basic 3D modeling, and images and interactions generated by code. Students should have basic computer literacy.

INTRODUCTION

I.1 Welcome SUMMER 2021

Welcome to Art80T: Digital Tools for Contemporary Art Practices. I am your instructor, Kristen Gillette (pronouns she/her or they/theirs). For this intro module content, I will introduce the course format and basic weekly schedule, as well as the online learning system, called Canvas, that we will be using to do everything for this course. This course was always designed to be completely online - and because of this, the format might be a bit different from the remote courses you have been taking due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A plus side is that all of the content and projects are tailored and designed to fit the online format. I will still probably need to adjust some things, however, to accommodate the fact that everyone is now attending all courses remotely. This will be discussed further in the Course Policy section below.

I.2 Course Teaching assistants

This quarter we will be joined by TA Kelly Skye. Kelly will host 1 - 2 weekly Zoom Studio Sessions, answer questions on the optional Technical Discussion boards, and evaluate most assignments and projects. Kelly is a wealth of knowledge with digital tools and programs, and uses these tools extensively in her own creative practices, both professional and academic. Grading sections will be assigned at the end of Week 1, in the event that we add a second TA. Zoom Studio Sessions are open to all students.

I.3 Using Canvas + Course Communication

Canvas is the “Learning Management System” we will be using to host this course. Think of Canvas as the door to your classroom or lecture hall - every time you are doing any work for this course, you want to first log into Canvas, which will then link you to our course site and all other materials. You will be using this site to do everything for this class - including access videos, tutorials and content, submit assignments, post discussion questions, take quizzes + exams, view the course schedule, attend studio hours and view any course updates and announcements.

Before you go any farther, log into Canvas and check your Account Settings to ensure that all Art 80T announcements will also be sent to the email you will be checking throughout the quarter. After Monday of Week 1, I will ONLY send course communications via Canvas Announcements, not via email. If you are not receiving these announcements, be sure to troubleshoot ASAP.

I.4 Module Format

This online course will use “content modules” to organize lectures, assignments, discussion board participation, practice quizzes and other course components by subject grouping. Access modules via the “Module” menu option on the left, or by linking through to each posted Module on the Canvas Home Page. For most weeks during Winter Quarter, one new module will unlock each Monday AM.

Modules 1 - 7 will feature Lecture Content and a Lecture Quiz, Studio Tutorial Videos and corresponding Studio Projects, and a Participation Credit assignment. The Participation Credit assignment will either require Zoom Studio Session Participation OR posting to a Technical Discussion Board (more on both of these below).

All required assignments within modules will have weekly due dates which will be specified under each individual assignment in Canvas.

i.5 Contacting Instructor + TA’s

Contact TAs and me via email with any “non-technical” questions. Technical questions about programs and processes will be addressed using Zoom Sessions and the Discussion Boards. When emailing, put “Art80T” in the subject line. During the week, M-F from 9AM to 5PM, please allow 6 - 8 hrs for a response - it will usually be quicker, and sometimes a general concern might be addressed via an announcement - if this happens, it means that multiple people had similar issues.

Over the weekend and after 5PM on weekdays response-time will be longer and availability is limited, but always email anyway, as this will allow you to "timestamp" any serious issues.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS + ASSIGNMENTS

Below are detailed descriptions about each aspect of the course and the structure of Modules 1 - 7. Below is the breakdown of each of these categories in terms of the final grade (100% Possible Points).

5% Intro Module Exercises
4% Course Engagement (Short Assignment for Week 4 + Week 5)
14% Participation Credit (Short Quizzes about Module Studio Projects)
56% Studio Exercises (8 pts per module)
21% Lecture Quizzes (3 pts per module)

C.1 Lecture Pages + Content

Lecture content covers things like different course topics, themes, artists, artworks + movements, as well as art + design principles, techniques and processes that correspond with ideas we are exploring in the studio portion of this course. It does not cover any technical information or instructions that are not fully discussed in the Studio Tutorial videos. When I was first developing this course, I had planned to present this content via video as well, however, I quickly realized it would be incredibly frustrating for students to access specific information from these lectures if they were all videos. This content is instead presented as a web page with text, slideshows and links to other resources and videos (that I did not produce). While this format does require you to read a bit more, it allows you to flip through slideshows, locate specific content easily and “attend” lectures and access course content from more locations. These lecture pages can be viewed in full on a desktop computer, as well as a tablet or smart phone.

The Lecture Quizzes are based completely on the lecture content. These used to be combined into a Midterm and Final Exam, but with the COVID-19 pandemic I am trying to break these exams up into smaller, weekly quizzes and spread them out throughout the quarter.

C.2 Studio Projects

Most modules will include 1 - 4 studio projects due by 11:30pm the Wednesday following their module's release. Each of the steps required to complete these projects correspond directly to a different digital tool or process covered by a studio tutorial video. For Module 1 + Module 2 you will turn in multiple, smaller exercises to a single submission page posted in the Module.

Be sure to always follow the written instruction in Canvas, as these are the most up-to-date, and some videos contain slightly different information. Each tutorial video walks you more than half-way through completing each project, and also introduces and discusses core concepts and techniques more in-depth. They each also explain all of the processes and tools you will need to know in order to complete the studio projects. You will have practice using this turn-in method via Canvas with this Intro Module.

STUDIO TUTORIAL VIDEOS + INSTRUCTION

Each studio project is accompanied by a set of tutorial videos that go over the processes and techniques needed to complete the project, step by step. Think of these videos as the hands-on instruction that you would receive in a studio-setting with the TAs and the Instructor in an in-person course. These projects and the videos make up the majority of the instruction of the course, and the majority of the workload, so it is important to go through the videos while working on the Studio Projects. The written project descriptions contain basic instructions and requirements only, and do not provide enough info to fully complete the studio projects.

Grading Studio Projects

These projects are intended to be creative ways to explore and learn the technical aspects of these digital tools, and to better understand ways these tools could be used for different types of art-making. For those of you who have taken art courses before, we are not emphasizing concepts or ideas, and are mostly evaluating these assignments based on your exploration and application of the technical steps presented in each video tutorial, as well as your problem-solving efforts. The tutorials and the instructional videos are centered around the project requirements, so, it is very important to watch through these videos, especially if you have questions about the project requirements.

For Modules 1 + 2, each mini-project is worth 2pts, which is the same as 2% of your final grade. Starting with Module 3, projects will involve multiple steps and be worth 8 points, with very specific rubrics and requirements listed.

For all Modules, completing the project to the end point of the tutorials will earn around 70% - 75% of the grade. The final 25% - 30% of the grade will be based on creativity, effort + time, and/or skill in execution. This is also defined in the project rubrics for Modules 3 - 7. If you encounter a technical challenge that you could not solve or work-around, provide a note of this in the comments section and describe how you tried to solve it. If this is the first time you have encountered the issue, and it is well documented, any grade deduction will be minimal.

c.3 Asking for Technical Help with Programs + project requirements

For this course, there is a procedure for asking technical questions about Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere, and also questions about project requirements. I define “technical questions” as any question about a program or tool presented in the project tutorial videos, or any process required, or any general questions about the requirements posted in the project descriptions. It is not realistic or efficient for the TAs and I to answer individual questions about a project requirement, program or a process via email - because of this, we ask students to utilize the optional Technical Discussion Boards, the Project FAQ Boards, and the Zoom Studio Sessions for these types of questions.

Reminder - this is for technical and general project questions only, and does not include things like questions about the course, individual assignment grades or concerns or questions about project rubrics or individual project content, extension requests, issues accessing your course portal, DRC accommodations or any other course concerns. Any questions like these should be sent directly to your grading TA and/or me.

No one will be penalized for sending a question via email that is better suited for a discussion board - if this happens, we will just direct you to the discussion boards.

C.4 Optional Module Project Discussion Boards + Extra Credit

Each Module there will be an optional project discussion board or thread where you can ask technical questions and other questions about project requirements. These discussion boards are completely optional, but are the system that we are using for these types of questions.

Up to 5 points of extra credit will be assigned to students at the end of the quarter based on participation on these boards. Participation is viewed as both asking questions (and not just posting duplicate questions that have already been addressed) and answering other student’s questions.

c.5 Required PARTICIPATION credit

For Modules 1 - 7, you will be required to complete a 2 point Participation Credit assignment, which are worth 14% of the final grade. These will be short, multiple choice quizzes that cover the requirements for each module’s Studio Project. The Weekly Zoom Studio Sessions will go over the Participation Credit Quiz in depth - you will be able to complete the quiz during the Zoom Session. If you do not attend the Zoom Session, you will still be able to complete the Participation Credit Assignment, you will just probably need to spend more individual time going over the content that the assignment addresses (in most cases, this will be the Studio Project Description and Requirements.)

C.6 Zoom Studio Session Structure - what to expect

Each TA and I will host 1 - 2 Zoom Studio Sessions per week. You can attend any of these sessions, regardless of your assigned TA. You are not required to have your cameras on, and can ask questions via the chat - just be sure to check the Zoom Policies + Expectations section below to ensure that the Zoom space can be as accessible and safe for all students and instructors as possible. At the beginning of each Zoom Session, the Module’s Studio Project will be introduced, and the Participation Credit Assignment (usually a multiple choice quiz) will be covered with all answers provided. You are not required to attend the Studio Sessions to complete the Participation Credit Assignment, but it is an option (and could be helpful, especially if you have questions about the Studio Project requirements). After this Participation Credit assignment is discussed, the sessions will open up for hands-on support with the projects, requirements and technical processes. If you are running into issues with the Studio Project, attending a Zoom Studio Session is one way to get direct help with a program or process. If you are unable or prefer not to attend a Zoom Studio Session, the discussion boards are a great option for similar support.

C.7 Module Lecture Quizzes

Each module there is a 15 question Lecture Quiz covering the lecture content. Each of these quizzes are worth 3% of the final grade, 21% total. The questions are a combo of multiple choice, select all that apply and true / false. The quizzes are “open book” and are not timed, but can only be taken once.

C.8 Engagement Grade

The course engagement grade will make up 4% of the final grade. I will discuss this grade more during Week 1 - these will be short assignments completed during Week 4 and 5.

Course Rules + Policies

p.1 Discussion Board Conduct

Course communications will not be graded for spelling or grammar, but its in your best interest to be clear because you want your question to be understood. When answering your peer’s questions, please remember that everyone is coming into this class with different levels of experience with (not to mention access to) these tools, processes and programs.

Any disrespectful communication, bullying, trolling will be immediately deleted and will subtract 1 pt from the student’s 100 point final grade. Any hate speech or directly violent speech will also be deleted and further grade penalties and additional disciplinary action will be applied.

If anyone is feeling bullied, uncomfortable or unsafe with a discussion board communication, please do not engage or reply, and email me and your TA immediately.

P.2 Zoom Conduct

If attending a Zoom Meeting, please use respectful communication and language. Cameras are not required to be on, and you can always ask questions via the chat instead of using video / audio. The TAs and I will never pressure you to turn on your cameras or audio, but you are welcome to, as long as you are following these stated guidelines. If you have your cameras on, dress and act as you would if attending an in-person lecture. Do not engage in any disruptive behavior or communications, via video, audio or chat. Be sure to mute audio at all times except when speaking or asking a question. Disruptive behavior will result in loss of Zoom access and potential further discipline or grade penalties. All Discussion Posts and Written Communication content rules above also apply to verbal or chat communication via Zoom.

P.3 Time Management, Computer Issues + Internet Access

As a professional in the digital design field, I know that some of you are going to encounter equipment issues - like internet outages, or crashed or stolen computers - at probably the worst times. I have found this happens more often with the COVID-19 pandemic. These issues do not automatically excuse late assignment submissions. If something does come up, complete the following steps:

1. Take screenshots of any error messages or issues, or photos of any equipment malfunctions.

2. Email me and the TA with the issue and any of the above documentation ASAP, even if it is over the weekend

3. For internet connection issues, you will need to show a documentation of a network outage from your internet service provider

Each issue will be considered on a case-by-case basis - communication and pro-activeness is very important with these kinds of problems, in both the academic world and in the professional world, and will factor into our decisions to grant re-submissions or extensions. For example, if you notice your computer crashing a few days before an assignment is due, figure out a troubleshooting or repair plan as soon as possible, and let us know as soon as you notice it.

P.4 Late work

Every Studio Project and Lecture and Participation Credit Assignment has a 48-hour window to submit without late penalties. This does not need to be requested.

Unless granted an extension, late work will be docked points based on the following outline. Any late work submitted 1 week (7 days) after the deadline must be approved by a TA. If attempting to submit or start projects a week after they are due, please contact your TA prior to starting.

• Late Studio Projects will be docked 1 point each day they are late after the 48 hour window ends or 1/2 credit (after 5 days)

• Late Lecture Response Assignments, Participation Credit Assignments and Peer Workshops will be docked by 1/2 credit if submitted more than one week after the 48-hour window ends.

P.5 Extension options

The last several months have been filled with unprecedented challenges as many individuals, families, and communities have been navigating the ongoing multiple and intersecting pandemics of COVID-19, political + economic unrest and challenges, and systemic and/or targeted racism, violence and oppression.

We understand that all of this is happening in addition any individual’s more “typical” set of academic challenges. For all of these reasons, we want to make it very easy for folks to utilize extensions for late work for the course. Below are the 2 types of extensions granted to each student.

1. Each project and lecture / participation credit assignment has a 48-hour “grace period”. You do not need to request this option to use it, but keep in mind that submitting projects after their initial deadlines might delay their grading slightly.

2. Each of you are allowed 1 Module throughout the quarter to submit all assignments and studio projects 5-days late without penalty. This is to accommodate any illness or other more disruptive issues or circumstances. To utilize this option, you will need to email your TA by the Wednesday that the Module Assignments are originally due - you do not need to wait for a response. Email them again when you have submitted all module assignments.

If you find yourself needing to utilize this option more than once, check in with us for approval. We will review these requests on a case-by-case basis. This option will probably need to be modified slightly for Module 7, in order to accommodate final grades.

P.6 Grading scale

Grade Scale:
100% and Above A+
99% - 94% A
93% - 90% A-
- - - - - - - -
89% - 87% B+
86% - 84% B
83% - 80% B-
- - - - - - - -
79% - 77% C+
76% - 74% C
73% - 70% C- Considered not passing
- - - - - - - -
69% - 67% D+ / 66-64% D / 63% - 60% D-
59% - 0% F

p.7 COURSE SOFTWARE + hardware REQUIREMENTS

Course projects will require Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and a video editor, preferably Premiere or Premiere Rush. Due to COVID-19, all UCSC students have free access to Adobe CC software. I will post more info on how to access this software on the course Canvas site.

Since this is an opportunity to work with these programs for free, all students are required to install Photoshop and Illustrator. Please contact me if you are unable to install or run either program due to system limitations - both programs need to be installed on a desktop / laptop computer. All other course content and materials can be viewed on mobile and tablet devices.

Module 1 + 2 projects require you to take digital photos, and Module 6 requires digital video. Please contact me ASAP if you will not have access to a photo/video device (phone cameras are perfect for these projects)

A stylus device is not required, but could be used for this course.

University Policies + resources

DRC ACCOMMODATIONS

UC Santa Cruz is committed to creating an academic environment that supports its diverse student body. If you are a student with a disability who requires accommodations to achieve equal access in this course, please submit your Accommodation Authorization Letter from the Disability Resource Center (DRC) to me privately during my office hours or by appointment, preferably within the first two weeks of the quarter. At this time, we would also like us to discuss ways we can ensure your full participation in the course. We encourage all students who may benefit from learning more about DRC services to contact DRC by phone at 831-459-2089 or by email at drc@ucsc.edu.

GRADE DISPUTES

If you have questions about the grading of your work, please contact your teaching assistant (TA). If your questions are not resolved, please contact me. If the matter still remains unresolved, I will advise you on further options.

ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT POLICY

Academic misconduct includes but is not limited to cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, or facilitating academic dishonesty. Acts of academic misconduct during the course, including plagiarism, can and usually do result in failure of the course, at the sole discretion of the instructor of record. Your case will be reported to the College Provost as per the Academic Integrity guidelines found on the web at: https://www.ue.ucsc.edu/academic_misconduct

COURSE SURVEYS

Course Surveys for faculty will be available online for students to complete towards the end of quarter. You will be sent emails to your @ucsc.edu email from the course survey system to complete your evaluations online for all of your classes. Please be thoughtful in your responses, as we take these evaluations seriously. Course surveys help faculty consider ways to improve instruction and are completely confidential.

GRAPHIC CONTENT

In Art courses you will often be assigned images, films or other material that could contain difficult ideas, uncomfortable language, or graphic depictions of sex or violence. You will be asked to treat these portrayals critically, to consider what is being expressed by the maker, or to examine the potential social impact, and to evaluate the works in a given context. Instructors are always happy to speak with you about your work, and might direct you to CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) at 831-459-2628 or the Disability Resource Center (drc@ucsc.edu or 831-459-2089) should you need additional support in order to do your best work.

TITLE IX

Title IX prohibits gender discrimination, including sexual harassment, domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. If you have experienced sexual harassment or sexual violence, you can receive confidential support and advocacy at the Campus Advocacy Resources & Education (CARE) Office by calling (831) 502-2273.  In addition, Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) can provide confidential, counseling support, (831) 459-2628. You can also report gender discrimination directly to the University’s Title IX Office, (831) 459-2462. Reports to law enforcement can be made to UCPD, (831) 459-2231 ext. 1. For emergencies call 911.  

Faculty and Teaching Assistants are required under the UC Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment to inform the Title IX Office should they become aware that you or any other student has experienced sexual violence or sexual harassment.

RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS

The art department has a list of many resources on campus available to students. Please take a look at these to see what is available for you. http://art.ucsc.edu/links