The specific course schedule is To Be Announced.  See wakingdreams.org/nccu for updates as well as the class facebook pages and other resources.  See below for additional information on course requirements.  This is a very preliminary schedule which will change after student assessments and initial feedback at which time, the students will help build their calendar based upon interest as well as course guidelines for achievement goals.

Specific texts to be discussed may decided later, dependent upon the research and reading interests of the students.  The general approach to the material will be chronological and topical. Please be aware that the course is very participatory in nature and that a number of videos, television programs, and films will be shown in class.     Periodically, student assignments will be created as content for the student media magazine Sparkshow.  Material produced for Sparkshow will be permanently archived and available to the public.

Preliminary Schedule (Subject to Change – this schedule absolutely will change).  Depending upon student feedback, we may be substituting some projects with the COMMUNICATION GAME DESIGN PROJECT as well as making other adjustments based upon student experience and interests as they correlate with program guidelines and educational goals.

THIS SCHEDULE IS A PRELIMINARY PLACEHOLDER, THE ACTUAL SCHEDULE WILL COME AFTER INTERACTION WITH STUDENTS TO DETERMINE LEVELS AND INTERESTS.

Periodically, we may play any of a number of language games, card activities, or ILS patterns.

學生學習投入時間  Student Time Investment

每週課堂教學時數：  3 小時 Class Hours per week

每週預習/複習時數：  3-4 小時 Pre/Study per week (typical, actual time requirements vary)

Assignments Per Week

The specific course schedule is To Be Announced. See the class Facebook pages and other resources. See below for additional information on course requirements.  Students are responsible for checking the class Facebook group posts for updates on assignments, homework, readings, schedules, and more.  If you do not hand in a homework assignment, it is not the instructor’s responsibility to remind you.  Make certain you are aware of all assignments and due dates.

Students will present several major public speaking assignments which include live presentations in front of classmates as well as video presentations. Typically, there are two to three weeks between these major speaking assignments (depending upon the nature of the tasks involved). Videos of these assignments will be intended for the SPARKSHOW channel.

Depending upon student feedback, we may incorporate a form of a teaching approach known as GAMIFICATION as well as GAMIZATION, using fantasy card, board, and tabletop games in contexts adapted to the language learning classroom. We would follow a sequence of activities ranging from conversational fantasy card games up through student generated sessions of tabletop roleplaying games such as the AWFULLY CHEERFUL ENGINE (ACE RPG).  TRPG may be a component of in-class interaction.  If/when we are holding class online due to pandemic prevention protocols, we use Discord and Owlbear Rodeo for Virtual Table Top (VTT) sessions.  We may also use particular card and board games (again, based upon student feedback and particular needs of the course).

Students will also be asked to perform critical evaluations of their own presentations as well as those of classmates.

Additionally, students will be asked to participate in conversational activities such as CONVERSATION BLUEPRINTS, STORIES FOR DISCUSSION, IMPROVISATIONAL LANGUAGE STRUCTURES, INTERACTIVE DRAMA, and the like. These activities will typically be assigned as in-class practice on “off-weeks” between major speaking assignments.

There may be occasional pop-quizzes related to weekly readings, lectures, or other course content.

Obviously, whether we meet in person or online due to pandemic response or other factors will affect some of our course content.  You must join the class Discord server in case of online sessions.

N/A

1.         Regular attendance

2.         Participation in classroom activities

3.         Completion of assignments

4.         Presentations

5.         Projects

Oral and Written Examinations.  Participation.  Fluency.  Projects.  Note that students receive participation points for each course session, so absences lower final grades based on participation points (even if an absence is excused, participation points are not awarded to students who are not present). If a student has three unexcused absences then that student will not be allowed to participate in final projects or take the final examination. Five absences (excused or unexcused) lead to automatic failure in the course. Except in unusual cases late assignments will not be accepted. Plagiarism may result in an automatic failure of the course.

Students should familiarize themselves with course policies, including those specifically related to Attendance and Participation.

¨      ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION POLICY:  Attendance and Participation in this course are required.  Students who are tardy or absent will be penalized through lower possible participation points which leads to grade penalties.  Attendance is taken regularly and penalties are applied.  Typically, students receive on average fifteen to twenty participation points each class period (more or less depending upon activities of the week and actual participation – typically, a maximum of thirty participation points per session but only for high-performing students; the typical is twenty).  Participation Grade Penalties are as follows:  Tardy, -5 participation points; Second Hour Tardy, -10 participation points; Absence, no participation points possible.  Use of Cellphone, tablet, computer, or mobile device without specific permission or instruction from the instructor, no participation points possible, -10 to -15 participation points and possibility of device being confiscated for the period (yes, just like elementary school students).   Attendance Points and Penalties are as follows:  Absence means no participation points.  Three Unexcused Absences, not allowed to take final exam and zero points for final project; Five Absences, automatically fail course.  Note, students who missed the first few course sessions are still penalized for attendance and participation, even if they had not yet registered for the course.

¨         Days in which students are scheduled to make presentations or in which interactive drama or similar activities are planned count as DOUBLE ATTENDANCE DAYS and all participation and attendance points or penalties are double. 

• Missed Appointment, if you make an appointment to see Dr. Phillips in his office and are tardy, -1/2 grade point; if you do not show, -1 grade point; if you do not contact Dr. Phillips and let him know you are missing the appointment by email at least twenty-four hours prior to the appointment or by phone within twenty-four hours, an additional -1 grade point. Failure to contact the instructor within one day before or after is an additional -1 grade point.

• Taking Notes:  University students are expected to have pen/pencil and paper with them during all class sessions.  You should take notes during class of information presented in lecture or discussion as well as of content of media presentations.  Please take notes with pen and paper and later transcribe to your digital note files (lit screens from mobile devices or notebook computers can be distracting to other students during class).

At any time, students are free to ask to see their attendance record or grade scores.  Students receive points for completing assignments, participation, attendance, and other factors toward their final grade.  A raw percentage is then figured based upon the total points possible.  However, the final grade is set via a system that utilizes a curve grade formula after which any penalties from tardies or missed classes or bonuses from extra credit are applied.

As per the English Department guidelines, this course employs realia (authentic materials).  We have no books on reserve in the library for this course.  Most readings will be provided electronically.  Texts and reading will be provided in digital copies.

Reading materials will be authentic and on a variety of subjects, including current events, popular culture, the humanities, and science, to technology, economics, politics, and different cultures. Students should be able to evaluate and critique the reading material as well as use it to develop and expand their vocabularies. In addition, other readings from speech and communication textbooks will be provided.

We may also consider coordinating the reading component to reinforce what has been done in the Writing and Reading program as listed below: • Skimming • Scanning • Analyzing structure • Distinguishing mains ideas from details • Telling facts from hypotheses • Making inferences • Introducing critical thinking and analysis • Developing and expanding vocabulary.