BBSC 303 Digital Craft

The course consists largely of a programme of readings built around two assignments which are designed to test and extend the knowledge gained from the readings. Class meetings once per week will be used to ensure that reading and assigned work are maintained at a regular and reasonable pace.

• Late submissions will not be penalised in the event of illness or other extraordinary circumstances provided students have requested an extension of time in writing and the course coordinator similarly approved this in writing (see the Student Administration Office for an Application for Extension form).  Work submitted late without the prior agreement of the course coordinator will be penalised by one grade step per day (including weekend days), i.e. A will reduce to A-, B+ to B and so on.  Work submitted more than 7 days late without the required prior agreement will not be marked.

• Students are required to personally present their work on time at all scheduled reviews.  Failure to present work at any scheduled graded review will result in an automatic failing grade for the work being reviewed, unless an extension has been approved in writing in advance by the course coordinator. 

• Lack of participation, or absence from the work space during the designated work times without an official excuse, will be reflected by a one-half grade reduction of the exercise or project for each absence. 

• Each student is responsible for ensuring their work is submitted directly to their course tutor or coordinator on time.  Any project work left on the project shelves or elsewhere will be entered on the grade sheet as a no-submission.

Workload expectations for a course will vary according to the points value of the course. One point typically requires about 10 hours of student work, including both scheduled contact time (lectures, tutorials, laboratories, workshops, etc.) and individual (or group) study.”  A 20-point course therefore requires 200 hours of student work, including scheduled contact time and individual study.  A student in a 20-point course is expected to spend 13-½ hours total per week during the twelve teaching weeks, plus an additional 38 hours during the mid-trimester break and study week.  When taking a full course load of three 20-point courses, this equates to a 40-hour workweek. (Refer to Assessment Handbook p.1)
http://intranet.vuw.ac.nz/academic/documentation/assessment_handbook_2006.doc

NB: as with all work week assessments, this calculation is based on an average student - and assumes an average grade result for that student. Inefficiences arising from idle time in tutorials and other extraneous influences will merely add to this total.

For further information on this subject, please refer to the Mandatory Course Requirements policy in the University Calendar. Any changes to this Course Outline will be discussed and agreed with the class at the class meeting on Wednesdays 16:10-17:00pm. All students on the class roster will receive notification of changes to the information in this document, and of assignments and course programme alterations by electronic mail. It is your responsibility to check your mail regularly and to clarify whatever you do not understand at the class meetings.

Students should familiarise themselves with the University's policies and statutes, particularly those regarding assessment and course of study requirements, and formal academic grievance procedures contained in the statutes in the VUW website. The University Statute on Student Conduct and Policy on Staff Conduct. The Statute on Student Conduct together with the Policy on Staff Conduct ensure that members of the University community are able to work, learn, study and participate in the academic and social aspects of the University's life in an atmosphere of safety and respect. The Statute on Student Conduct contains information on what conduct is prohibited and what steps can be taken if there is a complaint. For queries about complaint procedures under the Statute on Student Conduct, contact the Facilitator and Disputes Advisor.

This course outline should be read in that context.

Your work will be reviewed on the basis of the degree to which it meets the assessment criteria described in the assignemtn objectives. Although visitors will be involved in some of the reviews, only the course coordinator and tutors will conduct the assessment.  The course coordinator is finally responsible for the grades issued.

The School has a long tradition of providing critical review of student work as it progresses especially in design projects. This is part of feed-back for learning purposes. Such reviews must not be misunderstood as indicators of standards and they are different from assessment. Students have a responsibility to attend critical reviews at the appointed time as part of the learning process. Review panels are composed of internal and external members for the appointed times and cannot be re-composed to consider late submissions. Consequently late work will not receive a critical review, though it will be assessed under the terms of ‘Late Submissions’ (as below).

• Critical Review: May take place during the development phases of a project as well as at the time of the final submission. Its purpose is to identify strengths and weaknesses in the work and to offer suggestions to generally encourage the student. An encouraging critical review does not necessarily mean a good assessment result.
• Assessment : May take place at a stage in a project or on final submission (or both). Its purpose is to value the work in terms of the objectives stated in the handout and to express this as a grade. Moderation of all assessment in design is undertaken at the end of the Trimester after critical reviews, involving a wider group of staff than the immediate lecturers in the course. This process ensures fairness.

All grades posted during this Course are only provisional results until confirmed by the School Examiners Committee which meets after the examination period.

If you have any academic problems with your paper you should talk to the tutor or lecturer concerned or, if you are not satisfied with the result of that meeting, see the Head of School or the Associate Dean (Students) of your Faculty. Class representatives are available to assist you with this process. If, after trying the above channels, you are still unsatisfied, formal grievance procedures can be invoked. These are set out in the Academic Grievances Statute which is published on the VUW website.

Victoria University defines plagiarism as the copying of ideas, organisation, wording or anything else from another source without appropriate reference or acknowledgement so that it appears to be one's own work. This includes published and unpublished work, the Internet and the work of other students and staff. Plagiarism is an example of misconduct in the Statute of Student Conduct. Students who have plagiarised are subject to a range of penalties under the Statute.