Reading Responses

Submit via: Learning Suite
File type: Submit written responses in the text field / submit links to audio/video files in text field

Brief

On weeks in which a reading is assigned, you will be required to submit a reading responses for each reading set. This can be a written response, or an audio/video recording of an oral response. Respond to one of the reading response questions found at the bottom of each reading set. If there is one set of readings for a week, then you should submit one response. If there are two sets of readings in a week, you should submit two separate responses—addressing one question under each reading set. Each response should be 125–250 words or 2–3 minutes. You should make direct references to the required reading(s) within your response(s). Remember, these entries are evidence that you did the readings, completed them, and processed them. Without evidence that you did the work, we cannot give you a proper grade.

Start each response with the number set that corresponds to the reading set and the response question to which you are responding. For example, if you are responding to the week 3.2 reading set, then start your response with “3.2” at the top of your response. If the question you are addressing is, “What did you learn this week? What are you still stuck on?,” add that next, but after the number of the reading set. Do the same thing orally if recording your response as audio/video. This helps us contextualize your remarks.

If you completed no readings in a given week, do not enter anything in the field on Learning Suite.

Tips

  1. Plagiarism is not allowed. Most of the time I see this, it is due to not properly citing quotes or thoughts that are not your own. If a quote or idea is not coming directly from the reading addressed in your response, then you need to create a footnote with the proper attribution.
  2. Do not use AI to generate any part of your response.
  3. Always review your writing after you are done to help spot errors. Make edits appropriately.
  4. If you are submitting a written response, I recommend writing out and saving your response in a word processor as you go. Once you are done, then copy and paste your response into Learning Suite. You do not want to lose your work if Learning Suite glitches and doesn’t save your response.
  5. Responses will be randomly examined over the course of the semester. I will not be going over these with a fine tooth comb, but please be attentive to your presentation, writing, punctuation, and formatting. Egregious errors will be corrected and result in a reduced grade.

Example

2.1: If hardware and software keeps changing faster, then what does that mean for the programmers, engineers, and industrial designers vs. the artists?

Based on the videos I watched on the Linotype machine and letterpress, industry seems primarily concerned with keeping up with technology, whereas artists seem to relish delving into outdated practices. It is artists who are preserving the machines and producing work using them. Industry has moved onto giant offset lithography machines. Even Risography is outdated, but artists have resurrected it. So, for people working in commercial fields, they need to be able to keep up with the latest advancements. That will mean more training, and that the new advancements will still have to behave a bit like the old advancements to keep the learning curve low. It was a bit sad watching Farewell ETAOIN SHRDLU, the documentary on the NY Times printers, because I kept thinking that most of these people worked most of their lives on the same process, and were just born at the wrong time to get their knowledge and skills thrown to the scrap heap as new methods were adopted. As for artists, they seem to work at their own pace.

That being said, there are a lot of artists who are working at the cutting edge of tech and help to push both culture and technology forward. Those artists need to be OK with their work being inaccessible in 10–20 years as old software and hardware are abandoned, or the artists need to also build methods of archiving their work.

Learning Outcomes Addressed

Digital Art History and Practices

Students will develop a working knowledge of digital art practices, including an understanding of the theoretical implications of art in a digital age.

Development

Students will develop the skills and resources necessary to realize a wide variety of digitally-based projects.

General Practices

Students will develop a working knowledge of digital art practices, including an understanding of the theoretical implications of art in a digital age.