Extra-Credit Rubric

English 165EW
Teaching Associate: Patrick Mooney
Winter 2013

Overview

Extra credit is available in this course for the presentation, in front of the class, of any of the following:

1. A close reading of one or more passages from a work that we are currently considering, or have considered within the past week (though my strong preference is that extra-credit presentations deal with the same work that we are currently reading if at all possible), with an eye to how those passages are connected to one or more major aspects of our quarter-long conversation about post-apocalyptic literature;
2. An explanation of theoretical perspective that provides insight into a text that we are currently considering, or that we have considered within the past week (though, again, my preference is to schedule extra-credit presentations at times that are as close as possible to the texts that they consider);
3. A theoretical perspective that is relevant to the basic concerns of the course, but does not appear already on the syllabus.

Under certain circumstances, I am open to other types of presentations, provided that they are also relevant to the broader course concerns and add genuine value to the class for the other students who are enrolled. Please feel free to propose alternate ideas!

Some examples of presentation topics that I am likely to find acceptable:

• Feminist-oriented readings of course texts, or general presentations of (some particular version or instantiation of) feminist theory as it might apply to theoretical social structures that are depicted in one or more novels, or in postapocalyptic fiction in general.
• Applications of other forms of sociological, psychological, anthropological, economic, philosophical, or other theoretical perspectives to scenarios that we are directly studying in course texts or that are generally characteristic of post-apocalyptic narratives.
• Close readings of specific passages in a current work that illuminate difficult or obscure issues in the text, or that direct our attention in ways that it would not otherwise be directed, especially in relation to the broader concerns of the course.
• Theoretical perspectives that do not appear on the reading list and that illuminate one of the core terms that appears as the name of one of the units in the class, or another basic theoretical course concern.
• Well-informed alternate readings that substantially disagree with interpretations that I have presented to the class.

There are many, many, many other possibilities. You should feel free to propose alternate ideas!

General guidelines

You should speak to me about your plans for an extra-credit presentation before you put extensive effort into designing or preparing it. I will then approve your topic, or will suggest other things that you may need to take into account before I can approve it. Once we have reached agreement about the content of your presentation, we will then determine a date when your presentation will occur. I will try to provide helpful feedback in the form of approaches that are likely to be productive, passages that you may wish to consider, pitfalls that you may encounter, etc.; but you should also feel free to ask for feedback on any aspect of your plans on which you would like input.

Although I am open to other formats, I would prefer in general that you structure your presentation as a lecture of approximately fifteen minutes, and that you anticipate leaving an additional five minutes or so at the end for questions from other students in the class (and possibly from me). This format has a specific benefit for you: it does not require the rest of the class to participate extensively in order for your presentation to be successful. Should you so desire, you may structure your presentation in a non-lecture format, but this will make your grade partially contingent upon how successful you are in getting the rest of the group to participate directly.

Generally, I will want you to give your presentation at the beginning of class. (This is negotiable, but I do have specific reasons for this preference.) This means that you should be ready to go at 3:30 p.m. on the day in question — I will be understanding if technical problems delay you slightly, but will expect that you will switch to a backup plan if they cannot be resolved quickly. Showing up a few minutes early is a wise move, so that you can set up and ensure that you're able to start promptly.

Each student gets (at most) one opportunity to give an extra-credit presentation during the quarter. Scheduling a presentation creates an obligation on your part to either cancel/reschedule at least 48 hours in advance or present on the day for which you are scheduled. Failure to show up on time on the day in question without a very good (and documented) excuse (family death, your own hospitalization, etc.) not only loses you the chance to receive credit for making a presentation during the quarter, but also incurs a penalty to your overall term grade. I assume that you will take whatever steps are necessary to be present on time on the day in question. This may mean that you print out your notes the night before, that you come to campus early instead of taking the absolute last possible bus, that you test your presentation files on the equipment you will be using (or at least on another computer than the one on which you prepared them) in advance, etc. etc. etc. You should prepare for your presentation with the same committment, foresight, and attention to detail that you would prepare for an important professional presentation in an office setting.

You should be aware that I will make an audio recording of your presentation. This helps me to assess it later as I am thinking about what grade to assign. You are, of course, welcome to a copy of the audio recording, should you wish me to provide you with one. If you request in advance that I do so, I will also make a good-faith effort to produce a video recording of your presentation, and will either provide you with a computer file containing the recording, or (if you give me a blank DVD) will produce a DVD from the computer file. This can be a very helpful way for you to assess your own presentation skills.

General rationale for this extra-credit opportunity

1. I believe strongly that students should participate actively in their own education. Providing you with the opportunity to present your own ideas to the class requires that you put substantial effort into organizing your ideas and provides you with valuable experience in presenting those ideas verbally in a public-speaking scenario, which (in turn) gives you an opportunity to practice a skill that is likely to be of substantial value to you at some point in your professional life.
2. Just as importantly, having other perspectives presented in front of the class adds value to the class as a whole by providing students with the opportunity to hear from someone other than me. Please be aware that although the course material overlaps substantially with my areas of scholarly study, I see the differences between me and my students as a matter of degree, rather than a matter of essential nature. You, too, have valuable insights and perspectives to share, and getting up in front of the class helps to reinforce this idea for the rest of the class.
3. Extra-credit presentations add value to the class by articulating theories and readings that would otherwise not be covered. They provide a way in which the class's content can be a genuinely collaborative effort that is not limited by my own background and interests.

Technology available for presentations

First: it is not necessary to do anything flashy or to rely on any technology more advanced than your voice and a chalkboard. (It is not even necessary to use the chalkboard, in fact, or to use visual aids of any kind.) It is possible to get the maximum possible credit simply by getting up in front of the class and giving an outstanding presentation. If you do rely on additional technology, you should ensure that it enhances your presentation and that you are able to deal with it in a way that does not become a stumbling block for the expression and exploration of your ideas.

The only equipment that you can assume will be available without making specific arrangements in advance is:

• A chalkboard, chalkboard eraser, and chalk;
• A standard University-supplied laptop, running a fairly recent version of Windows, and with fairly recent versions of PowerPoint, Adobe Reader, an Internet browser (and Internet connection), and media presentation software that can play some of the more common formats;
• A DVD player that can handle DVDs prepared for the NTSC standard (that is, the standard in use for DVDs produced for the U.S. and Canada);
• An overhead projector;
• A set of audio amplification equipment with a ⅛-inch input jack.

If you require additional equipment, you should speak to me about arranging it in advance, rather than simply assuming that it will be available. Note that it is quite likely that Macintosh users will have to purchase or otherwise arrange for a display adapter in advance if they intend to present from a Macintosh laptop. (I may be able to help you find an adapter if you do not already have one.) Users of Linux or other non-mainstream operating systems should definitely have a fallback plan in case the University podium cannot be made to work with their equipment, and should, in the interests of safety, assume that there is a strong likelihood that they will need to present from a University laptop.

Murphy's Law caveat: Technology tends to fail at the most inconvenient time possible. In these days of repeated budget cuts at public universities, you should be aware that the technology that you will be using to present your ideas is not the flashiest, best-equipped technology available. The general rule is that the show must go on in some form, even if your technology does not function as expected. You should have a backup plan in case the technology upon which you are relying cannot be made to work. It is wise, for instance, to have multiple copies of the files that you will be using in your presentation. If nothing else, you should be able to explain your ideas verbally, in an organized manner, using a chalkboard and your own notes. (I have a series of suggestions below for contingency plans that you may wish to consider.)

Specific meanings of grades

Grading caveat: Extra credit cannot lift your overall grade for the quarter into the A+ range. Any A+ that I assign as an overall grade for the quarter is a "natural" A+, not one that has been boosted by making a presentation.

The grade that your presentation receives is based on which of the following categories best describe it. (Please note that point mappings for extra credit presentations are not the same as percentage scores for other assignments.) I will observe you carefully and make notes on your presentation, then will make every attempt to send you a grade by email (at your U-Mail address), along with an explanation for the grade and a set of notes, within 24 hours of the presentation.

A-range presentations (16 to 20 bonus points added on to your total grade for the quarter): These presentations add genuine value to the course for all students seeing the presentation by doing an excellent job in all ways. Among other things, A-range presentations are perceptive, focused, polished, and engaging. The ideas that are expressed are not merely a reiteration of something that I have said already in lecture, but provide substantial additional insight, dig much deeper into material that we have covered, and/or take the material in a different (but relevant) direction. The presenter is prepared, articulate, professional, and responds effectively to questions from the group and/or from me, if there are any. An A-range presentation on a theoretical perspective should present a relevant body of theory in a well-developed, understandable way, even for those who do not have a well-developed background in the theoretical area in question. An A-range presentation that consists of a reading of one or more passages is characterized by very close attention not only to the relationship between the passages in question, but also of close attention to selection of the passages themselves, and to the specific text of those passages.

B-range presentations (11 to 15 bonus points added on to your total grade for the quarter): These presentations do a solid job of providing content of value that would not otherwise be covered during class time, and are presented in a thoughful, engaging manner. It may be that the presenter is not prepared as adequately as s/he could be, or that the readings or explanations are organized in a suboptimal manner or just don't dive into the material as deeply as is necessary to do an excellent job, or that the presenter has not been fully effective in planning how to present the material to the class — but despite this, the presentation is done well in a number of ways, and is basically on track. The presenter is prepared, engaged, and does a good job overall of engaging with the class.

C-range presentations (5 to 10 bonus points added on to your total grade for the quarter): Presentations in this range engage with course material and the ostensible topic of the lecture in some way, but add little of value to the experience of the rest of the members of the course. It may be that the explanations provided are trivial, that they are excessively obvious even on a cursory encounter with the material being discussed, or that they simply duplicate material that is easily available in another format. Presentation style and structure may be very uneven or show evidence of insufficient planning or forethought, or it may be that the presenter has fundamental difficulties interacting with the group as a whole, or shows evidence of having prepared very hastily, or is basically unable to respond in a satisfying baseline way to questions or comments from other students. Despite these problems, the presentation is basically on topic, runs for the expected length of time, and makes a valiant effort to do more than it is able to do effectively.

D-range presentations (no bonus points received, no penalty incurred): Despite an attempt to do more than the presentation does, there is at least one fundamental problem with the presentation, and the experience provides basically no value to the rest of the class. It may be that the interpretations offered are clearly misguided at a basic level, or that the presentation is so poorly organized that it is difficult or impossible to understand what the speaker hopes that the rest of the class will gain from it. Presentations in this range may run substantially short of their allotted time, or may drag on for so long that they have to be forcibly interrupted. The speaker may be severely inarticulate or unable to engage with the rest of the class at even the most basic effective level.

F presentations incur a penalty of up to 20 points subtracted from the presenter's total grade for the quarter. You receive a penalty of ten points, subtracted from your total grade for the quarter, if you schedule a presentation, but do not show up on time for it and do not have a fantastic (and documented) excuse. You receive a penalty of five to twenty points if your presentation is fundamentally dishonest; if it clearly does not adhere to the topic you initially proposed when we first scheduled your presentation; or if it is abusive to the class or to specific class members, is highly unprofessional, is fundamentally a waste of the class's time, and/or is profoundly inappropriate for some other reason. Remember that your presentation is not only taking up your time and mine, but also requires that up to forty other people pay attention to you. In severe circumstances, I reserve the right to assess a penalty of more than twenty points. (I do not assign an F grade lightly or frivolously, but you should consult with me in advance if you think that anything you plan to do may meet the criteria for incurring this penalty.)

If you are nervous about public speaking

You're not alone. Lots of people are nervous about public speaking. I'm sometimes nervous about presenting to the class, myself.

There are not other extra-credit opportunities, but there are several ways that you may ameliorate the conditions producing your anxiety. One option that you have is to make a presentation as a member of a group. This will mean that the total points earned will be divided (not necessarily evenly) among the members of the presenting group. Having someone else standing with you in front of the group may help to mitigate your anxiety. Alternately, if you prefer, you can (for half credit) give a relevant presentation at the beginning of an optional class meeting, which will (almost certainly) substantially reduce the number of faces staring at you while you stand at the front of the room.

Note that, should the anxiety of public speaking become intolerable during your presentation, you can cut your presentation short with neither a bonus nor a penalty to your overall class grade, provided that you have made at least a basic effort to present some material to the class before giving up. (This situation falls within the no-bonus, no-penalty criteria specified for D-range presentations.)

If you would like, I can also refer you to an appropriate counseling service. You may find that speaking with a professional about your nervousness can help you to become more comfortable with the process of public speaking.

Sample technology-related contingency planning scenarios

Remember that, for the twenty minutes of your presentation, you are assuming the role of the instructor for the class, and the class will expect you to be prepared and adaptable, even in suboptimal conditions. I am happy to discuss ways that you can prepare in advance to deal with the unexpected — please let me know if you have questions or need advice.

General suggestions:

• Have multiple ways of getting at your content: multiple copies of files on different drives and/or multiple copies online, for instance. Emailing three different copies in three different messages to the same email address will help you to avoid accidentally deleting the one backup copy you have, but will not help if that email account is suddenly inaccessible for some reason.
• Test your backup copies before relying on them. If you upload something to a web site, make sure you can download it. If you're uploading a copy to an online presentation service, ensure that you can present from it. If you produce a backup copy by emailing it to yourself, check to make sure that the email has arrived before relying on it as a backup.
• Make sure you understand the basic parameters of the products or services you're using for your contingency plans, and that you have verified that these products or services are actually working. A copy of your presentation that you've emailed to your GMail account is useless if you've forgotten your GMail password, or if GMail suddenly goes down right before your presentation is scheduled. Bringing a copy of your files on a USB drive to present from a University-supplied laptop is ineffective if your USB drive is fomatted with a file system that only a Macintosh can read (though this is an unlikely scenario unless you've reformatted your drive since you bought it, and is probably unlikely even then). A copy of your presentation that you've uploaded to Prezi is useless if you don't understand how to navigate the Prezi canvas. A copy of your presentation that you've uploaded to SlideShare is useless if you can't find it on SlideShare. Using Dropbox to make automatic backups is useless if you haven't ensured that Dropbox is actually making backups of the files that you plan to use (for instance, if you're not storing your files in a subfolder of your Dropbox folder). And so forth.
• Have copies of whatever files you need in commonly available formats that many applications can understand in addition to whatever format is "native" to the application that you used to produce them. If you are producing graphic files, for instance, it is a good idea to export them to a common format such as PNG in addition to having the copy that you originally creates as a Photoshop .psd file, a GIMP .xcf file, an Illustrator file, etc. If you are bringing in a video clip, you should be aware that it may be easier to play an .avi or .mp4 file than a Matroska .mkv file, a .webm file that you download from YouTube, etc. If you are bringing in an audio clip, you may want to produce an .mp3 version instead of simply bringing in a FLAC or OGG version. And so forth. You should also ensure that the exported versions of these files are of sufficient quality before relying on them as backups.
• Have at least a general "if all else fails" contingency plan.
• Be flexible and able to adapt to suboptimal conditions that may arise.

I do not think that it is particularly likely that the University's equipment will fail during your presentation, but doing a professional job involves having at least one backup plan — just in case. It is also the case that I do not necessarily expect that you will follow any of the particular suggestions below, and I realize that following all of them would probably be paranoid. Nevertheless, you should have one or more backup plans in place so that you can ensure that your presentation goes forward even if a problem arises. The scenarios below provide a series of suggestions that you might take to be absolutely sure that you give a presentation that is as close as possible to the presentation you have planned.

Here are some suggestions for various common scenarios:

1. Scenario: A PowerPoint presentation given from a student's own (Windows) laptop. If you plan to give a slide show from your own laptop, you might reasonably take any or all of these steps to help ensure that the presentation goes forward more or less as planned even if the unexpected occurs:
   • Bring a copy of your presentation in PowerPoint format on a USB drive, in case your laptop cannot be made to work with the University's podium.
   • Also bring a copy of your presentation in .pdf format on a USB drive, in case the University-supplied laptop's copy of Office is not functioning properly. (Note that you should probably test your backup .pdf version of your presentation in Adobe Viewer before coming to class, and that producing a copy that adheres to older versions of the .pdf standard decreases the chances that there will be problems with viewing it on another computer.)
   • Also bring copies of both files on an additional USB drive, in case your backup USB drive also fails.
   • Also host copies of the file(s) on at least one Internet service, such as box.com, Dropbox, Ubuntu One, SpiderOak, and/or other file-hosting services, in case you accidentally leave your laptop and/or backup drives at home, or in case all of these pieces of technology fail.
   • Also upload a copy of the presentation to an online presentation service, such as SlideShare or Prezi, so that you can also give it directly from a web browser, if all of the above fail.
   • Final fallback plan: Have printed copies of your slides, or develop a separate set of notes, so that you can give a verbal presentation, using the chalkboard to construct any necessary visual aids on the fly, in case everything else fails or the room is suddenly without power.
2. Scenario: An OpenOffice Impress presentation given from a student's own (Macintosh) laptop. You should probably follow (at least some of) the suggestions in scenario (1), above, plus:
   • Ensure that you have any necessary DVI-to-VGA adapter in your backpack (purse, jacket pocket, etc.) before going to bed the night before the presentation.
   • Check to be sure that you have the adapter with you immediately before leaving your house in the morning, even though you're sure you put it in your backpack the night before.
   • Export the slide show to PowerPoint in addition to .pdf, and keep copies of all three files on your backup USB drive and/or online file-hosting service, in case you forget your adapter, or it cannot be made to work with the presentation podium, or you wind up having to present from the University-supplied laptop for some other reason.
3. Scenario: A presentation that includes the showing of a short YouTube video. It may be wise to consider using any of the following contingency plans:
   • Write down the URL of the YouTube video to be sure that you don't need to waste time finding it through the YouTube search once you're in front of the class.
   • Find a copy of the content in another format (DVD, a downloadable file in a commonly supported format) or on another website, in case YouTube is inaccessible.
   • Consider using one of the numerous third-party software applications or web services that can download YouTube videos, then make sure that the downloaded video is in a common video format, and follow some of the suggestions in scenario (1), above, to ensure that you have multiple ways to access the downloaded file that you're treating as a backup.
   • Have a final fallback plan in case all else fails: consider what you will do if the video absolutely cannot be shown.
4. Scenario: a verbal presentation that includes the projection of various presenter-designed diagrams.
   • Ensure that your graphics are stored in formats that a variety of software can understand, in case your primary presentation plan doesn't work. If, for instance, you are designing your diagrams in Adobe Illustrator, export them to a common format (PNG, for instance) instead of assuming that you can just open them in Illustrator on your own laptop. (University laptops will likely not have a copy of Illustrator on them, so if you need to project from a University laptop, having a backup copy that is only in Illustrator format will not be helpful.) Check the exported files to be sure that Illustrator has produced acceptable output before relying on these exported files as useful backups.
   • Produce a PowerPoint slide show containing all of the graphics that you'll be using. Export that Powerpoint file to .pdf, just in case.
   • Follow some or all of the suggestions in scenario (1) and/or (2), above, to be sure you have access to your files.
   • Be prepared to do without your diagrams, or to construct rough versions on the chalkboard, in case all else fails.