Grading

Your final grade will be determined based on how many total experience points you earn in the class. Each grade is associated with a level and rank.

The grading scale is non-negotiable. A final grade of 879, for instance, is a B. All grades are final unless questions about grades are addressed in writing within 2 weeks after the grade is posted. If you have concerns about your grades please check with me sooner in the semester rather than later.

More information about UF grading policies can be found here: https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/grades.aspx.

Course Requirements

Your grade will be based on the following assignments.

Make-up Work

Make-up work is not permitted. However, under an extreme circumstance, if you have an excused absence AND the instructor was notified in advance, an exception may be made.

Extra Credit

Video games are a huge topic area, and no one person can know everything. You can earn extra credit by helping improve this course. You can earn up to 20 extra credit points this way using any combination of methods below.

One way to earn extra credit is by suggesting additional course readings. You can suggest readings for topics we've already discussed, or for topics we've yet to discuss (e.g., if it's week 5 and you find an interesting reading about early video games, you can still submit it). Please submit a copy of the reading, citation information, and/or the URL if it's an online reading. If the reading is interesting and I include it as an optional reading, you will earn 5 points. If the reading is really spectacular and I include it as a required reading, you will earn 10 points. If I don't find your reading suggestion interesting or useful, I'll let you know and you are free to submit a different reading.

To earn 10 points, submit both a reading and a series of discussion prompts about that reading/topic area. I will use your discussion questions this semester, and may save it for another semester.

Another way to earn 10 points is to bring a game to class that is relevant for that day's discussion. Talking about games and watching videos of gameplay is one thing, but being able to actually play significant and important games is even better. I have the components needed to hook up consoles and/or a laptop to the projector in the classroom. First, select a game that is appropriate for that day's lecture (check the course calendar). Second, make sure we can easily play about 10 minutes of the game: in other words, if you want to show us a specific scene or portion of a game, make sure your save file let's us get to that spot real quick. If you want to bring a game in to show the class, please let me know ahead of time so that I can work it into that day's lecture.

Other extra credit opportunities may be available as the course commences.