What values are embedded in the principles of seamless design?

Final Project Proposal Deadline changed to Dec 1.
Final Analysis Project Proposal: Due Wednesday Dec 1 – see below for Proposal Template
Students will develop a final project proposal based on 1 of 3 options.
Please note: Because of research ethics guidelines, students will not be permitted to conduct subject interviews for their final projects. In each option you must reference at least 3 course readings and up to 2 external sources. Make sure the course materials are your MAIN sources! If you are referencing materials that you referenced in you midterm analysis, please make sure to also substantially engage with at least 1 or 2 texts from Weeks 6-10!
Option A
Research essay or long form journalistic essay of approx. 2000-2500 words based on a research question of the student’s choosing (in consultation with Prof Cowan), or based on a research question provided by Prof. Cowan. This option is excellent for students who love writing essays, and/or thinking about graduate school or a career in journalism and want to develop a writing sample. This may be a development of your Midterm analysis. (In consultation with Prof. Cowan). You need to use at least 3 course readings/materials, and can refer to outside digital media and up to 1 sources. See proposal guidelines.
Research Questions Provided by Prof Cowan:
Bring into conversation the materials on User-Centred Design, Culture Jamming and Values at Play (in games). Questions to answer:
What values are embedded in the principles of seamless design?
What do commercial apps seek to gain by developing a seamless app?
How might you engage critically with the principles of ‘seamless’ design?
You might also think about this in the context of game design, but you’ll need to pitch this to me so that I think about it with you.
In Week 9 we read José Muñoz’s Introduction to Disidentifications: Queers of Color and the Performance of Politics. We also watched segments of the Pride Inside Cabaret.
Engaging with and mobilizing Muñoz’s theory of disidentification as a survival strategy and method that involves “working on and against” dominant cultural representations of minoritized people, especially queers and trans-people of color, write an essay in which you develop an analysis of 2-3 of the Pride Inside Cabaret performances.
How are these performers engaging with the method and strategy of disidentification? And to what end? How does disidentification work in this performance or these performances?
In addition to Muñoz, include direct reference to one other course reading (or other material) that helps you build your analysis. You may reference up to 2 outside sources.
Choose your own Adventure: if you decide to develop a research question of your own, keep in mind that it must develop a course theme and should cite 2-3 course readings or other course materials. You may cite up to 2 external scholarly or popular sources (optional). You may also cite digital artifacts as your objects of study as long as your essay or article relates to course themes.
In all options, make sure that our course materials are your main resources
OPTION B
Creation-Based Research Project (podcast, digital graphic art, etc.) based on a research question of the student’s choosing (in consultation with Prof Cowan), or based on a research question provided by Prof. Cowan (see above) students will create, solo or collaboratively, a proposal for a creation-based research project (performance, podcast, video, meme-series, etc), along with a Critical Appendix/Scholarly Artist Statement of 800-1000 words. See proposal guidelines. Videos, podcasts and performances should be 3-5 minutes & not longer than 5 min please! In your full project you should reference at least 3 course readings. Optional to cite external readings or materials – up to 2.
This Critical Appendix/Scholarly Artist Statement should be a description, analysis and reflection that accounts for the conceptual and technical development you did for this project. You should indicate why you chose to do this project, what inspired it, what was a your research question/s, how it relates to or is informed by course materials and what you learned through the research-creation process. That is, how did the creative process of making your podcast, video, game, performance, poetry suite, song, etc, teach you something about your research question. It should cite—with direct quotation and a Works Cited page—at least 3 readings from class materials. Optional to cite external readings or materials – up to 2. Work count: 800-1000 words.
OPTION C
Keyword Cluster: This is a development project in which students develop a 2000-2500 word piece of writing that is based on drawing together themes from across the course based on the keyword method. Students will pick up to 2 keywords you have already written about and 2 keywords you have not written about and build a theme-based Keyword Cluster. The Keyword Cluster should begin with Critical Introduction of about 400 words that introduces your thematic focus – What is your theme? Why is it important/critical? This should be followed by four keyword entries of about 400 words each, in which you directly reference course materials (at least 4 different readings or other materials, but you may reference up to 8) and relate each keyword to your overall theme and how this keyword adds to an understanding of a critical theme. You should finish with a short conclusion of about 200 words that wraps it all up. You must reference at least 3 course materials and, optionally, up to 2 external materials (You can imagine this a kind of mini-textbook for future DMSJCP students!)
Prof Cowan will return Final Proposals to students on Friday, Dec 3.
Students will meet with Prof Cowan to discuss their final projects 1-on-1 (or in groups) on Monday, Dec 6.
Final Analysis Project Due Date: Wednesday Dec 15 HARD DEADLINE! – 25%
Students will submit completed Final Analysis Project they proposed and discussed with Prof. Cowan.
*A Note on Collaboration: If you choose to complete your midterm or final analysis project collaboratively, make sure include a Group Work Distribution Agreement that lists the names of all students participating in the collaboration and the work that each student contributed to the collaboration. Remember that collaboration is not just about dividing up the work, smashing it together and handing it in! The group must work together to co-develop, co-write, and co-edit all elements of the project. Group Work Distribution Agreement will be provided!
Final Project Proposal Template – 10%
COPY & PASTE THE APPROPRIATE TEMPLATE INTO YOUR WORD DOCUMENT!
Update: In total, your proposal should be 300 words minimum, and about 500 words maximum. Answers should be in sentence form. In addition to the questions below, please also include a working title for your final analysis project!
Student Name (or names – up to a group of 2)
Which option A, B, or C are you choosing? (answer #3 based on your option)
See Questions below:
3. Option A: Research essay or long form journalistic essay
A1) Will you be writing an essay or long-form journalistic article?
A2) What is be your research question (either one provided or make up your own)?
A3) What is your thesis statement (an argument based on your research question)?
A4) Which course materials will you be engaging? If you are working on the Pride Inside Cabaret, which performances do you intend to write about and why?
A5) Which outside materials will you be citing? (This is optional. You may develop an essay or article based only on course materials).
A6) Why are you choosing to work on this theme/topic? Ie: why does this research question matter (either matter to you, or matter more broadly)?
A7) What is your research plan? Keep in mind NO INTERVIEWS.
What format are you going to be working in, how will you get the work done, what further research will you be doing?
If you are working in a group, what is your group work plan – who is doing what, when will you meet, how will you truly collaborate rather than just separating the work and combining at the end?
A7) How does your project relate to course themes?
Option B: Research Creation
B1) What will you be creating as part of this project (ie. video art, performance (recorded), meme series, etc)?
B2) What is your research question (either one provided or make up your own) that guides your research-creation project?
B3) What is your thesis statement (an argument based on your research question) that guides
your research-creation project and Critical Appendix?
B4) Which course materials will you be engaging?
B5) Which outside materials will you be citing? (This is optional. You may develop an essay or article based only on course materials).
B6) Why are you choosing to the research-creation option?
B7) Why are you choosing to work on this theme/topic? Ie: why does this research question matter (either matter to you, or matter more broadly)?
B8) What is your research plan? Keep in mind NO INTERVIEWS.
What format are you going to be working in, how will you get the work done, what further research will you be doing?
If you are working in a group, what is your group work plan – who is doing what, when will you meet, how will you truly collaborate rather than just separating the work and combining at the end?
B9) How does your project relate to course themes?
Option C – Keyword Cluster
C1) What will be the critical theme for your keyword cluster?
C2) What be your research question (either one provided or make up your own)?
C3) What is your thesis statement (an argument based on your research question) – ie: what statement will drive your Critical Introduction?
C4) Which course materials will you be engaging?
C5) Which Keywords will you be engaging? (indicate which keywords you have already written about in your keyword entries)
C6) Why are you choosing to work on this theme/topic? Ie: why does this research question matter (either matter to you, or matter more broadly)?
C7) What is your research plan? Keep in mind NO INTERVIEWS.
What is your work plan?
If you are developing already written keyword entries, how are you developing them?
If you are working in a group, what is your group work plan – who is doing what, when will you meet, how will you truly collaborate rather than just separating the work and combining at the end?
C8) How does your project relate to course themes?

Final Analysis Project Due Date: Wednesday Dec 15 HARD DEADLINE! – 25%

COPY & PASTE THE APPROPRIATE TEMPLATE INTO YOUR WORD DOCUMENT!
Update: In total, your proposal should be 300 words minimum, and about 500 words maximum. Answers should be in sentence form. In addition to the questions below, please also include a working title for your final analysis project!
Student Name (or names – up to a group of 2)
Which option A, B, or C are you choosing? (answer #3 based on your option)
See Questions below:
3. Option A: Research essay or long form journalistic essay
A1) Will you be writing an essay or long-form journalistic article?
A2) What is be your research question (either one provided or make up your own)?
A3) What is your thesis statement (an argument based on your research question)?
A4) Which course materials will you be engaging? If you are working on the Pride Inside Cabaret, which performances do you intend to write about and why?
A5) Which outside materials will you be citing? (This is optional. You may develop an essay or article based only on course materials).
A6) Why are you choosing to work on this theme/topic? Ie: why does this research question matter (either matter to you, or matter more broadly)?
A7) What is your research plan? Keep in mind NO INTERVIEWS.
What format are you going to be working in, how will you get the work done, what further research will you be doing?
If you are working in a group, what is your group work plan – who is doing what, when will you meet, how will you truly collaborate rather than just separating the work and combining at the end?
A7) How does your project relate to course themes?
Option B: Research Creation
B1) What will you be creating as part of this project (ie. video art, performance (recorded), meme series, etc)?
B2) What is your research question (either one provided or make up your own) that guides your research-creation project?
B3) What is your thesis statement (an argument based on your research question) that guides
your research-creation project and Critical Appendix?
B4) Which course materials will you be engaging?
B5) Which outside materials will you be citing? (This is optional. You may develop an essay or article based only on course materials).
B6) Why are you choosing to the research-creation option?
B7) Why are you choosing to work on this theme/topic? Ie: why does this research question matter (either matter to you, or matter more broadly)?
B8) What is your research plan? Keep in mind NO INTERVIEWS.
What format are you going to be working in, how will you get the work done, what further research will you be doing?
If you are working in a group, what is your group work plan – who is doing what, when will you meet, how will you truly collaborate rather than just separating the work and combining at the end?
B9) How does your project relate to course themes?
Option C – Keyword Cluster
C1) What will be the critical theme for your keyword cluster?
C2) What be your research question (either one provided or make up your own)?
C3) What is your thesis statement (an argument based on your research question) – ie: what statement will drive your Critical Introduction?
C4) Which course materials will you be engaging?
C5) Which Keywords will you be engaging? (indicate which keywords you have already written about in your keyword entries)
C6) Why are you choosing to work on this theme/topic? Ie: why does this research question matter (either matter to you, or matter more broadly)?
C7) What is your research plan? Keep in mind NO INTERVIEWS.
What is your work plan?
If you are developing already written keyword entries, how are you developing them?
If you are working in a group, what is your group work plan – who is doing what, when will you meet, how will you truly collaborate rather than just separating the work and combining at the end?
C8) How does your project relate to course themes?

Last Completed Projects