This class is all about moving you from wherever you are, in terms of history and technology, to someplace further along both of those lines. It’s not about you meeting an “objective” standard, but about making progress that feels meaningful to you.

That said, there are skills in this class that have to be done “right” in order for the ideas to work. But in the tech world, and in the history world, learning is iterative: in other words, you get more than one shot to learn something. Sometimes an initial failure helps you learn and remember the right way even better. So in this class, you’re going to get as many attempts to do the major projects as you need.

By contrast, discussion is something that has to keep moving in order to really be effective. So you don’t get more than one chance on discussion; you just move on if you miss something.

So, how are we going to move together from novice to not-as-novice? We’re going to use a process called “Contract Grading.” In this system, you and I agree together on how much work you’re going to do, and what will happen if you don’t, and we agree on what grade that work will merit. You’ll have one chance in the middle of the semester to revise your contract to change your grade, if you like.

How does contract grading work?

By Monday, September 7, you’ll need to submit a grade contract to me, using this form. It needs to include four things:

• The grade you want to contract for
• The specific things you’ll do in order to achieve that grade
• The penalties you’ll assess on yourself for not meeting your contract obligations (and the ways in which you’ll show me how you assessed that penalty)
• Anything I need to know about you in order to help you achieve your goals

This isn’t completely individual: I’ll mandate some of the things you have to do; you’ll select from some options. You may not contract for a D or an F.

To receive an A, you agree to these things:

• Satisfactory completion of Small Projects 1-3
• Satisfactory completion of three of the four remaining small projects (4-7)
• Satisfactory completion of final project, going above and beyond the requirements to create a really excellent project
• Completion of at least one response per week
• Participation in group discussion at an A level (which you will assess yourself)
• Respect for your classmates’ persons and ideas in both synchronous and asynchronous communications
• Completion of self-assessment
• Completion of scheduled office hours visit
• Any other thing you wish to have assessed

To receive a B, you agree to these things:

• Satisfactory completion of Small Projects 1-3
• Satisfactory completion of two of the four remaining small projects (4-7)
• Satisfactory completion of final project, going above and beyond the minimum requirements
• Completion of at least one response per week, but you can take one week off
• Participation in group discussion at a B level (which you will assess yourself)
• Respect for your classmates’ persons and ideas in both synchronous and asynchronous communications
• Completion of scheduled office hours visit
• Completion of self-assessment

To receive a C, you agree to these things:

• Satisfactory completion of Small Projects 1-3
• Satisfactory completion of one of the four remaining small projects (4-7)
• Satisfactory completion of the final project with the minimum requirements
• Completion of at least one response per week, but you can take two weeks off
• Participation in group discussions at a C level (which you will assess yourself)
• Respect for your classmates’ persons and ideas in both synchronous and asynchronous communications
• Completion of scheduled office hours visit
• Completion of self-assessment

What is your professor’s part in this contract?

Every contract has stipulations on both sides; both parties agree to certain terms. Here are the terms you may either tacitly or explicitly acknowledge in your contract that you will get from my part in this contract.

By accepting your contract, I (and my TAs) will promise these things:

• I will promptly provide constructive feedback, not attacking you as a person but only seeking to make your work better.
• I will be responsive to your questions, comments, and ideas.
• I will create high-quality materials that will challenge you and educate you about the topics of this class.
• I will be your advocate, not your adversary; I will work with you to overcome the difficulties that hinder your success in this class, whether that difficulty relates directly to the class content or not.
• I will be respectful of your person and your ideas.

What happens if you don’t meet the terms of your contract?

First of all, I will be working with you throughout the semester to make sure that you do meet the terms. I reserve the right to lower your grade by 1/3 (so, a minus grade) if I feel that you have technically met the terms of your contract but have not demonstrated a good-faith effort to be involved in the life of the class. By the same token, I reserve the right to raise your grade by 1/3 (so, a plus grade) if I’m extremely impressed with the work you’ve done.

But it may be that things go catastrophically wrong. If they do, I do reserve the option of giving you a D or an F if you fail to meet the terms of significant portions of your contract. These grades will likely be the result of a breakdown of communication between you and me. If you’re talking to me about your situation, I can help you. If you’re not, I can’t.