You are expected to be fully engaged with the course materials throughout the semester. This means attending all class sessions, listening actively and taking detailed notes; keeping up with the assigned readings and other materials; and reviewing the images and your notes on a regular basis. This regular, daily engagement with the material will ensure that you get the most out of the course.
To encourage and reward your regular, active engagement with the course material, there will be either a 5-minute (3-point) or a 10-minute (10-point) in-class exam question on some aspect of the course materials at the beginning of most class sessions. The 3-point essays will address only the assignment from the night before; the 10-point essays will bring together the assignment from the night before and previous course materials (i.e. they are cumulative). These exam questions are always open-book, open-note, open-internet. I am not expecting you to memorize anything, but I do expect you to come to class every day with all course materials carefully organized and regularly reviewed. You will not know in advance whether there is an exam question on any given day; you should always assume that there will be, and prepare accordingly.
These exam questions allow me to give you credit for staying on top of the assignments. They enable us to hit the ground running when we begin our discussions, since you will have had a chance to collect your thoughts on the topic at hand. Finally, they will encourage you to regularly review the material from previous sessions and to see how the various monuments and texts speak to one another.
At the end of the semester, when I calculate your overall exam grade, I will drop your lowest 3-point score and your lowest 10-point score. The total of the remaining scores will constitute your course exam grade. The exam grade is worth 25% of your final grade. No other midterm or final exam will be given.
Please note that if missed (whether due to lateness or to absence, “excused” or not), these daily exam questions cannot be made up. If you have a documented disability, please contact me within the first week of class so that we may discuss reasonable accommodation.
