Syllabus
Can I get the link to the full syllabus please?
- Please click on Schedule on the top menu to view the syllabus document.
Reading Responses
When are the reading responses due?
- Reading responses are due on every Thursday at 8PM ET. This applies to everybody regardless of which CC Lab section you’re in. All the readings are listed under Resources/Library and we encourage you to read ahead.
Assignments
Will there be group assignments?
- We plan to run a lot of in-class group activities in CC Lab, and there will be occasional, light collaborations outside of class such as Assignment #1 and #4. Although most assignments are not group assignments, we encourage you to get in touch with each other and find times to exchange feedback and work together.
How are the readings & the assignments linked?
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TLDR; All the assignments are designed to be open-ended. We have our
own ideas of how the two connect, but we would love to see you
connect the dots through your own reflection on the readings and
apply them into the assignments in ways that’s creative and
empowering for you.
The long answer: as a course that values code, design, and criticality equally, we shouldn't wait to explore some of the most urgent issues in contemporary computing — this includes developing critical thinking skills around algorithms, AI, biometric surveillance, and evaluating the impacts of machine learning and networking. However this doesn't mean we are ready to build an artificial intelligence (yet). Learning to code takes time and we need to be patient and build technical knowledge from the ground up and make sure that the process of learning is inclusive of everyone in this class.
The open-ended nature of the assignments imply that you can take them into any number of directions that fits your skill-level and background. In addition, once we finish midterm and start working with external APIs, you will begin to find many direct relationships between the readings and the assignments.
Open Projector
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Do the responders need to prepare anything before CC Open Projector?
- You don't need to prepare anything special. The only thing we are asking from you is to attend the class and be ready to offer your attention and constructive feedback to the presenters.
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What are other opportunities to present besides Open Projector?
- You will have the opportunity to present in CC Lab. And on the last day of class, you're expected to complete your CC Portfolio and present all the work you've accumulated throughout the semester.
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Do we get marked on our performance every week?
- Yes.
CC Lecture Group Meetings
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What will we be discussing during the gruop meetings?
- This is a chance for Katherine or Xin to give you in-depth feedback on assignment you've presented during CC Open Projector.
Programming
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Are there any additional books I can refer to as a beginner to coding?
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Absolutely. Xin recommends
Getting Started with p5.js
for beginners and
Generative Design
for intermediates. We have added the digital versions of both books
under Course Reserve on CC Lecture’s Canvas.
To access the materials, log into your CC Lecture course on Canvas, click on Course Reserve on the left-hand side:
Then click on My Courses/Critical Computation, and scroll down to Course Items. Find the book you'd like to read, and click on View Item:
A new page for ProQuest Ebook Central should pop up. Select Read Online or Download Book. Enjoy!
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Are we only learning p5.js in this class?
- We will learn the foundation of object-oriented-programming and interactivity on the web through p5.js for most of the semester. After midterm we will begin to sprawl out and learn more about HTML, CSS, and working with external APIs.
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Are we required to use the p5.js web editor or can we use our own IDE?
- You're welcomed to use your own IDE, however due to the size of this class, please make it very easy for the instructors / DT tutors to view your p5 sketches in the browser, so that no additional copying / pasting / downloading is required on our end.
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Can we use other programming languages to complete some of our assignments?
- If you have previous knowledge in programming, you can use other languages as long as you're still including p5.js and working in the web context. So additional HTML / CSS / Javascript / external JS libraries are acceptable. If you do decide to go this route though, just know that our capacity to support something that's outside of the scope of this class might be limited.
Open-Source Policy
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I'm a little confused about the open-source policy. If I'm learning from tutorials / examples, what's the best way to determine when attribution is needed?
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We would like to suggest that you credit as many sources as it is possible. Lauren McCarthy, the creator and former project lead for p5.js said that it is important to "reinforce the idea that all of this work is built on collaboration and sharing open-source tools. It's very different from the individual genius artist in their studio framework of the art world".
If you're remixing someone else's code outside of the tutorial context, please make sure you don't use code that doesn't have an open-sourced license such as the MIT license or the GNU license. And it's best practice that you list their license type in your attribution, e.g. "This project is licensed under a GNU Lesser General Public License v2.1".
In concrete terms, you can credit your sources at the top of your source code as well as on your portfolio pages. Click on the links to see the examples.
Remote Sections
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Do we need to turn on the camera during class?
- CC faculty have been teaching / learning remotely since Spring, 2020, and based on our experience, it makes a great difference when everyone can keep their cameras on, so that at the very least we can be pixel-present. We'd like to be accommodating and supportive as long as it's within reasons, so if you have a specific reason as to why you'd prefer to keep your camera off, please contact your instructor to discuss further.