digital literacies
DTC 476 Digital Literacies
NOTE: This webpage provides resources/information for this course. It is NOT the course syllabus and DOES NOT provide information about course assignments, requirements, or expectations. Please consult the course syllabus for such information.
Course Description
DTC 476 Digital Literacies is the capstone course for the CMDC program where graduating seniors Students will Course assignments and activities are designed to assist these endeavors. At the end of the course, students should be able to demonstrate their ability to analyze, evaluate, implement, and test digital media solutions to real-world communication and production challenges.
Course Goals and Objectives
This course is commonly seen as the "capstone" course for students pursuing the Digital Technology & Culture degree during which they demonstrate their knowledge and command of the ten CMDC Program Goals and Objectives.

Course assignments and activities reflect and assist students reaching these program goals.
Course Focus
Digital literacy is the ability to critique, evaluate, and utilize various digital media and their interfaces for information, creative, or communication purposes. This literacy can be learned through familiarity with theoretical frameworks, exposure to a broad range of digital media genres, and actually building digital multimedia/multimodal information objects, the "learn, think, build" focus of The CMDC Program. Such work is intellectually demanding, cultivates ethical values, and fosters habits of individual and cololaborative responsibility and civic engagement. Students will bring a background of learning to bear on the collaborative production of a full-scale digital media project for some community service organization, as well as developing individual professional portfolios and resumes.
Course Structure
This course is envisioned as a series of seminar discussions, collaborative workshops, individual and collaborative course projects, and presentations providing students an environment where they can work through a number of challenges, complete projects, and document their program learning.
Course Projects
Resumes and Portfolios
For their job search or graduate school applications, students prepare online digital portfolios, which include resumes, examples of digital works, and biographical/creative statements. Class time is devoted to crafting and polishing professional resumes and learning presentation skills. Students are also encouraged to participate in WSUV's and the CMDC Program's career events and Research Showcase.
Reflective Essay
Students will write extensively on how they achieved each of the ten CMDC Program Goals and their objectives through both theory and practice. Multiple drafts will help students develop the breadth and depth of their reflections. The final, well-written essay should demonstrate competency in each of the following program goals and their associated objectives: Download a .PDF document to help you with this essay
Digital Media Projects
Students will design, develop, test, and deliver large-scale professional digital media projects for local 501(c)3 public assistance nonprofit and other organizations. Working in collaborative teams, students conceive and develop these projects to specified standards in a limited timeframe. As a part of each project, students undertake leadership roles such as project management, lead design, development, information architecture, usability testing and interface design, and content strategy. Additionally, students will, as necessary, produce professional project documentation like proposals, periodic status and final reports, and legacy archives. See examples of course projects below.

Steamworks (Fall 2011)
Design and prototyping of a "digital commons" for CMDC students to showcase their abilities and network with colleagues. An additional, game-based component allows students to collect badges and levels through the successful completition of various learning challenges. This ongoing project will be continued by future classes and developed as both a robust website and a mobile app.

Dick Hannah Dealerships
mobile telephone app (Summer 2011)
Design and development of a mobile telephone app for thirteen automobile dealerships in Oregon and Washington. The focus of this app was to develop and extend new channels of customer service.

Vancouver Business Journal (Fall 2010)
Redesign and rebuilding of this website as a site for the online publication of this local business journal. This project focused on developing a Wordpress-themed website that would be easily updatable by staff members with little or no experience.

Community Choices (Fall 2010)
Redesign and rebuilding of this website for a non-profit organization focused on the overall healthy livability of Clark County, Washington. This project included embedded video and an updatable events calendar.

Innovative Services NW (Fall 2010)
Redesign and rebuilding of this website for a non-profit organization that supports children in the community who have disabilities or other disadvantages. This project included social media integration and secure donation opportunities, as well as increased utilization of improved textual and visual content. The Columbian featured a brief article about the launch of the updated website, "WSUV Students Team up to Improve Websie for Innovative Services.

Walk & Knock Food Drive (Summer 2010)
Design and development of this website for Interservice Walk & Knock (a 501 c (3) non-profit organization), to support their annual collection of charitable donations of food and money which is then provided to needy individuals throughout Clark County, Washington. This project included social media integration and secure donation opportunities.

Alexa Dyer Foundation (Summer 2010)
Redesign and rebuilding of this website to reflect the organization's focus on providing resources to families whose child faces a terminal illness. This project included social media integration and secure donation opportunities.

Vancouver's Downtown Association (Spring 2010)
Design and development of a three dimensional, interactive, and immersive information technology for the Vancouver's Downtown Association. This project was selected for the 2010 Research Showcase in Pullman, WA, one of only four projects from the College of Liberal Arts, and for the 2010 Research Showcase in Vancovuer, WA, where, as "CityCube: An Interactive 3D Fly-Through of Main Street, Vancouver," it won the "Best Undergraduate Research" award.

Clark-Skamania Flyfishers (Spring 2010)
Redesign and rebuilding of this website to reflect the organization's focus on conservation and education.

Safe Communities Task Force (Spring 2010)
Design and development of this website to support the Safe Communities Task Force of Clark County, Washington. This project included social media integration and secure donation opportunities.

Turkey Trot (Summer 2009)
Redesign and rebuilding of this website to support raising donations for Principal's Checkbook, a fund providing discretionary resources for principals of local schools. This project included social media integration and secure credit card transactions.

For more information about projects completed in DTC 467 Digital Literacies classes, please visit the Vancouver Creative Media & Digital Culture Program Civic Engagement webpage.
Digital Portfolio Resources
Example Digital Media Portfolios
Sound
Visual
Narrative
Digital Humanities
Photography
Writing
Games
General Resources for Digital Portfolios

Template "Artist Statement"
Use this template to prepare Artist Statements to accompany your projects

Artist Statement

[***Your name here***]

****SCREENSHOT IMAGE here****

Statement of Purpose
[A statement of what you wanted to accomplish by creating this work]

Influences
[A statement of whom (and what works) influenced you in the creation of this work of yours]

Fit within Larger Notion of Aesthetics
[A statement detailing how your work fits within the context provide by previous work by others]

Materials
[A statement regarding the materials or programs used to create your work]

Methodology
[A statement regarding how you created this work so as to assure reaching your purpose. What techniques did you use? What steps did you take? How did you proceed?]

Desired Results
[A statement regarding what you hoped to achieve by producing this work]

Actual Results
[Provide a brief statement of the actual results of your efforts. Did you accomplish your stated purpose? If not, what were the results?]

Outcome
[How do you judge your success? Does your work achieve its stated purpose? If so, provide specific details showing how. If not, how can it be improved for greater success?]

Project Resources
Accessibility

Browser Compatibility and Markup Testing

Typography

Miscellaneous