This section is intended to provide insight into the kinds of assignments and rubrics I deployed in ENG 325. They’re currently shared with a Creative Commons license: if you deploy them in some way, simply drop me a line (email: wigardju@msu.edu or @justinwigard on Twitter) and let me know how they turned out for you!
This is not an exhaustive list of assignments, nor does it include the smaller classroom management-style exercises or daily/weekly prompts I provided students, just the major pillars to provide readers with something to build from. These assignments are, by and large, unedited from when they were deployed in Fall 2021.
I am happy to consult on my experiences with these assignments, but I hope that with these assignments, rubrics, and accompanying student samples (the real stars of this exhibit), you will be inspired to borrow what seems useful, tweak what is less applicable, and generate your own wonderful, innovative assignments — and student comics!
Additional resources, prompts and classroom management techniques will be added by late Spring 2022.
Critical Creation #1: 4pg comic + 3pg write-up (1st-half)
Critical Creation #1: Rubric
This is the rubric I deployed in conjunction with Critical Creation #1 above. I modified a version of this rubric for each of the critical creations, and even used it as a model for the final project (with additional scaling and criteria befitting a lengthier, deeper creative endeavor).
Critical Creation #2: Data Visualization
Curator note: in hindsight and after deploying this assignment, I think it would be best to only require one effective digital visualization. An assignment like this could be replaced by any form of Digital Humanities + comics approach, ranging from generating StoryMaps to digital markups and beyond.