Grading

About the assignment entries

There is an Assignment, on Canvas, for each item. DO NOT ATTACH A FILE. Enter your writing into the Canvas text box. The grade thresholds (for C, B,or A grades) listing numbers and types of completed assignments appear below.

Each entry has three parts; Heading, Summary, Discussion.

Heading:
MLA bibliographic entry + < URL >(no terminal punctuation at end, please)

Summary:
Summaries can be informed by standard writing procedures as found here and should note how the material contributes to our understanding of “how it works” and/or “what it is.”

Discussion:
Discussions should focus on what the material tells us about at least one of the the 6 questions drawn from Postman listed in our course goals/objectives. List which of the six critical questions (one or more) that your discussion considers.

What material will count at every level?

Gulshan Shrivastava, Dac-Nhuong Le, Kavita Sharma (eds). Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain Technology Applications. Chapters 1, 2, 10, 12 are eligible. Up to 2 chapters, one each in the Blockchain and/or Cryptocurrency sections. A .pdf of the book resides within the Files folder on our Canvas course site.

Aleksander Berentsen and Fabian Schär. "A Short Introduction to the World of Cryptocurrencies." A .pdf of the article resides within the Files folder on our Canvas course site.

What work do I need to complete to earn a “C?”

“C” = 13 Summaries (3 paragraphs to 1 page) + discussion (3 paragraphs to 1 page) of level 3-type material. Entries must follow the syllabus & Canvas assignment schedules; their subject must match the section (blockchain, cryptocurrency, NFT) the course is in when you submit. No late submissions. 2 “make-ups” will be allowed; one (covering material to that point) on or before March 22 , the second during the final week of the term (covering material since the midterm). 1 extra credit reading is available. Level 2 or Level 1 materials may also be submitted as Level 3 entries, but they will NOT count for both levels.

What are examples of level 3 type materials?

Newspapers, tech-informational websites (such as Ars Technica).

For instance: “Crypto Is Minting Lobbyists” <https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/17/business/dealbook/crypto-lobbyists.html>

What type of sources will not count?

No encyclopedias. No personal blogs. No articles from commercial outlets that sell products or services related to blockchain/cyber-currencies/NFTs. No articles from The Verge. You must read, use, and link to the original articles rather than an aggregator site. No anonymous materials. No videos (other than those sponsored by institutions of higher education as indicated in Level 2), movies, TV shows, TV news reports, or podcasts. NYT podcasts providing transcripts are ok. Articles behind paywalls (except the NYT, LAT & CHI TRIB) may not be used. USA domestic outlets only. Articles on the syllabus and/or that I use in class may only be used if I give specific permission during class.

If you wonder about acceptability, send URL via email; I’ll check the source. No more than (2) two from any single platform, source, author (or combination of those three). USA domestic outlets only. Materials may be no more than 2 years old. The URL must link to the material. Include an MLA source citation and URL at the top of your Canvas discussion entry.

I will notify you, with brief explanation, if your submission is not acceptable and post either a √=acceptable or X=not acceptable in the Canvas grade book. You'll have 48 hours after my notice to redo/modify Xs for potential upgrade

Short of the minimum threshold you will receive a “D.”
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What work do I need to complete to earn a “B?”

“B”= “C” materials plus 3 Summaries (6 paragraphs to 2 pages) + discussion (6 paragraphs to 2 pages) of level 2-type material. Entries must follow the syllabus & Canvas assignment schedules; their subject must match the section (blockchain, cryptocurrency, NFT) the course is in when you submit. No late submissions. 2 “make-ups” will be allowed; one (covering material to that point) on or before March 22 , the second during the final week of the term (covering material since the midterm). Level 1 materials may also be submitted as Level 2 entries, but they will NOT count for both levels.

What are examples of level 2 type materials?

Papers delivered/presentations at academic or professional meetings or Talks at Google. Scholarly working Papers (by permission--check the item with Lamoureux). Instructional videos by institutions of higher education and videos of academic paper presentations at academic conferences (even if they end up on YouTube as platform). The heading of your report should cite the presentation as at the meeting rather than just as posted to YouTube (though you’ll include the url for the video).

For instance: Alan Tapscott, “Blockchain Revolution,” Talks at Google. "https://talksat.withgoogle.com/talk/blockchain-revolution"

What type of sources will not count?

Materials ruled out for “Cs.” TED talks. Articles on the syllabus and/or that I use in class may only be used if I give specific permission during class.

If you wonder about acceptability, send URL via email; I’ll check the source. No more than (2) two from any single platform, source, author (or combination of those three). USA domestic outlets only. Materials may be no more than 2 years old. The URL must link to the material. Include an MLA source citation and URL at the top of your Canvas discussion entry.

I will notify you, with brief explanation, if your submission is not acceptable and post either a √=acceptable or X=not acceptable in the Canvas grade book. You'll have 48 hours after my notice to redo/modify Xs for potential upgrade.

Short of the “B” threshold you will receive a “C.” Short of the minimum threshold you will receive a “D.”
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What work do I need to complete to earn an “A?”

“A”= “C” materials + “B” materials + 3 Summaries (9 paragraphs to 3 pages) + discussion (9 paragraphs to 3 pages) of level 1-type material. Entries must follow the syllabus & Canvas assignment schedules; their subject must match the section (blockchain, cryptocurrency, NFT) the course is in when you submit. No late submissions. 2 “make-ups” will be allowed; one (covering material to that point) on or before March 22 , the second during the final week of the term (covering material since the midterm). 1 extra credit reading is available.

What are examples of level 1 type materials?

Papers published in scholarly journals (including law reviews) or reports generated by government entities (for example, the Congressional Research Service) or non-profit, non-politically-affiliated think tanks/research centers. Book chapters reporting scholarly research. Scholarly working Papers (by permission--check the item with Lamoureux).

For instance: David Berdika, Safa Otoum, Nikolas Schmidt, Dylan Porter, Yaser Jararweh."A Survey of Blockchain Data Management Systems," Information Processing & Management, 58, 1, January 2021.<https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ipm.2020.102397>

What type of sources will not count?

Materials ruled out for “Cs & Bs” except for book chapters reporting scholarly research (these are acceptable). Articles on the syllabus and/or that I use in class may only be used if I give specific permission during class.

If you wonder about acceptability, send URL via email; I’ll check the source. No more than (2) two from any single platform, source, author (or combination of those three). USA domestic outlets only. Materials may be no more than 2 years old. The URL must link to the material. Include an MLA source citation and URL at the top of your Canvas discussion entry.

I will notify you, with brief explanation, if your submission is not acceptable and post either a √=acceptable or X=not acceptable in the Canvas grade book. You'll have 48 hours after my notice to redo/modify Xs for potential upgrade.

Short of the “A” threshold you will receive a “B.” Short of the “B” threshold you will receive a “C.” Short of the minimum threshold you will receive a “D.”

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One Extra Credit Opportunity

You may earn one unit of credit (can be used at any of the three levels) by completing an “A” level review of:
Satoshi Nakamoto, “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.” <https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf>. .pdf of the article resides within the Files folder on our Canvas course site.
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Plagiarism merits an “F” on the activity and disciplinary action. DON’T copy the work of others and DO document sources properly. Turnitin is licensed by the university. Students are responsible for knowing the Bradley University policy available here: <http://www.bradley.edu/academic/undergradcat/20102011/overview-archeating.dot>. Information about Turnitin and plagiarism prevention is available on the Bradley Turnitin website <http://www.bradley.edu/irt/turnitin/>