Learning Activities and Assessment.

1.     E-Portfolio Work (40%). At the end of the semester, you will submit final versions of all your course work in your e-portfolio, along with a final reflective essay in which you look back at your work and development in linguistic and cultural competence and set goals for your next course. You will submit all of the following work in your e-portfolio:

a.     Cultural Activities (10%).

1.     Cultural Research Project (5%). You will complete a multimedia cultural project in which you research and present aspects of Spanish-speaking culture that interest you. See Cultural Research Project Guidelines with rubric on Course Portfolio.

2.     Cultural Video Project (5%). You will work with a partner to investigate a topic or current event related to the Spanish-speaking culture in order to showcase your cultural learning through the design of a creative and original short (4-6 min.) video newscast similar to Salu2. See Cultural Video Project Guidelines with rubric on Collab and/or Course Portfolio.

b.     Speaking (5%). There will be 2 graded speaking activities at the end of the semester that will highlight your verbal and nonverbal communication skills that will each be worth 5% of your overall course grade – an individual monologue video recorded at home and a paired role-play conversation recorded in the Language Lab. These will be similar to the speaking activities practiced throughout the semester. See Individual Monologue Guidelines with rubric and Paired Role-Play Conversation Guidelines with rubric on Collab and/or Course Portfolio, respectively.

c.     Composition (5%). There will be one graded composition written in class (use of a dictionary is allowed for the last 10 minutes, not the textbook glossary) that will serve as an opportunity for you to pull together all of your learning in the course. This will be corrected by the instructor using symbols, and then you will revise errors of grammar, vocabulary, and spelling guided by the symbols without outside help. The grade for the composition will be based on both the first draft and the revised final version. Students who do not submit a final version in their e-portfolio will receive a 0 for the final grade. See Composition Guidelines with rubric + symbols on Course Portfolio and/or Collab.

d. E-portfolio Activities (10%). E-portfolio activities will focus on cultural learning, skill development, learning strategies, reflection, and peer collaboration. These activities will be assessed on a scale of 0-10 points, based on completion and quality of work. Since the nature of these activities is to engage in ongoing language practice, not all activities will receive instructor feedback. See E-portfolio Guidelines and course site.

e.     Final E-portfolio (10%). Your final e-portfolio will include final/polished versions of all of your SPAN 1060 work including e-portfolio entradas, activities, and reflections. The reflections (initial, mid-term, final, + activity reflections) will be graded on quality as well as peer commenting. Other criteria will include presentation of your e-portfolio in the E-portfolio Showcase and aesthetic appeal. See Final E-Portfolio Guidelines with rubric on Collab.

2.     Connect (10%). There are two types of assignments on Connect: “Class Preparation” work as preparation for class on MWF, and “Practice” activities for TR to practice and apply what you have learned in class; both types are assessed on accuracy and completion. All online work on Connect must be completed before 11:59pm the night before the date indicated on the syllabus. Any technical problems should be reported directly to the Connect Support Center, either via e-mail or a phone call. Once you have your case number from Connect, please forward it to your instructor as well as the answer to your technical issue.

3.     Participation (10%). Class lessons are devoted to interactive and collaborative activities to offer you the opportunity to develop greater fluency and confidence in the 4 skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) and to apply new structures and vocabulary in meaningful communicative contexts. Your attendance, daily preparation, and active participation in class will not only contribute to your learning, but are also important factors in determining your grade. You are expected to participate in Spanish only during each class period. The instructor will assess your participation on a daily basis, using the rubric on Course Portfolio. Speaking in English during class will result in a grade of 0.

4. Quizzes (5%). Pop quizzes will be administered at the beginning of class.  Lateness to or absence from a pop quiz will result in a grade of 0. There will be a 2 graded listening comprehension quizzes, 2 graded reading comprehension quizzes, and various pop quizzes based on the grammar and vocabulary of the chapters studied.  Students may not use any materials or resources for online Connect quizzes, which must be pledged.  No make-ups.

5.     Exams (25%). To assess progress in linguistic accuracy (vocabulary and grammar) and writing, you will have 4 exams. The exams will be based on the types of activities and exercises completed on the homework and in class. Exam 1 will cover Chapters 1-4, Exam 2 will cover Chapters 5-8, Exam 3 will cover Chapters 9-12, and Exam 4 will cover Chapters 13-15 & 17.

6.     Final Exam (10%). The final exam will measure your achievement of the overall course objectives and will cover Chapters 1-15 & 17. The listening comprehension section of the final exam will be on Dec. 1. If you have a direct conflict with the date of the final exam, you must request a make-up before November 29 using the final exam postponement form here: http://college.as.virginia.edu/forms/examination_postponement       

 **Failure to attend the final exam will result in an F for the course grade.