Reflection
*Yes, the course number for IDP -001 is negative.
My project aimed to make a class syllabus out of the numerous syllabi I got from my classes. I also wanted to create a satirical syllabus that sort of makes fun of syllabi, but I ended up making the syllabus more about a filler class, IDP -001* The Dumbest, Best Class Ever, than making fun of syllabi. I took screenshots of words and letters in the syllabi from my classes to make headers for IDP -001’s syllabus and added some satirical writing throughout the syllabus to meet my original goals. I also took inspiration from parts of the syllabi that I liked and added them to the syllabus and class.
All the syllabi that I used are from classes I am taking this semester, except for the Economics 150 syllabus. I technically dropped economics or swapped it for Geology 102. The reason I chose these sources was based on convenience and connection. These were the only syllabi I knew I had complete access to at Smith. Also, since I am taking these courses, I have more of a connection and understanding of them and their syllabi than a random one on the internet.
I arranged IDP -001’s syllabus based on the general format of the 5 syllabi from 5 classes (CHEM 111, CHEM 111L, ECO 150, GEO 102, and WRT 118) plus 1 website I looked at for BIO 132. The syllabus for BIO 132 is embedded in a website. I noticed that the format for each syllabus is often the same across the board, so I thought that making each header a collage or a piece from different syllabi would change things up. I also noticed that the syllabi were made up of many chunky paragraphs, typically multiple pages long, and wordy. I wanted to make my syllabus the opposite of that, so I tried to make it short using phrases and bullet points. Another aspect I wanted to change was the stress-inducing nature of the syllabus. I made the background paper of the syllabus green and added pictures of plants to make the syllabus feel more calming. I also think the green paper and plant pictures align with the class I made up for the syllabus because the class is supposed to be calming. The hypothetical point of IDP -001 is to help students who feel overwhelmed at Smith. The class is there to give guidance to students by providing study methods, study time, presentations of resources, and in-person connections with peers or a teacher.
Since I made up IDP -001 for the syllabus, I don’t think my work is the strict definition of plagiarism because I made a new product that is different from all the other syllabi I looked at. Although I did take snippets, words, and general ideas from many of the syllabi, I gave them credit in the source key, and my satirical syllabus looks unique and is for a class that doesn’t exist. The context of my syllabus differs from the general syllabi. Additionally, I think the idea of making my syllabus green, including phrases and bullet points, and adding plant pictures makes my syllabus original. I have never seen a syllabus like that before.