ENGL/AMST 475 Syllabus

quick link to first readings

catalog description
Cultural impact of electronic media, especially the World-Wide Web; issues of race, class, gender, sexuality online.
Prereq: junior standing; completion of one Tier I and three Tier II courses.

detailed description
This course is an introduction to issues in the study of cyberculture. We will consider the ways the WWW and other elements of cyberculture reflect and reify the socially constructed concepts of race and ethnicity, gender, sexual preference, and social class. The goals of this course include
1. encouraging consideration of the social construction of cultural difference in new media, cyberspace, and cyberculture;
2. building a critical approach to cyberculture as more than bits, bytes, chips, wires, and programs;
3. promoting an analytical consideration of the cultures, economies, and discourses that are integral components of the social networks that constitute cyberculture.

required Texts
Reading assignments will be web-based or posted to the course schedule as .doc or .pdf documents.

attendance and assignments
To successfully complete this class, you must faithfully attend class and faithfully complete all assignments. Because we will be working collaboratively on many assignments, your regular attendance is vital. Specifically this translates to the following
>more than three absences will seriously jeopardize your grade;
> extensive tardiness will be considered in assessing absences;
> planned absences must be discussed and OK’d by the teacher prior to the absence;
> acceptance of late work is unusual and must be discussed in conference with the teacher. Late work unaccompanied by a sufficient excuse (and conference) will receive a lowered grade if turned in within one week of the original due date. Work turned in later than one week past the original due date will be give an automatic grade of F.

schedule
So that the course remains flexible to better meet student needs, the schedule found online is for the first few weeks of the course. There will be weekly additions and corrections to the schedule.

wsu accommodation policy
We are committed to providing assistance to help you be successful in this course. Reasonable accommodations are available for students with a documented disability. Please visit the Disability Resource Center (DRC) during the first two weeks of every semester to seek information or to qualify for accommodations. All accommodations MUST be approved through the DRC (Admin Annex Bldg, Rooms 205). Call 509 335 3417 to make an appointment with a disability counselor.

academic honesty
All students are expected to act in accordance with the WSU policies on Academic Honesty found in the Student Handbook. These policies include falsification of information, fabrication of information, plagiarism, multiple submission, and various others. Information about these policies can be found in the Handbook. These policies will be discussed in class and students will be asked to acknowledge that discussion and a basic understanding of the polcies. For additional information on the plagiarism, WSU has a good site. See the class academic honest form by clicking here. Please print, read, sign, and bring this form to class.

Class Participation	15%	Includes participation in discussions based on reading of assignments and cooperative collaboration during in-class projects
Quizzes and gists	15%	Quizzes will be given randomly during the semester. Gists will be written and collected randomly during the semester as well. Gists are brief in-class summaries of the important content of a reading or a class discussion.
Brief Writing Assignments	30%	Short, reseach-based writing assignment will be given throughout the semester. Details on each of these will accompany their assignment.
Final Project Proposal	5%	See details below.
Final Project	30%	Assignment
Oral Presentation	5%	More details on this part of the project will be provided as indicated above.