Syllabus

What: ENGL 376MM: World Building
Where: Combs 349
When: 9:30 – 10:45

Website: worlds.zachwhalen.net

Instructor

Dr. Zach Whalen
E-mail: zwhalen [at] umw.edu
Office hours: 2:00 - 4:00 Monday, Tuesday and Thursday (or by appointment)
Office: Combs 308
Phone: 540 654 2355
Web: www.zachwhalen.net

Course Description

This course is an exploration of New Media studies through the lense of a particular question: what do the dominant metaphors of Virtual Reality (in the 1980s and 1990s) and Alternate Reality (exemplified by Alternate Reality Games in the 2000s) tell us about the cultures of New Media. Our goal will be to interrogate the rhetoric of counterfactual world building within the expressive practices supported by New Media technologies, and we will proceed by examining texts that imagine Virtual Reality technology or Alternate Worlds. The culmination of this will be to collaboratively design and deploy an Alternate Reality Game of our own.

Objectives

A successful student will:

• explore virtual and alternate worlds
• gain experience in New Media tools
• learn to think critically about and through virtual worlds and new media texts

Requirements

• Hutchins, J.C., and Jordan Weisman. Personal Effects: Dark Art. St. Martin’s Griffin, 2009.
• Stephenson, Neal. Snow crash. Random House, Inc., 2000.
• Stross, Charles. Halting State. Ace Hardcover, 2007.
• Szulborski, Dave. This is Not a Game: A Guide to Alternate Reality Gaming. New-Fiction Publishing, 2005.

Other readings (including both primary and secondary/critical readings) will be available through the course website. In addition, we will screen several films throughout the semester. Attendance at screenings will be optional, but if you can’t attend, you’ll need to see the assigned film on your own.

Assignments

Blogging [20%]. For this class, blogging will constitute a substantial portion of the work you do. You should anticipate writing approximately one entry per week, and these entries should contribute significantly to the discourse of class.
Quizzes/Homework [15%]. I will occasionally assign reading quizzes, to ensure that everyone is on the same page with the material. These may be as frequent as once per week, but will more likely be every two weeks.
World Building [10%]. For this project, you will build and describe a virtual world. This project thus comprises two parts: a virtual space (you will build this with a tool of your choice), and a descriptive analysis of that space (3 - 5 pg paper). UPDATE: This assignment has been modified. Make sure to view the instructions.
ARGHive [10%]. As preparation for our collaborative ARG, you and a team of peers will research a specific ARG campaign and give a class presentation about it. You will also create an archive (documentation) for the game.
ARG [15%]. Working in a team of your classmates, you will contribute to designing and deploying an alternate reality game. The scope and content of this ARG will be determined by you (us).
Final Paper [15%]. A 5 - 7 page critical analysis paper on a topic of your choice. The topic should be related to the ideas in the class, so the thesis should comprise your own insight on the material and concepts of the semester.
Participation [15%]. Simply put, the success of this class depends on your participation. Thus, 15 percent of your grade is comprised by your participation.

Grading Scale

Policies and Expectations

I am requesting that you use Twitter for this class; while there is no direct evaluation of tweet content, I consider your twittering when I determine your participation grade. If you do not already have an account, you should create one, and if you do have an account, you are welcome to keep using it or create a new one for this class. Twitter should serve as another channel for our discussions, so I encourage you to post class-relevant tweets including the hashtag #engl376. You can use twitter as a way to microblog an insight or comment that wouldn't merit an entire blog entry. You can tweet questions, posing them generally or to specific classmates (or me) using the @ notation. You can even use twitter to conduct a backchannel discussion during class.

In all cases, if your tweet is class-related, make sure to include the text "#engl376." These "tagged" tweets will be archived and displayed on the course website. In addition, your twitter account will be linked to your website account such that the site will automatically send out a tweet when you post a new blog entry.

Finally, please note: I am on Twitter, @zachwhalen. You are not required to follow me, but you're welcome to. You should know, however, that if you do follow me, I may follow you back.

Course Website

If you haven't already, you should create an account on this website. Do this right now. You will use the site to post blog entries, submit assignments, and access your grades. This account may be created pseudonymously -- in fact, that is what I recommend.

Participation

Participation is defined as active engagement in whatever the class is supposed to be doing. The minimum condition is to be present in the classroom. Thus, if you are absent more than 3 times, your participation grade will be reduced by 8 points. After two additional absences, your participation grade will be a 0. Any student who misses an excessive number of classes will automatically fail the course.

Participation is also an assessment of how much effort you put into the class discussion, both online and in person, and how much you contribute to group projects. To receive full credit on participation, join in the discussion by posting comments and tweeting and (most importantly) taking an active role in group projects.

Use of Electronic Devices

Students are allowed, even encouraged, to bring laptops or other electronic devices to class for the purpose of taking notes. However, activities such as surfing the web, reading e-mail, or text-messaging are not allowed unless it's part of a class activity. Also, turn off your cell phone ring, and -- unless there is an emergency -- please do not answer it in class. If you are browsing Facebook instead of participating in class, I will consider you absent for the day. Furthermore, if I determine that you are abusing this electronic device policy, I reserve the right to ban use of electronic devices either for you individually or for the class at large.

Academic Dishonesty

The UMW Honor System is in effect for our course. I may authorize specific exercises as collaborative work, but all other work must be your own, as per Article 1, Sections 1 and 2 of the University of Mary Washington Student Honor Code.

Decorum and content

Students are expected to treat the instructor and fellow students with the appropriate degree of respect, both in class and in online discussions. Communication, either in person or through electronic media, that is deemed abusive, threatening, or harassing in nature will not be tolerated. Students who fail to abide by this policy will receive a reduced participation grade.

Unsatisfactory Mid-Semester Reports

Students with a grade average below 68% or with more than 3 absences will receive an unsatisfactory grade report at the mid-term.

Students with Disabilities

The Office of Disability Resources has been designated by the University as the primary office to guide, counsel, and assist students with disabilities. If you already receive services through the Office of Disability Services and require accommodations for this class, get in touch with me as soon as possible to discuss your approved accommodation needs. Please bring your accommodation letter with you to the appointment. I will hold any information you share with me in the strictest confidence unless you give me permission to do otherwise. If you have not contacted the Office of Disability Services and need accommodations, (note taking assistance, extended time for tests, etc.), I will be happy to refer you. The office will require appropriate documentation of disability. Their phone number is 540-654-1266.