STS 301
section 400 Syllabus
Fall 2010
Contact information:
Expectations: This is an internet-only
course. It has no regular class meetings but
students are expected keep up with the work on a
weekly basis. You have flexibility when you do
the work, but you cannot skip a week and
then catch up. You must take the tests on the
assigned day (unless you contact the professor, in
advance if possible, about very special
circumstances). Your tasks are to:
Academic Integrity: As members of the Clemson University community, we have inherited Thomas Green Clemson's vision of this institution as a "high seminary of learning." Fundamental to this vision is a mutual commitment to truthfulness, honor, and responsibility, without which we cannot earn the trust and respect of others. Furthermore, we recognize that academic dishonesty detracts from the value of a Clemson degree. Therefore, we shall not tolerate lying, cheating, or stealing in any form. This includes representing someone else's work as your own or handing in the same paper to two different courses without permission of the instructor.
It is cheating to copy
portions of a paper, exam, or discussion board
posting from a book or web site or from online class
notes or discussion board postings, even if you
change a few words, unless the words are quoted and
the source is given. It is poor writing for
more than about 20% of your paper to consist of
quotes. You may
discuss the papers and exam with other students
before you start writing but the work you submit
must be entirely your own.
This syllabus is a contract between the professor and the students. The professor reserves the right to make changes in special circumstances, but will discuss any changes with the students.
Required books: Reading should be done by the class day listed in the schedule.
| four papers |
50% |
| Blackboard discussion board |
25% |
| final exam |
25% |
The participation policy for this course is as follows: Students are expected to do all assignments by the deadlines assigned or make special arrangements with the professor in advance. You are responsible for the material in the assigned readings and the course web pages listed on the syllabus. If unexpected problems arise please contact the professor as soon as possible. Any student who has not submitted two papers and at least 5 Blackboard discussion board postings by Oct 6 will be dropped from the course.
Blackboard discussion questions (bb) will be posted at least once a week on the Blackboard learning system. This is a required assignment for the course, rather like the journals some other courses assign. The goal of the Blackboard discussion is to allow more discussion of the reading and the lectures than is possible in class. You can read comments left by others and add your own for everyone to read. You may respond to directly to the question asked or respond to another student. Forums will be closed to further comments after the paper is due for each book. I reserve the right to add more (earlier) deadlines for the Blackboard questions if no one posts until the last day or two before two papers.
Your participation in this system
will be graded on the basis both of quality and quantity.
Contributions to the internet discussion should be
thoughtful comments on the reading and/or the professor's
notes and/or the comments of other students, usually
one or two paragraphs long (150-400 words). Posts will
be graded and averaged. The average grade will be adjusted
as follows: if you make more than 20 posts, add 10% to
the discussion board grade. If you make fewer than 15
posts deduct 10% from the discussion board grade. If
you make fewer than 10 posts deduct 50% from the discussion
board grade.
Papers: You will write a paper of 6-10 double-spaced pages after reading each book. These papers are not simply book reviews. What I want you to do is to discuss the arguments made in the book and then discuss an issue the book raises for the future. In the "issues for the future" section of your paper, you should do additional research to further illuminate the issue you think important.
Class Schedule: Note that additions will be
made to this schedule as the term progresses, please
check it frequently. Assignments are due by midnight on the date
given but please do not leave start your assignments at the
last minute; I will not be available to help with
technological problems after 9 pm.
| Date |
Material
to Cover |
Assignments
Due |
| Aug. 18-20 |
Introduction (audio in Blackboard content), what is STS (audio), Why the Future Doesn't Need Us | |
| Aug. 23-27 |
Abelson 1-3 |
Aug. 23 bb 1 |
| Aug. 30-Sept. 3 |
Abelson 4-6 |
Aug. 30 bb2 due |
| Sept. 6-10 |
Abelson 7-8 and conclusion | |
| Sept. 13-17 |
Weiner part 1 | Sept. 13 paper 1 due and last day to do bb 3-5 |
| Sept. 20-24 |
Weiner part 2 | |
| Sept. 27-Oct. 1 |
Weiner part 3 and epilogue |
Oct. 1 last day to do bb 6-10 |
| Oct. 4-8 |
Skloot introductory material
and part 1 |
Oct. 4 paper 2 due |
| Oct. 11-15 |
Skloot part 2 |
|
| Oct. 18-22 |
Skloot part 3 and afterword |
Oct. 22 last day to do bb 11-16 |
| Oct. 25-29 |
Scott introduction and part 1 |
Oct. 25 paper 3 due |
| Nov. 1-5 |
Scott part 2 |
|
| Nov. 8-12 |
Scott part 3 |
|
| Nov. 15-19 |
Scott part 4 |
Nov. 19 last day to do bb 17-22 |
| Nov. 29-Dec. 3 |
Lessons from the Luddites
(three pages) |
Nov. 29 paper 4 due Dec. 3 last day to do bb 23-28 |
| Dec. 8 |
Final Exam |
Dec. 8 final exam due |