Reading Time: 8 minutes

This part of the syllabus is intended to provide you with an understanding of how we will work through the various assignments and activities for this course, as well as how to navigate the university’s expectations.

Please be sure to put the following dates in your calendar.

EventDate
Classes BeginAugust 19, 2024
Last Day to Add or Change a SectionAugust 21, 2024
Labor Day HolidaySeptember 2, 2024
Last Day to Drop a CourseSeptember 6, 2024
Last Day to Remove “I”September 27, 2024
Founder’s Day ConvocationOctober 1, 2024
Contingency DaysOctober 7-8, 2024
Mid-Semester Grades DueOctober 11, 2024
Last Day to Petition a “W” in a CourseOctober 25, 2024
Registration for Spring and Summer BeginsOctober 28, 2024
Senior Comprehensive ExaminationsNovember 1, 2024
Last Day to Withdraw from XavierNovember 22, 2024
Thanksgiving HolidaysNovember 27-29, 2024
Late Registration BeginsDecember 2, 2024
Last Class Day Before Final ExamsDecember 2, 2024
Quiet DaysDecember 3-4, 2024
Final ExaminationsDecember 5-11, 2024
Final Grades Due (Noon)December 13, 2024

Class Schedule

Although we will do our best to adhere to the following schedule, life happens and sometimes changes need to be made. Please pay attention to any updates in Brightspace and notifications by email.

Instructional Continuity (Reminder)

It is your responsibility to be aware of any changes to our schedule. As this course is being taught asynchronously, we should not have to worry about any minor interruptions to the course schedule, such as short-term campus closures. In the event the university cancels classes for more than a day or the residents of New Orleans need to evacuate the region, once you arrive at a safe location, log into Brightspace and check your email for updates, as the class will resume as soon as possible. Given the severity of the situation, changes to the syllabus and the semester schedule may be necessary.

Unit 1: Sentience & Artificiality

Week 1: 08/19-08/24

  • Post a response to the the Weekly Warmup & offer a response to one other post. (SLO 1,4,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Participate in the Class Introductions Voice Thread. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Watch the lecture On Cyberpunk, Humanism, and Globalism. (SLO 1) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Read Erickson’s “The Aesthetics of Cyberpunk”. (SLO 1) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Complete the APA Research Guide. (SLO 2,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Read Chapters 1 to 7 in Neuromancer. (SLO 1,5) This activity should take about 120 minutes.
  • Complete this week’s Concept Review Quiz. (SLO 1) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • After completing all other work for the week, submit your learning journal entry. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 60 minutes.

Week 2: 08/26-08/31

  • Post a response to the the Weekly Warmup & offer a response to one other post. (SLO 1,4,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Watch the film Bladerunner, The Final Cut (1982). (SLO 1) This activity should take about 120 minutes.
  • Participate in the Bladerunner Voice Thread. (SLO 1,2,4) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Read Clarke’s “Machines, AIs, Cyborgs, Sytems.” (SLO 1,3) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Read Chapters 8 to 12 in Neuromancer. (SLO 1,5) This activity should take about 120 minutes.
  • Post a response to this week’s prompt on the course blog. (SLO 2,3,4) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • After completing all other work for the week, submit your learning journal entry. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.

Week 3: 09/02-09/07

  • Post a response to the the Weekly Warmup & offer a response to one other post. (SLO 1,4,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Watch the lecture On Posthumanism. (SLO 1) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Read Malik’s “Humanism, Antihumanism, and the Radical Tradition” (SLO 1) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Participate in the Posthumanism Research Activity. (SLO 1,2,3) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Watch the lecture On Making Knowledge Public. (SLO 1,4) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Participate in the AI Challenge. (SLO 1,2,3) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Read Chapters 13 to 24 in Neuromancer. (SLO 1,5) This activity should take about 120 minutes.
  • Complete this week’s Concept Review Quiz. (SLO 1) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • After completing all other work for the week, submit your learning journal entry. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.

Week 4: 09/09-09/14

  • Post a response to the the Weekly Warmup & offer a response to one other post. (SLO 1,4,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Participate in the Neuromancer VoiceThread. (SLO 1,2,4) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Watch the lecture On Postglobalism. (SLO 1) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Participate in the Postglobal Research Activity. (SLO 1,2,3) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Watch the lecture On Reading Manga. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Read pages 1 to 92 in Ghost in the Shell. (SLO 1,5) This activity should take about 120 minutes.
  • Complete the Week 4 Self Assessment of Learning. (SLO 1,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Post a response to this week’s prompt on the course blog. (SLO 2,3,4) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • After completing all other work for the week, submit your learning journal entry. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.

Module 2: Deconstruction & Enhancement

Week 5: 09/16-09/21

  • Post a response to the the Weekly Warmup & offer a response to one other post. (SLO 1,4,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Read Haraway’s “Cyborg Manifesto”. (SLO 1) This activity should take about 120 minutes.
  • Participate in the Cyborg Research Activity. (SLO 1,2,3) This activity should take about 120 minutes.
  • Read pages 93 to 190 in Ghost in the Shell. (SLO 1,5) This activity should take about 120 minutes.
  • Complete this week’s Concept Review Quiz. (SLO 1) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • After completing all other work for the week, submit your learning journal entry. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.

Week 6: 09/23-09/28

  • Post a response to the the Weekly Warmup & offer a response to one other post. (SLO 1,4,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Watch the Guest Lecture “Golem 2.0” (SLO 1,4) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Listen to the album Dirty Computer (2018). (SLO 1) This activity should take about 90 minutes.
  • Participate in the Dirty Computer Voice Thread. (SLO 1,2,4) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Read pages 191 to 278 in Ghost in the Shell. (SLO 1,5) This activity should take about 120 minutes.
  • Post a response to this week’s prompt on the course blog. (SLO 2,3,4) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • After completing all other work for the week, submit your learning journal entry. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.

Week 7: 09/30-10/05

  • Post a response to the the Weekly Warmup & offer a response to one other post. (SLO 1,4,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Participate in the Ghost in the Shell Voice Thread. (SLO 1,2,4) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Watch the Research Project Assignment video. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Participate in the AI Challenge. (SLO 1,2,3) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Read pages 279 to 344 in Ghost in the Shell. (SLO 1,5) This activity should take about 120 minutes.
  • Write the Midterm Essay. (SLO 1,2,3,4) This activity should take about 120 minutes.
  • After completing all other work for the week, submit your learning journal entry. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.

Week 8: 10/07-10/12 (Contingency Holidays)

  • Post a response to the the Weekly Warmup & offer a response to one other post. (SLO 1,4,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Read López’s “Introduction: The (Post)global South”. (SLO 1) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Complete the Midterm Self Assessment of Learning. (SLO 1,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Participate in the Research Project Topic Activity. (SLO 1,2,3) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Complete the Week 8 Self Assessment of Learning. (SLO 1,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • After completing all other work for the week, submit your learning journal entry. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.

Module 3: Cyberpunk & Biopunk

Week 9: 10/14-10/19

  • Post a response to the the Weekly Warmup & offer a response to one other post. (SLO 1,4,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Watch the film The Sleep Dealer (2008). (SLO 1) This activity should take about 120 minutes.
  • Participate in the Sleep Dealer Voice Thread. (SLO 1,2,4) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Work on your research project. (SLO 1,2,3,4) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Read pages ___ to ___ in Machinehood. (SLO 1,5) This activity should take about 120 minutes.
  • Complete this week’s Concept Review Quiz. (SLO 1) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • After completing all other work for the week, submit your learning journal entry. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.

Week 10: 10/21-10/26

  • Post a response to the the Weekly Warmup & offer a response to one other post. (SLO 1,4,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Watch the lecture On Biopunk & Other Mutations. (SLO 1) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Read Schmeink’s “Biopunk: Posthuman Survival in the Anthropocene”. (SLO 1) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Participate in the Biopunk Research Activity. (SLO 1,2,3) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Work on your research project. (SLO 1,2,3,4) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Read pages ___ to ___ in Machinehood. (SLO 1,5) This activity should take about 120 minutes.
  • Post a response to this week’s prompt on the course blog. (SLO 2,3,4) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • After completing all other work for the week, submit your learning journal entry. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.

Week 11: 10/28-11/02

  • Post a response to the the Weekly Warmup & offer a response to one other post. (SLO 1,4,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Watch the Intellectual Property video (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Watch the Creative Commons video (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Participate in the Creative Commons Research Activitiy. (SLO 2,5) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Work on your research project. (SLO 1,2,3,4) This activity should take about 120 minutes.
  • Read pages ___ to ___ in Machinehood. (SLO 1,5) This activity should take about 120 minutes.
  • Complete this week’s Concept Review Quiz. (SLO 1) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • After completing all other work for the week, submit your learning journal entry. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.

Week 12: 11/04-11/09

  • Post a response to the the Weekly Warmup & offer a response to one other post. (SLO 1,4,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Read Taylor’s “Fleshing Out the Maestrom: Biopunk & the Violence of Information”. (SLO 1) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Participate in the Machinehood VoiceThread. (SLO 1,2,4) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Read Schmeink’s “Biopunk: Posthuman Survival in the Anthropocene”. (SLO 1) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Work on your research project. (SLO 1,2,3,4) This activity should take about 120 minutes.
  • Complete the Week 12 Self Assessment of Learning. (SLO 1,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Post a response to this week’s prompt on the course blog. (SLO 2,3,4) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • After completing all other work for the week, submit your learning journal entry. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.

Module 4: Postglobal, Posthuman

Week 13: 11/11-11/16

  • Post a response to the the Weekly Warmup & offer a response to one other post. (SLO 1,4,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Watch the lecture On Citations & Attributions. (SLO 2,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Participate in the AI Challenge. (SLO 1,2,3) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Read Ashby’s “It’s Time to Reimagine the Future of Cyberpunk”. (SLO 1) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Participate in the Future of Cyberpunk Voicethread. (SLO 1,2,4) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • Work on your research project. (SLO 1,2,3,4) This activity should take about 180 minutes.
  • Complete this week’s Concept Review Quiz. (SLO 1) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • After completing all other work for the week, submit your learning journal entry. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.

Week 14: 11/18-11/23

  • Post a response to the the Weekly Warmup & offer a response to one other post. (SLO 1,4,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Submit your research project materials. (SLO 1,2,3,4,5) This activity should take about 180 minutes.
  • Write your research project reflection essay. (SLO 2,5) This activity should take about 120 minutes.
  • Participate in the AI Challenge. (SLO 1,2,3) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Post a response to this week’s prompt on the course blog. (SLO 2,3,4) This activity should take about 60 minutes.
  • After completing all other work for the week, submit your learning journal entry. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.

Week 15: 11/25-11/30 (Thanksgiving Holidays)

  • Post a response to the the Weekly Warmup & offer a response to one other post. (SLO 1,4,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Participate in the Research Project Critique Activity. (SLO 1,2,3,4,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Complete the Course Evaluation. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Complete the Class Feedback Survey. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • After completing all other work for the week, submit your learning journal entry. (SLO 5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.

Week 16: 12/02-12/07 (Quiet Days + Final Exams)

  • Complete the Week Final Self Assessment of Learning. (SLO 1,5) This activity should take about 30 minutes.
  • Write the Final Essay. (SLO 1,2,3,4) This activity should take about 120 minutes.