UGS 302 - History and Impact of Electronic Entertainment - Fall 2011
Course Syllabus

Course Details:

• Unique Number: 63690

• Meeting Time and Location: MWF 11 am - 12 noon, MAI 220C (aka., The Tower)

• Instructor: Mike Scott, Senior Lecturer, Computer Science Department

• Email: scottm@cs.utexas.edu

• Office: PAI 5.68

• Office Phone Number: 512-471-9785

• Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 3 - 5 pm, Friday and by appointment. Please email me to arrange an appointment. My office hours are held in the Computer Science Mircolab in PAI 5.38.

• Peer Mentor: Jimmy Beach, , office hours: MW 10 - 11 am, Life Sciences Library, just outside the classroom.

• Class website: http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~scottm/ugs302/

Course Overview:

In this course we will examine the history and impact of electronic entertainment and the digitization of other media. We will examine video games, digital music, the economic implications of a digital marketplace, and the effects of digital media on ourselves. We will look at new types of media made possible by computers and digital tools as well as their effect on pre existing types of media.

In addition to the specific course material the course aims to:

•  incorporate material from multiple disciplines (computer science, economics, art)

• teach students to become information literate

• make use of the unique resources available at UT.

The course will be a mix of lectures, classroom discussions, guest lectures, student presentations, a visit to the Blanton Museum of Art, (A "gem" of the University. A world class resource available to us on campus.), and attendance at the University Lecture Series presentation. Course work will consist of attendance and participation in classroom discussions, periodic writing assignments, and a term paper and oral presentation on a subject of the student's choosing within the subject area of the course.

This course is a part of the University of Texas at Austin's Signature series of courses designed for first year students.

The expected out of class time required is eight to ten hours a week.

Required Texts:

• Masters of Doom, by David Kushner, 2003, ISBN 978-0812972153 (MOD on reading schedule.)

• The Long Tail, by Chris Anderson, 2008, ISBN 978-1401309664 (LT on reading schedule.)

• Play Money, by Julian Dibbell, 2006, ISBN 9780-465015368 (PM on reading schedule.)

• The Shallows, by Nicholas Carr, 2011, ISBN 978-0393339758( TS on reading schedule.)

Other Possible Texts for Term Project:

• This Gaming Life: Travels in Three Cities, by Jim Rossignol, 2009, ISBN 978-0472033973

• Play Between Worlds: Exploring Online Game Culture,  by T. L. Taylor, 2009, 9780262512626

• Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games, by Edward Castranova, 2006, ISBN 9780226096278

• Appetite for Self Destruction, by Steve Knopper, 2009, ISBN 9781416552154

• The Economics of Web Comics, 2nd Edition, by Todd Allen, 2007, ISBN 9780974959825

• Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet, by Sherry Turkle, 1997, ISBN 9780684833484

• Hamlet's Blackberry, by William Powers, 2010, ISBN 0061687162

We will have other readings from online and other sources. Students are required to use other books and scholarly articles for their research assignments. Books may be found in the UT libraries or purchased. The bibliography for the final course paper must contain information found in books or other scholarly sources and cannot rely solely on information found on the World Wide Web.

Provisional Schedule: (Subject to change by the instructor with notice.) Readings are to be completed before class.

Course Requirements and Assignments:

Weighting factors for final grade are:

1. class participation: 20% (including reading responses, class discussion, attendance)

2. written assignments: 40% (Three short papers and a directed research exercise at 10% each. Expected length of papers: two to three pages each. One or two of the papers will include a peer review.)

3. final course research paper: 25% (This will be broken up into smaller assignments such as topic selection, opening paragraph, bibliography, rough draft, and final draft.)

4. oral presentation on research topic: 15%. The order of the oral presentations will be determined randomly by the end of September. Each oral presentation will be accompanied by a written handout on the topic prepared by the presenter.

5. there are no opportunities for extra credit in this class.

Grades will be maintained on the grade center on Blackboard.

Class participation includes these components:

• On days with assigned reading, bring a white, 4x6 index card with your name at the top. After completing the reading  write on the card at least one idea, concept, or fact your found interesting or surprising. Elaborate on the idea, concept, or fact and why you found it intriguing and how it relates to other things you have studied. Do a bit more research on your idea, concept or fact and write that down on your card as well. I'll flip through the cards during class and pick a few to discuss. Be prepared to discuss your topic with the class.
• Attendance will be taken during class and will count towards part of the participation grade.
• Participation will also be based on taking part in the class discussions. This requires you to complete the specified readings before class.
• Attendance at the University Lecture series scheduled for Monday, September 12th at 7pm in the Bass Concert Hall is required.
• Lunch with Mike. I would like to meet with each of you, individually for lunch after class. There will be a sign up sheet posted shortly after class starts. If you have another class from 12 - 1 we will work out another time to meet.
• You must talk with the peer mentor, Jimmy Beach, regarding your research project after it is assigned and before your oral presentation.

No cell phone, computer, or other electronic devices may be used during class time. 

Written Assignments: There will be four short writing assignments through out the term. Each is worth 10% of the final grade. Details for each assignment will be given during the semester. These papers will be based on class discussions and assigned readings. Students will demonstrate analytical ability, research techniques, information collection and assessment, and the ability to express complex ideas and persuasive arguments in a lucid way. The first assignment will be be returned with comments and resubmitted.

Course Research Paper: Each student will be required to choose a topic related to the course content and complete a topical research paper and oral presentation on the topic. The topic must be approved by the instructor. I will suggest some topics, but will accept any topic broadly related to the course material. This paper is a research assignment. The paper must display college level analytical reasoning, research techniques, good writing, appropriate citations and references, and original thinking. The length will be approximately 10 pages (~4500 words) and will require independent research on the topic. This research must include sources not found on the World Wide Web. The research paper assignment will be assigned in class on Wednesday, September 21. The milestones of the project include: selecting a topic, writing an abstract and opening paragraph (summary), providing a bibliography, submitting a rough draft, and submitting a final version.

Oral Presentation: In conjunction with the course research paper students will give an oral presentation on their topic to the class. The oral presentation will be a summary of the topic and will last about 10 minutes One class day will be devoted to how to prepare and give an oral presentation on a research topic. The presentation will be accompanied by a slideshow and a written handout on the key points of the topic and suggested readings for the audience.

Due Dates:

• Paper 1, first submission: Friday, September 2nd
• Paper 1, final version: Wednesday, September 14th
• Paper 2 draft: Friday, September 23rd
• Research Paper Topic Selection: Monday, September 26th
• Paper 2 Peer Reviews: Wednesday, September 28th.
• Paper 2 final version : Wednesday, October 5th
• Research Paper Opening Paragraph: Wednesday, October 12th
• Research Exercise: Friday, October 14th
• Research Paper Bibliography: Wednesday, October 26th
• Paper 3 due: Friday, October 28th
• Research Paper First 4 pages: Friday, November 11th
• Oral Presentations: November 11, 14, 16, 18,  and 21. Date for each student assigned  randomly.
• Research Paper Final Version: Wednesday, November 30th

Late Work: Work may be submitted up to 3 days late. The penalty for late submission is 15% of the total grade per day up to 45% off.

Administrative Information:

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism: Students are expected to respect the university's standards regarding academic integrity and the honor code. You owe it to yourself, your fellow students, and the institution to maintain the highest standards of integrity and ethical behavior. A discussion of academic integrity, including definitions of plagiarism and unauthorized collaboration, as well as helpful information on citations, note-taking, and paraphrasing, can be found at the Office of the Dean of Students web page (deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/acint_student.php). The University has also established disciplinary procedures and penalty guidelines for academic dishonesty, especially chapter 11 in Appendix C.

Undergraduate Writing Center: You may obtain help with your writing from the Undergraduate Writing Center. (www.uwc.utexas.edu) The UWC "offers free, individualized, expert help with writing for any UT undergraduate, by appointment or on a drop-in basis. The writer works with a trained consultant to define goals for the session, such as deciding on a topic, clarifying and, organizing ideas, researching, drafting, and revising, improving grammar, punctuation, and usage, and citing sources properly." Obviously you must start your assignments early in order to have time to get help from the writing center if you need it.

Use of Email: All students should become familiar with the University's official e-mail student notification policy. It is the student's responsibility to keep the University informed as to changes in his or her e-mail address. Students are expected to check e-mail on a frequent and regular basis in order to stay current with University-related communications, recognizing that certain communications may be time-critical. It is recommended that e-mail be checked daily.. The complete text of this policy and instructions for updating your e-mail address are available at www.utexas.edu/its/policies/emailnotify.php which includes instructions on how to update the email address you have on record with UT.

In this course e-mail will be used as a means of communication with students. You will be responsible for checking your e-mail regularly for class work and announcements.

Students with Disabilities: students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 471-6259, www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/.

Religious Holidays: By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe
a religious holy day, you will be given an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.

Important Dates for Changing Academic Status and Dropping the Course: Refer to the Registrar's academic calendar for the deadlines for changes in academic status. Highlights are:

• Monday, August 29: Last day of the official add/drop period; after this date, changes in registration require the approval of the department chair and usually the student’s dean.
• Friday, September 9: (12th class day) Last day to drop for a possible refund. Last day to add a course.
• Tuesday, November 1st: Last day an undergraduate student may, with the dean’s approval, withdraw from the University or drop a class (Q drop) except for urgent and substantiated, nonacademic reasons. Last day a student may change registration in a class to or from the pass/fail or credit/no credit basis. In practice I always grant approval for "Q drops" up to this date as long as their are no issues with academic integrity.
• After Monday, November 1st, students must go to the academic advisors in their college Dean's office. To be eligible for an incomplete (UT uses the symbol X to indicate incompletes) you must have a letter grade of C- or better and a written, verifiable excuse for missing the last test. This is a necessary but insufficient condition for receiving an incomplete.