Spring 2010 English 507
(also available as HWC 510)
Science, Technology, and Society:
Examining the Future Through a Science-Fiction Lens

Thursdays 4:00pm – 6:40pm
Bailey Hall, Room 202

Course Coordinators

Science-Fiction Grand Master James Gunn is also a course consultant and guest speaker.
Gunn's office: 3039 Wescoe.

Syllabus version 0.2: last updated November 2, 2009

Table of Contents

Course Goals
Daily Schedule
Readings
E-Reserve Readings
Internet-Based Readings
Required Books
Recommended Books
Course Requirements
Class Periods
Papers
Weekly Response Papers
Mid-Term Paper
Final Research Paper
   Option A: Traditional Research Paper
   Option B: Creative Work
   Final Paper Deadline
Oral Presentation
Grading
Extra Credit

 Course Goals

Science and technology offer countless benefits to individuals and to societies, yet they also present new challenges. We will use science fiction to explore the past, present, and possible future effects of science and technology on society.

 Daily Schedule

 Readings

Most of the course readings are available from the University of Kansas E-Reserve program and linked from the syllabus, above. However, you will buy a few books, download other readings, and possibly get others in class. When you lead class discussions, you are expected to do additional research outside of the regular readings and share these materials with the rest of the class, as well.

 E-Reserve Readings

To access your readings, click the links in the Daily Schedule table above.

 Internet-Based Readings

Many readings and other materials are available by clicking the links in the Daily Schedule table above.

 Required Books

The titles below contain links to online booksellers like Amazon and Powell's; click these links to find the books for sale online. A few of the books are also available as free downloads; click the links in parentheses for the free downloads.

Abbot's Flatland. (Click here [HTML] or here [.pdf] to download Flatland free.)
Drexler's Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology (Click here to download Engines of Creation free.)
Gibson's Neuromancer.
Stross' Accelerando. (Click here to download Accelerando free.)
Kurzweil's The Age of Spiritual Machines. (Click here to order The Age of Spiritual Machines from Amazon.)

 Recommended Books

John Brunner's Stand on Zanzibar.

 Course Requirements

To successfully complete the course and get out of it all you can, you are required to:

• Attend class each week.
• Participate in class, which includes leading at least one session with partners.
• Read the required books and the materials.
• Write weekly response papers.
• Write a formal mid-term paper.
• Write a longer research paper due near the end of the semester.
• Participate in a group oral presentation on the last day of class.

 Class Periods

Each week we will discuss a variety of stories and articles. Occasionally, we will have guest speakers, film clips, or internet multimedia. Class periods revolve largely around discussion, with some lecture. The two students assigned as discussants for the week will lead (not monopolize) the discussion. Discussants should perform additional research prior to class and come prepared with three or more questions on the day's topic and readings. We expect all students to participate in discussions, but we also request that you avoid talking too much or talking over others.

 Papers

Much of your grade depends on the short response papers you write on a weekly basis, your short mid-term paper, and the longer research project. Turn in papers via Blackboard before  class begins on the day that they are due. They will be returned to you via Blackboard, scored, in a reasonable time.

 Weekly Response Papers

Prior to each class, you will write a short reading-response paper. This one- to two-page (300-500 words) paper is a brief but thoughtful response to all of the readings for that week. Insightfulness and clarity are important. Along with participation in the discussion, these papers are scored as an important measure of your engagement with the day's topics. Tip: Include questions to pose to the class as well as some points to stimulate discussion. We suggest printing them out and bringing them to class to help formulate your ideas during discussion. (Turn them in via Blackboard.) They are usually returned to you via Blackboard, scored, the following week.

Here is how we score the weekly papers, based on a 0-4 point system per paper:
    0 - no paper turned in.
    1 - paper turned in, but does not convince that you did all of the reading.
    2 - paper convinces that you did some of the reading.
    3 - paper either has interesting insights on most of the readings or convinces that all of the reading was done.
    4 - paper convinces that all of the reading was done and provides interesting insights.

Missing response papers are due before Finals Week at a reduced grade. Late papers lose 1 point if up to one week late; after that, they might lose more. Turn them in on time!

 Mid-Term Paper

During the semester, you choose a topic covered in class, perform additional research beyond the readings for that topic, and write a short paper about it. This is essentially a formal, extended weekly response, with bibliography and other references as appropriate (Wikipedia is not a source, but can be a decent place to find sources). Papers should be at least 1000 words. The papers are graded on the quality of writing (including grammar and spelling), the quality of thesis and argument, the quality of research and reporting, and use of material and arguments presented during discussions. Turn in papers via Blackboard by February 26.

 Final Research Paper

The research paper can be either a traditional essay or a creative work. Your research paper identifies and explores a topic related to the course theme, but can cover topics not listed in the syllabus. Papers must be 2000 – 3500 words (10 to 15 pages); if you expect to go significantly over the limit, please contact one of the teachers before continuing. You must include an annotated bibliography (a list of references with brief notes) at the end of your document, especially if it is a creative work. An annotated bibliography is a set of references that provide a summary of your research. List your sources alphabetically and include a brief summary or annotation of each document you list as a reference. Turn in this paper via Blackboard. Reference or endnote pages do not count toward the 2000-word minimum or 3500-word maximum.

 Option A: Traditional Research Paper

Most students opt for this option. Research papers are graded on the quality and diversity of research (both fictional and non-fictional), the writing (including grammar and spelling), and the strength of the topic and argument. What we most want is for you to demonstrate what you've learned from the class readings, your outside readings, and class discussions, and how you express this synthesis: Show us how these readings have changed your perspective on the world. This is not something that you can successfully complete at the last minute. The research paper should represent a semester-long investigation of topics that interest you.

 Option B: Creative Work

A creative work (story, series of poems, play, website, creative nonfiction, and so forth) must dramatize how science and technology could affect believable, interesting characters living in a convincing, fully realized world in addition to revealing substantial research. For the purposes of this course, your annotated bibliography (normally not included in creative works) is particularly important if you pursue this option, because you don't want to force information into a story, and we want to see a diversity of readings that help you develop your work (both fictional and non-fictional). Show us your research with a good, well-annotated bibliography, and make your story stand on its own as a story. Be aware that Option B is more challenging - especially if you haven't taken formal writing courses - because we'll expect the same level of research as in Option A plus a good story.

 Deadline

To ensure good progress on the topic, you must meet the following deadlines:

• March 5: Submit an abstract, outline, and a preliminary background-reading list to the course coordinators for approval. Turn this in via Blackboard under the appropriate assignment.
• April 16: The completed paper is due via Blackboard.

 Oral Presentation

The last week of the course is reserved for student oral presentations. You will be asked to join a group of 3-4 students. Your group will choose a topic related to the course themes and make a presentation to the class. The topic may either be one covered in class or a new topic related to the course theme. The form of the presentation is open; possible forms include a panel discussion, debate, movie, skit, or other form.

Each member of the group is expected to speak for about five minutes, though not necessarily all at once; you may divide your 20 minutes among the presenters however you see fit. Be sure to get your topic and form of presentation approved by the course coordinators at least a week prior to the presentation. The individuals within the group will be graded on the clarity and organization of the presentation, the quality of the analysis, the appropriate use of reference material, and their individual contribution.

You may turn this in via Blackboard if you wish, but at least half of how we score this project comes from your live presentation.

 Grading

Your course grade is based upon these factors:

• Class participation (includes attendance, participation in discussions, and leading at least one discussion with a partner) = 25%
• Weekly papers = 15%
• Mid-term paper = 15%
• Oral presentation = 15%
• Final research paper = 30%
   

 Extra Credit

Occasionally, we will offer opportunities for you to earn extra credit. As a guide, here's what we did in 2009:

There are a couple of exhibits at campus museums that are relevant to the course. We are offering extra credit to students who explore these exhibits and submit a response paper. (These papers will add to your response paper score in the class.) The time commitment would be to spend about an hour with the exhibit, plus whatever time it takes to write up the one-page response paper, extra-credit points equivalent to a regular response paper.

The exhibits are:

1) At the Spencer Art Museum, visit "Climate Change at the Poles" (North and South balconies) and the Terry Evans photography exhibit "A Greenland Glacier" (go through the Asian art room on the main floor to get to the photos).

2) At the Natural History Museum, visit the "Explore Evolution" exhibit on the 5th floor.

A paper should discuss one of these museums. If you want to visit both museums, write two separate papers and you can get twice the extra credit. The deadline for these extra credit papers is March 12.

If you have any questions, you can either ask us in class or send an email.