General course information
Required Texts
- Asimov, Isaac. I, Robot. 1950. New York: Bantam Dell, 2004. (9780553294385)
- Baker, Stephen. Final Jeopardy: Man vs. Machine and the Quest to Know Everything. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011. (9780547483160)
- Čapek, Karel. R. U. R. 1921. New York: Penguin, 2004. (9780141182087)
- Clarke, Arthur C. 2001: A Space Odyssey. 1968. New York: Roc, 2000. (9780451457998)
- Gibson, William. Neuromancer. 1984. New York: Ace, 1986. (9780441569595)
The above are available for purchase through the campus bookshop.
In addition to these, we will be studying five movies and an essay, all of which will be available on reserve in the library:
- Cameron, James. The Terminator. 1984.
- Haraway, Donna. “A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century.” Simians, Cyborgs, and Woman: The Reinvention of Nature. New York: Routledge, 1991. 149-81.
- Proyas, Alex. I, Robot. 2004.
- Scott, Ridley. Blade Runner. 1982.
- Spielberg, Steven. A. I.: Artificial Intelligence. 2001.
- Verhoeven, Paul. RoboCop. 1987.
Course Objectives
- continue to develop ability to write clear, error-free, university-level prose
- continue to develop ability to write short argumentative essays
- continue to develop ability to engage in critical discussions in class
- demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the course texts
- demonstrate an understanding of the manner and implications of depiction of artificial intelligence and related concepts in popular media
- continue to develop ability to understand social commentary reflected by popular cultural texts
Preparation and Participation
You are expected to participate in class in an informed manner. At the very least, you are expected to come to class regularly, having read all assigned reading. You are expected to participate in class discussions. Keep in mind that participating in class is usually a highly rewarding experience, greatly enhancing your ability to understand the course material and helping ensure your success in the course. Everyone is expected to be courteous and professional at all times in class.
Lateness
- The term essay is due in class on November 21st. You may hand in the essay up to and including December 5th without penalty. After that, there will be a penalty of 2%/day (including weekend days). Papers handed in after December 9th will be graded with minimal feedback.
- The short essay is due at the start of the class during which we talk about the text (book/movie/essay) about which you have selected to write. If you miss the deadline, you must choose a different text, not yet covered in class, and write a new essay.
- No assignment will be accepted after the start of the final exam.
- If you are registered with Student Services for special consideration with regards to due dates, please hand in the appropriate form to the instructor and, if needed, remind the instructor about the consideration when handing in the assignments.
Plagiarism
The Department of English Studies and Nipissing University maintain a strict policy on all forms of academic dishonesty.
Each assignment must be original work produced by the student only for this course. All referencing and documentation must
be complete and accurate for both direct and indirect quotations. The Modern Language Association (MLA) guidelines for essay
preparation are the standard in English Studies. Ignorance of what constitutes plagiarism will not be accepted as an excuse:
if you are uncertain about any of this information, see your instructor immediately. All essays and tests are subject to an
additional oral and/or written test at the instructor’s discretion. All suspected plagiarism will be reported to the
chair of the department, the dean of the faculty, and the registrar of the university.