Syllabus

HNR 101 006 Orientation to Honors
Fall 2010 | MWF 12:15-1:30 | HR 101
http://www.rudygarns.com/class/HNR101

Instructor: Rudy Garns | garns@nku.edu | 572-5528 | LA 232
Office Hours: M 5:30-6:00, TR 10:45-11:30 & by appointment
Mentor: Jillian Alig | aligj1@nku.edu

Use Twitter to post comments or questions about the class. Follow hashtag #garns101

• Fukuyama, Francis. Our Posthuman Future: Consequences Of The Biotechnology Revolution. Macmillan, 2003. Amazon
• Dreyfus, Hubert L. On the Internet. 2nd ed. Routledge, 2008. Amazon
• Clark, Andy. Natural-born Cyborgs: Minds, Technologies, and the Future of Human Intelligence. Oxford University Press, 2003. Amazon

The content, activities and assignments in this course are all designed to help us meet these course objectives.

1. Provide students with a useful orientation to the Honors Program and the University
   1. Identify important resources that are available to students.
   2. Participate in interesting activities that can be found on campus.
   3. Identify strategies for success in college.
   4. Introduce you to what is expected in Honors seminars and the capstone project.
   5. Familiarize you with opportunities available through the Honors Program.
2. Facilitate discussion and critical reflection on the place of technology in society, paying special attention to these questions:
   1. In what sense does technology (or specific technologies) make us human?
   2. To what degree (in what ways) does technology threaten our humanity?
   3. How will technology affect students' lives in college (learning, socializing, engagement, research, self-examination, creativity)?

Your progress in the class will be evaluated primarily on the basis of a portfolio that displays final drafts of a series of writing projects throughout the semester. Anyone not meeting all the requirements will fail the course.

• Attendance
• Participation and Preparation
• Attending and Reflecting on Activities
• Online Discussion and Reflection
• Chapter Presentation
• Course Project

Chronic absenteeism will not be tolerated. A necessary condition for getting an A in the course is that you attend 90% of the classes. A necessary condition for getting an B in the course is that you attend 80% of the classes. A C requires you attend at least 70% of the classes, and to pass the course you must attend at least 60% of the time. Attendance is not, of course, a sufficient condition for earning a particular grade. Since attendance will be recorded at the beginning of class either through a roll call or from quiz participation, I recommend that you arrive at class on time; I am not responsible for recording your presence after roll is called. There will be no excused absences.

You are required to attend class, participate responsibly, and prepare adequately for class. My evidence for adequate participation in class is your behavior. Those who regularly ask questions and take part in class discussions are clearly actively involved in the class; and those who regularly attend class, listen attentively to lectures and discussions, and complete assignments on time are also involved in the class (though to a lesser degree). Failure to attend class or to complete assignments, sleeping in class, talking to neighbors and other disruptive behavior will count against you.

Our class is focused on technology, but there are times when the use of some technologies is inappropriate and will count against your participation grade. Appropriate use will be discussed in class.

You will be asked to attend a number of university and honors activities. In class we can make recommendations and discuss particular events that would be interesting and appropriate. Everyone is expected to attend at least one athletic event, one arts event (music, theater, fine arts) and one academic event (lectures, seminars, workshops). You'll be asked to write about the activity (a kind of review for the class) on the class blog.

You are required to submit a weekly blog entry (about a paragraph), either about one of the reading assignments, a class discussion, or a campus activity you attended. I may occasionally ask you to write on a specific topic.

I'm looking to see that you are regularly involved in the class material: Are you asking good questions, commenting on relevant points, and following the main lines of argument?

You can submit more than one entry a week, and I encourage everyone to contribute to online discussions. You can miss a week and make up for it by posting an additional entry the following week; but you cannot miss two weeks in a row without penalty. Writing in the blog contributes toward your class participation grade.

You are required to present to the class one chapter from one of the texts. The project will require that you work in a small group, present main ideas and important background, lead class discussion, and submit individual reflection papers on the experience.

You will present a summary of your final project that includes a media-based prop (video, podcast, multi-media slideshow, artwork).

Throughout the semester you will work on a research project in which you explore some new or currently controversial technology intended to address a specific problem. In the course of the project you will examine the arguments for and against using this technology and conclude with some policy recommendations for developing and implementing the technology. The project will carried out in phases and the results will be collected and presented on a web page.

1. A one or two page proposal in which you briefly describe the technology you want to investigate and the problem it is intended to address. Include some suggested resources you would expect to find more information. This proposal must meet my approval before you can continue on the project.
2. Creation and development of a Netvibes online poster project, a set of web pages that present information about your topic, including
   • an annotated bibliography,
   • links to or feeds from online information,
   • a one or two page discussion of the background of the problem and the technology you are researching
   • a one or two page discussion of arguments for and against the technology
   • your policy recommendation
   • your final digital media project
3. A presentation with digital-media component.

The final grade for the course should be understood as my assessment of your overall level of achievement in the class based on all the evidence available to me. In short, the final grade will be determined by the following question, which I will ask myself in a sober, reflective and analytic moment at the end of the semester: based on class discussion and blog contributions, chapter presentations, and the final project and presentation to what degree does this student meet the course objectives and understand the course material? Not turning in an assignment on time and poor attendance will figure negatively into the final assessment.

I understand the particular letter grades in terms of the descriptions given in the recent university catalog. A grade of C “represents average achievement, the minimum expected of a college student.” Better or worse work is possible and will be reflected in the grade. Please ask me if you have questions about your standing in the class at any point in the semester.

Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments, auxiliary aids or services) for this course must register with the Disability Services Office. Please contact the Disability Service Office immediately in the University Center, Room 101 or call (859)572-6373 for more information. Verification of your disability is required in the Disability Services Office for you to receive reasonable academic accommodations.