Required texts:
Seminar members are responsible for writing three short (3 - 5 page) position papers that will form the basis for class discussion during the course sessions identified in the outline below. Each paper will contribute 15% toward the final grade.
Finally, each seminar member will be responsible for producing a research paper on some aspect of CMC for a final project. The final project will contribute 35% toward the final grade. This paper can take any of several forms: (1) it can present results of a pilot study that tests an hypothesis you form regarding CMC; (2) it can be a comprehensive review of the literature that leads to a proposal for a research project (in this case you would not actually conduct the research); or (3) it can be a critical/analytic investigation of the CMC environment (e.g., a rhetorical analysis of CMC). You should have a fairly good idea of your project by week 7, at which time you will be asked to turn in a brief description of the research you plan to undertake.
You will be asked to present a brief (10 minutes) summary of your research paper during the last class of the semester. The written version of your paper will be due one week later -- May 9, 1994.
The Rensselaer Handbook defines various forms of academic dishonesty and the procedures for responding to them. All forms are violations of the trust between students and teachers. Please familiarize yourselves with this portion of the Rensselaer Handbook and note that the penalties for plagiarism and other forms of cheating can be quite harsh.
In this course, "cheating" consists of passing off the papers, published articles, or research of others as one's own work.