Course Information
Instructor: Anastasia Salter (anastasia.salter -at- ubalt.edu)
Office Hours: 1:00 to 5:30 Thursday + by appointment
This course examines the nature of games and how they are framed by and impact individuals and groups. Topics include scholarly work on online economies and community building, fan cultures and their creative reworking of game content, the role of play in human culture and the relationships between online and offline identity, as well as psychological facets of games. We will position our discussion of current games and cultures with readings drawn from both literature and game and technology studies. Particular focus will be put on the role of games and simulations in redefining social and cultural interactions and our changing relationships with technology.
Class Texts
- Julian Dibbell (ed.) The Best Technology Writing 2010.
- Charles Stross. Halting State. 2009.
Additional readings will be assigned from online sources and linked from the syllabus.
Assignments
Reflective Writing (40%)
Each student will contribute to the class forums through writing, research, and responding to specific tasks and to the postings of other students. This will include games analysis and critique of essays. At the end of the semester each student will be responsible for writing a 2-3 page reflective paper considering their part in the class dialog.
Midterm Exam (20%)
The midterm exam will consist of five short answer and two essay questions.
Reading Quizzes (10%)
There will be regular in-class reading quizzes. Check the schedule for assigned readings for each class.
Final Project (30%)
The final project will explore a topic proposed by each student in response to the themes and readings of the class. Individual contracts will be agreed upon between the professor and student for this project. This project must take the form of either a substantial piece of writing (10-12 pages) grounded in research OR an alternative project of similar analytical weight.
This class enforces the University of Baltimore polices on academic honesty .