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Last updated: 2/24/01
Syllabus for AGS 3360
Times' Harvest, Winter 2001
Topics
Times' Harvest, AGS 3360 Section 990 for Winter 2001, is an online course on Futures
Studies, with an Attached Directed Study, AGS 3340 Section 981. The topics covered by the
main course are:
- Weeks 1 and 2. Online courses - methods and approaches
- Weeks 1 though 7. Stages of human civilization and forcasts for the future
- Weeks 8 through 11. History and methods of Futures' Studies
- Weeks 12 through 16. Work in the future
Instructor: David R. Bowen
Office Hours:
* Mondays and Wednesdays 4 to 6 PM in 113 Rackham Lab, on days when classes are in session
Lab phone: (313) 577-9705
But call or email anytime!
Office Location: 2311 A/AB Building
(ISP offices, 5700 Cass at the northeast corner of Palmer and Cass)
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI 48202
Work Phone (ISP office): 313-577-1498
ISP FAX: 313-577-8585
Home Phone: 248-549-8518
At Ford: 313-390-2155
E-mail: d.r.bowen@wayne.edu
Textbooks (will be at campus Barnes and Noble bookstore, or
can be bought or ordered through other sources of your choice):
For AGS 3360 -
- Toffler, Alvin, The Third Wave (paperback).
- Bell, Wendell, Foundations of Futures Studies, Vol. 1, History, Purposes, and
Knowledge. Transactions Publishers, New Brunswick 1997
- Zuboff, Shoshana, In the Age of the Smart Machine. Basic Books, 1988 (paperback).
Additional reading assignments for both courses:
- The course computer conference. Postings should be read on at least a weekly basis.
- The course web site. Updates to the course web site should be read within the week after
they are posted.
Other assignments (see the assignment
schedule for due dates):
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AGS 3360 |
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Attendance |
Attendance, as evidenced by sign ins using the sign in form on the course web site. |
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Essays |
Four (originally six) Essays. See "Essays"
for the essay standards, and "Reading questions"
for choices of the essay topics. As an alternative to the essays, you can write a short
story or create a web page for the course web site, covering the same content as would be
allowed for an essay. |
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First-week conference postings |
One posting under the topic "Introduce Yourself!"
and one substantive posting on the course content, for example commenting on the reading,
on the concept of Futures Studies, on how the readings do (not) apply or might(not) apply
to you or (not) apply to a situation in which you are involved, or informing the class
about a news item related to the readings, responding to another posting one of these
topics. Two additional postings assigned on January 13; see Agenda 1 Update. |
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Semester postings |
Twenty additional substantive postings during the remainder
of the semester |
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Weekly progress reports |
Weekly reports describing your status in the course, and
your satisfaction or lack of satisfaction with your progress in the course, using the weekly report form on the course web site. |
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Online citizenship |
See the web page on this
topic. |
Class meetings (all are Saturday mornings from 9 AM to
Noon, in 113 Rackham Building on campus):
- January 13
- January 20
- January 27
- February 3
- February 10
- April 21
- April 28 (Final exam for AGS 3340)
NOTE #1: If you will need to use a computer lab for Internet access, the Rackham 113
lab will be open on each Monday and Wednesday during the semester, from 4 to 6 PM., on the
days on which classes are in session (that is, excluding Martin Luther Kind Day and the
week of spring break). These are also my office hours.
NOTE #2: The first five class meetings are to make sure that the online work gets
started at the beginning of the semester. Additional class meetings on Saturday mornings
may be necessary to make sure that this happens.
NOTE #3: WSU academic credits are awarded on the basis of weekly time in class, or
equivalent work. Since the number of class meetings is reduced in an online class,
expect to be doing more work outside of class.
Grading:
Grades will be assigned on the following basis:
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AGS 3360 |
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5% |
Attendance. One skip is allowed; thereafter each skip is a half-grade. |
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60% |
Six Essays (total for all four - used to be six) |
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5% |
First week's postings (four, changed from two on January 13. See Agenda 1 Update) |
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15% |
Twenty additional course-related postings during the remainder of the
semester |
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5% |
Weekly progress reports |
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10% |
Online citizenship |
Grading Scale:
Letter |
Numerical |
Description |
A |
90-100 |
Excellent |
B |
80-89 |
Good |
C |
70-79 |
Fair |
D |
60-69 |
Poor but passing |
E |
0-59 |
Failure |
W |
---- |
Official withdrawal |
X |
---- |
Stopped attending without official withdrawal |
I |
---- |
Incomplete. Must be able to finish course without attending
classes, must have completed a substantial part of the written assignments, must have
agreement with Instructor for completion date. |
The "-" range for a grade is the lower three points, and gets averaged at the
middle. For example, A- is 90 to 92 and gets averaged as 91. The "+" for a grade
is the top three points, and gets averaged at the middle. For example, B+ is 87 to 89 and
gets averaged as 88. A grade of 100 is an A+. Note that the highest grade recognized by
the University is A.
Dropping Classes:
Do not just stop attending this or any other WSU class. You will still owe tuition and
will get a grade, such as E or X, that you do not want on your record. Always use a Drop
form to drop a class. These forms are easily availabel through an Academic Counsellor
(call (313) 577-0832 for ISP Academic Counsellors). If you have severe problems during the
semester, ask the Instructor for an Incomplete (I) that you can make up afterwards, or
less, depending on the Instructor.
(For this course, you can turn in work after the Final to count towards a change of
grade. I can turn in a change of grade up to the end of the Winter, 2001 semester. You can
turn in work up to two weeks before that time.)
Important Academic Dates:
| Classes Begin |
Mon, Jan 8 |
| No-penalty Add/Drop period ends |
Mon, Jan 22 |
| Last day to drop a class and not have it appear on your record |
Mon, Feb 5 |
| Instructor's signature required to drop a class |
Tue, Feb 6 (and beyond) |
| Classes End |
Mon, Apr 23 |
Study Day
Last day to drop a class |
Tue, Apr 24 |
| Final Examinations |
Wed, Apr 25 - Tues, May 1 |
Other Significant Dates:
| Term Begins |
Mon, Jan 1 |
| Open Registration |
Mon, Dec. 11 - Fri, Dec 22 and Tue, Jan 2 - Fri, Jan 5 |
| Last Day for Filing Degree Applications |
Mon, Jan 8 |
| Late Registration ($70 fee) |
Mon, Jan 8 - Mon, Jan 22 |
| Martin Luther King Holiday - No classes |
Mon, Jan. 15 |
Last day to add classes
Last day for full tuition reimbursement for dropped classes |
Mon, Jan 22 |
| Spring Recess |
Mon, Mar 12 - Sat, Mar 17 |
| Priority Registration for Spring/Summer Term |
Mon, Mar 19 - Fri, Apr 6 |
| Commencement |
Thu, May 3 |
| Term Ends |
Tue, May 1 |
Grading for Course withdrawals:
Students who stop "attending", and do not officially withdraw from the course
before the drop deadline, but do not request an I, and who have not completed
approximately 50% of the course work may be given an X or an E. In order to request an I,
you must set a completion date in consulation with the Instructor, and an agreed makeup
plan for al work including missed class time.
Times'
Harvest Advanced Seminar (online)