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=**Games, Simulations and Society**=

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 * Weekly Assignments and Readings**
 * Week One - January 28
 * Week Two - February 4
 * (February 11th cancelled due to snow: we will be moving everything back one week to keep on schedule)
 * Week Three - February 18
 * Week Four - February 25
 * In the event of significant snow or dangerous travel conditions on Thursday, there will be an alternative online assignment and discussion to keep us on schedule. Homework will still be due before class as usual. All wiki work to date will be graded following this week's class, but due to weather and a difficult start to the semester the posting times of assignments throughout the first three weeks will not be considered
 * Week Five - March 4
 * Week Six - March 11
 * Week Seven - March 18 - SPRING BREAK
 * Week Eight - March 25 - MIDTERM EXAM
 * Week Nine - April 1 - FINAL PROJECT CONSULTATIONS - in-person meeting cancelled! Email your final project ideas to me by 4/5.
 * Week Ten - April 8
 * Week Eleven - April 15
 * Week Twelve - April 22
 * Week Thirteen - April 29
 * Week Fourteen- May 6th - FINAL PROJECTS AND WIKI REFLECTIONS DUE

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 * Course Information**

Cosc 460.SG1 Games, Simulations and Society - Spring 2010 Instructor: Anastasia Salter (anastasia.salter -at- ubalt.edu) Office Hours: TBA

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 communal nature of creation and the continual redefinition of authorship, fandom and play.


 * Class Texts**

The required texts are:


 * Cory Doctorow. Content. 2008. Available in print or [|online for free download].
 * Steven Johnson (ed.) The Best Technology Writing 2009.
 * Conor Kostick. Epic. 2008.
 * Charles Stross. Halting State. 2009.

Additional readings will be assigned from online sources and linked from the syllabus.


 * Assignments**

//Class Wiki Contribution(35%)//

Each student will contribute to the class wiki space through writing, research, and responding to specific tasks and to the postings of other students. 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 wiki.

//Midterm Exam (20%)//

The midterm exam will consist of five short answer and two essay questions.

//Class Participation (20%)//

Class participation is determined by attendance, completion of in-class quizzes and exercises, and being prepared and ready to discuss the assigned readings.

//Final Project (25%)//

The final project will consist of an essay or other piece of writing or digital work as proposed by the student responding to the themes and readings of the class.

This class enforces the University of Baltimore polices on [|academic honesty].