[ACM-W] Women Studies Course uses 'Second Life'

[Bettina Bair]

WS110 - Spring 2007.
Check it out --> http://people.cohums.ohio-state.edu/collingwood7/





   *Women's Studies 110, SPECIAL SECTION (Collingwood) *
WOMEN, CULTURE AND SOCIETY: A View from *Second Life*
 How are we affected by our culture? What does gender mean in our society?
What do terms like "womanhood" and "masculinity" mean for people whose lives
are increasingly led through digital media?
This special section covers the same material as other sections of Women's
Studies 110, but from a different perspective.

[image: Library, New Media Consortium]
 [image: Glidden Library, Second Life]
 We will begin with a discussion of the philosophies of modern feminism, and
we will test these philosophies in our study of law and public policy
regarding issues of race, class, sexual orientation, economic equality,
physical ability, violence, and the environment.

 [image: Milo Czervik at Tupi Keep]

Within Second Life, we will see how these issues are reflected in a virtual
society where individuals can choose their identity, gender and race, and
change them at will. We will also explore the possibilities of this new
medium: Is a virtual environment a good base for feminist activism? Is
sexual harassment present in Second Life? How does the "digital divide"
affect women's participation in this new medium?

You must be 18 years old to take this course.



  Syllabus for WS110 - Spring 2007

*Instructor: *Dr. S. Collingwood

e-mail: collingwood.7 at osu.edu

This is a pilot course, and it is unlike other sections of WS110 because we
will be doing part of our work in a virtual learning environment. Half of
our classes will take place in a computer lab, where we will do research and
present findings in *Second Life*, an on-line 3D virtual environment with a
population of over 2 million residents. You do not need to have your own
computer to take this course, as computer labs have been set up for
independent study; however, the course does require general computer skills.
At the very minimum, you should know how to download, cut and paste, and
keep a coherent file structure. If you do not like working with computers, I
would advise you to take another section of WS110.

Membership in *Second Life* is free, but the program requires a high-speed
internet connection; if you would like to try the program, please go to
http://secondlife.com to sign up and visit an orientation island. Check the
systems requirements page (http://secondlife.com/corporate/sysreqs.php) to
be sure the computer you are using is adequate.

The course uses an interdisciplinary and multicultural approach to explore
the realities of women in local, national and international contexts.
Readings seen in class are designed to connect with practical work in Second
Life. We will begin with a discussion of the philosophies of modern
feminism, and we will test these philosophies in our study of law and public
policy regarding issues of race, class, sexual orientation, economic
equality, physical ability, violence, and the environment. Within Second
Life, we will see how these issues are reflected in a virtual society where
individuals can choose their identity, gender and race, and change them at
will. We will also explore the possibilities of this new medium: Is a
virtual environment a good base for feminist activism? Is sexual harassment
present in Second Life? How does the "digital divide" affect women's
participation in this new medium?

The course encourages the student to find and to better express her/his
voice, through the development of rhetorical and writing skills. Students
work in teams, each of which will focus on a general subject area. There is
a strong emphasis on feminist process and on achieving consensus within the
group as a whole, as well as on finding points of connection with the
subject areas of other groups.

WS 110 fulfills the GEC requirement for Social Diversity and Social Science.
YOU MUST BE 18 TO TAKE THIS COURSE.

********************

Materials: You will need a comfortable set of computer headphones.

Texts: *Reading Women's Lives* is available at SBX Bookstore.** *MANY
WOMEN'S STUDIES CLASSES USE A TEXT WITH A SIMILAR COVER. BE SURE MY NAME AND
COURSE NUMBER IS ON THE TEXT YOU BUY.***

Website: Find our course by going to https://carmen.osu.edu/. There is a
great deal of introductory material waiting for you there. YOU ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS MATERIAL. Please read all the information in the
"Introduction" section as soon as possible, and send me an e-mail stating
you have read and understood it. If you have trouble logging on, please contact
me <collingwood.7 at osu.edu> immediately.
Course Requirements:

*Class participation (10%) -*- Your attendance and active participation in
both lab and classroom activities make up the greatest part of this mark.
You will sometimes be given simple assignments for an upcoming class; for
example, you may be asked to list your objections to a given reading, or to
compare your opinions with friends, family, or others outside our class.
Although they are not demanding, these assignments contribute a great deal
to our course work. In addition, short reading quizzes will be given at the
beginning of some classes. These quizzes are only intended to assess your
understanding of the reading: they will not be difficult for those who have
completed the assignments.

Attendance is important in our course. More than three unexcused absences
will result in a loss of your participation mark.

*Scavenger hunt <http://../Intro/scavenger.htm>(5%) -- *This internet
assignment accompanies the library and media literacy portion of our course.
As a test of your research skills, you are given a set of facts to "hunt
down" on the internet and through the library. You may elect to do this
assignment as part of a group. See our website for details.

*Media Quiz <http://../Intro/mediaquiz.htm> (5%)* -- Covers the material
from the scavenger hunt, as well as the articles on media seen at the
beginning of the course.

*Presentation <http://../Intro/PositionP.htm> (30%)* -- Your presentation
will be part of a group effort, and will be marked in the context of the
group project as a whole. The presentation will be adapted to the skills of
the student: it could be something as simple as a series of pictures with
text. Presentations will be placed in our classroom in Second Life, which is
open to the public. Each student will write a weekly journal to accompany
their presentation.

*Midterm <http://../Intro/exams.htm> (25%) -* The midterm consists of
multiple choice and short identification questions, with one essay.

*Final exam <http://../Intro/exams.htm> (25%) -* Follows the same format as
the midterm, with some questions on student presentations.

*PLAGIARISM IS A MAJOR ACADEMIC OFFENCE

Students must write their essays and assignments in their own words.
Whenever students take an idea or a passage from another author, they must
acknowledge their debt both by using quotation marks where appropriate and
by proper referencing, such as footnotes or citations.*
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