| Instructors: | Dan Frost | frost@uci.edu | office hours Wednesdays 10:00-12:00 (Donald Bren Hall 5058) |
| Peter Krapp | krapp@uci.edu | office hours Wednesdays, 11:00-12:00 (HIB 212) | |
| Bill Tomlinson | wmt@uci.edu | office hours Tuesdays, 1:00-2:00 (Donald Bren Hall 5068) | |
| TAs: | Garnet Hertz | ghertz@uci.edu | office hours Mondays, 8:00-9:00 (Calit2 4300.82) |
| Eric Baumer | ebaumer@uci.edu | office hours Tuesdays, 1:00-2:00 (Calit2 2006) | |
| Lectures: | T Th 11:00-12:20 | SH 128 | |
| Discussions & Labs: | M, W 9:00-9:50 | RH 190 & ICS 364 | |
| M, W 10:00-10:50 | RH 190 & ICS 364 | ||
| M, W 11:00-11:50 | RH 190 & ICS 364 | ||
| M, W 12:00-12:50 | RH 190 & ICS 364 |
US 12C is part of UCI's First-Year Integrated Program. Throughout the year we will be investigating computer games as artistic, cultural, and technological phenomena. An important theme of this course is collaboration. All but the simplest computer games are created by more than one person, and when we study a computer game we participate in a dialogue or negotiated process of sorts that includes the creators of the game, other players, society at large, and ourselves. We want to promote a collaborative spirit throughout the course, while being aware of the need for each student to master the material individually and to receive a grade based on his or her own performance. At the conclusion of US 12ABC, you will be able to:
Because US 12ABC satisfies part of your lower-division writing requirement, in each quarter you will be writing research-based, college-level papers. You will learn to:
An essential component of being a good writer is understanding the multi-stage process of composing written work. In US 12ABC you will learn to:
Subject to change:
| Wk | Date | Topic | Who | Readings | Notes and Assignments |
| 1 | 3/31 | (No Discussion) | Hertz | ||
| 4/1 | Military Simulations | Krapp | Prensky, True Believers: Digital Game-Based Learning in the Military | ||
| 4/2 | (No Lab) | Baumer | |||
| 4/3 | The Game of War | Alex Galloway | Galloway's Home Page | More on the litigation Galloway mentioned. | |
| 2 | 4/7 | Discussion | Hertz | Discussion notes at http://www.conceptlab.com/uci/us12c/ | |
| 4/8 | Game Criticism | Krapp | McKenzie Wark, Digital Allegories | Diagnostic takes place of NoteBoard posting. | |
| 4/9 | Lab | Frost / Hertz | Game Project | ||
| 4/10 | GAM3R 7H30RY | McKenzie Wark | Wark, GAM3R 7H30RY web site
Wark, Interview with Harvard University Press (mp3 format) |
In the interview, Wark says that Second Life isn't "there yet." What does he mean? Post your short answer to the US 12C NoteBoard before 11:00 am. | |
| 3 | 4/14 | Discussion | Hertz | Discussion notes at http://www.conceptlab.com/uci/us12c/ | |
| 4/15 | Ucigame Refresher | Frost | |||
| 4/16 | Lab | Baumer | Game Project | ||
| 4/17 | MMORPG Design | Tomlinson | |||
| 4 | 4/21 | Discussion | Hertz | Discussion notes at http://www.conceptlab.com/uci/us12c/ | |
| 4/22 | Games for Education | Tomlinson | |||
| 4/23 | Lab | Baumer | Game Project | ||
| 4/24 | The Arden Project and the Dilemmas of the Serious Games Movement | Elizabeth Losh | Castronova,
Arden Slows Down, Takes Breather
Ian Bogost, Procedural Rhetoric (pp. 1-4 required, the rest recommended) |
What's your impression of Castronova, based on his original posting and his responses to comments? Give evidence to support your answer. Post to the US 12C NoteBoard before 11:00 am. | |
| 5 | 4/28 | Discussion | Hertz | Discussion notes at http://www.conceptlab.com/uci/us12c/ | |
| 4/29 | Design Pitches | Frost (MC) | |||
| 4/30 | Lab | Baumer | Game Project | ||
| 5/1 | Midterm | ||||
| 6 | 5/5 | Discussion | Hertz | Discussion notes at http://www.conceptlab.com/uci/us12c/ | |
| 5/6 | Interactive Narrative | Frost | |||
| 5/7 | Lab | Baumer | Game Project | ||
| 5/8 | Game Design and Criticism | Frost | |||
| 7 | 5/12 | Discussion | Hertz | Discussion notes at http://www.conceptlab.com/uci/us12c/ | |
| 5/13 | MMOs | Dave Kosak | |||
| 5/14 | Lab | Baumer | Game Project | ||
| 5/15 | Game Economies | Krapp | Malaby, Parlaying Value
Dibbell, The Life of the Chinese Gold Farmner |
||
| 8 | 5/19 | Discussion | Hertz | Discussion notes at http://www.conceptlab.com/uci/us12c/ | |
| 5/20 | MMORPG Technology | Frost | One page poster on Perceiving-the-present discussed in lecture. | ||
| 5/21 | Lab | Baumer | Game Project | ||
| 5/22 | Open Source | Walt Scacchi | |||
| 9 | 5/28 | Discussion | Hertz | SL Game Project | |
| 5/27 | Enduring mysteries of space, time, and computer games — explained! | Frost |
Yochai Benkler: Open-source economics Clay Shirkey: Cognitive Surplus Eric Raymond: The Cathedral and the Bazaar Johnny Chung Lee: Desktop VR using the Wii Remote |
||
| 5/28 | Lab | Baumer | Game Project | ||
| 5/29 | Summary and Wrap-up | Tomlinson | |||
| 10 | 6/2 | Discussion | Hertz | Discussion notes at http://www.conceptlab.com/uci/us12c/ | 6/3 | Game Project Demos |
| 6/4 | Lab | Baumer | Game Project | ||
| 6/5 | Game Project Demos | ||||
| F | 6/10 | FINAL EXAM, 10:30-12:30, SH 128 | |||
The grade for the quarter will be determined based on your total points. Points are allotted as follows:
| Exams Midterm 10 Final 15 | 25 |
| Game Design Doc 25 Playable 25 | 50 |
| Participation Labs 10 Discussions 10 Noteboard Postings 5 | 25 |
| TOTAL | 100 |
The grade will be based on the total points, using a standard "straight" scale: 90's are As, 80's are Bs, 70s are Cs, 60s are Ds, and below 60 is Failing. We reserve the right to change the precise cut-off points.
Except for the Participation components, scores are based on the quality of the work turned in, not on the time spent or the effort expended. Also, note that there is no "extra credit" in US 12B.
For the writing portion of the class, you should have two books which are also assigned in Writing 39B:
UCI offers several kinds of assistance to writers. The website of the UCI Campus Writing Coordinator at http://www.writing.uci.edu/ has a great deal of information. We particularly recommend the Writing and Library Research Peer Tutors and the Learning and Academic Resource Center (LARC).
We are not assigning a specific textbook on Java programming, but you may find it helpful to have one. All books seem to cover much more of the language than you'll need for this class, so we recommend looking over a few in the bookstore and choosing the one that seems the clearest to you. There are also some valuable on-line resources for Java (however, most of these do assume you have a programming background):
Do not claim as your own the words or ideas of others. When you collaborate with or are helped by a classmate, give credit. When in doubt, talk with a TA or professor before turning in your work. A single act of cheating or academic dishonesty can seriously mar your career at UCI. Familiarize yourself with the UCI Policy on Academic Honesty, particularly Section C, "What is Academic Dishonesty?" and Section D "Procedures for Dealing with Incidents of Academic Dishonesty."
Students may add or drop US 12B up to the end of the second week of classes (Jan. 18), with the instructor's signature on an "Add" card. Students may add only if they are caught up on all readings and assignments. Students may drop after the second week only in exceptional circumstances.
Check your UCInetID email frequently; we will occasionally need to get in touch with you by email. Please feel free to send email to the course staff: use your UCInetID account, put US 12 in the subject line, and include your name in the message body. This web page syllabus will be updated over the course of the quarter, so please look at it regularly.
Even though you are young and reasonably healthy, as a user of computers you are at risk for several computer-related health problems, particularly RSI (repetitive-strain injury). Please read and follow the good advice at the Bren School's Computer Health and Safety web page.
Any student who feels he or she may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact Prof. Frost privately to discuss his or her specific needs. Also contact the Disability Services Center at (949) 824-7494 as soon as possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
The ten week quarter will pass very quickly, and it is essential that all work be turned in on time so you can move on to the next assignment. If possible, contact your TA as soon as you realize an assignment will be late. In general, the policy is a 10% penalty for work up to 24 hours late, 20% penalty for work 25 to 48 hours late, and later work is not accepted without approval from a professor.
Not during class, please.
In lectures and discussions, you may use a notebook computer to take notes, but you must first disable your wireless connection to the Internet. Playing of games is, alas, strictly forbidden. Turn off cell phones during class.
If you think your work has not been correctly or fairly scored, talk with your TA. If you are still not satisfied, talk with Prof. Frost. All score disputes must be brought up within one week after the work is returned. If you have a concern pertaining to your final exam score or your grade, contact Prof. Frost before the end of the first week of the Winter quarter.