Sports Literature - Objectives

Course Objectives

To gain an understanding of and practice in the use of network technology for interpersonal communication and academic research.
To develop the ability to build knowledge from a wide variety of sources, i.e., www
To gain an understanding of the varied and multifaceted implications of the history, origin and evolution of the personal spirit
To develop evaluative and critical thinking skills through writing and participating in threaded discussions
To develop technical skills necessary to work in a new medium, i.e., web page creation and design
To develop the skills necessary to become an independent and lifelong learner
To build a unique perspective that sees current trends first in isolation and ultimately in totality, i.e., TV survival genre vs. course content
To develop the ability to work collaboratively in an electronic environment

To develop individual assessment skills to foster improved self-evaluation

Because the computer easily accommodates interdisciplinary approaches to academic study, we can use it to develop and to extend our ability to think critically and to make connections between discrete bodies of information. You will have to begin to think of yourself as an intellectual nomad; you will become an informational architect. The electronic facility to make connections speeds up the processes of skilled reading, creative thinking/tinkering and knowledge-building.

The point is not to befuddle but to dispel complacency by creating cognitive dissonance. Those of you who experience a gap in your knowledge will have the ability to fill it. Creating a gap in your learning is a basic strategy underlying inquiry learning and problem-based learning. The readings in Survival Literature hopefully will create that dissonance.

As so much research material is now available electronically on the web, much of your research will be conducted by visiting academic web sites related to the course material. Thus students will be researching in both electronic and non-print media.

Ultimate Goal
I hope to make the asynchronous experience intellectually immersive and allow you to synthesize the scattered symbolism of the experience into a visual alphabet and multimedia experience by creating web pages to display your knowledge. And even if you grow tired of the discovery and adventure, the temptation of the quest is enough to win the war against your impatience.