Course Syllabus
Athabasca University
Source, by World of Good
Communication Studies (CMNS) 321
Computers and Human Experience (Revision 2)
Revision 2 closed May 2, 2008, replaced by current version.
View previous syllabus.
Delivery mode: Individualized study online.
Video component.*
*Overseas students, please contact the University Library before registering in a course that has an audio/visual component.
Credits: 3 - Social Science.
Prerequisite: None.
Centre: Centre for State and Legal Studies
CMNS 321 has a Challenge for Credit option.
Télé-université du Québec equivalency: COM 3003.
Course website
Overview
Computers and Human Experience surveys the psychological and sociological impact of computers on the people who use them. The course begins with an overview of the area, which is followed by units on artificial intelligence; robotics and computer-mediated communication; information management; and the Internet as community. Each of these units represents one essential connection between humans and computers, and each is echoed in the next units, which consider important domains in which computers are applied in our lives: education, employment, entertainment, and our psychological and physical wellness and well-being.
Outline
Unit 1: Introduction
Unit 2: Artificial intelligence
Unit 3: Applied AI: Robotics and computer-mediated communication
Unit 4: Information management
Unit 5: The Internet as community
Unit 6: Computers in education
Unit 7: Computers in employment
Unit 8: Computers in entertainment
Unit 9: Computers in health and well-being
Evaluation
To receive credit for CMNS 321 is based on three written assignments and on class discussion. You must complete all of the assignments, and achieve a course composite grade of at least "D" (50 percent). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
| 3 Written Assignments @ 25% each | Class Discussion | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 75% | 25% | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.
Course Materials
Textbooks
Haugeland, J. (Ed.). (1997). Mind design II: Philosophy, psychology, artificial intelligence. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Lem, Stanislaw. (1982). More tales of Pirx the pilot. San Diego: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.
Picard, R. W. (1997). Affective computing. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Other materials
The course materials also include a study guide, student manual, and a reading file.
Special Course Feature
This course is dependent upon computer mediated communications. In order to contribute to course bulletin boards and chat rooms, students must provide their own access to the Internet (ISP Internet Service Provider) and a graphical browser. Please note that CMNS 321 is designed for Netscape 3.0. As well, students in this course have the option to send assignments by post or e-mail.