Assignments


There are basically three types of assignments: reading, viewing, and feedback.

Reading: Reading in a university course is of course a given. We will read books at well-timed and timely pace. However, you may want to read ahead so as to pace yourself for the longer haul. There are only three books and we have plenty of time to digest them properly.

Viewing: Part of your responsibilities for this course will be to watch videos, easily obtainable at your local video store, or, in some cases to go to a local theater .

Feedback: You will be given several opportunities to reflect on, comment upon, and analyze the reading and viewing material in this course. Not the least of these forums will be provided by the use of a computer either at home or in a lab. Thus, part of your course preparation will be to take the time to become computer-ready. I will try to help you get there. However, you are ultimately responsible to compose and send email, post messages via Hyper-News, and attend virtual class meetings online (if indeed we do schedule any). The ultimate form of feedback will be a small research paper you will write on some aspect of values in religion and culture.

So Here Is How It Looks:

The 1st week you will have checked in by posting in hypernews discussions, will have started reading My Introductory Lecture on Religion , and began exploring the Internet.

In the second week you will post your reactions to some very guided considerations... But first things first. That is enough for now...more to come...

Week Two

Welcome to the second week of our course. This week we will have two HyperNews forums, one of which involves some reading, and a second which requires a thought field trip. You have a week and one day (I am not going to require you to work on Labor Day). Here we go!

Weeks Four and Five

Welcome to the fourth week of our course. This week we will have two HyperNews forums, one of which involves some reading, and a second which requires some pondering. Has everyone recovered from the horrible ordeal I put you through? Not yet, not quite? Oh well, buck up and get ready for more adventures in HyperSpace. We now need to start some reading. Be sure to read all your fellow classmates' postings, and, if you so incline, respond where you feel moved to do so. We will be proceeding to the first section in Religion and Popular Culture in America, and read the first chapter of The Sacred Quest.

Week Six


Catch Up! Respond to the new HyperNews forum by October 3.

Week Seven, Eight, and NIne


Catch Up! Respond to the new HyperNews forums by October 24.

Weeks Ten, Eleven, and Twelve
The only thing you really have to do for this course around Halloween is to watch a "Scary" film which is explained in the HyperNews Forum and then proceed to a more in-depth study of World Religions. So, in the next couple of weeks I want to direct your attention to a website with some supplemental information on World Religions (see the HyperNews Forum). In the meantime, enjoy a "Scary" film (if you can) and have a great Halloween. (You might want to get a headstart on reading Bluejean Buddha.)

The Countdown to the End
It is time to start thinking about getting your research papers to me. In the meantime, however, read Blue Jean Buddha : Voices of Young Buddhists, view the film "Little Buddha," and then respond to the two new HyperNews forums:
1.Finish up HyperNews postings (the motto is: better late than never).
2. Write a cool research paper. The Research Papers will be due Monday Dec. 13th (giving you an extra weekend past finals week in order to give you time to perfect them). Email them as attached files in MS Word (or make other arrangements to get them to me).
3. I have posted the final and you will have till midnight Friday, December 10th to post it. (The final is absolutely nothing to worry about: It will simply involve a couple of questions about what you learned and enjoyed in the class, and will include a self-evaluation concerning what grade you deserve ).
4. I will most likely turn in grades Wednesday afternoon December 15, which should serve as the absolute deadline for any extenuating circumstances (such as the dog eating your floppy disk), so any issues must be fully resolved by then. Good luck. Email me if you have any questions.