GS222 - Special Topics:
Selected topics will be discussed and will vary from year to year.
.25 or .5 or 1 unit — Chui, Getty, Hinkle, Miller-Stevens, Otake, Popovic, Rios
Previously Featured Offering
American Origins of Non-violence Study explores the unsung heroes of America's nonviolent social change movements. Students will examine of the works of nonviolent groups, such as prison reformers and abolitionists, to better understand how these unnamed people have contributed to social change.
Martin Luther King, Jr. said America is the greatest purveyor of violence in history. A different story celebrates the contributions of Quakers, Anabaptists, abolitionists, prison reformers, labor unions, women, minorities, environmentalists and others who firmly established the power and effectiveness of nonviolence as an organizing principle. The course explores some of these Americans and their work through the lens of active nonviolence.
From the earliest 2D games (Space Invaders, Pong, Pac-Man) to the open environments of Grand Theft Auto and World of Warcraft, this course examines the worlds, characters, and narratives of videogames.
As systems of play, games produce meaning through the establishment and exploration of complex rules. The reliance on arbitrary rules distinguishes videogames from other aspects of life (Why does Mario have three lives?), even as the advancement of graphic engines and modes of interactivity increasingly break down divisions between game and world. Accordingly, this course examines the various ways in which videogames intersect with and borrow from other modes of play, performance, and artistic/cultural/political expression.
The course begins with a survey of videogame history and the major concepts/debates surrounding the emerging field of game studies. We then consider the aesthetic intersections between videogames and cinema, both in popular forms of “machinima” and in more experimental practices. Finally, we examine at the various ways in which videogames operate throughout popular culture: in the emerging field of “persuasive” or political games, as allegories of digital culture, and as agents in the development of individual and collective identity.
The course begins with a survey of videogame history and the major concepts/debates surrounding the emerging field of game studies. We then consider the aesthetic intersections between videogames and cinema, both in popular forms of “machinima” and in more experimental practices. Finally, we examine at the various ways in which videogames operate throughout popular culture: in the emerging field of “persuasive” or political games, as allegories of digital culture, and as agents in the development of individual and collective identity.
Offerings
| Term | Block | Title | Instructor | Location | Student Limit/Available | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2023 | Block 1 | Special Topics: State of the Rockies Research and Reporting | Katrina-Kat Miller-Stevens | See Prof. 003 | 25 / 18 | 04/24/2024 |
| Fall 2023 | Block 1 | Special Topics: CC Mobile Arts Community Artivism Topic Details | Nancy Rios | Cornerstone Art Center 301 | 25 / 23 | 04/24/2024 |
| Fall 2023 | Block 4 | Special Topics: Defending Democracy: Advanced Strategies and Tactics Topic Details | Srda Popovic, Slobodan Djinovic | Ed Robson Arena CHAPMAN | 32 / 9 | 04/24/2024 |
| Spring 2024 | Block H | Special Topics: Campaigning for Social Change in the Digital Era Topic Details | Srda Popovic, Slobodan Djinovic | Tutt Science Building 122 | 32 / 5 | 04/24/2024 |
| Spring 2024 | Block H | Special Topics: R You Ready?! Starting with R and Data Visualization Topic Details | Steve Getty, Karen Chui | Tutt Library 201 | 25 / 4 | 04/24/2024 |
| Spring 2024 | Block H | Special Topics: Internship and Job Search Strategies for the Liberal Arts Student Topic Details | Heather Kelley | Palmer Hall 128 | 25 / -4 | 04/24/2024 |
| Spring 2024 | Block H | Special Topics: Communications Studies: Theory and Practice in Peer Tutoring Topic Details | Sarah Hinkle | Tutt Library 108/109 | 25 / 21 | 04/24/2024 |
| Spring 2024 | Block H | Special Topics: Materials Science Research Incubator Topic Details | Adam Light | Tutt Library 105 | 10 / 3 | 04/24/2024 |
| Spring 2024 | Block H | Special Topics: When The Work is Fun: Creativity and Innovation at Mattel Topic Details | Dan Johnson, Ryan Banagale | Taught Abroad 001 | 20 / 0 | 04/24/2024 |
| Spring 2024 | Block H | Special Topics: When The Work is Fun: Creativity and Innovation at Mattel - Internship Topic Details | Dan Johnson, Ryan Banagale | Taught Abroad 001 | 20 / 0 | 04/24/2024 |
| Spring 2024 | Block 5 | Special Topics: State of the Rockies Research Design | Katrina-Kat Miller-Stevens | See Prof. 003 | 25 / 25 | 04/24/2024 |
| Spring 2024 | Block 5 | Special Topics: CC Mobile Arts Community Artivism Topic Details | Nancy Rios | Cornerstone Art Center 302 | 25 / 19 | 04/24/2024 |
| Spring 2024 | Block 5 | Special Topics: CC Elevate Topic Details | Aaron Stoller | Tutt Library 327 | 16 / 8 | 04/24/2024 |
| Spring 2024 | Block 5 | Special Topics: CC Elevate Topic Details | Aaron Stoller | Tutt Library 238 | 16 / 8 | 04/24/2024 |
| Spring 2024 | Block 5 | Special Topics: Senior Seminar | Pedro de Araujo | TBA | 25 / 21 | 04/24/2024 |
| Fall 2024 | Block 1 | Special Topics: State of the Rockies Research and Reporting | Katrina-Kat Miller-Stevens | TBA | 25 / 25 | 04/24/2024 |
| Fall 2024 | Block 1 | Special Topics: CC Mobile Arts Community Artivism Topic Details | Nancy Rios | TBA | 25 / 25 | 04/24/2024 |
| Spring 2025 | Block H | Special Topics: Communications Studies: Peer Tutoring and Communication Strategies Topic Details | Sarah Hinkle | TBA | 25 / 25 | 04/24/2024 |
| Spring 2025 | Block H | Special Topics: R You Ready?! Starting with R and Data Visualization Topic Details | Karen Chui | TBA | 25 / 25 | 04/24/2024 |
| Spring 2025 | Block H | Special Topics: Campaigning for Social Change in the Digital Era Topic Details | Srda Popovic | TBA | 25 / 25 | 04/24/2024 |
| Spring 2025 | Block H | Special Topics: Sound Design and Music for Live Performance Topic Details | TBA | 25 / 25 | 04/24/2024 | |
| Spring 2025 | Block H | Special Topics: Full of Stories: Interdisciplinary Arts and Episodic Knowledge Topic Details | Eiko Otake | TBA | 25 / 25 | 04/24/2024 |
| Spring 2025 | Block 5 | Special Topics: R Coding, Data Management and Visualization Topic Details | Karen Chui | TBA | 25 / 25 | 04/24/2024 |
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Last updated: 04/24/2024