This journal will be required work for every reading or viewing we do, after Week One. You need it caught up before class on the day listed, as it will be the basis for at least 1/3 of our class time.
It will be graded regularly and these grades will be averaged into your participation grade (half of your final course grade).
Why a Journal?
I want you to leave UR being able to add value to what AI can do (if you want a job in the future). For anyone who might gripe "he makes us do the reading," heck yes.
Do you want a job soon? If a machine can do the work for you, your bosses will employ AI. They are cheaper to employ and never whine or take days off. In the words of an AI I queried, we humans will need to be "meaning makers" in the workplaces from now on. Any machine can write code or edit prose better than we can, already.
Part of my philosophy also involves helping you get beyond summary, even analysis, to synthesize different ideas from different sources and "think about your own thinking." This last part is where you "add value" to AI output and "make meaning" it cannot (yet).
While SPCS students have superior time-management habits and work-ethics as compared to UR undergrads, everyone today seems to be careless with reading. To get an A in this class, you'll need to be:
Capable of re-reading / viewing and reading / viewing with care. Mere summary is F-grade work. I read all the material, too.
Going beyond summary into analysis of ideas, synthesis of ideas with our other sources, and admitting what you still "need to know" (or why you reached a conclusion/reacted) and will bring to class discussion.
For each reading or video, you will:
Provide three (no more no fewer) entries. See my example below for how this works. DO NOT focus just on the start of a piece (bad lazy undergrad habit). Instead, find something worth discussing in class from the start, middle, and end of each piece we study.
Each entry will be public in our Journal folder. There will be a file there with your name and a first template for a first reading or video. You can copy the template and look at my example to add more content to your journal.
Require you to comment on one classmate's journal each week. Try to pick a different person to help each time, and I urge you go get past "good idea" or grammar fixes in the comments, as they give you NO participation credit. Instead, a remark such as "But our author also claims..." or "I saw this too, but I see a different reason for it, namely..." or "Did you consider..." show deep engagement.
Additional Entires:
I will give you a few templates for short responses to put in the journal. Some will be reflective, others prewriting work. In each case, seek advice from peers and me.
Can I Use AI? Yes, But:
You can upload a reading to an AI of your choice with these prompts
"Please help me identify this piece's most important original claims and evidence for them from the start, middle, and end sections" and
"tell me why you think those claims matter so much."
It's going to be tougher with video work, since AI cannot watch videos yet. It can only read questionable and likely biased reviews. More advice/requirements:
You can ask the AI (with a good prompt) to synthesize ideas between two pieces we have read or viewed.
You must document any AI work (and be specific, including prompts you use) in your journal entry.
You must check for hallucinations. Include one? Grade is F and you'll have to redo the entry. I'll then average the two grades. Remember, hallucinations on the job mean being fired. Check AI output, always.