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Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/University of Minnesota/Fiction and the Future (Fall)

{{course details

| course_name = Fiction and the Future

| instructor_username = Thenewobjective

| instructor_realname = Joseph Sannicandro

| support_staff = Ian (Wiki Ed)

| subject = Cultural Studies

| start_date = 2021-09-07 00:00:00 UTC

| end_date = 2021-12-23 23:59:59 UTC

| institution = University of Minnesota

| expected_students = 25

| assignment_page = Wikipedia:Wiki_Ed/University_of_Minnesota/Fiction_and_the_Future_(Fall)

| slug = University_of_Minnesota/Fiction_and_the_Future_(Fall)

| campaigns = Fall 2021

| dashboard.wikiedu.org = yes

}}

In this course we will confine ourselves to reading one subgenre of literature—speculative or science fiction—because, more than any other genre, it engages explicitly with the question of “the future.” We will ask how science fiction is related to the future, and why, in the 2020s, it may be important to rethink this relationship. We read a selection of works ranging from the genre’s origins in the 19th century up to the present. These readings will be augmented by theoretical works designed to clarify the key concepts structuring the course.

The direction of the course emphasizes how modern SF emerged during the age of European imperialism, and such tales of space exploration often become coded allegories for colonization and domination. Stories of technological progress and space travel register anxieties over industrial modernity, as well as guilt and fear of the effects of colonization and slavery. The second half of the course explores more recent movements, including Afrofuturism, Indigenous Futurism, and Solarpunk, which adopt non-linear approaches to time and offer a different relationship between past and future.

Because we are reading works from a range of historical periods (from ancient Greece, the Islamic Golden Age, early modern Europe, contemporary America), I encourage the class to consider the ways different subject positions and historical eras reflect their own perspectives and biases onto their visions of the future, which are just as often about the past and the present. In decentering or destabilized some received notions, I am asking students to bring these insights to bear on the topic they choose for the Wiki assignments.

{{students table}}

{{student table row|EshaanC|The Truman Show delusion|Margaret Brundage, Futurism}}

{{student table row|Ekscherber|Utopian and dystopian fiction|Climate fiction, BlackRock}}

{{student table row|Woomm002|Futurism|Frances Simpson Stevens, Eco-cities}}

{{student table row|Ryangallaher|AI takeover|Free Money Day, The Truman Show delusion}}

{{student table row|Tesjes167|Climate apocalypse|AI takeover, Marketing automation}}

{{student table row|Hford13|Margaret Brundage|Accelerationism, Afrofuturism}}

{{student table row|LukeRuegemer|Utopian and dystopian fiction|Artificial intelligence, Utopian and dystopian fiction}}

{{student table row|Jmcn24|BlackRock|Distributed ledger, Ethics of artificial intelligence}}

{{student table row|Natjman11|Formula One|Futurism (Christianity), Drug liberalization}}

{{student table row|JWdeisney|Climate fiction|Overpopulation, Slow Food}}

{{student table row|Xaviangreene|Slow Food|Climate apocalypse, Climate emergency declaration}}

{{student table row|Abigailcampbell7|Eco-cities|Climate crisis, Margaret Brundage}}

{{student table row|Polaris850|Frances Simpson Stevens|Futurism, Climate fiction}}

{{student table row|Migratingthoughts|Afrofuturism|BlackRock, Frances Simpson Stevens}}

{{student table row|Kunpeng Liu|Ethics of artificial intelligence|Eco-cities, Biomimetics}}

{{student table row|Katie.wheeler10|Overpopulation|AI takeover, Free Money Day}}

{{student table row|JKnoepke|Accelerationism|Marketing automation, Afrofuturism}}

{{student table row|Jackson1317|Climate emergency declaration|Accelerationism, Artificial intelligence}}

{{student table row|Yang7707|Free Money Day|Utopian and dystopian fiction, Distributed ledger}}

{{student table row|Vanessa Li (YYL)|Artificial intelligence, Climate crisis|Ethics of artificial intelligence, Futurism (Christianity), Afrofuturism}}

{{student table row|Nguyen222|Marketing automation|Drug liberalization, Slow Food}}

{{student table row|SandraaaL|Drug liberalization|Overpopulation, Biomimetics}}

{{student table row|Abbyrozzz|Futurism (Christianity)|The Truman Show delusion, Climate apocalypse}}

{{end of students table}}

{{start of course timeline}}

= Week 2 =

{{start of course week|2021-09-15}}

{{in class|In class - Introduction to the Wikipedia assignment}}

Welcome to your Wikipedia assignment's course timeline. This page guides you through the steps you'll need to complete for your Wikipedia assignment, with links to training modules and your classmates' work spaces.

Your course has been assigned a Wikipedia Expert. You can reach them through the Get Help button at the top of this page.

Resources:

  • [https://wikiedu.org/editingwikipedia Editing Wikipedia], pages 1–5
  • [https://wikiedu.org/evaluatingwikipedia Evaluating Wikipedia]

{{assignment|Assignment - Get started on Wikipedia}}

Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you. (Because of Wikipedia's technical restraints, you may receive a message that you cannot create an account. To resolve this, please try again off campus or the next day.)

{{assignment milestones|Everyone has a Wikipedia account}}

This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.

{{end of course week}}

= Week 3 =

{{start of course week|2021-09-20|2021-09-22}}

{{assignment|Assignment - Evaluate Wikipedia}}

{{in class|In class - Discussion}}

{{end of course week}}

= Week 4 =

{{start of course week|2021-09-27|2021-09-29}}

{{assignment|Assignment - Choose possible topics}}

Resource: [https://wikiedu.org/editingwikipedia#page=6 Editing Wikipedia], page 6

{{assignment|Assignment - Discussion}}

{{end of course week}}

= Week 5 =

{{start of course week|2021-10-04|2021-10-06}}

{{assignment|Assignment - Add to an article}}

{{assignment|Assignment - Exercise}}

{{end of course week}}

= Week 6 =

{{start of course week|2021-10-11|2021-10-13}}

{{assignment|Assignment - Start drafting your contributions}}

Resource: [https://wikiedu.org/editingwikipedia#page=7 Editing Wikipedia], pages 7–9

{{assignment|Guide(s) for writing articles in your topic area}}

[https://wikiedu.org/art_history Art History]

[https://wikiedu.org/biographies Biographies]

[https://wikiedu.org/books Books]

[https://wikiedu.org/ecology Ecology]

[https://wikiedu.org/environmental_sciences Environmental Sciences]

[https://wikiedu.org/films Films]

[https://wikiedu.org/history History]

[http://wikiedu.org/lgbtplus_studies LGBT+ Studies]

[https://wikiedu.org/political_science Political Science]

[https://wikiedu.org/sociology Sociology]

[https://wikiedu.org/womens_studies Women's Studies]

{{assignment milestones|Everyone has started writing}}

Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.

{{end of course week}}

= Week 7 =

{{start of course week|2021-10-18|2021-10-20}}

{{assignment|Assignment - Peer review two articles}}

[https://dashboard.wikiedu.org/training/students/peer-review Guiding framework]

{{in class|In class - Discussion}}

{{assignment milestones|Peer reviews are complete}}

Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.

{{end of course week}}

= Week 8 =

{{start of course week|2021-10-25|2021-10-27}}

{{assignment|Assignment - Respond to your peer review}}

You probably have some feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians. Consider their suggestions, decide whether it makes your work more accurate and complete, and edit your draft to make those changes.

Resources:

  • [https://wikiedu.org/editingwikipedia#page=12 Editing Wikipedia], pages 12 and 14
  • Reach out to your Wikipedia Expert if you have any questions.

{{end of course week}}

= Week 9 =

{{start of course week|2021-11-01|2021-11-03}}

{{assignment|Assignment - Begin moving your work to Wikipedia}}

Now that you've improved your draft based on others' feedback, it's time to move your work live - to the "mainspace."

Resource: [https://wikiedu.org/editingwikipedia#page=13 Editing Wikipedia], page 13

{{end of course week}}

= Week 10 =

{{start of course week|2021-11-08|2021-11-10}}

{{assignment|Assignment - Continue improving your article}}

Now's the time to revisit your text and refine your work. You may do more research and find missing information; rewrite the lead section to represent all major points; reorganize the text to communicate the information better; or add images and other media.

{{assignment|Assignment - Polish your work}}

Continue to expand and improve your work, and format your article to match Wikipedia's tone and standards. Remember to contact your Wikipedia Expert at any time if you need further help!

{{end of course week}}

= Week 11 =

{{start of course week|2021-11-15|2021-11-17}}

{{assignment|Assignment - Final article}}

It's the final week to develop your article.

  • Read [https://wikiedu.org/editingwikipedia#page=15 Editing Wikipedia] page 15 to review a final check-list before completing your assignment.
  • Don't forget that you can ask for help from your Wikipedia Expert at any time!

{{end of course week}}

= Week 12 =

{{start of course week|2021-11-22|2021-11-24}}

{{assignment milestones|You've finished your Wikipedia assignment!}}

Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.

{{end of course week}}