Home Page for English 233: Intro to Western Humanities

English 233: Introduction to Western Humanities -- Baroque & Enlightenment

Home Page for the Course

Spring 2003

Lyman Baker, Instructor

You can click on the bright blue underlined itms below to go to different pages with the information described.

First off, Web-Browser Basics describes some very elementary things you need to be able to do to use our course Web Pages to best advantage. If you are already familiar with using a web browser, skip all this. But if not, you can use it to learn how to move around within and between Web pages, how to print a Web document, how to save one for later use, how to locate search tools (with directions for use) that help you locate documents of interest to you - and how to find out ways to do things not covered in these basic instructions. Learn the Net is another introduction to web browsing. There are also tutorials designed specifically for Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer. (Only Netscape Navigator 4.7 and Internet Explorer will work at online.ksu.edu.)

Content and Rationale of the Course

To see what we shall be up to this semester, check out the goals and methods of the course, its scope and theme, and the description of its organizational framework.

Texts for the Course tells you where to get the books required for the course.

The Course Schedule directs you to the reading assignments, some in the texts for the course, some on the Web itself. For some of our readings, I will also post a Study Guide. The Course Schedule is divided into Parts 1, 2, and 3.

Evaluation

There will be three examinations worth a total of 400 points. (One or more of these exams may be substituted for, in whole or in part, by out-of-class take-home essay assignments.)
There will also be 100 points possible on the basis of your participation in the discussions on the class Message Board.
Students will have the opportunity to to at least one (and in some circumstances more than one) extra-credit assignment.
Finally, participation in classroom discussion can make the difference if your percentage at the end of the course leaves you just below a grade cut-off point.

For details on how all this works, see the memo on Grades.

Staying in touch

Important notices like changes in assignments will be transmitted to you via e-mail from the class roster at online.ksu.edu. It will be a disaster if you are not on the mailing list for the listserv. Here are some essential precautions you must take in order to make sure you are not left out of the loop:

Make sure your e-mail address as listed in your profile information at online.ksu.edu is correct. To do this: after you've logged on, and before clicking on the icon for the course, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the button for "Edit Personal Info."

Make sure the e-mail address you have indicated is actually in operation. For this to happen, it is crucial that you do not allow too much mail to pile up. Keep in mind that if you use a free account (for example at www.hotmail.com or www.netscape.com or www.yahoo.com), it has a storage limit. If you leave too many messages stacked up in your inbox, or have too much mail stored in your saved-mail folders, your the system will refuse to accept any more new mail in your inbox. You have to keep up on your housekeeping, or you will be in the dark (and in the dark about the fact that you are in the dark).

Commit yourself to looking into your e-mail account at least once and preferably twice a day. It's of no use if you don't use it.

If you have a question for me that has to do with your grade, or your uncertainty about what an assignment means, simply write me an e-mail message at lyman@ksu.edu .

Our Discussion Board (also known as the "Message Board") for the course will be an important resource for carrying on discussions out of class. As explained in the memo on grades, your participation on the Discussion Board will bear in a substantial way on your total points in the course. This is not an extra-credit feature, but required.

Apart from this, however, your active participation in discussion will strengthen your intellectual skills of analysis and integration in general, and enhance your understanding of the facts and issues that it is our business here to grapple with. The more you participate, the better you will do on the examinations in any case. You should thus work to overcome any shyness you may feel about expressing yourself in class. (You may not cease to be shy, but you can refuse to be ruled by your shyness. On the other hand, you may well discover that the more you share your questions and opinions and speculations, the less shy you feel.)

You should definitely make sure that you contribute to the discussions that take place on the web discussion board.

Suggestions, comments and questions are welcome. Please send them to lyman@ksu.edu .

Permission is granted for non-commercial educational use; all other rights reserved.

This page last updated 17 January 2003.