Content will vary with each instructor. Students will be asked to do a project that acquaints them with some of the resources of the library and results in their reading beyond the primary course materials. A full description for any given quarter will be available on the English Department's website.
4
UnitsOptional
Grading1, 2, 3
PasstimeUpper division only
Level LimitLetters and science
CollegeAlan assigns an abhorrent amount of reading each week. The grades break down to 3 essays, 2 midterms and section. 2/3 of the midterm and final are fill in the blank from one of the countless readings and author identification. Many students had no idea what they were getting into here, and only one grade was back before we could change P/NP.
While Alan is a perfectly nice man who clearly clears about what he is teaching, the material in this course is just not engaging. Unending readings about the history of computer technology and little else. There are also weird "ungraded" assignments which you nevertheless need to pass the course. Find a different GE/course.
While Professor Liu seems very interested and informed on the topic he teaches, this class went way over my head. Many people would struggle with this class. The content of the reading is very complex and difficult to understand, especially for someone with no knowledge of computers. And just in general there are too many readings assigned.
Professor Liu's approach to teaching an English media class is utterly disappointing. The excessive amount of reading assigned is completely absurd and it's evident that his intention is to overwhelm students rather than foster meaningful learning. The lack of consideration for students' time and energy is truly disheartening for a lower division.
Alan is a nice guy, but it's one of those scenarios where the teacher is far too into the material to actually teach. He acknowledged people are taking this class as a GE but, he assigns 50+ pages of reading before every lecture which is 3x a week. He has about jack all on his lecture slides and continuously goes off topic. Avoid this man.
He is a good professor, but he zooms through the slideshow and doesn't post it online. Lectures might not be mandatory, but you have to go to even partially understand the course.