ILS 2385: Visual Literacy and the Sociology of Perception
Tentative Course Schedule Spring 2025
MW 3:30-4:45 GWC 408
ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE BY THE BEGINNING OF OUR CLASS MEETING TIME (3:30PM)
NOTE: This schedule may change as needed. Your presence in class ensures correct assignments
WEEK 1
M 1/6 Course Introduction; Blog Post: Plato's Allegory of the Cave; what is the central
message of this text, why do you think so, and what is your evidence? Journal
Entry
HOMEWORK (DUE 1/8):
- Complete Syllabus Quiz in Ulearn; See Quizzes link
- Read "In Plato's Cave" in On Photography by Susan Sontag, pp. 1-19 (See Ulearn) and Identify 3 or 4 important quotes.
- Do Response 1: Using this image by Mary Ellen Mark, argue what you think Sontag might tell us about the "truth" of this image. Your response
must be minimum of 300 words and must include a minimum of one quote
from Sontag. You can, however, write more if you wish.
W 1/8 The Ethical Uses of AI; Group Exercise; Journal Entry
Homework (Due 1/13):
WEEK 2
M 1/13 Forming an Argument; What is a Text? Image Response #1: Mark, Children
Rhetoric); What does this image communicate sociologically? What
connections did you make to Sontag? What connections can you make to Plato's
cave?
HOMEWORK (DUE 1/13):
- Purchase graphic novel for class.
W 1/15 CLASS MEETS IN ULEARN; SEE WEEK 2 FOLDER;
Journal Entry and discussion post: Image Response #2: from Photographer
Marvin Joseph, Untitled; What does this image communicate sociologically?
Watch this video before completing your post:
Your initial post must be a minimum of 450 words and posted before 11:59
today (1/15). Your initial response must be posted to the discussion board AND
the Turitin folder.
HOMEWORK (DUE 1/20):
- Return to this discussion for the Marvin Joseph post in the week 2
- folder and respond to the posts of two other students in a minimum of 300
- words total for the two. Explain how their ideas led you to see the image in a
- different way and why.
- Watch Codes of Gender: Identity and Performance in Pop Culture and take
notes as you watch. Include important points, concepts, and quotes. This
counts as responses 2 &3. Log in to Kanopy database using JWU credentials.
Video is 74 minutes. Your notes should be a min. of 600 words.
- Begin browsing ads at this database. Focus on the categories of "professional,"
"highlighted," or "collections." You may choose a video or print ad, but I prefer
that you choose one that somehow engages with the ideas of our various
intersectional social identities (gender, race, social class, sexual identity),
Choose several that you might want to analyze in an essay.
WEEK 3
M 1/20 NO CLASS, MLK JR DAY
HOMEWORK (DUE 1/22):
- Read "The Rhetorical Triangle
- Read the Rhetorical Situation
- Watch Rhetorical Appeals Video
- Bring 3 potential ads to class
W 1/22 Learning to Apply Rhetorical Theory (Basic Terms); Examine Mr. Clean Ad (see
week 3 folder) and Discuss Potential Topics for Essay 1 (your chosen ads)
HOMEWORK (DUE 1/27):
- Read Chapter 7 of John Berger's Ways of Seeing
- Do Response 4: What connections can you make between Berger's text and the
Codes of Gender video? Explore these connections and why they may be
significant or particularly insightful. Minimum of 3oo words.
- Have you located your three potential ads for Essay 1? Bring them to class
on Monday.
WEEK 4
M 1/27 Invention Work, Essay 1
HOMEWORK (DUE 1/29):
- Write overall claim and subclaims for Essay 1 (4 sentences); upload to ulearn
W 1/29 Claim and Subclaims Due; Review Claim and Subclaims
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/3):
- First Draft of Essay 1 Due; upload to Ulearn
- Submit Draft to Tutor.com (bring to your conference)
WEEK 5
M 2/3 First Draft of Essay 1 Due; Exchange for peer critique. Why Critique?
CONFERENCES
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/5):
- Complete Typed Critique of Partner's Essay (both parts) and upload to Ulearn
as ONE MS WORD file.
- Submit Tutor.com Report and Reflection (for Essay 1); Upload to Ulearn
W 2/5 Peer Critique; CONFERENCES
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/10):
- Final draft of essay 1 due with reflection
WEEK 6
Heffernan Painting (What does it communicate about individual and/or social
identity)? FW
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/12):
- Return to the discussion board for "Portrait of Self as Agnostic" and respond
to the posts of two other student (min. 300 words for both posts combined);
explain how each student's posts led you to understand the painting in a way
that you had not considered. Complete by class time next class meeting.
- Do Reader Response 5: Spend some time with Michael Cheval's
might it play in conveying the image's central message? How might this
message be connected to individual and/or social identity? Min. 300 words.
Submit to ulearn.
W 2/12 Discuss They Converge on the Branch of Second Chances (What does it
communicate about individual and/or social identity? FW; If time discuss
Cheval painting's use of color
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/17):
- Do Reader Response 6: Spend some time with Remedios Varo's painting,
conveyin the image's central message? How might this message be connected
to invidual and/or social identity? Min. 300 words. Upload to ulearn.
WEEK 7
M 2/17 Discuss Melody of Rain (What does it communicate about individual and/or
social identity)? FW
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/19):
- Watch/Read and do Reader Response 7: Spend some time with Jan Van Eyck's
it play in conveying the image's central message? How might this message be
connected to individual and/or social identity? Min. 300 words. Upload to
ulearn.
W 2/19 Trip to Mint Museum (5pm-9pm); complete worksheet at museum; bring
pencil (not pen) and notebook (no backpacks or bags allowed)
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/24):
- Use Museum worksheet analysis to answer each of the questions presented in
the Strategies for Understanding Visuals; Afterward, Then Develop ONE
Overall Claim and Four Subclaims; Submit answers to questions and Claims/
Subclaims to ulearn in ONE MS WORD DOC.
WEEK 8
M 2/24 Invention Work and Claim and Subclaims Due; Group Work in Class
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/26):
- First full draft of Essay 2 due; upload to ulearn
- Submit draft to Tutor.com
W 2/26 First Draft of Essay 2 Due; Exchange with Partner; Why Critique?
CONFERENCES
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/10):
- Complete Typed Critique of Partner's Essay 2 (both parts); Upload to Ulearn
- Submit Tutor.com Report and Revision Plan (both parts) to Ulearn for
Essay 2
2/28-3/9 NO CLASS, SPRING BREAK
WEEK 9
M 3/10 Peer Critique; GROUP CONFERENCES
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/12):
- Continue to revise Essay 2
W 3/12 CONFERENCES
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/17):
- Final Draft of Essay 2 Due with Reflection
WEEK 10
class)
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/19):
- Read Chapters 1 & 2 of Alex + Ada
W 3/19 Discuss Chapter 1 & 2; Form Groups for Project
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/24):
- Read Chapter 3 & 4 of Alex + Ada
- Do Reader Response 8: What do you see as the most important theme in the
novel so far, and which page do you think best communicates something
important about that idea? How and why does this page do that (discuss
visual choices made by artist)?
WEEK 11
M 3/24 Discuss Chapters 3 & 4; Set Up Group Documents (proposal; claim/subclaims/
draft)
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/26):
- Read Chapter 5 of Alex + Ada
W 3/26 NO REGULAR CLASS MEETING; Complete Invention work for group project;
each group member completes their own separately; This must be uploaded to
the Turnitin assignment in ulearn AND uploaded to the discussion board for
invention work (copy and paste into thread). This must be submitted before
11:59pm today.
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/31):
- Return to the discussion board for the group invention and respond to two of
the students in your group. In your responses, explain how each student's post
expanded your thinking in some way about Ex Machnia or Alex + Ada and/ or
led you to see them in a new way and why. In other words, don't simply praise
or say you like what the student did. Argue how their comments allowed you to
see something you didn't see before and why.
WEEK 12
M 3/31 Work on Proposal in Class (Revisions)
HOMEWORK (DUE 4/2):
- Group Topic Proposal Due
W 4/2 Topic Proposal Due; Work on Claim and Sub-claims
HOMEWORK (DUE 4/7):
- Claim and Sub-claims Due (one copy for group)
WEEK 13
M 4/7 Claim and Subclaims Due; Work on Draft
HOMEWORK (DUE 4/9):
- Topic Proposal Due
W 4/9 Workday for Draft
HOMEWORK (DUE 4/14)
- First Draft of Essay 3 Due
WEEK 14
M 4/14 First Draft of Essay 3 (Group Project) Due; Exchange for Critique; Why
Critique?
HOMEWORK (DUE 4/16):
- Complete typed critique of partner's paper (both parts); Upload to Ulearn
- Complete Tutor.com Report and Revision Plan; Upload to Ulearn
- Continue to Revise Essay 3
W 4/16 Discuss Peer Critique & Share Revision Plans
HOMEWORK (DUE 4/21):
- Final Draft of Essay 3 Due with Reflection
WEEK 15
M 4/21 Final Draft of Essay 3 (Group Project) due; Submit one copy for group to
ulearn before 11:59pm; Everyone does their own individual reflection (2
pages); see reflection instructions in ulearn (week 15 folder)
HOMEWORK (DUE 4/27):
WEEK 16
M 4/28 Final Exam (Arguing How an Author Shapes Their Message in a Visual Text);
MEET IN CLASS; 3:45-5:45PM
