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 Wednesday.
WEEK 4
M 1/27 Invention Work, Essay 1
o
HOMEWORK (DUE 1/29):
- Write overall claim and subclaims for Essay 1 (4 sentences); upload to ulearn
- Do Reader Response 5: What do you find to be the most important or
significant findings of this study and why? What role might visual literacy
play in regard to these findings? Minimum of 300 words.
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):
- Locate a fake news story from this site that you may want to work with for
your next essay assignment.
- Final draft of essay 1 due with reflection
WEEK 6
(potential fake news stories)
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/12):
- Choose online article from this site (all fake news) and bring to class (link is
fine).
W 2/12 Does Your Online Article Fail the CRAPP Test? What Zimdar Label Applies?
Walk through test together and apply a label
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/17):
Response 6 : Carefully read through your chosen online article. Make sure it
chosen text. I prefer you choose to work with an article that fails this test.
- In a response of 600 words, explain how and why your article fails this test.
Include some of your answers to the questions on both forms (CRAAP and fake
news detection) how it should be classified using Zimdar's classifications. Be
specific about why you think it fits the category.
WEEK 7
M 2/17 Practice identifying appeals to logos, pathos, and ethos (use RSCH 3020
excerpts)
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/19):
- Watch the Rhetorical Appeals Video
- With these definitions in mind, in a response (#7) of a minimum of 450 words,
explain how the author of the article/"news story" you plan to use for essay 2
attempts to appeal to logos, pathos, and ethos. Be detailed and provide
examples. This is an argument and your interpretation of how you think the
author is attempting to influence their audience and why. Argue if you think
their appeals to logos, pathos, and ethos are "strong" or "weak" attempts to
convince the audience (effective or ineffective). This counts as Response 8.
W 2/19 Applying Zimdar's label to your article; freewrites
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/24):
- Work on Rough Draft of Essay 2 (use ideas from response 7 and 8 and today's freewrites to help begin rough draft)
- First Draft of Essay 2 Due on W 3/1; Upload to Ulearn
- Submit Draft to Tutor.com when you upload first full/official draft on 2/26
WEEK 8
M 2/24 Workday for Draft (can work outside of class)
HOMEWORK (DUE 2/26):
- Continue to develop and revise Essay 2
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
M 3/17 Final Draft of Essay 2 Due with Reflection; Watch Ex Machina in Class (JE in
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 Alex + Ada & Ex Machina and Gender Messages (series of free writes)
HOMEWORK (DUE 3/31):
WEEK 12
M 3/31 Work on Proposal in Class
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 with Reflection
HOMEWORK (DUE 4/27):
WEEK 16
M 4/28 Final Exam (Arguing How an Author Shapes Their Message in a Visual Text);
Submit to ulearn by 5:45pm
