7.0331 Augustine of Hippo -- an e-course? (1/42)
Elaine Brennan (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Sun, 5 Dec 1993 12:42:34 EST
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 7, No. 0331. Sunday, 5 Dec 1993.
Date: Sat, 4 Dec 1993 11:04:34 -0500 (EST)
From: jod@ccat.sas.upenn.edu (James O'Donnell)
Subject: AUGIE-L?
(please repost)
In the spring term beginning 10 January and running through early May, I
will be teaching a course for grads and advanced undergrads at Penn that
will comprise an introduction to the professional study of the life,
works, and influence of Augustine of Hippo, as well as directed reading
of pieces of his works in the original Latin. The course will include an
orientation to the primary and secondary literature, identification of
and some discussion of main themes, and reading of specimen passages,
both in English and in Latin, in A.'s works. I am also of a mind to find
a way to make as much as possible of this course available by Internet,
through a controlled listserv list (AUGIE-L?).
I'm posting now to invite suggestions how this can best be done. A
minimal approach would consist of: posting syllabus, bibliography, etc.
at the outset, then each week having one liveware participant in the
Monday afternoon seminar detailed to post a summary of discussions on the
net that evening, with the net part of the seminar then continuing
through that week. Liveware participants would be more or less coerced
to have e-access (our students can get this now) and to participate in
both parts of the course. I am tempted by the possibilities of MUD/MOO
interaction, but have no facility handy for doing that.
It would probably not be possible to offer "credit" for work done by net,
but I would entertain proposals from those who wished to do sustained
work, e.g., write a serious paper. I *suppose* I could charge a modest
fee (suggestions for how much?) to read and criticize drafts of such a
paper, and in return would be willing and able to write a letter of
recommendation for such an author. (If the paper is so bad I can't write
you a letter, you pay no fee . . .)
This is just at the vaporware stage and there is time to refine the
idea: I will certainly publish to relevant lists signup instructions
when the time comes, but in the meantime would very much appreciate
suggestions, cautions, expressions of outrage, etc.
Jim O'Donnell
Classics, U. of Penn
jod@ccat.sas.upenn.edu