Assignment
1) Compare Brey's arguments regarding misrepresentation and bias in virtual environments, especially in virtual reality (VR) applications, to Buchanan's argument in chapter 10 concerning gender bias in the representation (or lack of it) in video games. (Brey's arguments can be found in the 4th edition of the textbook on page 349. Go to Doc Sharing to download the 4th edition in PDF format.) How are their arguments similar? How are they different? Defend your answer. Please elaborate (beyond a yes or no answer) and provide your "theoretical" rationale in support of your responses. (knowledge)
2) Describe some pros and cons of online communities. What does Mitch Parsell mean when he says that online communities with an "extremely narrow focus" contribute to social polarization? Assess his arguments for that claim. Do you agree with Parsell? On balance, have online communities enhanced or threatened community life? Explain. Elaborate (beyond a yes or no answer) and provide your "theoretical" rationale in support of your responses. (comprehension)
3) Evaluate the argument by Cocking and Matthews for why true friendships in pure virtual (or online-only) contexts are not possible. Assess the counterargument by Briggle. Does Briggle succeed in making the case for the possibility of genuine friendships in purely virtual contexts? Whose argument do you find most convincing? Defend your answer. Please elaborate (beyond a yes or no answer) and provide your "theoretical" rationale in support of your responses. (comprehension)
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
(1) The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
(2) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
(3) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.