Course Learning Outcome:

By the end of this course the students will be able to express the roles that the virtues play in films  of different genres.

Lesson Objectives

Lesson 1

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to discuss the virtue of charity as it is present in the film Wall-E.

Lesson 2

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to discuss the virtue of hope as it is present in the film The Shawshank Redemption.

Lesson 3

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to discuss the virtue of faith as it is present in the film Good Will Hunting.

Lesson 4

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to discuss the virtue of faith as it is present in the film The Book of Eli.

Lesson 5

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to discuss the virtue of hope as it is present in the film Silver Linings Playbook.

Lesson 6

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to discuss the virtue of charity as it is present in the film Casablanca.

Lessons

For each of the six lessons, you should follow this order of operations:

•      Acquire and watch the film (the films are the “books” in this course)
•      Read the companion readings
•      Watch the film again while listening to the instructor’s commentary
•      Complete the quiz (completion grade, only)
•      Contribute your answer to the discussion question in the discussion forum

Evaluation

To get credit for this course, complete all the quizzes, contribute answers to the discussion board, and write a film analysis for your final project. You’ll have three films to choose from.

Audio Commentaries

On this page you’ll find a video explaining how to use the audio commentaries. Using the commentary is a lean-forward activity -- not a passive viewing experience. In fact, I recommend taking a break or two while listening to the lecture. At a pause point, just pause the audio and note the timecode on the film and the commentary when you take a break.

To assist you, I’ve provided an appendix in each lesson that gives you a roadmap of where the film and the commentary are supposed to sync up (however, differences in media players mean the timecodes won’t always be precise and universal). 

System Requirements:

The course is offered asynchronously on our LMS, NEO.  To access the course and complete it successfully, you will need an internet capable device with sound and a current internet browser: either the current or the previous release of Chrome, Firefox and Safari, or Internet Explorer 11+ (for Windows 8 and previous versions), and Microsoft Edge (for Windows 10+) to run the LMS.  In addition, courses require the use of, a PDF viewer, word-processing software compatible with Microsoft Office suite and a current email address. For help with the NEO platform see the Help Center in the LMS, found by clicking on the “?” in the upper right hand corner after you have logged in.  For log in questions, registration questions, or problems with missing content or content malfunctions, contact the teaching assistant, Elizabeth Froula at [email protected].

Proprietary Interest Policy:

Faculty are permitted to refer to notable past work and achievements (including publications and educational activities not offered by Pontifex University, and even those offered for personal profit) in their published biography on the Pontifex website and course promotions. In the context of educational activities undertaken for Pontifex University, including videos, live or recorded, teachers, can recommend or bring to the attention such work for students (even if for personal profit, for example, books or podcasts) but only with approval by Pontifex University and when it is related to the teaching purpose of the class.  An instructor’s related work will be noted in the syllabus as appropriate.  Instructors may use their own materials as required in their courses and learning events as long as the materials are appropriate for the particular learning event.

Failure to comply with this policy will result in a warning or administration modification of course materials. Violations of this policy should be reported to the Provost.