Crash Course – A glimpse of Notre Dame classes in action!
5 videos • 4 views • by ND College of Arts and Letters Each session features an A&L professor leading a class pulled directly from some of the most popular and riveting courses on campus. Course topics focus on generative artificial intelligence, living a good life, football in America, creating compelling characters through voiceover, sports economics, and more! 2024 Courses AI in the Wild 9.6.2024 (vs. Northern Illinois) with John Behrens and Alexi Orchard (Technology and Digital Studies) Generative artificial intelligence is a type of AI in which computer systems generate media such as text, images, sound, video, or combinations based on prompts or other information provided to the computer. These systems — including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Midjourney, and DALL-E — are evolving rapidly and have led to extreme excitement, confusion, and fear. In this session, attendees will actively participate in learning how systems like ChatGPT work, how to predict and manage their behavior, and how to consider some of the social and personal consequences of their application. Football in America 9.20.2024 (vs. Miami University) with Katherine Walden (American Studies) Since the late 19th century, football has occupied an important place for those wishing to define and understand America. And Notre Dame football plays a central role in that story — the mythic proportions of the University’s football program cast a long shadow on the institution’s history, cultural significance, and traditions. This course focuses on Notre Dame football history as an entry point into larger questions about the cultural, historical, and social significance of football in the United States. God and the Good Life 9.27.2024 (vs. Louisville) with Paul Blaschko (Philosophy) In God and the Good Life, an incredibly popular introductory philosophy course, students explore the big questions about how to live a meaningful life — what justifies your beliefs, whether you should practice a religion, what sacrifices you should make for others, and more. They learn what the greats like Plato, Aristotle, and Descartes have to say on issues like these, and then develop their own vision for what a good life should be. In this session, attendees will learn why philosophers have long thought that achieving happiness is the ultimate goal of a well-lived life and will consider how our contemporary conception of happiness compares to that of the Ancient Greeks. Great Speeches 10.11.2024 (vs. Stanford) with John Duffy (English) This course examines the rhetoric of great speakers and speeches throughout history. In studying speeches by such figures as Pericles, Abraham Lincoln, Sojourner Truth, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, and others, we seek to understand what makes a great speech. Why do some speeches resonate long after they were delivered, while others are quickly and perhaps mercifully forgotten? We consider the performance of the speaker, the artistry of the language, the psychology of the audience, and the historical context in which the speech was delivered. The Character's Voice 11.8.2024 (vs. Florida State) with Siiri Scott (Film, Television, and Theatre) Siiri Scott, head of acting and directing in the Department of Film, Television, and Theatre, is an award-winning narrator of audiobooks and often portrays dozens of characters in her work. In this interactive session, attendees will learn to create a range of characters using voiceover artists’ methodology to build character through sound. How many character voices can we create in 45 minutes? Let’s find out! Sports Economics 11.15.2024 (vs. Virginia) with Davin Raiha (Economics) Ever wonder how the economy impacts the world of sports beyond just team revenues and profits? In this session, attendees will explore how global macroeconomic forces shape the competitive landscape of sports and influence championship outcomes. This course will examine a detailed case study demonstrating how macroeconomic events originating from the other side of the planet led to the downfall of the Chicago Blackhawks hockey dynasty. Additionally, we will discuss valuable lessons learned and strategies for sports teams and leagues to prepare for similar economic challenges. Visit the full archive of previous lectures in the College's Ahead of the Game and Saturday Scholars series (including video for many).