COM257-001::Media History & Theory

NCSU Department of Communication

COM257-001::Media History & Theory
Instructor: Dr. Adriana de Souza e Silva

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Syllabus

Part I: Concepts for the study of (New) Media
Weeks	Days	Topics	Readings due	Presentations	Classroom activities	Assignments
0	Wed. 08.20	course overview
1	Mon. 08.25	Introduction: What is New Media?	Manovich, "What's new media?" (pp. 18-61)			Blog post 01
1	Wed. 08.27				visit from the library choose working groups Discussion: What is New Media?
2	Mon. 09.01	no class - labor day
2	Wed. 09.03	Interface	Manovich, "The Interface" (pp. 62-93)		- Xerox PARC	Blog post 02
3	Mon. 09.08	Mobility / Speed	Kellerman, "Technologies" (pp. 72-108)			Blog post 03
3	Wed. 09.10				Discussion
4	Mon. 09.15	Space / Place	Manovich, "The forms: Navigable space" (pp. 244-285)			Blog post 04
4	Wed. 09.17			Presentation 01: (by Scott Andrews, and Robert Bullard) 1. Doom (Id Software) 2. Osmose (Char Davies)
5	Mon. 09.22	Information / Materiality	Hayles, "The condition of virtuality" (pp. 68-94)			Blog post 05
5	Wed. 09.24			Presentation 02: (by Adair Crane, Tucker Frazier, and Betsy Newsome) 1. Myst (Millers) 2. Universal Turing Machine (Roman Verostko) 3. The ornament of grammar (Andre Kopra)		Give questions Mid-term
6	Mon. 09.29	Interfaces			Discussion: - articles: interface of 21st century - Jeff Hann demo	Mid-term due
6	Wed. 10.01	Databases	Manovich, "The forms: The database" (pp. 218-233)	Discussion: Memex.		Blog post 06
Part II: "When old technologies were new"
7	Mon. 10.07	Book / Print	Hobart & Schiffman, "Printing and the rupture of classification" (pp. 87-111)			Blog post 07
7	Wed. 10.08			Presentation 03: (by Angie Spence, Demi Olubanwo, and Evan Crim) 1. The Book of Kells (795 - 806 A.D.) 2. 42-line Bible (Gutenberg) 3. Movable type printing 10.29)	Discussion
8	Mon. 10.13	19th century technologies (electricity, train, telephone, telegraph)	Briggs & Burke, "Processes and patterns" (pp. 121-187)			Blog post 08
8	Wed. 10.15			Presentation 04: (by David Orr, Barret Brown, and Ellen Easter) 1. Clavilux (Thomas Wilfred) 2. The great train robbery (Edwin S. Porter) 3. Art by Telephone (1969, Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago)	Discussion
9	Mon. 10.20	The Age of Broadcasting	Briggs & Burke, "Information, Education, Entertainment" (pp. 216-233)	Videos: - War of the Worlds - Radio Days	Discussion: Radio articles	Blog post 9
9	Wed. 10.22	The Age of Television	Briggs & Burke, "Information, Education, Entertainment" (pp. 233-266)			Blog post 10
Part III: How to understand New Media as Media
10	Mon. 10.27	E-text (Hypertext, Cybertext, Technotext)	Aarseth, "Nolinearity and literary theory" (pp. 766-776)			Blog post 11
10	Wed. 10.29			Presentation 06: (by Allie Nash, Katie Rios, and Lynette Williams) 1. Xanadu (Ted Nelson) 2. Afternoon, A Story (Michael Joyce) 3. Adventure (Crowther & Woods)
11	Mon. 11.03	Internet	Abbate, "Popularizing the Internet" (pp. 181-220)			Blog post 12
11	Wed. 11.05	Internet
12	Mon. 11.10	Web 2.0	Jenkins, "Interactive audiences?" (pp. 134-151)			Blog post 13
12	Wed. 11.12			Presentation 07: (by Cory Knapp, and Paul Frateschi) 1. Naspter 2. Orkut	Discussion
13	Mon. 11.17	Gaming MUDs History chart Games History table	Nielsen, Smith, & Tosca, "History" (pp. 45-96)			Blog post 14
13	Wed. 11.19			Presentation 08: (by Tomas Harris, and Chelsea Boham) 1. Dungeons and Dragons (Gygax and Arneson) 2. SpaceWar!	Discussion
14	Mon. 11.24	Mobile Media History of cell phones table	Farley, "Mobile telephone history" (pp. 22-34)			Blog post 15
14	Wed. 11.26	no class - Thanksgiving
15	Mon. 12.01				Discussion: LBS (Mscape, Mogi Mogi, Flash Mobs)	Give questions final exam.
15	Wed. 12.03	Final class discussion
16 Finals week	Mon. 12.08	Finals week (no class)				Final exam due
16 Finals week	Wed. 12.11	Finals week (no class)