NCSU Department of Communication

COM498M::Mobile Technologies and Cultures
Instructor: Dr. Adriana de Souza e Silva

 

Syllabus

Class schedule

Assignments

Students

Readings & resources

Weblog



Introduction

 

Week Day Topic Videos Readings due Presentations Assignments

0
Introduction

Mon.
08.28

 

Course overview

. The concept of interfaces.

       

1
no-class


Mon. 09.04

no class: Labor Day

2
Sociability
Mon. 09.11 Cell phones as social technologies

Denise Calls Up Howard Rheingold, "Introduction" (pp. xi - xxii)

 

  Blog posts

 

3
History
Mon.
09.18
History of wireless and cell phones

  Eric Abrahamson, "Hear Me Now".

Richard Ling, "Introduction" (pp. 11-17)

visit from the library Blog posts



Part I: Defining the mobile interface

 

4
Defining the mobile interface
Mon. 09.25 Ubiquitous and Wearable Computing

Cyberman (+ articles about interface of the future) Mark Weiser, "Designing calm technology" AND "The world is not a desktop"

.

Howard Rheingold, "The era of sentient things" (pp. 83-112).

 


Blog posts
5
Defining the mobile interface
Mon. 10.02 Location-awareness Blast Theory, “Can You See Me Now?”

Blast Theory, “Uncle Roy All Around You”

(+ articles on location-based services)

Licoppe and Inada, "Emergent uses of a multiplayer location-aware mobile game" (pp. 39-61).

Benford et. al. "Uncle Roy All Around You" (pp. 1-10).

 

  Blog posts

6
Defining the mobile interface

 

Mon. 10.09

SMS and camera-phones

 

 

Richard Ling, "Texting and the Growth of Asynchronous Discourse" (pp. 145-167)

Fumitoshi Kato et. al., "Uses and possibilities of the ketai camera" (pp. 300-310)

Presentation 01: RL chapter 07 - "Texting and the Growth of Asynchronous Discourse" (pp. 145-167), by Ray White and Will Joyner

 

Blog posts

7
Defining the mobile interface
Mon. 10.16 Mobile Internet (WAP vs. I-mode). Cell phone generations

  Howard Rheingold
"Wireless Quilts" (pp. 133-156),

Kakuko Miyata et. al., "The mobile-izing Japanese" (pp. 143-164)

Presentation 02: Howard Rheingold
"Wireless Quilts" (pp. 133-156), by Laren Georges and John Holt

 

Blog posts

8
mid-term

 

Mon. 10.23

 

 

 

  -- final paper proposal due

-- mid-term exam



Part II: Current issues on the mobile interface

 

9
Current issues on the mobile interface
Mon. 10.30 Micro- and macro-coordination   Richard Ling, "The coordination of everyday life" ( pp. 57-82)

Howard Rheingold, "Smart Mobs: The power of the mobile many" (pp. 157-182)

 

Presentation 03: RL chapter 4 - "The coordination of everyday life" ( pp. 57-82), by Lynden Price and Shanita Fulford

Presentation 04: Howard Rheingold, "Smart Mobs: The power of the mobile many" (pp. 157-182), by Lindsay Hite and Danielle Tibbetts

Blog posts

-- paper sources due

10
Current issues on the mobile interface
Mon. 11.06 Public / private

Safety / security

  Richard Ling, “Safety and Security” (pp. 35-55)

Richard Ling, "The intrusive nature of mobile telephony" (pp. 123-144)"

 

Presentation 05: RL chapter 03 - “Safety and Security” (pp. 35-55), by Shawn Downey and Ian McShane

Presentation 06: RL chapter 06 - "The intrusive nature of mobile telephony" (pp. 123-144), by Ryan Fedell and Lauren Kontos

 

Blog posts

 

 

11
Current issues on the mobile interface
Mon. 11.13 Identity   Sadie Plant, "On the Mobile" (pp. 1-45)

Richard Ling, “The mobile phone and the teens” (pp. 83-122)

 

Presentation 07: RL chapter 5: “The mobile phone and the teens” (pp. 83-122), by Mike O'Rourke and Ronny Nause

Presentation 08: Sadie Plant, "On the Mobile" (pp. 1-45), by Steven Fulton

 

 

Blog posts

-- paper outline due



Part III: Site-specific factors

12
Site-specific factors
Mon. 11.20 Japan and Asian countries   Howard Rheingold, "Shibuya Ephiphany" (pp. 1-28)

Misa Matsuda, “Discourses of Keitai in Japan” (pp. 19-40)

 

 

 

Blog posts

 

13
Site-specific factors
Mon. 11.27 Developing World (Brazil, Latin America, Africa, India)   Leonardi, Leonardi & Hudson, "Culture, organization, and contradiction in the social construction of technology", (pp. 205-226)

Adriana de Souza e Silva, "Cell phones and places: The use of mobile technologies in Brazil"

 

  Blog posts

-- help with final paper

14
Mobile Art
Mon. 12.04 Final presentations

 

 

 

-- final paper due

final presentations

15
Finals Week

 

Mon. 12.11