This is the schedule for the course. Because of the experimental and emergent nature of the class, changes are quite probable – always consult the online version to find the updated information and links to readings.

Four books are required in this class, available at the College Bookstore and on reserve in the library:

Yochai Benkler, The wealth of networks : how social production transforms markets and freedom (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006), HM851 .B457 2006

Ian Bogost, Persuasive games : the expressive power of videogames (Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press, 2007), GV1469.34.S52 B64 2007

Henry Jenkins, Convergence culture : where old and new media collide (New York : New York University Press, 2006), P94.65.U6 J46 2006

Scott McCloud, Understanding comics : the invisible art (New York : HarperPerennial, 1994), PN6710 .M335 1994

Other readings will be available linked from this schedule and on eRes (password: 5559jm).

Schedule

Unless otherwise noted, readings are due for Tuesday’s class each week.

Week of Feb 12: Thinking about Media Technology
READ
(for Thursday): Joshua Meyrowitz, “Images of Media” [eRes]
Henry Jenkins, “Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture” [see Project New Media Literacies for more on this project]
LAB: Intro to blogs & wikis

Week of Feb 19: Foundations in Medium Studies
READ:
Marshall McLuhan, “The Medium is the Message” [eRes]
Joshua Meyrowitz, “Canonic Anti-Text” [eRes]
Casey Man Kong Lum, excerpts from “Notes Toward an Intellectual History of Media Ecology” [eRes]
LAB: Audio & Podcasting
EVENT: 2/21 – Eric Faden presents “A Fair(y) Use Tale,” 12:30 in Ross B11; Prof. Faden will visit our class at 1:30.

Week of Feb 26: Comics as Medium
READ:
Scott McCloud, Understanding Comics
Matt Madden, Exercises in Style
Greg Smith, “Shaping the Maxx” [eRes or online]
LAB: Video editing

Week of March 4: Remix Culture
READ:
Henry Jenkins, Convergence Culture, Introduction, Chapters 1 & 4
Jonathan Lethem, “The Ecstasy of Influence” [online]
LISTEN: James Boyle, “Reinventing the Gatekeeper” (online lecture)
LAB: Podcasts due in lab

Week of March 11: Videogames as Medium
READ:
Ian Bogost, Persuasive Games, ch. 1-4
Henry Jenkins, “Games, The New Lively Art
LAB: Introducing the game lab

Week of March 18: Videogame Culture
READ: Ian Bogost, Persuasive Games, remainder of book
Jane McGonigal, “Why I Love Bees
LAB: Remix videos due in lab

Week of March 25:
Spring Break!
(Start reading Benkler’s book…)

Week of April 1: The Networked Economy
READ: Yochai Benkler, Wealth of Networks, ch. 1-5
LAB: Introducing Flash

Week of April 8: The Networked Society
READ: Yochai Benkler, Wealth of Networks, ch. 6-10
LAB: More Flash
DUE: Videogame analysis due in class on Thurs, 4/10
EVENT: Randy Bass, Friday 4/11

Week of April 15: Virtual Worlds
READ: Yochai Benkler, Wealth of Networks, rest of book
Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash (excerpt in eRes)
Cory Ondrejka, “Education Unleashed: Participatory Culture, Education, and Innovation in Second Life
Wikipedia article on Second Life
LAB: Second Life

Week of April 22: Media Convergence
READ:
Henry Jenkins, Convergence Culture, remainder of book
LAB: Work on Flash & final projects
Flash project due in class, 4/24

Week of April 29: Social Software
READ:
danah boyd & Nicole Ellison, “Social Network Sites
danah boyd, “Why Youth ♥Social Network Sites
Nancy Scola, “Despite Negative Press, Facebook is an Agent for Social Change
LAB: Work on final projects

Week of May 6: Final Projects & Summing Up
No readings – just project presentations