:: evolution and trends in digital media technologies ::

readings

Reading summaries are due 8 am Monday (on your personal blog) before Tuesday's class unless otherwise noted. Guide to writing in this class (pdf)

Peer Groups are also discussion groups.

• Week 2 - 11 Oct
• Week 3 - 18 Oct
• Week 4 - 25 Oct
• Week 5 - 1 Nov
• Week 6 - 8 Nov
• Week 7 - 15 Nov
• Week 8 - 22 Nov

• "Introduction" and "Chapter 1: The Telegraph," from Media Technology and Society.
• "Social Aspects of New Media Technologies," from Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research, 1994. (eReserve)
• "How the Internet killed the phone business," from The Economist, 17 September 2005 (eReserve)

  Blog your reading assignment:
  Two "ah-ha's" from these readings as well as how they might apply to your possible research interests. Please read the posts of your study group (to better prepare you for next week's class) and reply to at least one student in your study group. Reading summaries are due 8 am Monday before Tuesday's class unless otherwise noted.

• Everyone: Chapters 2 & 3 from Media, Technology and Society, 1998.
• Everyone: Informing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman, 1990.

  Reading Summary:
  Discuss the importance of "supervening necessity" - can you think of other examples? What about the law of unintended consequences?
  
  For Class Discussion:
  Explore why new technologies are adopted, particularly those dealing with communication (and new media).

• Group 1 Also Read:
  "Determining Uses and Gratifications for the Internet," from Decision Sciences, Vol 35 No 2, March 2004.
• Group 3 Also Read:
  "Around the World Wide Web in 80 Ways: how motives for going online are linked to internet activities among politically interested internet users," from Social Science Computer Review, Vol 21 Issue 3, 2003.
  Both articles can be accessed (free) on campus using ProQuest. Let me know if you are unable to access these via ProQuest!
  • Pre-Class Deliverable for Groups 1,3:
    Synthesize all readings (class and group) and supplement discussion material with at least one additional reading per group member.
    
    Each group member posts, to the class blog, a reaction to the assigned reading(s)* that includes a short abstract (with link) of the supplemental resource. These blog posts are due 6 pm day of class.
    
    * Each person does not have to read all discussion readings!
    Class blog: typepad.com - login and pwd is com546 - note case. For "category," select your group. You will need to "sign" your post with your own name. You are not required to make a different post to your personal blog this week; feel free to put the same post in both blogs if you like.
• In Class Process:
  Each group (1&3) will have about 45 minutes to discuss the readings and the supplemental materials and agree upon key learnings. Groups 2, 4 and 5 will discuss the core reading and I will work with them on recording roles.
  
  We will then break into groups so that a member of each team is in each group (a group will be composed of one person from 1-2-3-4-5). Now the groups will share the key points and learnings from all the readings and supplemental materials. Members of Groups 2 and 5 will record. We will then have a class debrief.
• Group 2&5 Will Serve as Recorders

• Everyone: "Technologies of the Third Mediamorphosis," by Roger Fidler (eReserve)

  Reading Summary:
  Discuss the effects of applying computing power to communication.
  
  For Class Discussion:
  What factors have led to the adoption of computing technologies? Where do you see communication technologies moving in the future? What audiences, applications? Why? How do we, as a society, decide to fund long-range research that may or may not "pay off"?

• Group 2 Also Read:
  Chapters 9-10 from Winston
• Group 4 Also Read:
  "As We May Think," by Vannevar Bush from The Atlantic Monthly, July 1945.
  • Pre-Class Deliverable for Groups 2,4:
    Synthesize all readings (class and group) and supplement discussion material with at least one additional reading per group member.
    
    Each group member posts, to the class blog, a reaction to the assigned reading(s)* that includes a short abstract (with link) of the supplemental resource. These blog posts are due 6 pm day of class.
    
    * Each person does not have to read all discussion readings!
    Class blog: typepad.com - login and pwd is com546 - note case. For "category," select your group. You will need to "sign" your post with your own name. You are not required to make a different post to your personal blog this week; feel free to put the same post in both blogs if you like.
• Groups 1&3 Will Serve As Recorders

• Everyone: "Ecologizing Mobile Media," by Howard Rheingold. 2004.
• Everyone: Chapter 1 & 3 from The World is Flat, 2005.
  • Group 1 ­ Chapter 2, Flattener 1 & 2
  • Group 2 ­ Chapter 2, Flattener 3 & 4
  • Group 3 ­ Chapter 2, Flattener 5 & 6
  • Group 4 ­ Chapter 2, Flattener 7 & 8
  • Group 5 ­ Chapter 2, Flattener 9 & 10

  Reading Summary:
  General reaction to Friedman's thesis: anything new for you? What do you disagree with? What are the implications for the US economy and position in the world?

• In Class Process:
  Each group will present a summary of their "flatteners" and be prepared to lead a short discussion (~15 minutes) of their material. We will have some class time for groups to formulate their strategies, learnings, but some pre-conferencing (IM, e-mail, etc) is advised. Someone from each group should be assigned the role of recorder and should post a summary of the reading/learnings to the class blog by 6 pm Friday.
  Class blog: typepad.com - login and pwd is com546 - note case. For "category," select your group. You will need to "sign" your post with your own name. You are not required to make a different post to your personal blog this week; feel free to put the same post in both blogs if you like.

• Everyone: "Communities in Cyberspace" - eReserve.
• Everyone: Chapter 18 and Conclusion, Winston.

  Questions to Jumpstart Your Reading Summary:
  
  What types of community have you experienced online? How have they differed from off-line communities? What characteristics of the Internet (the computing network) affect the growth, power, effectiveness of online communities?
  
  For Class Discussion:
  Explore characteristics of new media. What do you agree with, disagree with? Why? How do these characteristics affect online community?

• Group 1 Also Read:
  "Networks of Remediation" from Remediation: Understanding New Media by Jay David Bolter and Richard Grusin (1999) OR "The Medium Is The Message" from Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man by Marshall McLuhan (1964) [The group can decide how to assign the readings among the members.]
• Group 5 Also Read:
  "Principles of New Media" from The Language of New Media by Lev Manovich (2001)
  • Pre-Class Deliverable for Groups 1,5:
    Synthesize all readings (class and group) and supplement discussion material. GROUP 5 ONLY PROVIDE at least one additional reading per group member.
    
    Each group member posts, to the class blog, a reaction to the assigned reading(s)*. Group 5 only: the post includes a short abstract (with link) of the supplemental resource. These blog posts are due 6 pm day of class.
    
    * Each person does not have to read all discussion readings!
    Class blog: typepad.com - login and pwd is com546 - note case. For "category," select your group. You will need to "sign" your post with your own name. You are not required to make a different post to your personal blog this week; feel free to put the same post in both blogs if you like.
• Groups 2&4 Will Serve As Recorders

• Everyone: "The Tragedy of the Commons" by Garret Hardin from Science Magazine (1968).
  This is the ONLY reading for Groups 1 - 3 - 5
  ONLY Groups 1 - 3 - 5 are required to read/comment on a fellow class member posting

  Questions to Jumpstart Your Reading Summary:
  
  How does the theory of the commons relate to the Internet, community, or politics?

• Everyone: Groups 2 and 4 Netizens: An Anthology, The Net and the Future of Politics: The Ascendency of the Commons

  FOCUS On pp1-5, 10-12, 15-22, 24-25

  Questions to Jumpstart Your Reading Summary:
  
  What are your experiences with electronic government or eDemocracy; how would you rate them? Is this evolution good or bad, and why?
  
  For Class Discussion:
  What do you see as the future role of new media in public discourse? How is it similar to or different from other break-through media? How is the Internet a like public space, a "commons"?

• Group 2 Also Read:
  Hate and peace in a connected world: Comparing MoveOn and Stormfront Noriko Hara and Zilia Estrada, First Monday, 11 Nov 2003
• Group 4 Also Read:
  e-Government, e-Society and Jordan: Strategy, theory, practice, and assessment, Michael Blakemore and Roderic Dutton, First Monday, 14 Oct 2003
  • Pre-Class Deliverable for Groups 2,4:
    Synthesize all readings (class and group) and supplement discussion material with at least one additional reading per group member.
    
    Each group member posts, to the class blog, a reaction to the assigned reading(s)* that includes a short abstract (with link) of the supplemental resource. These blog posts are due 6 pm day of class.
    
    * Each person does not have to read all discussion readings!
    Class blog: typepad.com - login and pwd is com546 - note case. For "category," select your group. You will need to "sign" your post with your own name. You are not required to make a different post to your personal blog this week; feel free to put the same post in both blogs if you like.
• Groups 3&5 Will Serve As Recorders

• ONLY Groups 1 - 3 - 5 (all three groups post to class blog)
  Chapter 1: From Tom Paine to Blogs and Beyond from We The Media (pdf)

  Questions to Jumpstart Your Reading Summary:
  What is your experiences with blogs - as principle writer, reader, contributor. If you have no experience with blogs, explore these links
  
  For Class Discussion:
  How has the Internet affected traditional mass media (newspapers, radio, television) and how have the media responded (suppression or adoption)? Do some crystal ball gazing and hypothesize what the media landscape might look like in 10 years.

• Group 3 Also Read:
  "Role of the Internet in National and Local News Media Use" from Journal of Online Behavior by Eric Riedel, Amy Gangl, Alina Oxendine, Melinda Jackson, John L. Sullivan, and Eugene Borgida (1:3) (2003).
• Group 5 Also Read:
  "Coda: The Advent of the Media" from The Creation of The Media, Political Origins of Modern Communications by Paul Starr (2004). (eReserve)
  • Pre-Class Deliverable for Groups 3,5:
    Synthesize all readings (class and group) and supplement discussion material with at least one additional reading per group member.
    
    Each group member posts, to the class blog, a reaction to the assigned reading(s)* that includes a short abstract (with link) of the supplemental resource. These blog posts are due 6 pm day of class.
    
    * Each person does not have to read all discussion readings!
    Class blog: typepad.com - login and pwd is com546 - note case. For "category," select your group. You will need to "sign" your post with your own name. You are not required to make a different post to your personal blog this week; feel free to put the same post in both blogs if you like.
• Groups 1&4 Will Serve As Recorders

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