Syllabusted!

COMM 2500; Introduction to New Media/Participatory Media; Summer 2011

Dr. Lance Strate, Faculty Memorial Hall, Room 434A

Telephone: (718) 817-4864; E-mail: strate@fordham.edu

Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 5-6 PM, or by appointment.

http://lancestrate.blogspot.com http://twitter.com/LanceStrate

http://www.myspace.com/lancestrate http://www.myspace.com/lancestrate/blog

http://www.facebook.com/lancestrate http://www.linkedin.com/lancestrate

http://www.youtube.com/lancestrate http://lancestrate.mevio.com

http://friendfeed.com/lancestrate http://foursquare.com/user/lancestrate

Point of View of This Course:

In this course, we will create a collaborative learning environment in order to explore, examine, and understand the contemporary media environment, and what has variously been known as new media, participatory media, interactive media, digital media, computer media, cybermedia, hypermedia, online media, networked media, etc. Together, we will study the history and forms of new media, address issues of media control, convergence and convertibility, and begin to explore the cognitive and cultural implications of living in a digital age.

Required Text:

Communication and Cyberspace: Social Interaction in an Electronic Environment (2nd Ed.), edited by Lance Strate, Ron L. Jacobson, & Stephanie Gibson.

Additional readings will be provided in class or online.

Course Objectives:

1. To explore and participate in the contemporary media environment.

2. To examine the contemporary media environment from a variety of different perspectives, including the aesthetic, phenomenological, philosophical, critical, historical, anthropological, psychological, and media ecological.

3. To analyze the personal, social, and cultural implications of the contemporary media environment.

Evaluation:

1. Participation. First, there is the Fordham College policy that unexcused absences are grounds for failure. Second, there is the basic requirement that you attend class with a minimum of absences (excused or unexcused), and that you come to class on time and remain for the full duration of class. Third, you need to participate sensibly during class meetings. Fourth, there will also be opportunities to participate online via the class discussion group. Participation will account for 25% of the final grade.

2. Written Assignments. You will be required to post written work on our class blog based on assigned topics discussed in class and assigned readings, as well as commenting on the posts of your classmates. At minimum, you are expected to provide one entry of your own for each class meeting. Your written work will be graded in terms of quantity, timeliness, and quality, and will account for 50% of the final grade.

3. Examination. There will be a final examination, which will account for 25% of the final grade.

Tentative Schedule:

Jul. 5 Introduction to the Class

Jul. 6 New Media vs. Old Media

Jul. 7 Electricity and Telecommunications

Jul. 11 Information Theory

Jul. 12 Cybernetics and Systems Theory

Jul. 13 Computer Technology

Jul. 14 Digital vs. Analog
Reading Due: "Cut, Copy, and Paste" (handout)

Jul. 18 Cyberspace
Reading Due: Introduction, Introductions to Sections 1-4,

& "Varieties of Cyberspace" (handout)

Jul. 19 Virtual and Artificial Realities
Reading Due: Chaps. 5, 6, 7, 14

Jul. 20 The Internet
Reading Due: Chaps. 8, 9

Jul. 21 Computer-Mediated Communication
Reading Due: Chaps. 19, 20

Jul. 25 Electric Writing and Hypertext
Reading Due: Chaps. 15, 16, 17

Jul. 26 Computer-Mediated Education

Reading Due: Chaps. 12, 13, & the Epilogue

Jul. 27 Cybertime

Reading Due: Chap. 22

Jul. 28 Privacy, Copyright, and Other Issues
Reading Due: Chaps. 1, 4, 10, 11, 18

Aug. 1 Questions of Control
Reading Due: Chaps. 2, 3, 21

Aug. 2 Web 2.0 and Social Media

Aug. 3 TBA

Aug. 4 Final Exam