Syllabus

DMST 4200: Critical Approaches to Digital Media
Winter 2009
Professor: Adrienne Russell
Tuesdays 12:00-1:50
Sturm Hall Room 476
Office Hours: Tuesday 11:00-12:00 or by apt.
Office: Sturm Hall 212 Contact: adrienne.russell@du.edu
Course Blog: http://winter2009-4200.blogspot.com/

This course introduces graduate students some of the major historical, cultural, sociopolitical, philosophical, and other critical trends in this field of Digital Media Studies. The rapid growth of participatory culture online through, for example, interactive news sites, community boards, bookmarking, tagging, virtual worlds, gaming, IM, social networking, and blogging has significant social implications and brings up issues of privacy, intellectual property, and the nature of community and public engagement. This class will explore these issues as they manifest in various cases including politics, intellectual property, youth culture, activism, journalism and art. Particular emphasis will be placed on the question of how new media differs from mass media across various fields of cultural production (music, news, advertising, for example) and on what influence new digital products and practices might have on these industries and on cultures and societies more generally.

The objectives of this course are two-fold: 1) to become familiar with the various cultural, economic, and political forces that help shape the digital technologies and practices and that vie to determine its future; 2) develop analytical and theoretical tools to examine a specific Internet space, issue, topic, or phenomenon. The aim of this course is not simply to accumulate facts, but to develop analytical and theoretical tools to examine digital media products and practices. We will use two methods in our research. The first centers on our own observations. Students are encouraged to bring up in class digital media artifacts that relate to the issues and ideas being covered. The second method is based on close reading of the assigned texts. Students are expected to have read the assigned chapters and articles before the class period for which they are scheduled to be discussed.

Classes will combine lectures, student presentations, and discussion. We'll conduct discussions both within the traditional classroom setting and on a course blog. Please remember that discussion is a way of helping you to see different sides of issues and to evaluate different arguments. It is essential in the development of your thinking that you participate in discussions and that you work to express your thoughts effectively.

REQUIRED BOOKS
Convergence Culture by Henry Jenkins
Remix by Lawrence Lessig
Digital Media and Democracy (ed) Megan Boler
Networked Publics (ed) Kazys Varnelis

COURSE BLOG
You will receive an invitation via email to join our blog group. Please follow the directions in the email. This will be used both as an extended discussion format, a graffiti wall, and an ongoing exercise in collaborative linking.

ORGANIZATION OF COURSE AND ASSIGNMENTS
Assignment #1: Discussion Group Leader

Due date varies (but always 24 hours before assigned session).

Each student will serve as discussion group leader for one session. As discussion group leader, you will be expected to read ahead, and read thoroughly, for your assigned session. At least 24 hours prior to your assigned class, blog a three-page (800-900 word) response that identifies overarching themes and questions that emerge in relation to each of the readings, and that we need to be sure to discuss in our seminar. This can be in the form of a narrative or an outline with a list of thought-provoking questions. Include between one and three links to news stories, reviews, art, advertisements, youtube entries, or other materials that are relevant to and/or expressive of ideas and themes in the readings.

Assignment #2: Respondent

Due date varies (but always 6 hours before assigned session).

Each student will serve as respondent for one session. As respondent, you are expected to select one of the readings for the day and to also read the discussion group leader’s blogged responses to the readings. Then, you will write your own one-page (300 word) response/question to the reading(s) and the posted links. Add one of your own links to the blog.

Assignment #3: Final Critical Paper and Presentation

This is your opportunity to produce a critical essay on digital media in the form of an 15-20 page double spaced paper, or can provide the equivalent amount of text (or 5 minutes audio/video) in an online format (Check out Michael Wesch’s “A Vision of Students Today” for an idea of what an online interpretive essay could look like). If you opt for an alternative format, you will need to turn in a critical script or some form of documentation that demonstrates background research that is the equivalent of a 15-20 page essay.

The aim of this final paper/project is: 1) to relate historical and/or contemporary developments in the theoretical study of digital media to a specific current use, application, and/or creative practice; 2) to situate a main topic of exploration within a larger set of theoretical, social, and cultural issues; and 3) to accurately describe relevant technical issues and to set these issues within a larger context of theories of technology and social change.

To support your discussion, draw upon and cite at least 2 of the required readings from this course and at least 10 other scholarly books, articles, or essays (these can include general theoretical sources or academic studies of specific empirical cases that are somehow similar to yours). This is a total of at least 12 academic references.

This final assignment will be broken into four parts: topic selection, preliminary annotated bibliography, literature review, and final paper. You must turn in each part by the deadline to receive full credit for this assignment.

For the final project, please plan to cite references using endnotes in Harvard or Chicago style.

EVALUATION
Class participation 20 %
Discussion leader 30 %
Discussion respondent 10 %
Paper 30 %
Paper presentation 10 %

ACADEMIC HONESTY
Please be honest in your work. You are expected to express your thoughts in your own words and to use citations when using other people’s words or ideas. Any form of dishonesty in this class will result in an F, either for the assignment or for the entire course, depending on the incident. If you have questions or are unsure about a particular practice, please ask me for help before you turn in the assignment in question.