 SYLLABUS
Introduction to Digital Media
E59.1003
Spring 2007
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Class Time: Tue/Thu 2pm-3:15pm
Class Location: 194 Mercer Street, room 207
Office Hours: Tue/Thu 3:30-5pm
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This course is an introduction to digital media, focusing on networks,
computers, the Web, and video games. Theoretical topics include the
formal qualities of new media, their political dimensions, as well as
questions of genre, narrative, and history. Students may
pursue either a writing track or a production track.
January 16--Course Introduction: What is "new media"?
I. Historical Context
January 18--Vannevar Bush, "As We May Think," (Reader).
January 23--Alan Turing, "Computing Machinery and Intelligence," (Reader).
January 25--Norbert Wiener, Cybernetics (Introduction), (Reader).
January 30--Lev Manovich, "The Automation of Sight: From Photography to Computer Vision," (Reader).
February 1--Lev Manovich, "How Media Became New," Language of New Media, pp. 21-26.
II. New Media as "Computer"
February 6--Lev Manovich, "Principles of New Media," Language of New Media, pp. 27-48.
February 8--Lev Manovich, "What New Media is Not," Language of New Media, pp. 49-61.
February 13--Janet Murray, "From Additive to Expressive Form," (Reader).
February 15--Lev Manovich, "The Operations," Language of New Media, pp. 117-145.
February 20--Lev Manovich, "The Operations," Language of New Media, pp. 145-175.
February 22--Lisa Nakamura, "Menu-Driven Identities: Making Race Happen Online," (Reader).
February 27--Midterm demos; midterm paper due
III. New Media as "Network"
March 1--Albert-László Barabási, Linked, pp. 9-54.
March 6--Albert-László Barabási, Linked, pp. 55-92.
March 8--Hans Magnus Enzensberger, "Constituents of a Theory of the Media," (Reader).
(March 13, 15--spring break)
March 20--Gilles Deleuze, "Postscript on Control Societies," (Reader).
March 22--Phil Agre, "Surveillance and Capture: Two Models of Privacy," (Reader).
March 27--Midterm examination.
IV. New Media as "Play"
March 29--Jorge Luis Borges, "The Garden of Forking Paths," (Reader).
April 3--Espen Aarseth, "Introduction: Ergodic Literature," (Reader).
April 5--Roger Caillois, "The Definition of Play" and "The Classification of Games," (Reader).
April 10--Jesper Juul, "Introduction," (Reader).
April 12--Lev Manovich, "The Forms," Language of New Media, pp. 213-243.
April 17--Lev Manovich, "The Forms," Language of New Media, pp. 244-285.
April 19--Alexander Galloway, "Gamic Action, Four Moments," (Reader).
April 24--Final project demos
April 26--Final project demos; final papers due.
REQUIREMENTS
Attendance and readings are both required. Thorough coverage of the
day's reading in advance of class is of utmost importance.
Each student will follow one of two tracks:
Writing Track
1) Midterm paper (5 pages)
2) Midterm test
3) Final paper (8-10 pages)
Note: All papers should demonstrate a close reading of the required
texts and visual material and exhibit a method of critical analysis.
Research papers, creative writing, memoirs, etc., are not
appropriate.
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Production Track
1) Midterm project prototype
2) Midterm test
3) Final project
Note: Students must get approval by the professor before pursuing this
track. No production skills will be taught in this course, nor can we
offer special access to hardware or software. Thus, students pursuing
the production track must be completely responsible for their own work.
Individualized sessions can be arranged with the professor if specific
help is needed.
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REQUIRED MATERIALS
Course Reader
Albert-László Barabási, Linked (Cambridge: Perseus, 2002).
Lev Manovich, The Language of New Media (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2001).
GRADE FORMULA
10% Class participation
30% Midterm paper/prototype
30% Midterm test
30% Final paper/project
GRADING RUBRIC
A — Excellent. Student exhibits exemplary creativity through a close
reading and critical analysis of the required materials. Style is lucid
and engaging with zero mistakes.
B — Good. References to the course material are well-selected and
topical. Critical analysis is present, but largely rehearsed from class
lecture and discussion. Student's style is clear and has very few
mistakes.
C — Satisfactory. References to the course material are well-selected
and topical, but student performs little or no critical analysis.
Problems exist in student's work. Work consists mostly of
underdeveloped ideas, off-topic sources or examples, inappropriate research,
or anecdotes.
D — Unsatisfactory. Student does not engage with the material and no
critical analysis is present. Substantial problems exist in student's
work.
F — Fail. Student does not submit work, or work is below unsatisfactory
level.
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