Spring 2013: Monday/Wednesday 2.00-3:20 in Kuhn 122
Dr. Erin Templeton
Office: 305-K Carmichael Hall
E-Mail: erin.templeton@converse.edu
Course Description:
This course will examine the digital media technologies that are at the center of much of our communication, entertainment, and social lives today, exploring both the uses of those technologies and the critical responses to them. We tend to assume that this “millennial generation” of college students is both technologically and digitally savvy since they have grown up in a digital world where computers and the internet have always been a household mainstay. Once we get past FaceBook and Google, however, it soon becomes evident that while many of us are frequent users and consumers of these technologies, the majority of us have not stopped to think about the technologies that we use or the myriad implications of such tools for all aspects of our lives from education to social lives to financial well-being. In this class, together we will look at some early writing that predicts many of the technologies we take for granted today (such as the internet), at some of the early studies of the computer’s impact on individual identity and community, and at a number of issues surrounding the new networked communication structures we use heavily today. Throughout the semester, we will both study these technologies from a critical perspective and explore them in a hands-on fashion.
The course assignments will give students working with emerging tools (and some that have already emerged) such as wikis, Google Docs, Twitter, Zotero, and other web-based tools. It is important to note that each of these projects will ask students to engage in work that is part of a standard literature curriculum (or a humanities curriculum more generally)–reading, writing, discussion, and more–with the goal of making an effective argument about the text under consideration. But while you are polishing those skills, you will also learn to use new and different tools. Put otherwise, we have three primary objectives in this course:
- you will do traditional literary analysis,
- you will learn how traditional analysis can be informed by new information technologies
- you will get a crash-course in those technologies.
Text (Available at the Converse Bookstore online):
Matthew K. Gold, Ed. Debates in the Digital Humanities (U Minnesota): http://dhdebates.gc.cuny.edu/
Other essays & articles available online (links provided in schedule of readings).
Requirements:
Reading:
You are expected to have completed the assigned reading before coming to class. The syllabus contains texts that are important to the development of this burgeoning field known as the “digital humanities” over the last decade or two. Please note that “important” and “easy” are not synonyms. Many of the texts you will read for this class will challenge you. You might even want to throw one or two of them out of the nearest window. All of this is to say that it is important that you give yourself plenty of time to do the reading for class. You will notice that I have not ordered any books for us—all of the reading is available online for free. Be aware that several studies show that reading comprehension & retention is significantly lower for e-texts than hard-copy. You may wish to print out some (or all) of the articles that we are discussing. Also note that I do expect you to bring copies of the reading (electronic or paper) to class on the day we will discuss them.
Attendance & Participation:
First the administrative: to put it bluntly, attendance is important to your success in this course. More than two absences will affect the participation portion of your grade. In a nutshell: Arrive on time. Bring your text. Stay Awake. Participate enthusiastically. All students are encouraged to participate in class discussions and other activities. But there’s more to it than that: your commitment to keeping up with the readings (you should have read up to the assigned page before we meet), your active participation in our conversations, and your enthusiasm in class discussions can make the course a more exciting intellectual experience for all of us. By active participation, please understand, I do not mean that you need to provide a profound, earth-shattering, groundbreaking, etc. interpretation of whomever is on the day’s agenda, but I do expect you to ask questions when you have them and that you are willing to offer your thoughts on the reading. Finally, please bear in mind that “participation” involves listening attentively to your classmates and responding thoughtfully to their ideas, as well as contributing to class discussions yourself.
Written Responses (Course Blog):
There will be several short written response assignments for this class, which should be posted to our course blog. I will count the best 10 scores towards this component of your course grade. You may decide to post more than 10 times. More details about these assignments will be posted for you on the class website.
Twitter:
This course will require you to have a public Twitter account. If you have an account already that you would like to keep protected, you will need to establish a separate account for this class that you check and post from regularly. One of our assignments this semester is to use Twitter and Storify to engage both with each other as well as with broader conversations about issues of textuality and technology as well as their many intersections.
Grade Breakdown
The grading system in this class is designed to reward improvement over the semester: later work constitutes a larger proportion of the grade than early assignments. You must complete and submit all graded assignments in order to pass this class. Assignments that are handed in late will be marked down 1/3 letter per 24 hrs (A becomes A-, then B+, then B, then B-). Midterm grades will be calculated based on all assignments submitted by March 20, 2013. I will also assign a participation grade based on your contributions to the class up until that point; please note that this grade is not permanent and may well change to reflect shifts in a student’s participation over the entirety of the semester.
The following is a definition of grades as used in this course:
93-100 A 83-86 B 73-76 C 63-66 D
90-92 A- 80-82 B- 70-72 C- 60-62 D-
87-89 B+ 77-79 C+ 67-69 D+ Below 60 F
Participation 15%
Responses 20%
Not-Reading Project 15%
Digital Edition & Presentation 20%
Wiki Contributions 10%
Twitter Project 10%
Final Presentation 10%
Office Hours:
You don’t need to make an appointment to talk with me during my office hours; just stop by with any questions you have about the class or the reading or to consult about various assignments. If my posted hours conflict with your class schedule, please see me to arrange a mutually convenient time to meet. You can also feel free to email me with questions, but please be aware that email is often not an adequate substitute for face-to-face conversation. I reserve the right to request the latter if your question requires a lengthy reply.
Email Policy:
Converse has provided each of you with a converse.edu account upon enrollment, and you should be accustomed to checking this account daily for all official communications from the college. I will use that address to send you any notices about the class or changes to the syllabus. You can reasonably expect your professors to respond to student email between 9am and 7pm Monday through Friday. I do my best to respond to all students within 24 hrs, but please be aware that over the weekends and at certain times of the semester, it might take up to 48 hrs for you to receive a response. If you have not received a reply after 48hrs, please resend your message. Please note that I do not open unsolicited email attachments under any circumstances. I also will not open email with blank subject lines.
Other Technology
Because at its core this class is about the relationship between technology and literary culture, we will necessarily engage with a range of computer tools and web based applications. You do not need any prior skill, however; you merely need a willingness to engage and learn. A majority of the tools we will be using for class are web-based, thus you will not need any special software. You do, however, need an up-to-date version of Firefox (a free web browser) as well as current versions of various plugins (for example Flash, and a video player). You will need an internet connection at your residence or easy access to one (you will be spending a great deal of time online). One further note about technology. As much as technology makes life easier, at times it can also be difficult (computer crashes, deleted work, unavailable internet connections, etc). Plan accordingly: “the computer ate my homework” or “the internet was down” are not reasons to forgo doing the assigned work. It is in your best interest to leave extra time, especially at first, to ensure that technology does not get in the way of your work, and always back-up your work. I strongly recommend that you sign-up for an account with a cloud-based storage program such as DropBox, which will provide students (users with a .edu email account) free storage and allow you to access your files via a smartphone, tablet, laptop or other electronic device with an internet connection.
In an ideal world, students would refrain from bringing their phones to class entirely, but in this one, I will settle for the silent setting. If your phone rings during class, I reserve the right to answer it for you. In addition, the rest of the class may request an interpretive dance of your ring-tone. All phones must be out of sight during exams and quizzes. There will be times when we will work on computers in class, but if you cannot refrain from texting, facebooking, tweeting or otherwise using technology as a distraction (whether laptop, tablet, cellphone, or other miscellaneous device) during class, you will be asked to leave and be marked absent for the day. You can expect your participation grade to reflect your lack of attention.
Digital Etiquette:
Many of the assignments throughout the semester will require participation in online spaces. Students should work to preserve the same atmosphere of respect and consideration that occurs in the classroom. Disagreements may arise and consensus is not always possible (indeed disagreements are productive). However, name calling, harassing, flaming, trolling etc., is antithetical to the goals of this course and should not occur.
Etc.
Please refrain from bringing food to class with you. I do not mind drinks (in fact, I will often have water), but because there are students with severe food allergies at Converse, it is important to try and keep the classroom space uncontaminated. Obviously, we cannot maintain classrooms as a sterile environment, but because even accidental contact can be life-threatening, I appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
The Writing Center
The College Writing Center, located in the Mickel Library, is available to help you with your writing whether you are struggling with your thesis statement, having difficulty organizing your thoughts and ideas, or find yourself troubled with specific grammatical or stylistic issues. While the Center is not a proofreading or editing service, its consultants are willing to work with you to strengthen your work and improve your abilities. The hours are M-F 9-12 a.m. and M-Th 1-5 p.m. Drop in anytime, or call 577-9613 (extension 9613 on campus) if you have any questions.
Academic Accommodation:
Students with documented disabilities who would like to request academic accommodations must contact the Director of Academic Support at 577-2028 (extension 2028 on campus).
Honor Code & Intellectual Honesty:
All students are expected to adhere to the standards set forth by the Converse Honor Tradition, which is explained in the Student Handbook. It should go without saying that any work you turn in for this class should be your own. Plagiarism consists of using ideas from an outside source without acknowledging that you have done so, whether or not quote from the source directly. Outside sources you must cite include, but are not limited to, the texts on the syllabus, internet sources, critical books and articles, the work of other students, and material you have produced for other classes. In literary studies, most academics follow the MLA Style. If this is unfamiliar to you, you may wish to consult The MLA Style Guide. If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism, please ask. Please remember to pledge all written work. If an assignment is submitted electronically, please add your initials to the upper right corner of your paper (this can be done as a header in MS Word documents). Your initials will constitute your electronic pledge.
Class Assumptions — in the form of an FAQ:
How much time should I spend on this course? The general rule of thumb for an undergraduate course is that you need to spend thee hours outside of class for every hour in class. So, ordinarily you need to spend at least nine hours a week in preparation for this class. Since this class meets twice a week, you need to plan your work very carefully. Waiting until the night before or the day of class to do the reading on isn’t a very good idea.
Do I need to be a computer expert? No. This course requires no technological prerequisites. You do, however, need to have regular access to a computer and a reliable internet connection. The only other requirement is a willingness to engage.
What will the class be like? This will be a discussion class. That doesn’t mean that people will simply say things off the top of their heads. It means that the work we do together will happen through the tool of discussion. The professor is there to facilitate this work and will NOT under any circumstances do it for you. If people come unprepared, we will all sit in excruciating silence — how this course goes is UP TO YOU. Please remember to be respectful of each other (and yourself!) in everything you say during class.
How can/should I prepare for class? Here is the single most important thing you can do to succeed in this course: make sure you have done the assigned reading before coming to class. Reading through assignments before you begin to read will help to focus your reading for a particular class; the assignments provide a basis for in-class writing and discussion. Studying with a friend is fun and helpful. And of course ask questions!
Reading Schedule
(subject to revision)
Week 1: W 2/6 “Course Introduction & Policies
For Monday: Blog assignment (2 paragraphs): Describe your experience as an English (or other) major so far. Have you done research? Do you use technologies to think or complete academic work? How so? Do you consider yourself technologically-“savvy”?
Week 2: M 2/11 Nathaniel Hawthorne: “The Birthmark” and “Rappacini’s Daughter” Or, a few cautionary tales about the role of technology and science.
W 2/13 Matthew Kirschenbaum, “What is Digital Humanities and What’s it Doing in English Departments?” (Debates in DH)
Nicholas Carr, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”– http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/
Week 3: M 2/18 Aimee Morrison: “Blogs & Blogging”— http://www.digitalhumanities.org/companion/view?docId=blackwell/9781405148641/9781405148641.xml&chunk.id=ss1-6-1&toc.depth=1&toc.id=ss1-6-1&brand=9781405148641_brand
W 2/20 Clive Thompson, “Brave New World of Digital Intimacy” http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/magazine/07awareness-t.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all
Zeynep Tufecki, “Social Media’s Small, Positive Role in Human Relationships” http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/04/social-medias-small-positive-role-in-human-relationships/256346/
Amanda Enayati, “Facebook: The Encyclopedia of Beauty?” http://articles.cnn.com/2012-03-16/living/living_beauty-social-networks_1_social-networking-sites-facebook-status-updates?_s=PM:LIVING
Blog Assignment: What is your experience with social media? Do you use Facebook? Pinterest? Other sites? How have these sites affected your relationships with the people in your life? Think of at least one positive and one negative.
Week 4: M 2/25 Kathleen Fitzpatrick From Planned Obsolescence: “Authorship” http://mediacommons.futureofthebook.org/mcpress/plannedobsolescence/two-authorship/
W 2/27 Fitzpatrick Cont. “Texts” http://mediacommons.futureofthebook.org/mcpress/plannedobsolescence/three-texts/
Week 5: M 3/4 Stephen Ramsey, “Towards an Algorithmic Criticism.” (Chapter 1 of Reading Machines—link will be provided)
W 3/6: Kenneth Price, “Electronic Scholarly Editions” http://www.digitalhumanities.org/companion/view?docId=blackwell/9781405148641/9781405148641.xml&chunk.id=ss1-6-5&toc.depth=1&toc.id=ss1-6-5&brand=9781405148641_brand
Week 6: M 3/11 Christian Vandendorpe, “Reading on Screen: The New Media Sphere” http://www.digitalhumanities.org/companion/view?docId=blackwell/9781405148641/9781405148641.xml&chunk.id=ss1-5-4&toc.depth=1&toc.id=ss1-5-4&brand=9781405148641_brand
W 3/14 “Annotated Overview of Select Electronic Resources” http://www.digitalhumanities.org/companion/view?docId=blackwell/9781405148641/9781405148641.xml&chunk.id=ss1-6-13&toc.depth=1&toc.id=ss1-6-13&brand=9781405148641_brand
Week 7: M 3/18 Digital Humanities Project Evaluation Presentations
W: 3/20 Digital Humanities Project Evaluation Presentations
Week 8: M: 3/25 David L. Hoover “Quantitative Analysis and Literary Studies” http://www.digitalhumanities.org/companion/view?docId=blackwell/9781405148641/9781405148641.xml&chunk.id=ss1-6-9&toc.depth=1&toc.id=ss1-6-9&brand=9781405148641_brand
W: 3/27 Word Clouds, Wordle & Distant Reading. Introduction to “Not-Reading Project”
James Joyce, Selections from Dubliners
Week 9: Spring Break
Week 10: M 4/8 Discussion of Dubliners cont.
W 4/10 Jerome McGann, “Rationale of Hypertext”
Johanna Drucker, “The Virtual Codex from Page Space to E-Space”:
http://www.digitalhumanities.org/companion/view?docId=blackwell/9781405148641/9781405148641.xml&chunk.id=ss1-5-5&toc.depth=1&toc.id=ss1-5-5&brand=9781405148641_brand
Digital Edition Proposal Due
Week 11: M 4/15 Digital Edition Conferences (You should also be working on your Not-Reading Projects this week)
W 4/17 Digital Edition Conferences cont.
Week 12: M 4/22 Franco Moretti, “Graphs, Maps & Trees” http://www.mat.ucsb.edu/~g.legrady/academic/courses/09w259/Moretti_graphs.pdf
W 4/24 Look at the Hypercities (http://hypercities.com) and LitMap (http://barbarahui.net/the-litmap-project/) projects.
Week 13: M 4/29 Alternative Textualities: Digital-Born Literature
- Inanimate Alice (2005): http://www.inanimatealice.com/index.html
- Brian Kin Stefans “The Dreamlife of Letters” http://collection.eliterature.org/1/works/stefans__the_dreamlife_of_letters.html
- http://collection.eliterature.org/2/works/nelson_thisishowyouwilldie.html
- http://collection.eliterature.org/2/works/davis_pieces_of_herself.html
W 5/1 Alternative Textualities: Non-Digital Literature in Funky Forms
Shelly Jackson, “Skin”: http://ineradicablestain.com/skin.html
Camille Utterback & Romy Achituv, Text Rain (1999): http://camilleutterback.com/projects/text-rain/
Jonathan Safran Foer, Tree of Codes
Barbara Hodgson, The Tattooed Map
Mark Z. Danielewski: House of Leaves, Only Revolutions, The 50 Year Sword.
Week 14: M 5/6 Final Project Presentations
W 5/8 Final Project Presentations