COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Objectives

The primary objectives of the course include familiarization with the new technologies of communication and an understanding of what it means to move from an “analog” world to a “digital” world. Next the course will examine some of the cultural, social, and political issues surrounding the move to the digital form of communication and discourse. Finally, there will be an examination of the ways in which current communication research is being shaped to examine the emerging technologies.

Textbooks

Pavlik, J. (1998). New Media Technology. Allyn and Bacon.

Negroponte, N. (1995). Being Digital. New York, NY: Random House.

Brook, J. and Boal, I. (1995). Resisting the Virtual Life. City Lights

Jones, S. (1999). Doing Internet Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Additional readings will be provided in class.

Requirements

1. Two examinations

2. One term paper.

3. Ongoing participation in class-room discussions and computer exercises.

All readings need to be completed prior to the class session. If you fail to do your reading you will have difficulties following the class discussions.

Grading

The assignments will have the following weights:

Test 1 25%

Test 2 30%

Papers 30%

Participation in class and on-line 15%

Instructor Information

Ananda Mitra (ananda@wfu.edu; WWW: http://www.wfu.edu/~ananda/index.html)

Office: 312 Carswell Hall

Telephone: 336-758-5134

Course Outline

The schedule here provides a broad guideline for the course. Specific dates for topics could change and the “To be announced” days could be utilized to explore specific topics, review for a test or other in-class or out-of-class activities. Readings for each topic area need to be completed before the day the topic would be discussed. It is expected that additional readings, particularly from Internet resources could be assigned.

01/15/2003	W	Introduction to Course
01/17/2003	Fr	Technology defined	Pavlik 1
01/20/2003	M	Technology defined	Pavlik 2
01/22/2003	W	Technology defined	Pavlik 3
01/24/2003	Fr	Online Class
01/27/2003	M	Technology defined	Pavlik 4 and 5
01/29/2003	W	Digital culture	Negroponte Sec 1
01/31/2003	Fr	Digital culture	Negroponte Sec 1
02/03/2003	M	Digital culture	Negroponte Sec 2
02/05/2003	W	Digital culture	Negroponte Sec 2
02/07/2003	Fr	Online Class
02/10/2003	M	Digital culture	Negroponte Sec 3
02/12/2003	W	Digital culture	Negroponte Sec 3
02/14/2003	Fr	Digital culture	Negroponte Sec 3
02/17/2003	M	Social Consequences overview	Pavlik 10
02/19/2003	W	Social Consequences overview	Pavlik 10
02/21/2003	Fr	Online Class
02/24/2003	M	Internet and space	www.ascusc.org/jcmc/vol7/issue1/mitra.html
02/26/2003	W	Internet and time	TBA
02/28/2003	Fr	Internet and voice	Mitra & Watts New Media and Society, 4(4), 479-298.
03/03/2003	M	Internet and community	Mitra Virtual commonality: Looking for India on the Internet
03/05/2003	W	Catch Up
03/07/2003	Fr	Test 1
03/10/2003	M	Spring break
03/12/2003	W	Spring break
03/14/2003	Fr	Spring break
03/17/2003	M	Internet and Culture	Mitra Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 14, 158-181
03/19/2003	W	Internet, commerce and law	Pavlik 8 and 9
03/21/2003	Fr	Online Class
03/24/2003	M	Critique of the new technology	B&B 1 and 2
03/26/2003	W	Critique of the new technology	B&B 4 and 5
03/28/2003	Fr	Critique of the new technology	B&B 7 and 8
03/31/2003	M	Critique of the new technology	B&B 14 and 15
04/02/2003	W	Critique of the new technology	B&B 18 and 19
04/04/2003	Fr	Catch Up
04/07/2003	M	Researching the Internet	Jones 1
04/09/2003	W	Researching the Internet	Jones 2
04/11/2003	Fr	Online Class
04/14/2003	M	Researching the Internet	Jones 3
04/16/2003	W	Researching the Internet	Jones 8
04/18/2003	Fr	Good Friday
04/21/2003	M	Researching the Internet	Jones 9
04/23/2003	W	Researching the Internet	Jones 10 and 11
04/25/2003	Fr	Researching the Internet	Jones 7
04/28/2003	M	Catch Up
04/30/2003	W	Test 2