CMC:syllabus
From WikiCom
This is the syllabus for Computer Mediated Communications. Follow the links to more detailed explanations of the assignments as they become available.
Kirk Jalbert email: kirkjalbert@gmail.com
Kristine Resendes email: kristineresendes@gmail.com
Contents |
PURPOSE:
This course is intended to provide an introduction to those social functions and communities evolving from and developed around computer aided technologies. Beginning with what actually defines Computer Mediated Communications, the students will progress through a meaningful discussion meant to plant them squarely as the focus of our study. How do THEY use these technologies and what is the effect on their lives? In addition to digesting relevant readings for discussion, students will be asked to complete weekly assignments intended to submerse them in virtual spaces, online communities, as well as inter-student communication projects that include devices such as cell phones and digital cameras. A student in successful completion of the course will have a better understanding of how technology affects the way they operate and communicate within their daily lives.
GRADING POLICY:
In addition to the below assignments, all students are required to digest assigned readings in order to participate in discussions. Each week you will be expected to bring a mental list of comments and questions to set the stage for conversation. If I’m the only one talking, I’m the only one learning so lets make this a group effort.
Grades of A reflect excellent work, B above average work, C average work, and so on. Late projects will be reduced by 10 points for each class they are past due. Projects will not be accepted later than one week past their due date. Presentation components will be accepted on the scheduled day only. Extensions will be considered for special circumstances.
Electronic Gadgets (5%)
Gather up all your ipods, cell phones, digital cameras, text messaging devices, furbies, tamagotchis, PDAs, toys, gizmos, gadgets, and other devices that can be tightly or loosely thrown into the CMC mix. For each item answer: what it is and how/why you use it? In what ways have you modified it to suit your personal tastes or needs? In what way has this device affected the way you conduct your daily life. If it’s content driven like a camera, also provide examples of its content.
Detail your various items in a tabled written form (typed please):
| What it is? | How/why you use it? | How is it modified? | How it affects your life? | If content driven, examples? |
Wiki postings (15%)
In addition to our classroom dialog, you will also be responsible for posting to our class Wiki pages. Each week, summaries for the week’s material will be posted on a class Wiki Gateway pages. You will be required to flesh out the definitions for this information. I will additionally present a question, instigating comment, etc, and you are invited to do so as well. The accumulation of these posts should, in the end, provide a near-mirror of our course’s dialogue. As is the case with all peer-reviewed spaces, the Wiki will be more reflective of you the students.
AIM and Text Messaging (5%)
In conjunction with our week discussing the dynamics of human/computer interactions, we will conduct one entire classroom session virtually, through AIM (AOL Instant Messanger) chat sessions. This should be interesting since AIM has little organized protocol and proves to be quite anarchical with big groups but we will break the class into subgroups to alleviate the problem.
Later, in conjunction with our week discussing Smart Mobs, we will conduct an in-classroom communications experiment using cell phones and text messaging. Remember to bring your phones to class on this day! We will split into groups for this experiment. For those of you without text messaging capabilities we will pair you up with someone who does.
Credit for each will be based on your participation.
Virtual Community Project/Paper (15%)
In discussing virtual communities, a key aspect worth inspecting is how people within these collectives communicate. In this project you are required to join (or continue to be active in) one multi-directional conversation venue / forum and analyze how members interact. How is the conversation, use of words, phrasings, and textual references different here than in the “real world”? Pay close attention to whether or not the interactive languages of this particular virtual community vary from another, perhaps dissimilar, virtual community. Additional perspective questions worth asking might be: What is the topic of this community? What else is discussed besides the official “topic”? Are there frequent posters? What do they say? How are you responded too? If you discover specific “types” of users, try to determine how their identities are expressed within the community as well as how these factors alter or solidify your own identity. Report your findings in written form. Please illustrate your points with extracted examples if possible. Approximate length of 5 pages (not including examples).
Multiplayer Gaming Project (15%)
This project will coincide with our discussion on video game culture. If you don’t play any games, well then here’s the chance you’ve been waiting for! How do you exist as a character in a non-physical “space”? What sort of interactions do you have with objects, subjects, and other characters? Can you “feel” the person on the other side of the screen? The goal here is to break down the sense of virtuality supporting the game. Since play is a hyperreal extension of normalized life, we should be able to discover a sense of why we are compelled to exist in these spaces. We will be Second Life in our case study ("There" and "Kaneva" are both alternatives for this assignment). You will be given a suggested list of interactions and locations to visit. It is STRONGLY suggested that you do your research over a series of playing sessions and not all in one session in order to fully explore these worlds.
After playing, a written component of findings will be due and will consist of two parts. The first will be a table detailing your locations and interactions, your playing dates and times, and any character modifications. Second, a 5-page reactions paper discussing your conclusions – be concise.
YouTube Project (15%)
Since its inception in 2005 YouTube has grown to be a big player in the world of online media, taking on elements of a television, a library, a collection of video diaries, and more. The class will be broken into groups according to available video equipment. Each group will then produce their own series of short video productions to be posted on YouTube.
SmartMobs Reaction Paper (5%)
As we culminate our discussion on Rheingold’s book “SmartMobs” you are required to collect your thoughts on Rheingold's descriptions of the next generation of virtual communities. On page 185 he describes three concerns raised in the discourse surrounding smart mobs:
- Potential threats to liberty: "Pervasive computing is converging with ubiquitous surveillance, providing a totalitarian snoop power depicted in Orwell's 1984."
- Potential threats to quality of life: "From individual angst to deteriorating communities, it isn't clear whether life in the informated society delivers convenience faster than it erodes sanity and civility.
- Potential threats to human dignity: "As more people turn more aspects of their lives over to symbiotic interactions with machines, the more mechanical and less humane we become.
Choose one of these three issues and clearly state your agreement or disagreement with its position. Note that a position paper is a unique document in which you assume an educated audience. Get right to the point and let every line count - no broad introductions or fluff comments required. Length 2 full pages, 12pt 1" margins 1.5 line spacing.
Piracy/Propert Reaction Paper (5%)
For the second rection paper, dealing with Lessig's text "Free Culture", I want you to consider the following topic. First take a close look at creativecommons.org (this is the organization Lessig started to deal with creative copyright control online).
- Follow the "about" tab on the homepage, then the "cc videos" link. View both the "Wanna Work Together", "Get Creative", and "Building on the Past" videos.
- From the "about" page, follow the "before licensing" link and read its contents.
- From the "about" page, follow the "license your work" link to see an overview of the various copyright options available within the creative commons.
- Using all of the above information, describe in your reaction paper how you would define your copyright protections using the above structures and why. Consider the kind of content you publish online every day - facebook text, blogs, flikr accounts, papers, wiki edits, music or art you may create, etc.
Again, remember that a position paper is a unique document in which you assume an educated audience. Get right to the point and let every line count - no broad introductions or fluff comments required. Length 2 full pages, 12pt 1" margins 1.5 line spacing.
Final Project / Paper (20%)
The final paper is intended as a venue for you to research a relevant subject of the last 3 years in computer mediated communications and extend your findings beyond what may have been discussed in class. Good sources for recent trends may be found in the Journal of Computer Mediated Communications published online, Computer Mediated Communications Magazine, and other topical journals, blogs, and websites. Avoid sweeping generalizations and be specific about your topic and findings. You are expected to approach this in groups of two. While technically labeled a research paper, the point of this assignment is not simply to see how well you can reiterate information gathered from various sources. I am also looking for an educated critical analysis interwoven with your own ideas, thoughts, and criticisms. An approach of this sort might best be accomplished by a) researching your chosen topic and its avenues, b) reporting published viewpoints surrounding the field of debate, c) developing a thesis of your own to counter or bolster existing ideas, and d) finding where and how you fit personally. This should be delivered in written form, approx. 10-12 pages with examples where applicable.
I will take creative alternatives to a written paper. In the case of projects, a proposal must be discussed and approved by me in advance. Your findings should also be prepared in the form of a multimedia presentation of 10-15 minutes to be delivered during the last week of class.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
Any material used from external sources must be referenced appropriately. Use whichever citation method you are comfortable with (i.e. bottom of page, end of paper, etc.) as long as you use this method consistently. Always include a full bibliography of your sources. Any plagiarism or cheating will be punished with a failing grade and disciplinary action by the College Board.
TEACHER AVAILABILITY
In addition to the normal class times, I will also be available in the photo office (basement of Traina Center) Wednesdays 1:30-3:30pm. These are my minimum hours of availability.
Let’s face it; the teacher doesn’t always know the answer. If there is something you don’t know that I don’t know, we can work together to find an answer. I encourage you to push the boundaries of your knowledge and grow beyond the basic outline of this course since it also benefits your fellow students and me too!
REQUIRED TEXTS
“Smart Mobs” by Howard Rheingold, ISBN 0-7382-0861-2
“Free Culture” by Lawrence Lessig, ISBN 1-5942-0006-8
“Synthetic Worlds” by Edward Castranova, ISBN 0-226-09627-0
“Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom” by Cory Doctorow ISBN 0-765-30953-X
Additional readings will be assigned as the semester progresses. In lieu of a course reader, these will be made available online.
