Spring Syllabus revision
ENGL A394
Reading (w/) the Digital Human
Spring 2011
Meets in Bobet 341 (Cotton Club) TR 9:30 - 10:45am
In this class we will continue to investigate the theoretical dimensions of the digital humanities. Over the course of this semester we will discuss several current theories of new media, and we will also read several literary texts in order to explore how narratives experiment with questions of new media. We will continue to practice reading, writing, and learning on our Apple iPads, with the goal of bringing the contents of the course to bear on this cultural object and the debates that are staged around personal technology in everyday life.
Instructors:
Robert Bell
Office: Bobet 115
Office Hours: MW 10:30-11:30; T 8:30-9:15; and by appointment
rcbell@loyno.edu
865.3094
Christopher Schaberg
email: christopherschaberg@gmail.com
Office: Bobet 325
Office hours: Wednesdays 10:30-12:30, Thursdays 2:00-3:00, & by appointment
schaberg@loyno.edu
Janelle A. Schwartz
Office: Bobet 320
Office Hours: T 12:30-1:30pm; W 2:00-3:00pm; and by appointment
jschwart@loyno.edu
865.2479
Grade Breakdown:
Participation 20%
Scribing 20%
Midterm 20%
Final exam 20%
Final project 20% [final project proposals = 5% of overall final project grade]
Attendance:
Attendance is crucial to the success of this course. Thus, we expect that you will not only make every effort to come to every class, but that you will come prepared and ready to participate. Should you miss class, it is your responsibility to obtain notes and/or assignments from the day(s) you were absent. Please note: once you acquire absences exceeding 1 week of class (i.e. more than 2 class meetings), we will lower the final grade half a letter grade by every absence.
Disability Services:
If you have a disability and wish to receive accommodations, please contact Sarah Mead Smith, Director of Disability Services at 504- 855-2990. If you wish to receive test accommodations (e.g., extended test time), you will need to give the course instructor an official Accommodation Form from Disability Services. The Office of Disability Services is located in Monroe Hall 405.
Emergency Procedures:
* In the event that there is an interruption to our course due to the cancellation of classes by the university as a result of an emergency, we will continue our course on Blackboard within 48 hours after cancellation.
* All students are required to sign on to Blackboard and to keep up with course assignments within 48 hours of evacuation and routinely check for announcements and course materials associated with each class. Class handouts will be posted under “course materials”.
* Students should be familiar with their responsibilities during emergencies, including pre-evacuation and post-evacuation for hurricanes. This information is available on the Academic Affairs web site: http://academicaffairs.loyno.edu/students-emergency-responsibilities
Additional emergency-planning information is also available here: http://academicaffairs.loyno.edu/emergency-planning
Calendar
(Readings with "Bb" will be made available in PDF on Blackboard)
week 1
Jan 11 Class introduction: protocol for the seminar [Scribing sign up]
Jan 13 N. Katherine Hayles, How We Became Posthuman (Prologue & Ch. 1 -- Kindle, free)
week 2
Jan 18 Cathy Davidson and David Goldberg, The Future of Learning Institutions in a Digital Age (e-book -- Kindle, free)
Jan 20 Current Scholarship in the Digital Humanities (reading tba, Bb)
week 3
Jan 25 Current Scholarship in the Digital Humanities (reading tba, Bb)
Jan 27 Lev Manovich, “Introduction to Info-Aesthetics” (Bb)
week 4
Feb 1 Current Scholarship in the Digital Humanities (reading tba, Bb)
Feb 3 Nicholson Baker, “A New Page: Can the Kindle really improve on the book?” (Bb)
week 5
Feb 8 Walter Benjamin, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” (Bb)
Feb 10 Walter Benjamin, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”
[hand out final project prompt]
week 6
Feb 15 Roland Barthes, “From Work to Text” (Bb)
Feb 17 Jean Baudrillard, “Simulacra and Science Fiction” (Bb)
week 7
Feb 22 Ian Bogost, "What is an App?" http://www.bogost.com/blog/what_is_an_app.shtml#
Feb 24 midterm exam
week 8
Mar 1 Calvino, If on a winter’s night a traveler (hard copy available at the bookstore)
Mar 3 Calvino, If on a winter’s night a traveler
[project proposals due]
week 9
mardi GRAS holiday
week 10
Mar 15 Brian Massumi, Parables for the Virtual: Movement, Affect, Sensation (Intro & chs. 1-3) (e-book or at the bookstore in hard copy)
Mar 17 Massumi, Parables for the Virtual (ch. 4 - 5)
week 11
Mar 22 Massumi, Parables for the Virtual (chs. 6 - 9)
Mar 24 Marshall McLuhan, The Medium is the Massage (hard copy at the bookstore)
week 12
Mar 29 Kevin Kelly, What Technology Wants (chs. 1, 5, 7 - 9) (e-book)
Mar 31 Kelly, What Technology Wants (chs. 12 - 14)
week 13
Apr 5 R. A. Montgomery, Project UFO (Choose Your Own Adventure #27) (hard & e-book)
Apr 7 Konrath and Kilborn, Banana Hammock - A Harry McGlade Mystery (A “Write Your Own Damn Story” Adventure) (e-book)
week 14
Apr 12 William Gibson, Neuromancer (hard copy or e-book)
Apr 14 William Gibson, Neuromancer
week 15
Spring break
week 16
Apr 26 Class presentations
Apr 28 Class presentations
week 17
May 3 wrap up
final exam Thursday, May 12 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
This syllabus is a malleable document. You are responsible for keeping up with any changes made to it over the semester.
