Time Schedule:
Robin R Oppenheimer
B CUSP 131
Bothell Campus
Various topics designed to respond to curricular interests and needs for first-year students. Offered: AWSp.
Class description
PARTICIPATORY MEDIA CULTURE: This course explores participatory media as cultural phenomena that are increasingly shaped by people and subcultures that participate in mediated constructions and actions. It views communication systems as environments and subcultures connected to "glocal" (global/local) communities of diverse cultural practices. Students will learn new media literacy skills and modes of participation as they explore various media-based subcultures. New media technologies and their hardware/software convergences (transmedia stories, video games, blogs, social networks) will be examined through research and relevant written and online texts. Case studies of media convergences in diverse (sub)cultural communities such as YouTube, U.S. political parties, Reality TV fans, and Japanese Anime will be researched and examined. Students will learn to collaboratively and individually analyze, discuss, write about, and critique new media, and gain an understanding of the global dimensions and potential future trajectories of the expanding media environment.
Student learning goals
Define and distinguish new media from old.
Identify and understand how media forms (software and hardware) are converging in an expanding media environment.
Learn the skills involved in new media literacies.
Apply the class readings and collective learnings across a range of other culturally-specific new media case studies as class projects.
Synthesize the ideas, issues, and questions raised through the class’s collective research to develop a deeper understanding of new media practices and potentials in a global context.
Improve research, writing, and public presentation skills.
General method of instruction
Class lecture/demonstrations, small group Wiki-based presentations
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
Small-group Wiki-based presentations and individual research/presentation/paper
Quality of research, Wiki presentations, writing, and in-class participation
