Readings (by Due Date)

Where to obtain the textbooks

  [ Textbook ]

There are three required textbooks:

1. Slack, Jennifer Daryl & Wise, J. Macgregor. Culture and Technology, A Primer. New York: Peter Lang Publishing.
2. Lievrouw, Leah A. & Livingstone, Sonia. The Handbook of New Media. (Updated student edition.) New York: Sage Publications. Please do not use a different edition of this book.
3. Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Centennial Edition (Harcourt Brace / Plume). Available from the University Bookstore, 809 S. Wright St., Champaign (333-2050).

Where to obtain the reader

  [ Class Reader ]

The class reader is available in electronic form using password-protected links directly from this web site.

If a reading is marked password protected, it consists of a file in Adobe's portable document format (PDF) that is password protected using your UIUC Active Directory Password. If you don't have an active directory password, you can get one at the link above. If you are having password problems please contact the CITES Help Desk. The instructor does not control the active directory password system. The Active Directory password is the same password we use to log in to computers in our discussion/lab sections, and it the same as your NetFiles password. For more information, see CITES Guide to Passwords.

The class reader is stored in the Moodle courseware system, and you may notice links to the reader there if you use Moodle for other courses. However, for this class all you need to use is this web site.

C&T Ch. 1: Progress

  [ Textbook ]

16 Jan (Wed)

Key concepts: the machine in the garden, evolution, the sublime

C&T Ch. 8: Defining Technology

  [ Textbook ]

16 Jan (Wed)

Case study: Solresol, the Universal Musical Language

  [ Class Reader ]

23 Jan (Wed)

Collins, Paul. (2000). The Strange and Epic and Tragic Trajectory of Solresol, the Universal Musical Language. McSweeney's 5: 50-66. Password Protected Online Full-Text (PDF) [Get Password Help]

C&T Ch. 2: Convenience

  [ Textbook ]

28 Jan (Mon)

Key concepts: wants, needs, change, contingent, limits of the body

C&T Ch. 3: Determinism

  [ Textbook ]

28 Jan (Mon)

Case Study: The Judgment of Thamus

  [ Class Reader ]

30 Jan (Wed)

Postman, Neil. (1992). The Judgment of Thamus. FROM: Technopoly. New York: Vintage. pp. 3-20. Password Protected Online Full-Text (PDF) [Get Password Help]

NOTE: To access the password-protected online class reader, use your active directory password as discussed in last week's discussion section. Click [Get Password Help] for more help.

Handbook Ch. 11: Infrastructure

  [ Textbook ]

4 Feb (Mon)

Handbook Ch. 15: Universal Access to Infrastructure

  [ Textbook ]

6 Feb (Wed)

Numerical Representation

  [ Class Reader ]

11 Feb (Mon)

Manovich, L. (2001). The Language of New Media. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. (pp. 27-30, "Principles of New Media #1: Numerical Representation.") Password Protected Online Full-Text (PDF) [Get Password Help]

C&T Ch. 15: Politics

  [ Textbook ]

13 Feb (Wed)

C&T Ch. 16: Globalization

  [ Textbook ]

13 Feb (Wed)

Handbook Ch. 21: The Role of the State

  [ Textbook ]

18 Feb (Mon)

C&T Ch. 13: Identity

  [ Textbook ]

20 Feb (Wed)

C&T Ch. 14: Challenging Identity

  [ Textbook ]

20 Feb (Wed)

C&T Ch. 12: Space

  [ Textbook ]

25 Feb (Mon)

Handbook Ch. 2: Creating Community

  [ Textbook ]

3 Mar (Mon)

Handbook Ch. 14 Globalization

  [ Textbook ]

5 Mar (Wed)

Handbook Ch. 12: Diffusion vs. Social Shaping

  [ Textbook ]

10 Mar (Mon)

C&T Ch. 5: Luddism

  [ Textbook ]

12 Mar (Wed)

C&T Ch. 6: Appropriate Technology

  [ Textbook ]

12 Mar (Wed)

Handbook Ch. 3: Children

  [ Textbook ]

24 Mar (Mon)

Handbook Ch. 1: Interpersonal Life Online

  [ Textbook ]

26 Mar (Wed)

Case study: aloha.net

  [ Class Reader ]

26 Mar (Wed)

Theroux, Paul. (2001). aloha.net. FROM: Hotel Honolulu. London: Penguin. pp. 255-260. Password Protected Online Full-Text (PDF) [Get Password Help]

Image Size, Motion, Scene Changes, and Subliminal Messages

  [ Class Reader ]

31 Mar (Mon)

Reeves, Byron & Nass, Clifford. (1996). Image Size, Motion, Scene Changes, and Subliminal Messages. FROM: The Media Equation: How People Treat Television, Computers, and New Media Like Real People and Places. New York: Cambridge University Press. pp. 193-201, pp. 219-247. Password Protected Online Full-Text (PDF) [Get Password Help]

The Search

  [ Class Reader ]

2 Apr (Wed)

Bartelle, J. (2006). The Search. New York: Portfolio. pp. 153-157, 163-164, and 19-30. Password Protected Online Full-Text (PDF) [Get Password Help]

Reading TBA

  [ Class Reader ]

7 Apr (Mon)

Games as Simulation

  [ Class Reader ]

9 Apr (Wed)

Salen, K. & Zimmerman, E. (2004). "Games as the Play of Simulation." From: K. Salen & E. Zimmerman, Rules of Play. MIT Press. Read pp. 421-458 EXCEPT: pp. 427-439 are optional. Password Protected Online Full-Text (PDF -- large file! ~3MB) [Get Password Help]

1984 -- part one, sections 1-4

  [ Textbook ]

14 Apr (Mon)

Read the PART ONE, SECTIONS 1-4 of Orwell, George. 1984.

1984 -- part one, sections 5-8

  [ Textbook ]

16 Apr (Wed)

Read the PART ONE, SECTIONS 5-8 of Orwell, George. 1984.

1984 -- part two, sections 1-5

  [ Textbook ]

21 Apr (Mon)

Read the PART TWO, SECTIONS 1-5 of Orwell, George. 1984.

1984 -- part two, sections 5-10

  [ Textbook ]

23 Apr (Wed)

Read the PART TWO, SECTIONS 5-10 of Orwell, George. 1984.

1984 -- part three

  [ Textbook ]

28 Apr (Mon)

Read PART THREE of Orwell, George. 1984.

1984 -- appendix

  [ Textbook ]

30 Apr (Wed)

Read the APPENDIX of Orwell, George. 1984.