Outline

Aug. 30, in-person

Intro and Syllabus

Internet Trends

Presentation – Internet History and Trends

  • Review: KPCB Internet Trends Presentation – review for a high level understanding of Internet trends; this is the most recent study, 2017, released May 27. It’s long, but very comprehensive about what’s coming.
  • Watch: EPIC 2015 – this video, from 2005, predicts what will happen in 2015. Since the video was done in 2005, any of the items shown after  were predictions. This is particularly relevant in light of Amazon’s recent purchase of Whole Foods and founder Jeff Bezo’s acquisition of the Washington Post.

Take the Quiz: What Internet Users Know About Technology and the Web. How did you do? Discuss in your introductory blog post.

Pew Reports 

The Pew Research Center has numerous studies that related to digital media. Most modules will have one or more Pew Research studies associated with them. You do not need to read the entire report, but peruse for general direction. I will outline any important trends in my video. The Pew Reports might provide elements for your Research Project.

Setting Up a WordPress Site

After you have set up your site, please fill out this form to provide me the address. I will add these to the Student Sites page as I get them.

Internet History

Assignments:

For your first post, discuss your impressions of innovation. We watched and read about the events leading to the innovations of the Internet and Web. What are the characteristics of innovation? What were the events that led to the technologies we have today? What are your impressions of the current trends in media? Which have most promise, which do you think are fads? What do you think about the Internet personally and for society? Has it been a good or bad thing?

How do you feel about your own technology knowledge? How did you do on that quiz “What Internet Users Know About Technology and the Web?”

Be sure to engage the readings and things you watched, make connections, as well as provide your own opinion. Include relevant links, images, embedded video. Due by midnight Sept. 4.

And then take some time to comment on at least two of your fellow classmates posts. Do this sometime during the next day after the posts are due. I will post a links to Student Sites on the website as I receive them from everyone.

Sept. 6 – online

The Quiz is available on TRACS Assessments on Defining Digital Media. Take it by Friday, Sept. 8 at midnight. 10 questions, multiple choice or true/false. You have 30 minutes to take it. Do not share questions or answers or discuss the quiz with others after you take it.

PDF of Defining Digital Media presentation

Defining Digital Media

  • Read: Dennis, Baron, From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Technologies in Passions, Pedagogies and 21st Century Technologies, 1999
  • Read: Bush, Vannevar, As We May Think, Atlantic Monthly, July 1945.
  • Read: Engelbart, Douglas, from Augmenting Human Intellect (1962), read Sections I and III
  • Watch: Video Engelbart demonstration, watch Clip 2 and Clip 3. Remember, this was 1968. Consider how many of the features of computing we use today that were introduced in this demonstration, considered the “Mother of all Demos.” Note the keys and rudimentary “mouse” that he is using.
  • Royal, Thinking Critically About New Media, in Teaching with Multimedia: Pedagogy in the Websphere – pdf; link will work if you are logged into TRACS (in the same browser) or find it under Resources on TRACS.

Assignments:

Post: Discuss your definition of new or digital media. Which phrase should we use? For the articles we read by Bush and Engelbart, what do they have in common? What do they say about the role of technology in society?

Be sure to engage the reading, make connections, as well as provide your own opinion. Include relevant links, images or embedded video.  Due by  Sept. 5 at midnight. And make comments on two other student posts on the day after the original posts are due.

Take Quiz on Defining Digital Media by Fri, Sept. 8 at midnight. See TRACS Assessments.

Sept. 13, in-person – students will present the material below and lead a discussion in class. All students must do the readings and posts before class on Sept. 13.

Presentations and discussion: Nicole A.,  Emily, Michael

News: Sean and Vincent

Digital Media Theory

  • Read: McLuhan, Marshall from Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, 1964, Read Introduction and The Medium is the Message. excerpt pdf; link will work if you are logged into TRACS (in the same browser) or find it under Resources on TRACS.
  • Read: Rogers, Everett M., “Diffusion of Innovations,” Chapter 1, 2003; excerpt pdf; link will work if you are logged into TRACS (in the same browser) or find it under Resources on TRACS.

Digital Media Research

Assignments:

We will be focusing a lot on innovation this semester. You read Diffusion of Innovation by Everett Rogers. For this post, I want you to trace a recent innovation through the elements (the innovation itself, communication channels, time, social system) and characteristics of innovation:

  • What is the relative advantage?
  • How is it compatible with what we were already using?
  • How simple or complex was it for people to integrate into their lives?
  • How did people get to try it out before deciding to use it?
  • Where were people able to observe its usage to learn about it?

Pick an innovation that you use. It can be software, hardware, a social network or app… anything you consider an important innovation to you and your life.

Also, discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with doing digital media research based on the readings in that section.

And make sure you comment on two posts from other students on the day after the post is due.

Due Sept. 12 at midnight. Comment on two students’ posts before class on Sept. 13.

Sept. 20 – online

Cyberculture Research

Here is the video for this week. Please also watch the video below on Black in America: Silicon Valley. We’ll discuss briefly at the beginning of class next week, before the student presentations on Social Media Research. See below for this week’s assignments, including the Quiz due on Friday. It will be activated Wed morning.

  • Read: Jenkins, Convergence Culture, read Intro & Chpt 2

Gender and Diversity Online

A Couple McLuhan Follow Ups

Pew Reports

Assignment:

Post: What are some of the ways that gender and diversity manifest online? Is this different or the same as in physical space? What are the challenges the digital world faces in becoming more diverse? Due Sept. 19 at midnight.

Make sure you comment on two posts from other students on the day after the post is due.

Take Quiz on Cyberculture Research by Friday, Sept. 22 at midnight.

Sept. 27, in-person – Students will present the material below and lead a discussion in class. All students must do the readings and posts before class on Sept. 27.

Presentations and discussion:  Bianca, Kaila, Megan,

News: Logan, Wendy

Social Media Research and Theory

Pew Reports

Assignments: You have read several research studies invoking social media issues. Design a research question or series of questions around an issue that you think is important related to social media and discuss.

Post by midnight Sept. 26 and comment on at least two students’ posts before class on Sept. 27

Oct. 4 – online

Browsers

Search and Search Engines

Google Analytics Training

Take Google Analytics for Beginners Course

Google Analytics lets you put tracking on a website to get data about its usage. It is a valuable professional skill to be able to understand and analyze data associated with Web and mobile sites. Each section of this training has a short assessment. When you are done, you get a Certificate that shows you have completed it. Take a screen shot of the Beginner Certificate and include in your post. There is also an Advanced Google Analytics course that you can also take (not required, but if you have time, try it). Once you have taken and passed these courses, you can then take the Google Analytics IQ examination. This is the official Google Analytics certification. This is a good item to have on your resume. This is also not required for this course, but it is a good step to take to advance your competencies.

Pew Reports

Assignment:

You won’t have a video from me this week. Watch the videos linked above on the history of Browsers and Search and take the Google Analytics Beginners course.

How does Google make money? Who are their competitors? Is this a business model that other media organizations could successfully adopt? Why or why not? What are issues/challenges?

Also, discuss some ways that a site owner can improve Search Engine Optimization (SEO)? You want your site to come up higher (first) when people search for certain terms. How might this change in the future?

Make sure you comment on two posts from other students on the day after the post is due.

Post is due on Oct. 5 at midnight. – Note: due date has been extended to Oct. 5.

Take Quiz on Browsers and Search also by Friday, Oct. 6 at midnight.

Oct. 11 – online, please note change in schedule.

Social Certifications

Watch: Part IV Download: The True Story of the Internet, People Power, 43 min.

Your Guide to Social and Digital Certifications, MediaShift, 2017

Hootsuite – Set up an account at Hootsuite Academy; Do Modules 1-6 on Social Marketing.

Hootsuite Platform – Sign up for Hootsuite and take the Hootsuite Platform Training modules 1 & 2.

We will discuss the various certifications and costs for Hootsuite during our next in-person class.

Search Engine Optimization and Marketing

Assignments: This week, you don’t have to do a post! And I won’t have a video. You will be doing online training courses from Hootsuite. This will serve as your quizzes for this week, as well.

Oct. 18 – in-person, attend Mass Comm Week sessions

You will attend Mass Comm Week sessions. We will have one on Women Who Code during our class time. There will be a required post after the panel.

Refer to the readings during our week on gender and look ahead to the readings for Nov. 1 on Coding and Product Management.

Panelists are graduates of our program:

Becky Larson, Web developer, USAA
Ashley Hebler, Web Developer, Cox Media Group, Fans 1st Media
Kimberly Cook, Web Developer, Zenoss
Erica Toney, Web Developer, Rainman Creative
Holly Gibson, Women Who Code, Austin

Assignment: Do some research on our panelists? What are some of the issues around Women Who Code? In general, how do you feel about learning to code and the career paths associated with this skillset. What are three questions you’d like to ask of the panel? Do this post by Oct. 17 at midnight.

Then by Sunday, October 22, do a  post outlining the Mass Comm Week sessions you attended. Write this up like you are covering the event. Include photos, videos, links.

Also, begin doing the Hubspot Content Marketing Course and Certification and review other Hubspot course offerings. Hubspot courses and certifications are free.

Oct. 25, in-person – Students will present the material below and lead a discussion in class. All students must do the readings and posts before class on Oct. 25.

Presentations and discussion: Ashley, Nicole  J. and Ryan

News: Kaila, Bianca, Megan

Discussion on Social Analytics Certifications before student presentations

Online Journalism

Pew Reports

Additional Resources

Assignment: Discuss your view of the future of journalism, referring specifically to the range of reports that have been presented in recent years. What role do you think data and programming will play and how should journalism schools adapt? Post is due on Oct. 24 at midnight.

Make sure you comment on two posts from other students on the day after the post is due.

Nov. 1 online

This week, you will be able to watch the videos I created for the Product Management course I am teaching.

Intro Product Management – Part I

Intro Product Management – Part II

Intro Product Management – Part III

Product Wrap Up Interviews Part I

Product Wrap Up Interviews Part II

Coding and Product Management

Coding Resources

Assignments: What is your view of the potential for programming and product management to the media industries? How do you think you will (or won’t) integrate these concepts into your future careers? What challenges exist in integrating these skills and mindsets into media companies? Find at least one other reference to an article about coding in journalism or curriculum and include in your post. Due Oct. 31 by midnight.

Make sure you comment on two posts from other students on the day after the post is due.

Take Quiz on Coding and Product Management by Friday, Nov. 3 at midnight.

Research project prospectus and literature review due – Nov. 1.

Nov. 8, in-person – Students will present the material below and lead a discussion in class. All students must do the readings and posts before class on Oct. Nov. 8.

Presentations and discussion: Wendy and Logan

News: Ashley, Nicole  J. and Ryan

Entrepreneurship and Design Thinking

Business Models and Online Branding

Assignment: Describe the concepts of the Long Tail and Free. How do they change our understanding of business models in terms of approach, marketing and scale? In what others ways is the Internet transforming business? What are your predictions for entrepreneurship in media? What role does creativity and design play?

Post is due on Nov. 7 at midnight.

Make sure you comment on two posts from other students on the day after the post is due.

Nov. 15 – online

The intro was from when I taught the course a couple summer’s ago!

Legal Issues

 Net Neutrality

Legal Resources

Pew Center

Assignment: What is your opinion about Girl Talk? Is what he does art… or theft…? Do you think he, and others doing similar work, should be allowed to record and sell their work? Why do you think he hasn’t been sued yet?

What do you think are the most important legal considerations associated with our digital environment? Why? What are the implications for culture?

Post is due on Nov. 14 at midnight.

Make sure you comment on two posts from other students on the day after the post is due.

Quiz on Legal Issues due Friday, Nov. 17 at midnight.

Nov. 22 – Thanksgiving

Nov. 29, in-person- Students will present the material below and lead a discussion in class. All students must do the readings and posts before class on Nov. 29.

Presentation and discussion: Sean and Vincent

News: Nicole A.,  Emily, Michael

Future Issues – we may identify others throughout the semester

Big Data and Elections – Consider how these previous articles were prescient about the current state of data and politics.

Drones, Sensors, Wearables and Virtual Reality

Other – Cindy will discuss; don’t need to cover this in presentation

Work on Final Research Paper

Assignment:

Looking across the semester, what do you think are the most important trends or issues affecting the future of the Internet, Web and digital communication? How, as a society, should we deal with the rapid pace of digital change?

What do you think is the most important thing you learned this session?

Due by midnight Nov. 28.

Make sure you comment on at least two posts of other students, as always.

Dec. 6 online

Course Wrap Up

Assignment:

Online Presentations – create a presentation of your research paper and make a post with it on your site.  The presentation should be captured in any way you want and uploaded to YouTube. You can do a screen capture on a Mac with QuickTime and record audio as you go. There are some minimal editing features in QuickTime. If you know how to use a video program like iMovie, you can do further editing to it (this is generally how I do the videos for this and other courses). If you are on a PC, you can see this article to find options for screencasting. Export the file and upload it to YouTube.

Or be creative with your mobile device and capture video that way. Perhaps someone can record you at your computer or in front of a screen delivering the presentation (or setup a tripod).  I want to see a brief visual presentation with audio of your voice. So however you wish to accomplish this is fine, as long as it can be uploaded to YouTube and embedded in a post on your WordPress site.

Include the url in the WordPress post, and it automatically embeds it. Presentations should be between 5-10 minutes.

Paper and Presentation Due Dec. 6. You must watch and comment on each person’s presentations by Dec. 9. Please upload complete final papers to the TRACS Dropbox in pdf format.