HIST 471A3: Remembering the American Civil War

VERSION 1.0

HIST 471D7: History of the Information Age

TR, 9:30-10:45 AMFall 2011Monroe 211

Jeffrey McClurkenOffice: Monroe 219

E-mail: Office Phone: x1475

Office Hours: MW, 9:00-11; TR, 1:45-2:30, or by apptTwitter (@wheresthechair), Facebook, G+

Course Description

This readings seminar will explore the history of new media and the digital age. We will begin with an investigation of the various definitions of the Information Age, then move into a discussion of the historical & technological foundations of information production, computing devices, and communication and networking tools. We will explore the social and cultural history of information production and consumption from newspapers to the Internet, from analog computational machines to handheld computers. The course will generally be based in the history of the US, but, given the transfer of technology and the increasing ability of these technologies to transcend geographic regions, it will logically range more widely as appropriate.

Departmental Course Goals and Objectives

This course will help students build upon a range of skills, including the ability to make discipline-specific oral presentations to groups; the ability to utilize technological resources in research, data analysis, and presentation; the ability to communicate in a group setting; and the ability to read critically primary sources and modern authorities. This course also counts in the History major.

Course Requirements

Non-negotiable parts include: Students are expected to attend all classes, read all assigned texts, post regularly to the individual blogs, participate in class, and help lead two weeks of class discussions. Students are also expected to contribute to the creation of a public, digital timeline of developments, events, people in the information age and add materials to it all semester.

Proposed projects from groups for other 50% (grading proposed as either divided up or increasing over the course of the semester)

1) Basic entry of elements into the timeline (names, events, inventions, dates) – By Groups

2) Make videos (defined broadly) to create a kind of digital museum of the information age.

3) Project for each part of the course

 Part one – Actually use an early system of communication to convey information

 Part two – Research significance of a technology in the life of a specific individual

 Part three – Create your own advertisement/commercial/print ad. – Group

 Part four – Make a documentary (5-10 minutes) on topic from this period -- Group

 Part five – Class discussion of the future of information, based around individual prior research on the subject (perhaps with mini-presentations).

4) Infographics – Topics? (e.g., spread of communications technologies)

5) Oral Histories

 Either famous people or that we know on:

 Experiences of changing information technologies OR Adapting to technology

6) Literature review??

KEY QUESTIONS: How do each/all of these fit in with the timeline we are creating? Can some/all/none of these be slotted in to the timeline? Are these group of individual projects? Will the proejcts be presented for a grade, or just presented informally?

Final Grades

Final grades will be determined based on a combination of factors, some determined by me and some determined by the class as a whole at the start of the semester. The non-negotiable parts are class participation (including two weeks of co-leading discussion) worth 40% and on performance on blog posts worth (at least) 10%.

The other 50% of the grade will be divided between projects added to the timeline, formal presentations of projects, or other items as suggested by the class.

[Unsatisfactory mid-semester reports will be reported for anyone with a grade of D+ or below at that time.]

Obligatory turn things in on time notice: Projects are due at the start of class on the day they are due. Projects are considered late if turned in anytime after the start of class on the day they are due. Late items will be penalized one full letter grade or, after 24 hours, not accepted.

Texts/Sources

In the Bookstore – 3 Core texts are in the bookstore

Downey, Gregory John, American Historical Association, and Society for the History of Technology. Technology and Communication in American History. Washington, DC: American Historical Association, 2011.

Rosenzweig, Roy. Clio Wired: The Future of the Past in the Digital Age. New York: Columbia University Press, 2011.

Winston, Brian. Media Technology and Society: A History From the Telegraph to the Internet. Re-issue. London: Routledge, 1998.

I recommend also picking up a copy of James Gleick’s recently published book. Gleick, James. The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood. New York: Pantheon, 2011. [Because it was recently published it’s not in the UMW bookstore.]

Grading Scale

A / Unusual Excellence / 93 or higher=A; 90-92=A-
B / Distinctly Above Average / 87-89=B+; 83-86=B; 80-82=B-
C / Average Quality / 77-79=C+; 73-76=C; 70-72=C-
D / Below Average Quality / 67-69=D+; 60-66=D
F / Failure, No Credit / 0-59=F

Accommodations

The Office of Disability Resources has been designated by the University as the primary office to guide, counsel, and assist students with disabilities. If you receive services through the Office of Disability Resources and require accommodations for this class, make an appointment with me as soon as possible to discuss your approved accommodation needs. Bring your accommodation letter with you to the appointment. I will hold any information you share with me in strictest confidence unless you give me permission to do otherwise. If you have not made contact with the Office of Disability Resources (540-654-1266) and need accommodations, I will be happy to refer you. The office will require appropriate documentation of disability.

Honor Code

I believe in the Honor Code as an essential, positive component of the Mary Washington experience. You should know that if you cheat or plagiarize in this class, you will fail, and I will take you to the Honor Council, so do not do it. On the other hand, I also believe that having friends or family read and comment on your writing can be extremely helpful and falls within the bounds of the Honor Code (assuming the writing itself remains yours). If you have questions about these issues, then you should talk to me sooner rather than later.

Topics & Readings[2]

Class Calendar

Week 1 — Introduction -- Week of August 29

-- What is the Information Age?

Week 2 — Introducing New Media tools and an overview of the history of information/communication -- Week of September 5

Tuesday: DTLT visit and start of timeline project

Reading --Thursday: Downey, all; Winston, Intro

Part I – Print (and its predecessors)

Likely topics:

photography (3) (1)

coffee houses and print culture (3),

newspapers (2), (1)

written language, (1) (1)

printing press, (1) (1)

Magazines (1)

Cave paintings, (3)

African Drums, (1)

oral tradition, (1)

Unselected topics

art,

universities,

plagiarism/citation/rise of the footnote;

Week 3 — Week of September 12

— Topics: Coffee Houses and Print Culture, Photography, and a splash of written language/printing press

Reading -- Tuesday: Appleby, Inheriting the Revolution, Chapter 4???; Readings from James Gleick’s The Information??

Thursday: ????

Part II – Early Networked Communication

Likely topics:

Postal Service (4)

rise of modern journalism (3) (1)

Telegraph/telephone(2)(2),

Week 4 — Week of September 19

— Topics: History of the Postal Service, modern journalism (newspapers/magazines), and a splash of telegraph/telephone

Reading -- Tuesday: Winston, 19-66, ????

Thursday: ????

Basic elements of the timeline finished BY SEPTEMBER 26

Part III—Broadcasting

Likely Topics:

advertising(4),

technological, cultural histories of Film/Radio/TV(4) (4)

propaganda(4) (1)

Rise of mass media(2);

Week 5 — Week of September 26

— Topics: History of Film, Radio, TV

Reading -- Tuesday: Winston, 67-146, ????

Thursday: ????

Week 6 — Week of October 3

— Topics: Advertising and Propaganda

Reading -- Tuesday: ????

Thursday: ????

Part IV – Information in the Digital Age

Likely topics:

Role of war/military in creation and spread of information/computing technology (WWII, Cold War, ARPANet) (4); (1)

Hackers and Hacking Culture (4);

Early Computers (Human Computers, Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace); (2)

Video Games; (1.5)

Pop Culture treatment of the digital age(1); (1)

Rise of the mainframe and then personal computers; (1) (1)

the wiki phenomenon; (1)

Coding/Programming; (1)

identity in the digital age(1)

HIST 471A3: Remembering the American Civil War

TR, 9:30-10:45 AMFall 2011Monroe 211

Course Description

In the Bookstore – 3 Core texts are in the bookstore

Other Readings as determined by class, at least some of which are online

Grading Scale

Accommodations