ENGL 108D W23 Ehrentraut

ENGL 108D: Digital Lives

Instructor: Dr. Judy Ehrentraut, English Language and Literature

Email: jehrentr@uwaterloo.ca

Course Description

This course will give you the opportunity to develop a broader understanding of how old and new media affect our lives. We will examine how digital communication technologies create and promote online identities and social spaces, while exploring the technical and cultural forces that inform what it means to have “digital lives.” In this course you will also:

  • Learn the importance of digital literacy and its history
  • Develop your close reading skills so you can critically analyze what you read
  • Identify the terms used to theorize media and form your own academic voice
  • Learn how to organize an argumentative essay and create a proper thesis statement
  • Learn how to thoughtfully respond to the opinions of your peers

Course Meeting Times

Though this is an online course, you are expected to log into LEARN at least twice per week to access the slideshows and do the readings on/before Mondays and Wednesdays. Participating in the Group Discussion component is the equivalent of attendance, and this is mandatory. A detailed explanation can be found in Content Group Discussion Assignment on LEARN.

Required Texts

Flew, Terry and Richard Smith. New Media: An Introduction. 4th Canadian Edition, Oxford UP, 2021

All other texts are available via links in Content > Weekly Schedule or in Content > Course Readings.

Email Policy

Any questions you may have about the course, the assignments, the schedule, what group/section you are in, etc. can be posted under Connect > Discussions > Ask Me AnythingBefore emailing me, please check this forum to see if someone else has already asked your question.

Since some of you may have the same general questions, I would prefer to only respond once.

If your question has not been answered in this forum and is of a more personal or specific nature, please feel free to email me. Keep in mind that email is fast, but not instant, and I require 24 hours.

Late Policy and Extensions

You are expected to participate in the Group Discussions twice per week. If you miss a reading or miss your window to post your answer/response depending on your assigned Section, remember these are only worth 2% each. It would be better to focus on the next reading to ensure you don’t fall behind, so unfortunately, I cannot allow any extensions or make-ups for the weekly Group Discussions.

Assignments that are handed in late will lose 5% per day, including weekends. If you require an extension, please email me at least 24 hours before the due date with a legitimate reason for the request. I unfortunately cannot grant extensions without some kind of proof that demonstrates a medical or family emergency. Students who regularly require extra time for assignments should register with Accessibility Services at the beginning of term, but must still request extensions from me.

NOTE: The Final Reflection is your final major assignment in place of an exam. If you don’t hand it in, you will fail the course.

Academic Integrity

The Faculty of Arts requires that I make you aware of the following: “Students are expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing academic offences, and to take responsibility for their actions. Students who are unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who need help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about ‘rules’ for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Undergraduate Assistant Dean.

For information on offences and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy #71, Student Academic Discipline: http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy71.html. Students who believe that they have been wrongfully or unjustly penalized have the right to grieve. Refer to Policy #70, Student Grievance: http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy70.htm

Turnitin.com: Text matching software (Turnitin®) may be used to screen assignments in this course. Turnitin® is used to verify that all materials and sources in assignments are documented. Students’ submissions are stored on a U.S. server, therefore students must be given an alternative (e.g., scaffolded assignment or annotated bibliography), if they are concerned about their privacy and/or security. Students will be given due notice, in the first week of the term and/or at the time assignment details are provided, about arrangements and alternatives for the use of Turnitin® in this course. It is the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor if they, in the first week of term or at the time assignment details are provided, wish to submit the alternate assignment.

Note for Students with Disabilities

The Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPD), located in Needles Hall Room 1132, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with OPD at the beginning of each academic term.

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre works across all faculties to help students clarify their ideas, develop their voices, and write in the style appropriate to their disciplines. Writing Centre staff offer oneonone support in planning assignments and presentations, using and documenting research, organizing and structuring papers, and revising for clarity and coherence.

You can make multiple appointments throughout the term, or drop in at the Library for quick questions or feedback. To book a 50-minute appointment and to see drop-in hours, visit www.uwaterloo.ca/writing-centre. Group appointments for team-based projects, presentations, and papers are also available.

Weekly Schedule

Everyone in Sections A and B is responsible for all the readings, so please make sure you’re reading everything outlined in each block. If your Section is answering the Discussion Questions, posts are due at 11:59pm on Monday/Wednesday of that week. If your Section is responding to the other Section, posts are due at 11:59pm on Tuesday/Thursday.

Week

Day 

Readings

Assignments

Start Time

End Time

1: Introductions

Mon

No Course Readings

Read the syllabus and all assignments

Jan 11

Jan

11:59pm

 

Wed-Thurs

 

Write your short introduction

(Everyone)

Jan 13

 

2: What is New Media?

Mon-Tues

NM Chapter 1: pg. 1-16

Section A answers Discussion Questions

Section B responds to Section A

Jan 18

Jan 18

11:59pm

Jan 19

11:59pm

Wed-Thurs

NM Chapter 1: pg. 17-30

Section A answers Discussion Questions

Section B responds to Section A

Jan 20

Jan 20

11:59pm

Jan 21

11:59pm

3: History of Communication Technologies

Mon-Tues

NM Chapter 2: pg. 34-38

NM Chapter 2: pg. 46-49 (read until the end of “Essential Need”)

NM Chapter 2:  pg. 52-58 (begin at “Speaking Without Wires” and skip Case Study)

Section B answers Discussion Questions

Section A responds to Section B

Jan 25

Jan 25

11:59pm

Jan 26

11:59

Wed-Thurs

NM Chapter 3:  pg. 67-71

NM Chapter 3: pg. 74-76

(begin at “Approaches to technological change” and end at “The Diffusion of Innovations Model”

Section B answers Discussion Questions

Section A responds to Section B

Jan 27

Jan 27

11:59pm

Jan 28

11:59pm

4: Media Theory and Mobile Phones

Mon-Tues

NM Chapter 3: pg. 82-88 (begin at “Pioneer Media Theorists” and skip Case Study)

Section A answers Discussion Questions

Section B responds to Section A

Feb 1

Feb 1

11:59pm

Feb 2

11:59pm

Wed-Thurs

NM Chapter 4: pg. 94-103

Watch: History of Cell Phones

Section A answers Discussion Questions

Section B responds to Section A

Feb 3

Feb 3

11:59pm

Feb 4

11:59pm

 

Reflection #1

Everyone uploads to Dropbox

Feb 5

11:59pm

5: Mobile Phone Culture

Mon-Tues

NM Chapter 4: pg. 104-113

Kopomaa, Timo. “Mobile Phones, Place-centered Communication and Neo-community" 

(LEARN)

Section B answers Discussion Questions

Section A responds to Section B

Feb 8

Feb 8

11:59pm

Feb 9

11:59pm

Wed-Thurs

NM Chapter 5: pg. 128 – 140 (read until “Networks and the Economics of Social Production”)

Section B answers Discussion Questions

Section A responds to Section B

Feb 10

Feb 10

11:59pm

Feb 11

11:59pm

   

Reading week (no class)

Feb 15 - 19

   

6: Media Literacy

Mon-Tues

NM Chapter 5: pg. 146 - 153 (start at “Participatory Media Cultures”)

NM Chapter 5: pg. 157 - 163 (begin at “Blogs as Participatory Media”)

Section A answers Discussion Questions

Section B responds to Section A

Feb 22

Feb 22

11:59pm

Feb 23

11:59pm


 

Wed-Thurs

Jenkins, Henry et al. “Enabling Participation” (LEARN)

Section A answers Discussion Questions

Section B responds to Section A

Feb 24

Feb 24

11:59pm

Feb 25

11:59pm

 

Reflection #2

Everyone uploads to Dropbox

Feb 26

11:59pm

7: Online Activism

Mon-Tues

Tufecki, Zeynep. “Twitter and Tear Gas: How Social Media Changed Protest Forever.”

Section B answers Discussion Questions

Section A responds to Section B

Mar 1

Mar 1

11:59pm

Mar 2

11:59pm

Wed-Thurs

Gladwell, Malcolm. “Small Change.”

Section B answers Discussion Questions

Section A responds to Section B

Mar 3

Mar 3

11:59pm

Mar 4

11:59pm

8: Digital Identity

Mon-Tues

Chandler, Daniel. “Personal Home Pages and the Construction of Identities on the Web.”

Section A answers Discussion Questions

Section B responds to Section A

Mar 8

Mar 8

11:59pm

Mar 9

11:59pm


 

Wed-Thurs

Affsprung, Daniel. “Narrative Identity and the Data Self.”

Section A answers Discussion Questions

Section B responds to Section A

Mar 10

Mar 10

11:59pm

Mar 11

11:59pm

9: Gaming and Streaming

Mon-Tues

NM Chapter 6: pg. 167 – 169 (until “Games History”)

NM Chapter 6: pg. 181 – 191 (skip Case Study)

Section B answers Discussion Questions

Section A responds to Section B

Mar 15

Mar 15

11:59pm

Mar 16

11:59pm

Wed-Thurs

Hernandez, Patricia. “The Twitch Streamers Who Spend Years Broadcasting to No-one”

Section B answers Discussion Questions

Section A responds to Section B

Mar 17

Mar 17

11:59pm

Mar 18

11:59pm

 

Reflection #3

Everyone uploads to Dropbox

Mar 19

11:59pm

10: Social Media Addiction and Privacy

Mon-Tues

Harris, “How Technology is Hijacking Your Mind — from a Magician and Google Design Ethicist”

Section A answers Discussion Questions

Section B responds to Section A

Mar 22

Mar 22

11:59pm

Mar 23

11:59pm

Wed-Thurs

boyd, dana and Alice E. Marwick. “Networked Privacy: How Teenagers Negotiate Context in Social Media” (LEARN)

Section A answers Discussion Questions

Section B responds to Section A

Mar 24

Mar 24

11:59pm

Mar 25

11:59pm

11: Surveillance and Cancel Culture

Mon-Tues

Jonson, Ron. “How One Tweet Can Ruin Your Life” (TED Talk)

Section B answers Discussion Questions

Section A responds to Section B

Mar 29

Mar 29

11:59pm

Mar 30

11:59pm

NM Chapter 10: pg. 299-307 (read until “New Media Scholarship”)

Section B answers Discussion Questions

Section A responds to Section B

Mar 31

Mar 31

11:59pm

Apr 1

11:59pm

12: Final Writing Assignments

Read: “Top 10 Student Writing Mistakes”

Everyone uploads a Reflection to the Discussion Board

Apr 5 11:59pm

 


 

Common Errors Peer Review

Everyone reviews one peer’s Reflection

Apr 7

11:59pm

 

Common Errors Personal Review

Everyone reviews their own Reflection

Apr 12

11:59pm

 

Read: “Thesis Statements” and “What is a thesis?” (LEARN)

Everyone

Apr 14

11:59pm

 

Thesis Statement

Everyone uploads Thesis Statement to Dropbox

Apr 16

11:59pm

 

Final Reflection

Everyone uploads to Dropbox

Apr 21

11:59pm