Course Calendar

Note: This calendar is tentative and will almost certainly change. All major projects and reading assignments are listed, but I might add a short piece or two each week, depending on our schedule and everyone’s interests. The most accurate version of what we’re doing during the coming week will always be found on the homepage.

Week Tuesday Thursday
1 August 25

  • Overview of the course
  • Tracing the evolution of “writing” through time
 August 27

  • Introduction to Unit #1: Video Narrative
  • Taking stock of who we are and how we work
  • READ: “As We May Think,” by Vannevar Bush
2 September 1

  • Time, internet addition, and FOMO
  • READ: Program or Be Programmed, Introduction and Chapter 1
 September 3

  • Storyboarding workshop
3 September 8

  • Physical vs. virtual space
  • READ: Program or Be Programmed, Chapter 2
 September 10

  • Video production workshop
4 September 15

  • Human agency and technology
  • READ: Program or Be Programmed, Chapter 3
 September 17

  • Peer critique workshop
  • DEADLINE: Rough draft of Unit #1
5 September 22

  • Simplicity vs. complexity
  • READ: Program or Be Programmed, Chapter 4
 September 24

  • Introduction to Unit #2: Slide Deck Redesign
  • DEADLINE: Unit #1: Video Narrative
6 September 29

  • Typography and slide design
  • READ: Presentation Zen Design, pp. 1–61
 October 1

  • Working with color and images in slide design
  • READ: Presentation Zen Design, pp. 63–125
7 October 6

  • Incorporating video and data visualizations into slide design
  • READ: Presentation Zen Design, pp. 127–75
 October 8

  • Comparing slide design tools
  • READ: Presentation Zen Design, pp. 181–235
8 October 13

  • Peer critique workshop
  • DEADLINE: Rough draft of Unit #2
 October 15

  • Introduction to Unit #3: Interrogating the Interface
  • Interrogating social media sites
  • DEADLINE: Unit #2: Slide Deck Redesign
9 October 20

  • Local vs. global audiences
  • READ: Program or Be Programmed, Chapter 5
 October 22

  • History and evolution of word processing tools
10 October 27

  • Identity and anonymity
  • READ: Program or Be Programmed, Chapter 6
 October 29

  • Peer feedback session
  • DEADLINE: Early notes and outline for Unit #3
11 November 3

  • Social networks, on- and off-line
  • READ: Program or Be Programmed, Chapter 7
 November 5

  • Peer critique workshop
  • DEADLINE: Rough draft of Unit #3
12 November 10

  • Truth and credibility online
  • Introduction to Unit #4: Scholarly Webtext
  • READ: Program or Be Programmed, Chapter 8
 November 12

  • Individual conferences with Quinn
  • DEADLINE: Unit #3: Interrogating the Interface
13 November 17

  • Ownership, piracy, and digital economies
  • READ: Program or Be Programmed, Chapter 9
 November 19

  • Working with sources workshop
  • DEADLINE: Unit #4 Plan of Action

THANKSGIVING BREAK: No Classes
14 December 1

  • Planning your digital life
  • READ: Program or Be Programmed, Chapter 10
 December 3

  • Digital production workshop
15 December 8

  • Course evaluations
  • Peer critique workshop
  • DEADLINE: Rough draft of Unit #4
 December 10

  • Reading Day (no class)
16 FINALS WEEK

  • DEADLINE: Scholarly Webtext due at the beginning of our final: December 14, 1:05 p.m.