ENGL 54.40 Literary Culture in an Age of Digital Distraction
This course is organized around two main projects that will investigate the interesting and compelling ways that "traditional" forms of literacy are evolving to coexist with digital and social media. First, students will choose a contemporary practice, tool, or genre in which print and digital media have converged (e.g. book lists on Goodreads, e-book hardware, "Twitter fiction"), exploring what if anything is "new" about it. Next, student groups will design and prototype a digital technology that reimagines the ways that literature is produced or consumed in the context of digital media. This project will accommodate students with varying levels of technical expertise, though no programming experience is presumed. Throughout the course, readings on the history of media, the ethnography of literacy, and human-computer interaction will guide both our writing and production.
Instructor
Not being offered in 2022-23
Department-Specific Course Categories
Course Group IV