Introduction to Digital Media

Instructor: Professor Laura Kurtzberg, MFA

Office: Academic Two #317

Office hours: Wednesdays 4:00pm-7:00pm or by appointment! Make an appointment.

Email: [email protected]

<aside> 👋🏻 Hi! My name is Laura Kurtzberg, and I'll be teaching this course. Most of the time, you'll be using my pre-recorded videos to guide you through the semester, but I'm always available for further questions and discussion if you email me.

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📜 Course Description

Digital media is all around us. Our understanding and retrieval of information, the ways we work and make money, and our daily activities are all affected by digital technology. This course will weave a thread through history, starting with the invention of computers, moving forward to our present digital life, and finally imagining the future – all with a focus on communication and media.

Even if you're not majoring in a subject related to digital media...

You are likely to use digital media tools in many careers, especially if you will be working with computers or using the internet.
By understanding the communication technologies that affect your life, you will become more media-literate.

🧮 Learning Objectives & Course Skills

When you finish this course, you will have learned to:

Critically analyze the connections between technological development and the social issues of our time
Connect current discussions about the impact of tech to the historical landmark inventions and figures that shaped the technology we have today
Search for and utilize reliable sources of information about the history of technology, including primary sources and photographs from museums and libraries
Self-publish your own research in the form of an online digital exhibit
Carefully examine works of opinion about digital media and society, and craft well-written and thoughtful responses
Structure your own opinion about digital media technology and society
Create your own interactive history timeline using Timeline.js