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 Anything. Before 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 |
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 |
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 |