Course Schedule & Assignments

Because courses develop and evolve depending upon the dynamic interaction of the people in the class to each other and to the material being studied, there may be assignment changes or changes in due dates that we discuss in class. When this happens I will try to update the schedule as soon as possible, but if you have been absent be sure to check with meand/or your classmates about what is due. As the semester progresses, I will add links to more detailed assignment descriptions.

Items are due on the day that they are listed due, so to figure out what your homework is for next class you read what is due that next class period.

Tuesday, January 13

Focus: Who we are and how the Internet has impacted us; Begin Internet Self-Reflection Essay

Thursday, January 15

Due: Read class web site, especially course policies
--Draft of Internet Self-Reflection Essay

Focus: Peer Response Session

Tuesday, January 20

Due: Finished draft of Internet Self-Reflection Essay

Focus: What are the Internet and the Web, and how do they work? A scavenger hunt.

Thursday, January 22

Due: --Skim read the "Digital Divide" entry in Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_divide
-- Read "Your guide to the digital divide" http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2007/01/your-guide-to-the-digital-divide017.html
--Read Part I and Part II (pp. 1-14) from Benton Foundation "Losing ground bit-by-bit: Low income communities in the information age"--Introduction, Defining the Gap, Barriers to Closing the Gap http://www.benton.org/publibrary/losing-ground/losing-ground.pdf
-- Read Carpenter, Mark. (2003). "Older, wiser, wired: Working to bridge the digital divide" http://www.aarp.org/olderwiserwired/oww-features/Articles/a2003-11-19-ia-perspectives.html
--Read the Pew Internet and American Life's report "Digital Divisions" http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Digital_Divisions_
Oct_5_2005.pdf
--For a global perspective, read "The Digital Divide," "Truths," and "Fallacies" at http://www.digitaldivide.org
--Write reaction to the readings (equivalent of one single-spaced page). You will upload this to a common folder in class.)

Focus: Cui Bono? Who benefits and who doesn't: Discussion of various Digital Divides; Overview of Human Subjects Research

Tuesday, January 27

Due: --Read summary of --"The Internet's Growing Role in Life's Major Moments"
http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Major%20Moments_2006.pdf
--Blog post summarizing benefits of access to Internet for a particular aspect of life, include web links and/or references to library database material

Focus: In what ways do people benefit from the Internet and Web?; Overview of Internet Interview Report

Thursday, January 29

Due: Read -the following Pew Internet and American Life reports:
"Teens and Technology" http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Teens_Tech_July2005web.pdf
"Teens and Social Media" http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Teens_Social_Media_Final.pdf

Focus: Social Networking & Collaborative Writing; Overview of Social Networking Report

Tuesday, February 3

Due:----Read "Reliability of Wikipedia" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliability_of_Wikipedia
--Read "Believers, Negativists Debate Wikipedia's Trustworthiness"
http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2006/04/your_take_roundupbelievers_neg.html--Read "The Real Bias in Wikipedia"
http://www.opendemocracy.net/media-edemocracy/wikipedia_bias_3621.jsp
--Read "Wikipedia Study Fatally Flawed" (BBC News)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4840340.stm
--Read "The Six Sins of the Wikipedia" (Vaknin)
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=11109
--Read "All the News that's Fit to Print Out" (available in Blackboard)
--Read the Table of Contents and Introduction of How Wikipedia Works
http://howwikipediaworks.com

Focus: How reliable and valid is Wikipedia?

Thursday, February 5

Due: --Preparation of arguments and witnesses for the defense and prosecution

Focus: Wikipedia on Trial
(Guest "Judge": Dr. John Forren, Assoc. Director, Honors & Scholars Program)

Tuesday, February 10

Due: Work with partner on Social Networking Report

Focus: Who do you want to be and how do you want to look? Avatar creation; Overview of Human Subjects Ethics Training

Thursday, February 12

Due: Draft of Social Networking Report

Focus: Peer Response for Social Networking Report

Tuesday, February 17

Due: --Work on Social Networking Reports with Collaborator
-- Complete tutorials at Orientation Island in SL, explore Miami's Island, and venture out to other places (Please remember our guidelines for in-world conduct!)

Focus:
Guest Presenter: Brenda Boyd, Instructional Design & Technology Specialist @ Miami

Thursday, February 19

Due: Social Networking Report

Focus: Communication and Culture in Virtual Worlds

Tuesday, February 24 (Class online in Second Life)

Due: --At 2pm, please meet in the auditorium on Miami's Island in Second Life. Check your connection well before class to ensure you have enough bandwidth to run Second Life at your location.
--Two-page single-spaced journal entry reflection on Second Life

Focus: Discussion of Communication and Culture in Virtual Worlds

Thursday, February 26 (Class cancelled for interviewing & next week's conferences)

Due: Work on Interview Reports

Tuesday, March 3

Due: Mid-process drafts of Interview Reports

Focus: Peer Response Session; Overview of Internet & U.S. Cultures Team Project

Thursday, March 5

Due: Internet Interview Report & Presentations

Focus: Presentations on Interview Reports; Team selection for Internet & U.S. Cultures Team Project

March 7-14 Spring Break (work on CITI training)

Tuesday, March 17

Due: Complete the CITI training

Focus: Planning research and proposal writing
Tips for survey writing: http://www.ehow.com/how_16596_write-survey-questionnaire.html

Thursday, March 19

Due (by end of class): Draft of IRB Protocol, Consent Form, Interview Questions, & Survey Questions for submission to IRB

Focus: Peer Response

Tuesday, March 24

Due: Final Draft of IRB Proposal
---- Typed notes summarizing at least four sources from each team member on some aspect of the team's focus. These notes should be posted in the group's Wiki for all members to access.

Focus: Finalizing IRB applications; drafting general project timelines

Thursday, March 26

Due: -- Typed notes summarizing at least four sources from each team member on some aspect of the team''s focus EXCEPT for the designated Survey Monkey designer

Focus: Effective/Ineffective web site structure; Storyboarding

Tuesday, March 31

Due:  –Readings on Copyright
–Read some basic definitions: http://www.humanities.uci.edu/humanitech/copyright/workshop.html
–Read Center for Social Media Best Practices http://centerforsocialmedia.org/rock/backgrounddocs/bestpractices.pdf
–Watch “A Fair(y) Use Tale” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJn_jC4FNDo
–Read the license types at Creative Commons http://creativecommons.org/about/licenses
--***Download Free Trial Version of Dreamweaver*** (directions on Resource Page)

Focus: Copyright discussion; Overview of web file naming & basic web authoring with Dreamweaver

Thursday, April 2

Due: Project Team Assignments (will vary by group)

Focus: Basic web authoring with Dreamweaver

Tuesday, April 7

Due: Timeline for Project from all groups

Focus: Discussion of timeline & key elements of project; Working with iMovie & MovieMaker

Thursday, April 9

Due: Project Team Assignments (will vary by group)

Focus: Overview of project evaluation criteria; Work on projects

Tuesday, April 14

Due: Project Team Assignments (will vary by group)

Focus: Work on projects

Thursday, April 16

Due: Project Team Assignments (will vary by group)

Focus: Work on Projects

Tuesday, April 21

Due: Draft of Internet & Culture Team Project

Focus: Peer Response Session
***Team conferences with me this week ***
***Class will be videoed today for the College of Arts and Science. The focus of this video will be about the class, your experiences learning with laptops, and your work and learning on these final projects. The videographer would like to interview some students after class.***

Thursday, April 23

Due: Project Team Assignments (will vary by group)

Focus: End of Semester Course & Instructor Evaluations; Work on Projects

Tuesday, April 28

Due: --Formal class presentations on Internet & Culture Team Project (20 minutes per team)

Focus: Class Presentations

Thursday, April 30

Due: ***Final Drafts of Internet & Culture Team Project AND Project Letter **
--Presentations on Internet & Culture Team Project (20 minutes per team)

Focus: Class Presentations

Final Exam Week

Rewrites of selected previous writing due on Monday, Dec. 4 (if choosing to complete a rewrite).