Week 6

6 The Second Revolution

Learn how the Internet evolved and how it has ushered in new kinds of texts and reading experiences.

Week 6 Preview

In week 6, we transition from the history of the book to the rapid evolution of the Internet, during the years 1980-2010. What began as a closed research network (Arpanet) became the backbone of what we now know as the Internet and the World Wide Web. When the Web was opened to the public in 1993, the foundation of print literacy was shaken. New modes of digital reading and literacy are emerging, and our goal in this unit is to better understand how to write and design content for online readers.

Project 2 / Case Study on Reading in a Digital Age

Throughout Unit 2, you will be working to develop a web-based case study project. Reading through the assignment and viewing some samples from prior students will help you to better understand where we are headed in this unit.

Project 2 is due Oct 28 and a series of weekly assignments leading up to that project will help you develop your project in stages.

Project 2 Instructions (Google Docs)

Sample Projects from 2018

Sample Projects from 2017

Assignment 5 / Reflection on First Case Study

Assignment 5 Instructions (Google Docs)

Assignment 5 is a short, informal essay that prompts you to reflect on your process for Project 1. Evaluating what worked and what you would do differently next time will help you prepare for the next case study and will also help you to better understand your own goals and processes as a researcher and writer.

Reading
N. Katherine Hayles, “How We Read: Close, Hyper, Machine” (Broadview Reader, pp. 491-508)

As the editors' headnote explains, Hayles's essay "examines how reading and cognition are being impacted by the shift from print to digital-based sources." Hayles then proposes a "flexible and overlapping model of reading styles" that combines some of the advantages of both print and digital reading.

Key Questions:

How does Hayles define these three modes of reading (close, hyper, and machine)?
What is Hayles's argument about the effectiveness of close reading?
How would Hayles's argument potentially influence the way reading is taught?
How would you compare Hayles's view to the perspectives of Carr or Johnson?

(Grad students who choose to may write a summary-response to Hayles for Blog Post #1. See details on this page.)

Blog Post 1

(Only grad students enrolled in 5326 are required to complete this assignment.)
Due Thurs Oct 3 / 50 points

Blog posts are typically about 1,000 to 1,2oo words long.

If you already have a blog somewhere, I encourage you to publish your posts for this course there. You can set up an account and post (for free) on Medium, if you like, which is my recommended blog platform. You can also use Blogger or another platform if you choose; you are not required to post on a public forum and you can submit your posts privately on Blackboard as a Google Docs file if you prefer.)

For Post #1, you have two options (email me if you want to do something different than these options):
1. Convert your case study from Project 1 into a blog post. This is good practice in adapting academic research into an informal style for a broader public audience, adding visuals, and reformatting for online readers.
2. Write a summary-response to the Hayles reading (refer to the "key questions" listed in the description of that reading on this page).

Sample Blog Posts

For grad students who will be completing the blog posts for the course, these examples from prior students will be useful models. These are also great reading for anyone working on a case study, too!

Jacklyn Carroll, "Claiming the Pen: Women's Authorship in the American South." (posted on Medium).

"Despite the increased level of power that men had in comparison to women at that time, it is clear that spaces for women (and created by women) were beginning to emerge. Many women were longing for knowledge so they could better understand themselves, their families, and the world around them. They fought for intellectual equality, moving toward independence instead of relying on their parents or husbands."

Tori Williams, "A Day in the Life of an Unfaithful Woman" (posted on Medium)

"Thus begins another day of my ongoing affair with technology. Yes, you read that right. I am cheating on books! Beautiful hardbound books that smell of adventure and intrigue. I have been seduced by sleek bodies of plastic and chrome. I have allowed my curious nature to become enthralled by a marvelously attractive titan better known as Google."

Codi Renee Blackmon, "The Bedlam of Banned Books" (posted on Blogger)

"It's no wonder we have come to live in a world surrounded by texts. Seeing that Bible on the banned book shelf to me proves the lasting effectiveness of printed ideas despite repeated attempts to censor them. Look at the continued popularity of the Bible as a product of mass-produced print culture today. The last I checked, it's still on the bestseller list."

Eric Yarberry, "The Newspaper, Pina Coladas, and Society" (posted on Blogger)

"Based upon an article by Malcolm Willey, “The Functions of the Newspaper,” the newspaper is a social institution, thus placing it next to education, hospitals, religion, and government. Most importantly, the newspaper is an evolving print technology. Willey believes there are 6 functions of the newspaper that allow us a theoretical view at how the newspaper is similar to other social institutions, in that it grows as society grows."