Week 1 – Introduction
Architectures of Participation: From “Community Visions” to “Transmedia”
Work Plan
- Introduce ourselves to each other and engage!
- Become familiar with the structure, requirements and procedures for this course
- Become familiar with the scope, history and emerging issues around transmedia, participatory media and social practice
- Begin planning for your group-based term projects
Getting Started
- Read the syllabus and
- Complete the readings and viewings before our first meeting on October 5.
- Post your Introduction and Comments by October 4.
On-Campus Workshop: Saturday, October 5
- Introductions, course overview, expectations and requirements
- Screen additional clips from Precious Places Community History Project
- “From Community Visions to Transmedia” talk and discussion
- Skype-in discussion with Louis Massiah, Executive Director of Scribe Video Center, and Executive Producer of the Precious Places Project in Philadelphia
- Term project overview and look at examples of curation projects like:
Brainpickings (Maria Popova’s weekly “interestingness digest”)
http://www.brainpickings.org/ - Break into project groups to initiate and brainstorm planning, roles and next steps for term project; schedule week 3 check-in meeting with Prof. De Michiel.
Reading(s)/Assignment
Susan Phillips. “Toward a Collaborative Ethos: Scribe’s True Community Vision,” from A Closer Look, National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture, 2002.
PDF: Towards A Collaborative Ethos
Online Assignment: website immersion + viewings
1. Please begin the course by watching this (pre-recorded) February 2013 Google Hangout, hosted by The National Alliance for Media Arts & Culture:
This 90 minute discussion features a panel of leading artists, designers and thinkers (led by moderator USC Professor Henry Jenkins) looking at how transmedia storytelling is evolving across disciplines. Feel free to take advantage of the Google Hangout screen to dip in and out of the discussions, and make notes on issues and questions you may have for your postings this week.
2. After reading Susan Phillip’s case study, please watch these pieces from the Precious Places 2011 collection of videos. Visit the Precious Places Community History Project web page to learn more about this community engagement project in Philadelphia.
You can download the videos onto your computer by holding control and clicking on the links, then selecting “Download as” or “Save as”. The media player on your computer should have a full screen option when viewing. This will increase the size of the video, but the resolution will remain the same, meaning that it still may be a bit pixelated depending on the size of your screen. Please be patient, and be aware that the digitized quality of these works is hardly optimal in this streaming view.
1. Brothers and Sisters Sharing Our Legacy: Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity House
http://is-cc-media.uoregon.edu/media/LIB/2011/precious_places_4_sync.mp4
2. The Nile Swim Club: Yeadon
http://is-cc-media.uoregon.edu/media/LIB/2011/precious_places_8_sync.mp4
Writing Assignment:
For the first week of the course, your assignment is to write and post a personal introduction to the group. I expect depth and quality to this piece that tells us about you, your accomplishments and aspirations. Please post this bio as a “public post” for all course members to see.
1. Introduce yourself – public post (250 words max)
Prompts to choose from and include: Explain why you are taking this course, your interests in digital media and emerging participatory forms, what you may have seen already caught your eye, what books or ideas have had an impact on your intellectual or creative life, what films or new media sites have engaged or provoked you, and what you would like to learn in this class.
2. Engage with each other and the readings/viewings — public post (short entries)
(A) Respond with a short comment (one or two sentences) and questions to (at least) three Introductions from your fellow students.
(B) Post an entry with responses or questions about the Week 1 viewings and/or reading: What can you throw out to the group that interested you in terms of framing the big picture issues? What might some of connections be between the Transmedia hangout discussion and the Precious Places work being done at Scribe Video in Philadelphia? Comment on (at least) 3 postings you read to get a strong conversation going.
The Personal Introduction public post + comment is due before Friday, Oct 4, 5pm; the second post + comment before Monday Oct 7, 5pm. (this is a special schedule for these first week posts).
FOR EASE OF READING, RECORDING + RETRIEVING, PLEASE TITLE EACH WEEKLY PUBLIC POST IN THIS WAY:
WEEK 1: [Your Name]
AND…
PLEASE REMEMBER TO TAG ALL YOUR PUBLIC POSTS with a subject tag.
