This fall I'm teaching a History of the Information Age, an undergraduate seminar.
Here's the course description: "This readings seminar will explore the history of new media and the digital age. We will begin with an investigation of the various definitions of the Information Age, then move into a discussion of the historical & technological foundations of information production, computing devices, and communication and networking tools. We will explore the social and cultural history of information production and consumption from newspapers to the Internet, from analog computational machines to handheld computers. The course will generally be based in the history of the US, but, given the transfer of technology and the increasing ability of these technologies to transcend geographic regions, it will logically range more widely as appropriate."
I'm creating a broad syllabus for the class with a few key readings and a big bibliography of primary and secondary texts, images, videos, films, etc. The students in the class will select as a group the topics and readings we explore in more detail over the course of the semester. I'm looking to expand the bibliography of potential sources that I've currently compiled at http://www.zotero.org/groups/infoage/items.
[We will also, as a class, create a digital timeline of events, people, trends, ideas, concepts, linking to individual projects by students expanding on their particular areas of interest. Any suggestions people have about small and large assignments (oral histories, infographics, short essay topics, mini-biographies, etc.) would also be welcome.]
