Digitally Imagined Society: syllabus

Webster University
Syllabus

GNST 1300 Technology, Science & Society: The Digitally Imagined Society

Instructor: Karl M. Kindt III Phone 314 591 4913 cell or 314 961 0987
Site: Webster Campus

Course Description: Digital images influence society, politics, art and religion. The explosive use of digital cameras and computers as visualization tools presents significant new challenges to nearly all the professions and occupations such as communicators, educators, philosophers, law enforcement, scientists and to individuals and to religions. This course will examine the consequences digital photography/videography on various facets of society and the individual with particular attention paid to future implications of this technology.
Course Objectives:
> To gain knowledge of current and near future digital image creation and manipulation and production by observation and demonstration of this technology.
> To consider the differences between digital photography and traditional film photography and how this may transmogrify society and impact the individual.
> To identify how the use of digital manipulated images alter opinions, conceptions of reality, devotion, convictions and perceptions of beauty.
> To gain insight as to how the mere quantity of images now being produced makes the technologically created and enhanced images of our era of much greater importance than photographs of the past.
> To gain insight as to the consequences of manipulating photographic images when there are no negatives and insight as to how this may influence the perception of “truth”
> To gain perspective regarding the consequence of creating movies in which there are no live actors but instead dead actors of the past have their words and images “resurrected” from old film footage and then altered to make them participate in new plots, with actors of different generations of the past so that historic time zones become intertwined.
> To consider how the ability to “see” in places never seen before influence political and personal choices.
> To identify how the explosive use of computers as visualization tools presents significant new challenges to communicators, educators, philosophers, scientists and persons of faith.

Course Outline: A complete course outline is below which identifies the sequence of topics to be covered and the due date of assignments.

Suggested Texts: See bookstore

Resources: The Internet and a blog site I have created below will be our primary resource

http://digitallyimaginedsociety.blogspot.com

Evaluation:

Weekly Research one page blog posting each student will prepare an internet research one page blog posting on the topic for the particular session and be prepared to share about 10 minutes worth of reflection on the topic - each student will include at least one link to a relevant website in the blog posting.

Project: Each student will develop a presentation that will explore how digital imagery has influenced some aspect of society or politics or religion or philosophy or art or perceptions of reality or one’s own personal life.

Tests: Mid-term and the final will be based on weekly lectures and the book to be read in class

Mid-term will be worth 15% of grade, Final will be worth 25% of grade, weekly presentations 15% of grade and the final project worth 45% of grade.

Both the mid-term and final exams will be primarily essay in nature and will ask the student to synthesize the assigned readings, lectures and class discussion.

Class participation and attendance are crucial to the success of the course. The ideas, opinions, and perspectives of the students and the instructor are important to analyzing the issues that will be raised. Therefore, participation will be encouraged. Students will be encouraged but not required to experiment with digital imagery using a digital camera during the course of study and manipulating images or to view manipulated images posted on the internet websites that will be provided.

General Grading Information: A (92-100); B (83-91); C (71-82); D (61-70); NC 0-60

Attendance Requirement: Since class participation is essential to the course, students should make every effort to attend. If a student can not attend, the instructor must be contacted in advance. One unexcused absence may result in a grade of “NC” being given. It is the student’s responsibility to make up any course work missed due to absence. Approval of absence, assignment of make-up work, and assignment of grades affected by student absence are at the discretion of the instructor.
GNST 1300 Technology, Science & Society: The Digitally Imagined Society

Course Outline

Session 1: - Subject: Digital Imagery, Digital Wizardly - the Death of Film

Reading Introduction of the Text regarding film vs. digital images and Review of this website:

http://digitallyimaginedsociety.blogspot.com

Session 2: - Society and Digital Imagery and Stereoscopics