Welcome to DTC 375

Language, Texts, and Technology

In this course we will tackle the question of how the conception, development, distribution and interpretation of texts are dependent upon the mediums through which they are created and perceived. The rapid proliferation and diversification of digital media have made this question vitally important over the last few decades. While scholars from the last century compared the dominant medium, print, with those of the past or predicted future, we now need to also examine the important differences between all those media currently competing for our time and focus.

We will begin the course with an overview of the three terms in the title: language, text, and technology; and examine the influence that each has on the other two. The concepts and vocabulary gained will then be used to examine earlier periods of media upheaval: the invention of writing, the invention of print, and the advent of electronic and digital media. Special attention will be given to developing methods for identifying the affordances and constraints entailed in each medium.

The last half of the semester will be devoted to current and emerging digital media technologies. We will explore the different ways that the programming architectures, modes of interaction, and material qualities of a medium suggest or enforce certain techniques and approaches and dissuade or prohibit others. We will also examine digital text in general, exploring topics such as linearity, variation, and the existentially perplexing “ephemeral” text.

Throughout the semester, ideas and questions will be expressed through making. Assignments will give students the chance to create their own texts through media such as websites, ebooks, and digital theater. These assignments will emphasize the discovery and utilization of the affordances and constraints of these different media, as well as demonstrate the dynamic relationship between language, texts, and technology.