The purpose of this course is to investigate theories of and practical strategies for evaluating multimedia discourse and for conceiving, planning, and storyboarding effective multi-media presentations. The course readings trace the development of “new media” from early computing and the advent of hypertext to the emergence of digital audio, video, and mixed-media applications and introduce theories that contribute to our understanding of the ways people relate to and use new media. We’ll also examine practical (and not so practical) applications of new media in different contexts including industry, education, business, entertainment, and self-expression and investigate a variety of tools used to create multimedia presentations. You do not need previous experience with multimedia or Web development techniques to participate in the course.

Because this course encourages you to interact with tools, techniques, and ideas that may be very new to you (and sometimes to me!), effort and risk-taking will be rewarded. I don't want you to be overwhelmed by the consent of the readings or by the assignments (which are actually very do-able); rather, I want you to think of our activities and discussions as opportunities to explore, to play, and to think about media differently. Consider this course a starting point for becoming familiar with media and its potentials. Your projects don't have to be perfect. We're all gonna make some mistakes.

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