Block 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 1 (10 September): 

Introduction

Resources

Read

NB here and below, “read” means before the next class. In addition, unless hyperlinked, the texts can be found on Brightspace.

Create

  • Write your first blog post. Make sure to add your group category to your post!

Other things to do

  • Sign up for the course blog using this link.
    • Use your Leiden e-mail!If you are uncomfortable using your own name, you are allowed to use a pseudonym.
  • Familiarize yourself with the WordPress CMS Gutenberg editor
    • Make sure you know how to create posts
    • Learn about the Roles plugin (i.e. understand how you can control the visibility of your content)
  • On Brightspace: Choose your preference for a podcasting or video-based workshop and portfolio item.
  • Fun: Scroll around on Wired, listen to Hard Fork, sign up to Platfomer or check out another tech-focused news publication.

Here and below, “Fun” means it is an optional thing to do (with the hope that is at least mildly interesting or entertaining).

Week 2 (17 September): 

A Hyperfast History of the Digital

Resources

  • Lecture slides can be found here, after class.

Read

  • Digital Media and Society, Chapter 1 (Lindgren 2017)

Create

  • Write your second blog.

Things to do

  • Get to know about the basic workings of the web through Part 1 of the Working with the Web tutorial.
  • Try changing some WordPress settings in this sandbox enviroment.
    • On our course website you don’t have administrator privileges, but if you want this playground to look like our site, you can download Blogstream here. This is the WordPress Theme for this course website.
    • Once you downloaded this theme you can upload the zip file containing the theme to the playground by clicking My WordPress Website -> Dashboard -> Appearance -> Themes -> Add New -> Upload. Don’t forget to press Activate.
  • Fun:

Week 3 (24 September): 

The World Brain(drain)

Resources

  • Lecture slides can be found here, after class.

Read

Create

  • Write your third blog.

Other things to do

Week 4 (1 October):

The Valley where Gold turned into Silicon (and back again)

Resources

  • Lecture slides can be found here, after class.

Read

Create

  • Write your fourth blog.

Things to do

Week 5 (8 October):

Podcast Workshops

  • 9:00-11:00 Podcast Workshop Digital Dynamos
  • 11:00-13:00 Podcast Workshop Media Maesters

Create

  • Write your fifth blog.

Week 6 (15 October):

Egos and Algorithms Online

  • Lecture slides can be found here, after class.
  • Original Instagram Research Decks, with annotations by Facebook, can be found here and here.
  • NB: Take care ♥ these items contain a discussion of and data on how Instagram affects mental health, including suicide and self-harm. Leiden University’s support for mental health and other well-being can be found here. Suicide prevention helpline: 113, or find help here online.

Read

Create

  • Write your sixth blog.

Things to do

  • While your blogs are not the same as an academic paper, referencing is still very important. In fact, if a piece of information is not linked to (referenced), it does not exist on the web, so:
    • Make sure you use URLs to link to content online.
    • If you have included references that are not online but are listed at the bottom of your post, you can use the magic of anchor links to put in a link to information on the same page (a list of sources at the bottom).
    • If you make videos or podcasts, you can still use references, e.g. by putting a list of links in the descriptions on the blog in which your audio or video file will be embedded (and/or when posting on an outside platform also in the description of the video or podcast).
    • Go back and check URLs and referencing is in place for all your content so far!
  • Find out about the cool little magic of anchor links! Very useful if you want to or need to reference something in your post (e.g. a bibliographic entry) as a footnote.
  • Fun: We Live in Public (link to Full Documentary)

Week 7 (22 October) 

Digital Playgrounds

Resources

  • Lecture slides can be found here, after class.

Read

Play

NB Here and in Block 2, “Play” means spending at least half an hour with the referenced game. Yes, you have to play games!

  • Flappy Bird (most true to the original when played on a smartphone)

Create

  • If you have kept up with the schedule, you should have written all your six blogs already. This is a good time to go and review them as well as start working on your podcast and video essay.
  • If you were not able to keep up with the schedule: no worry, this is a good time to catch up.

No Class (29 October):

  • The ‘My Take-aways from the Course’-test is online on Brightspace from the 29th October to the 5th of November. Don’t forget to complete it, as it is part of your final grade for this course. You will not get a separate grade or feedback for this ‘Take Aways’ test.
  • This is a good time to work on your podcast or video essay. It is also a good moment to finish up any remaining blogs or get back and improve your previous blogs with your growing understanding of how blogging and WordPress works.
  • Fun: Go touch grass! (spend some time offline)