Unit 4: Horizons, Issues, Challenges

Overview

• Monday, June 15 – Networked and XR Writing — Essay #3 due
• Tuesday, June 16 – Mobile and Touchscreen Apps
• Wednesday, June 17 – Cyborg Digital Writing
• Thursday, June 18 – Digital Divides and AI
• Monday, June 22 – Digital Obsolescence and Preservation
• Tuesday, June 23 – Single Author Explorations
• Wednesday, June 24 – More Single Author Explorations
• Thursday, June 25 – Research Paper Presentations
• Friday, June 26 – Research Paper due by noon

Monday, June 15 – Networked and XR Writing

In class:

• MMORPGs
• Social Network Games
  • FarmVille
  • Cow Clicker (2010) by Ian Bogost
• Netprov
  • What is netprov?
  • Watch this video on Netprov featuring Mark Marino and Rob Wittig
  • Read Being Spencer Pratt by Mark Marino and Rob Wittig
  • Explore netprov in this page
• Networked Digital Writing
  • "Thought Clock" (2024) by Leonardo Flores
  • "Walt 'FML' Whitman" by Mark Sample
  • "Reading Club" (2013) by Emmanuel Guez and Annie Abrahams
  • "Cursor Camp" (2026) by Neal Agarwal
• XR = AR + VR
  • Between Page and Screen (2012) by Amaranth Borsuk and Brad Bouse
  • "200 Castles" (2012) by Caitlin Fisher
  • "Immersive Poetry" by José Aburto
  • Dreaming Methods
  • Tender Claws

Assignment:

• Read Electronic Literature, Chapter 6
• Read about Jason Edward Lewis's PoEMM Cycle.
• Install and read at least 2 of Jason Edward Lewis' App poems.
• Install and read at least 2 of Jörg Piringer's App Poems.
• Prepare to present on your assigned poems (one by each).

Tuesday, June 16 – Mobile and Touchscreen Apps

In class:

• Discussion of Jason Edward Lewis and Jörg Piringer's app poems
• Other works on iOS:
  • "Upgrade Soul" (2012) by Ezra Claytan Daniels and Erik Loyer
  • A Modern Ghost by Artemio Morales
  • Explore other works by Artemio Morales
  • Pry by Tender Claws
  • "How to Rob a Bank" by Alan Bigelow
  • Voyageur (iOS & Android)
• Locative and Mobile Works:
  • "34 North 118 West" (2002) by Jeremy Hight, Jeff Knowlton, and Naomi Spellman
  • "AndOrDada" (2013) by Beat Suter and René Bauer
• Mobile Publications:
  • (RE)VERB
  • Filter

Assignment:

• Read A Cyborg Digital Writing Primer
• Install VS Code on your computer
• Create an account with Claude, Gemini, GitHub Copilot, or ChatGPT
• Read "Third Generation Electronic Literature"

Wednesday, June 17 – Cyborg Digital Writing

In class:

• "Third Generation Electronic Literature"
• Digital Writing examples
  • Neal.fun
  • "Five Feet Under" (2018)
  • "15 Examples of Impressive Digital Storytelling"
• A Cyborg Digital Writing Primer

Assignment:

• Develop a work of digital writing and prepare to share it in our next class.
• Watch "Digital Writing & Digital Divides in the US: Electronic Literature & Privilege"
• Read "The Writing Lesson Revisited: AI [and | in | is] the Scriptural Economy" by Matthew G. Kirschenbaum

Thursday, June 18 – Digital Divides and AI

In class:

• Research Paper topics
• Sharing original digital writing
• Digital Writing and Digital Divides
• Artificial Intelligence
  • Gartner Hype Cycle
  • MLA Task Force on AI in Teaching and Research
  • AI and the Humanities: A Framework for Language and Literary Scholarship
  • Student Guide to AI Literacy
  • Refusing Generative AI in Writing Studies
  • "The Writing Lesson Revisited: AI [and | in | is] the Scriptural Economy" by Matthew G. Kirschenbaum

Assignment:

• Gartner Hype Cycle
• MLA Task Force on AI in Teaching and Research
• AI and the Humanities: A Framework for Language and Literary Scholarship
• Student Guide to AI Literacy
• Refusing Generative AI in Writing Studies
• "The Writing Lesson Revisited: AI [and | in | is] the Scriptural Economy" by Matthew G. Kirschenbaum
• Explore The Agrippa Files
• Prepare to share your topic for the Research Paper

Monday, June 22 – Digital Obsolescence and Preservation

In class:

• Pathfinders — read the introduction and watch one of the 4 traversals featured within
• The afterflash exhibition in The NEXT, reading 1–2 of the preserved Flash works within
• The Agrippa Files
• Single author explorations:
  • Jim Andrews
  • Alan Bigelow
  • Erik Loyer
  • Sasha Stiles
  • Helen Shewolfe Tseng

Assignment:

• Explore the work of one of the following writers:
  • Jim Andrews
  • Alan Bigelow
  • Erik Loyer

Tuesday, June 23 – Single Author Explorations

In class:

• Jim Andrews
• Alan Bigelow
• Erik Loyer

Assignment:

• Explore the work of one of the following writers:
  • Sasha Stiles
  • Helen Shewolfe Tseng
  • Leonardo Flores

Wednesday, June 24 – More Single Author Explorations

In class:

• Sasha Stiles
• Helen Shewolfe Tseng
• Leonardo Flores

Assignment:

• Finish your research paper presentations

Thursday, June 25 – Research Paper Presentations

In class:

• Research Paper Presentations and Discussion
• Final discussion
• Engagement Self-Assessment due: Email me with a short self-assessment of your engagement in class, including attendance, participation, and informal assignments. Propose a grade for yourself on the 100-point scale.

Research Paper

Your research paper will be an in-depth study of an author, elit genre, technique, trend, paradigm shift, or any other topic related to the class. It should cover multiple works of electronic literature and advance a clear thesis that is supported by detailed analysis of works placed in conversation with relevant secondary sources.

Criteria:

• The research paper should be about 2500 words (10 pages) in length.
• The essay should cite at least 4 secondary sources.
• The essay should be formatted in MLA or some other established format.
• You will present your essay on the last day of class.
• The final draft is due by noon on Friday, June 26.

Creative option:

• You can also create a suite of at least 3 short works or one lengthy one of digital writing or electronic literature (they don't have to be interrelated) following one or several of the methods described in the Cyborg Digital Writing Primer or using a digital writing platform, such as Twine, Bitsy, Blue Bots Done Quick! or TikTok, Instagram, or similar platform.
• In addition to this, you'll turn in a 2–3 page (500–750 word) essay about your poetics and works. This should reference at least 2 secondary sources in the field.
• The deadlines and presentations are all the same as with the research paper.

AI Policy:

The learning objectives for this assignment are for you to:

• Think deeply about topics related to this class through research and/or creative engagement.
• Analyze works of digital writing and electronic literature to understand their strategies (including your own, in case of the creative option).
• Engage with research and methodologies from the field, such as critical code studies, platform studies, software studies, media-specific analysis, etc.
• Develop your writing skills by expressing your thoughts through academic (and potentially creative) writing.

• You may use AI in any way you see fit, as long as it doesn't interfere with you achieving these learning objectives.
• If you use AI, please document how you did it.