Narative as Technology

Elements of Narrative: A Technology for Critical Thinking

Modules

1. Module 1: Narrative as a Tool for Thinking about Technology, part 1
2. Module 2: Narrative as a Tool for Thinking about Technology, part 2
3. Module 3 : Narrative as Technology -- The Uses of Fairy Tale
4. Module 4: Narrative as Technology -- Narrative Constructions of the Self in Film and Story
5. Module 5 : Narrative as Technology -- Creating Oneself in Media
6. Module 6: Technologies for Thinking -- The Form of Information (Syntax, PowerPoint)

Module 1: Narrative as a tool for thinking about technology, part 1

Readings:

     Primary:

Spencer Holst, "The Zebra Storyteller"

Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

Nathaniel Hawthorne, "The Birthmark"

    Secondary:

Science Fiction (BBC) (a film available via video stream to your computer if you are an OhioLink member)

Assignments

Module 2: Narrative as a tool for thinking about technology, part 2

Readings:

     Primary:

Isaac Asimov, The Caves of Steel

Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Ridley Scott, Dir., Blade Runner

William Dickey, "Androids," from In the Dreaming

    Secondary:

About Tank: "Robot Receptionist Dishes Directions and Attitude"

Film Terms from William H. Phillips, Film: An Introduction

Assignments

**************What's the difference between a TOOL and a TECHNOLOGY?

Module 3: Narrative as Technology -- The Uses of Fairy Tale

Readings:

     Primary:

Grimm Brothers, "Ashputtle"

Anne Sexton, "Cinderella"

Gary Marshall, Dir., excerpts from Pretty Woman (as .mov; as Flash)

     Secondary:

David Leeming, from The Voyage of the Hero

Vladimir Propp, excerpts from Morphology of the Folktale [not yet edited]

TOOL FOR LEARNING NARRATIVE STRUCTURES

Assignments

 

Module 4: Narrative as Technology -- Narrative constructions of the self in film and story

Readings:

     Primary:

The Wizard of Oz, to be shown in class

Jorge Luis Borges, "The Garden of the Forking Paths" (from Everything and Nothing)

     Secondary:

Barthes, Greimas, Genette: Narratology

Barthes, from S/Z -- lexia, codes, dénouement

Marshall McLuhan, "The Medium is the Message"

Comments on "The Garden of Forking Paths " by Miami English 495 (Spring 2004)

Marie-Laure Ryan, excerpt from the Introduction to Narrative Across Media: The Languages of Storytelling

Assignment

Module 5: Narrative as Technology -- Creating Onself in Media

Readings:

     Primary:

Alan Palmer, Fictional Minds (avail. in NetLibrary)

David Lodge, The Art of Fiction

Scott Fisher, Multimedia Authoring

Steven Krug, Don't Make Me Think!: A Common-Sense Approach to Web Usability

Thomas Powell, Web Design: The Complete Reference (avail. in NetLibrary)

Sam Mendes, Dir., American Beauty -- Storyboard

     Secondary:

Writing a Story / Novel: WritingClasses.com; search in subject catalogue: "Fiction -- Technique"

Creating Film / Writing a Screen Play: 10-Minute Film School; search in subject catalogue: "Motion pictures -- Production and direction"

Film language: the director's choice (New York Center for Visual History / BBC)

Web Usability: Steve Krug, Jakob Nielson

Assignment

Module 6: Technologies for Thinking -- The Form of Information (Syntax, PowerPoint)

Readings:

     Primary:

George Orwell, "Politics and the English Language"

Joseph Williams, Style: Toward Clarity and Grace: on Subjects as Characters, Nominalization, Active Voice (Chapter 2, "Clarity," pp. 17-43)

Edward Tufte, "The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint"

David Wiley, PowerPoint presentation: SCORM and Distance Learning, Teacher's Outrageous Claim of Intellectual Property

Information

     Secondary:

Tufte on the Use of Bullets

How to Improve Crabbed Prose, and Figure Out What You Yourself Think

Challenger

Clive Thompson, "PowerPoint Makes You Dumb"

Stephen Shugart, "Beyond PowerPoint"

Assignments

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Go To OTHER SETS OF COURSE MODULES:

Metaphor as Technology

Technology and Identity

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