UT Dallas Emerging Media and Communication (EMAC) Program - The University of Texas at Dallas

EMAC Degree Plans

EMAC Undergraduate B.A. Degree
EMAC Graduate M.A. Degree

EMAC COURSES

View current EMAC courses on the UT Dallas CourseBook website.

Fall 2012 Courses

Undergraduate courses

ATEC 2321 - Writing and Research for Emerging Media, M/W 4 – 5:15 pm or T/TH 10 – 11:15 am, A. Famiglietti, M/W 9 – 10:15 am

In this course, students will be introduced to a variety of communications environments, from blogs and wikis to Twitter and Prezi. Students will experiment in these environments with the goal of developing literacies in the space of social and emerging media.

ATEC 2322 - Theories of Emerging Media and Communication, M/W 11:00 – 12:15, K. Knight, D. Parry T/Th 4 – 5:15 pm

The course will examine the history of digital communications with a critical view of their effects on society. The focus will be on the role of the Internet in contemporary life Pre/Co-requisite: ATEC 2321.

ATEC 3326 - Emerging Media Production, W 7 – 9:45 pm, M. Kasra, M 12 – 2:45 pm, Staff

ATEC 4326 - Advanced Emerging Media Production, W 12 – 2:45 pm, D. Terry

COMM 3300 - Reading Media Critically, M 2:30 – 5:15 pm, L. Bell

In Reading Media Critically, we will examine theoretical approaches to understanding, analyzing and participating in media projects. Using a range of communication theories, we will interrogate the relationships between media, identity, and society to analyze how media texts reproduce, challenge, or transform existing norms and power structures. Reading Media Critically satisfies the advanced writing requirement for EMAC majors, so assignments emphasize analytical argumentation and professional writing skills.

COMM 3311 - Interpersonal Communication, T/TH 1 – 2:15 pm, Staff

Surveys theories, concepts, and skills related to communication in personal and professional relationships. Examines the influence of social media and technology-based communication on interpersonal communication and introduces students to research about interpersonal communication and relationships. Prerequisite: RHET 1302

COMM 3342 - Topics in Communication: Journalism and Social Media, T/Th 4 – 5:15 pm, J. Johnson

Journalism and Social Media will analyze the evolving practice of journalism in a networked age. The class will discuss how journalists use social media tools to connect with their audiences and deliver news through new channels to change the way people receive and consume information. The class will also use digital media tools to create effective messages in a multimedia society.

COMM 4314 - Persuasion, T/TH 2:30 – 3:45 pm, L. Bell

The Persuasion course blends theory and practice to help students understand persuasive strategies in professional, public, and interpersonal settings. Putting thescience of persuasion into practice is a complex art that does not lend itself to formulaic recipes. Therefore, this class approaches persuasion primarilythrough a theoretical lens, asking three main questions:

How do attitudes work?
How can we shift attitudes and change behaviors?
How can we design messages to target these processes?

This theoretical approach allows students to strategize ways to increase their effectiveness as they craft persuasive appeals individually and in groups.

EMAC 3328 - The Digital Society, F 12 – 2:45 pm, K. Knight

danah boyd writes that the act of building a social media profile is an “explicit act of writing oneself into being in a digital environment” (2010). However, we cannot ignore that the act of writing oneself is always connected to a gendered, raced, classed body that desires. In this instance of EMAC 3328, we will begin with foundational theories of embodied identity and seek understanding of the complex ways in which privilege, bias, race, class, gender, and sexuality shape, and are shaped by, digital society. We will connect theory to social networking practices and sites, online communities, mobile applications, games, hardware, and other instances of emerging media. Students are expected to thoughtfully engage with their own identities and privilege, as well as contribute to a respectful environment in which their peers may do the same.

EMAC 4372 - Topics in Emerging Media and Communication: Hacking, M/W 2:00 – 3:15 pm, A. Famiglietti

“Hacker” is a term with many contested connotations. The hacker is a criminal for some, a narrowly-focused technological adept for others, and a hero resisting oppression for others still. This class will investigate the cultural, historical, and philosophical significance of hackers and hacking. We will read, discuss, and comment on a variety of texts exploring the history, culture, and philosophy of hackers and hacking. In addition, we will gain hands-on experience with such hacker-friendly technologies as the Liinux operating system and the Arduino micro-controller. Students enrolling in this class should be prepared to spend significant time experimenting with and learning about these technologies. For their final projects, students will have the opportunity to do some hacking themselves, and build an electronic device that embodies the hacker principles we discussed in class in a creative way.

EMAC 4372 - Topics in Emerging Media and Communication: TBD, TH 11:30 am – 2:15 pm, Staff

These are not all the electives/courses offered for Fall 2012. Please consult your degree plan and Course Look up for further information on other required courses and elective options. Course descriptions and syllabi can be found in CourseBook.

Graduate Courses

EMAC 6300 - Interdisciplinary Studies in Emerging Media and Communication,T 7 – 9:45 pm, D. Parry

This class is a broad overview of the theories which have come to influence how we understand the relation of media and culture. In order to understand how “emerging media” or “digital media” are shaping and reshaping our culture it is important to first have a grounding in a range of traditional approaches for theorizing the effects of media. Thus this class is divided between considering some of the canonical texts in this field of media history and theory and works which refigure these approaches based on the rise of digital media (Bolter & Grusin, Shirky, etc.).

EMAC 6365 - Journalism and the Digital Network, TH 7 – 9:45 pm, Staff

This course will examine the ways in which the digital network has (and by extension has not) transformed the work of reporting, filtering, and creating the news.

EMAC 6375 - Research Methodologies in Emerging Media and Communication, W 7 – 9:45 pm, C. Shen

This course introduces the basic set of knowledge and skills required for conducting rigorous research in emerging media and communication from various approaches. The concepts, strategies, methods, and skills that you will acquire in this course should help you: 1) understand the implications and limitations of research reported by others, and 2) conduct and publish research in your chosen area of inquiry. Depending on the instructor, methods covered might include qualitative, quantitative, and/or ethnographic approaches, among others.

EMAC 6V81 - Special Topics in Emergent Communication: Embodied Identity in the Digital Soceity, M 7 – 9:45 pm, K. Knight

danah boyd writes that the act of building a social media profile is an “explicit act of writing oneself into being in a digital environment” (2010). However, we cannot ignore that the act of writing oneself is always connected to a gendered, raced, classed body that desires. In this instance of EMAC6V81, we will begin with foundational theories of embodied identity and seek understanding of the complex ways in which privilege, bias, race, class, gender, and sexuality shape, and are shaped by, digital society. We will connect theory to social networking practices and sites, online communities, mobile applications, games, hardware, and other instances of emerging media. Students are expected to thoughtfully engage with their own identities and privilege, as well as contribute to a respectful environment in which their peers may do the same.

These are not all the electives/courses offered for Fall 2012. Please consult your degree plan and Course Look up for further information. Course descriptions and syllabi can be found in CourseBook.

Previous Semesters:

Spring 2012 Courses

Undergraduate courses

ATEC 2321 - Writing and Research for New Media, M/W 10:00 – 11:15 or T/TH 10 – 11:15, A. Famiglietti

ATEC 2322 - Introduction to Electronic and Digital Communication, M/W 12:00 – 1:15, A. Famiglietti

The course will examine the history of electronic communications with a critical view of their effects on society. The focus will be on the role of the Internet in contemporary life, the commodification of news and information, and will introduce electronic and digital research methods for emerging media and communications.

ATEC 3326 - Emergent Media and Communication, W 3 – 5:45 pm, M. Kasra

ATEC 4326 - Emergent Media Production, W 12 – 2:45 pm, D. Terry

COMM 3300 - Reading Media Critically, T 2:30 – 5:15 pm, J. Johnson

Addresses the process of reading and interpretation in the larger context of communication theory. Focuses on the interpretation of communication created for and disseminated through mass media.

COMM 3342 - Issues in Communication: Viral Video, W 4 – 6:45 pm, K. Knight

In this instance of COMM 3342, we will explore the notion of “the viral” as a mode of communication. The course will begin with a look at the history of the term and its definitional and metaphorical operations, particularly in relation to biology and computation. We will then situate the term within the contemporary media landscape that produces “viral structures” that influence our engagement with media, institutions, and one another. This includes critical attention to the ways in which viruses and viral media are represented in popular culture. Finally, we will place “the viral” in conversation with other theories including meme theory, spreadable media, fan culture, etc

EMAC 4325 - Digital Writing, F 12 – 2:45 pm, K. Knight

We will begin EMAC 4325 by exploring how meaning is signified across different textual forms and by developing a working definition of “digital textuality.” With this foundation in place, the remainder of the semester will be divided between two related paths: theory and practice. On the theory path, we will read about and discuss postmodern and digital shifts in text, image, sound and moving image. On the practice path, students will apply their theoretical knowledge to producing media pieces. We will select a common topic and students will work throughout the semester to produce a multi-media portfolio in response to the topic. Students are expected to engage in processes of composition, collaboration, and revision as part of their portfolio work. The overall goals of the course are to become acquainted with the influence of the digital on forms of textuality and to put theory into practice by communicating ideas through multiple media forms.

EMAC 4372 - Topics in Emerging Media and Communication: Civic Media, M/W 2:00 – 3:15 pm, D. Parry

One of the affordances of the Internet is the degree to which communications technologies once controlled by a select few have now become embedded in the population as a whole. While the democratizing potential of the Internet has perhaps been overstated, the ”many-to-many” communications enabled by the digital network certainly realigns power, empowering citizens and communities in new ways. This class will both look to examine this phenomena and participate in it. That is initially we will look at this history and theory that informs this transition. From there we will look at examining both effective and not so effective efforts to use the digital network. Finally, we will use this knowledge to develop some of our own projects.

These are not all the electives/courses offered for Fall 2011. Please consult your degree plan and Course Look up for further information on other required courses and elective options. Course descriptions and syllabi can be found in CourseBook.

Graduate Courses

EMAC 6361 - Writing for Interactive Media — After/Print, W 7 – 9:45 pm, D. Parry

For roughly 400 years, a period we might refer to as the Gutenberg Parentheses, analog print has served as the primary substrate for knowledge creation, archivization, and dissemination. This, to state the obvious is no longer the case, a vast majority of the information produced this year will never see an analog format, instead existing only in the digital network. This class will focus on understanding what happens as we move from a culture whose primary means of knowledge organization is analog print to one which is digitally networked. The class will be divided into three sections. In the first we will look at the broad theoretical questions which inform this change. In the second we will look at how specific knowledge and cultural institutions (libraries, journalism, higher education, entertainment) have been affected and examine the approaches/experiments that have already been taken. In the final portion of the class students will work in groups to produce projects and propose alternative approaches and solutions.

EMAC 6372 - Approaches to Emergent Media and Communication, T 7 – 9:45 pm, K. Knight

In this instance of EMAC 6372, we will explore the notion of “the viral” in relation to emerging media and communication. The course will begin with a look at the history of the term and its definitional and metaphorical operations, particularly in relation to biology and computation. We will then situate the term within the contemporary media landscape that produces “viral structures” that influence our engagement with media, institutions, and one another. This includes critical attention to the ways in which viruses and viral media are represented in popular culture. Finally, we will place “the viral” in conversation with other theories including meme theory, spreadable media, fan culture, etc.

EMAC 6V81 - Special Topics in Emergent Communication: Hacking in History, Theory, and Practice , TH 7 – 9:45 pm, A. Famiglietti

“Hacker” is a term with many contested connotations. The hacker is a criminal for some, a narrowly-focused technological adept for others, and a hero resisting oppression for others still. This class will investigate the cultural, historical, and philosophical significance of hackers and hacking. We will read accounts of the early hacking communities at MIT and elsewhere, critical theory developed from the practices of hacking communities, and economic and legal work explaining the possible implications of hacking for markets and politics. In addition, students will have the opportunity to participate in the process of technological improvisation and reappropriation that typify the practice of hacking by building an original piece of computer hardware based on the Arduino microcontroller.

ATEC 6390 - Special Topics in Arts and Technology: Advanced Research in ATEC, TH 7:00 – 9:45 pm, C. Shen (Elective Course)

The main goal of the class is to help students design and develop an empirical research project in Arts and Technology, using quantitative methods, such as surveys and experiments. Students are able to identify their research topic of interest, develop research questions, complete and refine their research proposal with a detailed plan for data collection and analysis.

These are not all the electives/courses offered for Fall 2011. Please consult your degree plan and Course Look up for further information. Course descriptions and syllabi can be found in CourseBook.

Fall 2011 Courses

Undergraduate courses

ATEC 2321 – Writing and Research for New Media, M/W 10:30 – 11:45 or T/TH 10 – 11:15, A. Famiglietti

ATEC 2322 – Introduction to Electronic and Digital Communication, M/W 12:30 – 1:45, A. Famiglietti, or T/TH 4 – 5:15 pm D. Parry

ATEC 3326 – Emergent Media and Communication, W 4 – 6:45 pm, M. Kasra

ATEC 4326 – Emergent Media Production, T 7 – 9:45 pm, D. Terry

COMM 3300 - Reading Media Critically, T 2:30 – 3:15 pm, J. Johnson

Addresses the process of reading and interpretation in the larger context of communication theory. Focuses on the interpretation of communication created for and disseminated through mass media.

COMM 3342 – Issues in Communication: Social Networks, M 4 – 6:45 pm, C. Shen

With the advent of social media technologies such as social networking sites and (micro)blogs, our social networks have been increasingly created, externalized and maintained online. This course provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts and applications of social networks. Students will review theory and research pertaining to a range of network topics. These include social support networks, online communities, organizational communication networks, disease transmission networks, interpersonal networks, among others. Students will also be introduced to computer programs for analyzing and visualizing social networks (such as UCINET and NETDRAW). Class will be conducted in lecture-discussion format centered on the course readings.

EMAC 4372 – Topics in Emerging Media and Communication: Viral Media, M/W 2:30 – 3:45 pm, K. Knight

We will explore the notion of “the viral” in relation to emerging media and communication. The course will begin with a look at the history of the term and its definitional and metaphorical operations, particularly in relation to computation and biology. We will then situate the term within the contemporary media landscape that produces “viral structures” that influence our engagement with media, institutions, and one another. Finally, we will place “the viral” in conversation with other theories including meme theory, the popular, spreadable media, fan culture, etc.

EMAC 4372 – Topics in Emerging Media and Communication: Storytelling & Emerging Media, TH 11:30 – 2:15 pm, B. Vance

Graduate Courses

EMAC 6300 – Introduction to Emerging Media and Communication, T 7 – 9:45 pm, D. Parry

This class is a broad overview of the theories which have come to influence how we understand the relation of media and culture. In order to understand how “emerging media” or “digital media” are shaping and reshaping our culture, it is important to first have a grounding in a range of traditional approaches for theorizing the effects of media. Thus this class is divided between considering some of the canonical texts in this field (Plato, Marx, Foucault, etc.) and works which refigure these approaches based on the rise of digital media (Bolter & Grusin, Shirky, Manovich, etc.).

EMAC 6372 – Approaches to Emergent Media and Communication, W 7 – 9:45 pm, C. Shen

This course introduces the basic set of knowledge and skills required to do good research in emerging media and communication. The concepts, strategies, methods, and skills that you will acquire in this course should help you: 1) understand the implications and limitations of research reported by others, and 2) propose, design, conduct, analyze data from, write-up, and publish research in your chosen area of inquiry. This course is designed to proved both a board overview of the research process and hands-on experience in conducting research projects from start to finish.

EMAC 6373 – Emerging Media Studio I, TH 7 – 9:45 pm, D. Terry

EMAC 6374 – Digital Textuality, M 7 – 9:45 pm, K. Knight

We will begin EMAC 6374 by exploring how meaning is signified across different textual forms and by developing a working definition of “digital textuality.” With this foundation in place, the remainder of the semester will be divided between two related paths: theory and practice. On the theory path, we will read about and discuss postmodern and digital shifts in text, image, sound and moving image. On the practice path, students will apply their theoretical knowledge to producing media pieces. We will select a common topic and students will work throughout the semester to produce a multi-media portfolio in response to the topic. Students are expected to engage in processes of composition, collaboration, and revision as part of their portfolio work. The overall goals of the course are to become acquainted with the influence of the digital on forms of textuality and to put theory into practice by communicating ideas through multiple media forms.

Spring 2011 Courses

Undergraduate courses

ATEC 2321 – Writing and Research for New Media, M/W 10:30 – 11:45 or T/TH 10 – 11:15, J. Jones

ATEC 2322 – Introduction to Electronic and Digital Communication, M/W 12:30 – 1:45, J. Jones

ATEC 3326 – Emergent Media and Communication, F 4 – 6:45 pm, Staff

ATEC 4326 – Emergent Media Production, W 4 – 6:45 pm, D. Terry

COMM 3300 - Reading Media Critically, T 2:30 – 3:15 pm, J. Johnson

COMM 3342 – Issues in Communication: Social Networks: Theories and Applications, T 4 – 6:45 pm, C. Shen

EMAC 4325 – Digital Writing, M 12:30 – 3:15 pm, K. Knight

This class will introduce the forms and strategies of digital composition. through this writing-intensive course students will learn to write in and about digital networked spaces, focusing on changes that the switch from analog to digital has brought to representation. This course will explore writing in the digital age across a range of technologies, environments, and spaces, including blogs, short-form writing, collaborative writing platforms, and the writing associated with visual media.

EMAC 4372 – Topics in Emerging Media and Communication, F 12:30 – 3:15 pm, Staff

Along with the above required courses and electives, other options are: COMM 3342 Issues in Communication: American Culture and Communication, COMM 3301 Public and Professional Speaking for Business, COMM 4314 Persuasion, PSY 3350 Psychology of Communication, PSY 3351 Mass Communication and Behavior, and PSY 3355 Psychology of Creativity. These are not all the electives/courses offered for Spring 2011. Please consult your degree plan and Course Look up for further information. Course descriptions and syllabi can be found in CourseBook.

Graduate Courses

EMAC 6300 – Introduction to Emerging Media and Communication, M 7 – 9:45 pm, D. Parry

This class is a broad overview of the theories which have come to influence how we understand the relation of media and culture. In order to understand how “emerging media” or “digital media” are shaping and reshaping our culture, it is important to first have a grounding in a range of traditional approaches for theorizing the effects of media. Thus this class is divided between considering some of the canonical texts in this field (Plato, Marx, Foucault, etc.) and works which refigure these approaches based on the rise of digital media (Bolter & Grusin, Shirky, Manovich, etc.).

EMAC 6361 – Writing for Interactive Media, Th 7 – 9:45 pm, D. Parry

Early criticism of democracy in the age of networked communication was often characterized by a rather significant divide, between those who believed that the network would prove to be the means by which universal democracy would be achieved, and those that argued the network would bring about the collapse of democratic institutions. As with other hyperbolic prophecies through history the reality proved to be far more nuanced and complicated. This class will strive to analyze these more complex and nuanced transformations. We will look at the ways that dissidents and civil organizations are using the network to foster democracy as well as consider the ways in which governments are using the network to resist social transformation. Equally as important wi will ask more foundational questions seeking to understand how the existence of the digital network transforms not only what it means to govern, but what it means to be a citizen within a political space.

EMAC 6374 – Digital Textuality, T 7 – 9:45 pm, K. Knight

In this course we will engage in a 16-week experiment in multi- and trans-media communication, as it is enabled by our current media landscape. We will explore the shifts in representation that have occurred with the transition from analog to digital, including the ways in which the digital transcodes into the analog. The goal is to develop media-specific literacies and as such, students are expected to engage in the production of multiple media forms, both analog and digital. The production of digital textuality will include, papers, blogs, wiki, micro-blogs, source code and/or markup, photography, sound, and video. Students will develop a multimedia portfolio which will constitute the center of their final project in the course.

EMAC 6v81- Special Topics in Emerging Media and Communication: Online Communities, W 7 – 9:45 pm, C. Shen

This course is designed for students interested in understanding and creating online communities using a variety of social media. Students will survey the history, theory, empirical research of online communities and many of the Web 2.0 applications that are driving the growth of the social web. During the first half of the semester, students will read theoretical literature on community and communication from multiple disciplines. Classes in the second half of the semester provide more in-depth examination of topic-specific online communities including gaming, entertainment, teamwork, and mobile communities. Although this course is grounded in theory, it is equally rooted in practice. Throughout the semester, students will be required to get familiar with various online social media tools and platforms, including blogs, wikis, social network sites, forums, virtual worlds, online games, and so on. Students will also work in teams to design and implement a new online community using simple, readily available software. Therefore, the course will provide both theoretical and experiential foundations for social media researchers and practitioners to critically plan, design, implement, analyze, and participate in online communities.

These are not all the electives/courses offered for Spring 2011. Please consult your degree plan and Course Look up for further information. Course descriptions and syllabi can be found in CourseBook.

FALL 2010 COURSES

Undergraduate Courses

ATEC 2321 – Writing and Research for New Media, M/W or T/TH, J. Jones

ATEC 2322 – Introduction to Electronic and Digital Communication, M/W K. Knight, T/TH J. Jones

ATEC 3326 – Emergent Media and Mass Communications, Fri – D. Leeson

ATEC 3361 – Internet Studio, Fri – R. Hoyt

ATEC 4325 – Digital Writing, Mon – D. Parry

ATEC 4372 – Topics in EMAC: Social Change and Social Media, Thurs – M. Kasra

Graduate Courses

EMAC 6300 – Introduction to Emerging Media and Communication, Wed – K. Knight

EMAC 6372 – Approaches to Emerging Media and Communication, Tues – C. Shen

EMAC 6373 – Emerging Media Studio I, Thurs – D. Terry