This document provides an overview of a course on code, language, and media. The course will teach students PHP and SQL/MySQL to build interactive web pages and visualizations by reverse engineering primary sources. Students will complete weekly readings, blog posts, exercises, quizzes, and a final project website, with the goal of exploring how digital networks impact knowledge production and distribution.

1. Code, Language, Media
Prof. Alvarado
MDST 3705/7705
15 January 2013

2. Hello!

3. What about this course interests
you?

4. http://pages.shanti.virginia.edu/MDST_3705_7705_13S/

5. This course is really about
knowledge

6. What is knowledge?
(Or, where is knowledge?)

10. Knowledge is a social process
mediated by literacy

12. What do computers have to do with
knowledge?

15. Computers have created new networks
of texts, ideas, and of people.
Do these new networks have an effect on
knowledge?

16. What happens when we digitize the
entire corpus of everything ever
written?

17. The Boring Stuff

18. Course Design
• A follow-up to MDST 3703
– Helpful but not required
– This course is less of a survey
– Focused on learning to use code to build things
• Part seminar, part studio
• Flexible and fault tolerant!

19. Course Design
• All class content will be posted on the course
“blog”
– A WordPress site
– Web site will be more of a manual than a syllabus
– Linked from Collab
• Tests and private information delivered
through Collab
– Also anonymous messages
• All assigned readings will be found online

20. Course Plan
• Learn some PHP
– A simple programming language designed for the
web
• Learn some SQL and MySQL
– A simple data language and database system
• Reverse engineer primary and secondary
sources
• Build interactive pages and visualizations
• Create an exhibit based on your work

21. Requirements
• Weekly readings and responses to readings
• Weekly blog posts
– Reflections on concepts learned in the week
– Posting of completed studio exercises
• Occasional homework
• Monthly quizzes
– Delivered through Collab
– IDs, short answers, and essays
• Final Project
– Web site
• Final Exam
– Reflective Essay

22. Policies
• Attendance is required
– Two unexcused absences allowed, but you still
need to make up any work!
– Notify me ahead of time otherwise
• No web surfing or messaging in class unless
part of an activity
• Timely completion of assignments is crucial