EL2096 - From Gutenberg to Google: Transformations in Text, Technology, and Culture

[Offered in odd-numbered years]

When Johannes Gutenberg revolutionized the printing press by introducing moveable type in the fifteenth century, he set off a series of cultural transformations that continue to be felt today. By tracing the impact of technological innovations (e.g. moveable type, the steam press, the telegraph, radio, film, television and the internet) alongside developments in authorship, copyright, literary studies and publishing, students will develop a broad and applied understanding of texts and their contexts in a wide range of printed material, including the work of both famous and forgotten authors. Students will explore the ways technological innovation shapes our understanding of texts from the past as well as the people who write, read, and interpret them. They will also get hands-on experience with old and new technologies and media. Special attention will be paid to technological developments in Australian and regional contexts by working with the Trove and AustLit databases to engage students with the position their region has taken within the transnational processes of technological and cultural development.

Learning Outcomes

• identify the role of technology and new media within history;
• analyse the interplay of our tropical region with historical developments in a world context;
• demonstrate an understanding of fundamental approaches to print culture studies;
• investigate links between literary studies and the fields of information science, computer science, communications, and media studies;
• evaluate and link findings about primary sources to a wider body of research;
• integrate the use of digital tools in the location, sorting, and presentation of research.

Subject Assessment

• Written > Test/Quiz 1 - (25%) - Individual
• Participation > Class participation - (10%) - Individual
• Written > Essay (including multi-draft) 1 - (35%) - Individual
• Performance/Practice/Product > Multimedia production - (30%) - Individual.

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.