AU kursuskatalog arkiv

ENG: Valgfag: The Internet: Its History, Development, Influence and Prospects (ba) ( forår 2011 - 5 ECTS )

Rammer for udbud

• Uddannelsessprog: engelsk
• Niveau: Bachelor
• Semester/kvarter: 4. semester
• Timer per uge: 2
• Deltagerbegrænsning: 20
• Undervisningssted: Århus
• Hovedområde: Det Humanistiske Fakultet
• Udbud ID: 30262

Formål

Ved bedømmelsen af prøvepræstationen vil der blive lagt vægt på, i hvor høj grad den studerende

-   demonstrerer kendskab til emnet og de relevante tekster, teorier og problemstillinger.

-   demonstrerer færdighed i emnerelateret litteratursøgning, selektion og disponering af et givet stofområde.

-   bruger relevante fagbegreber, -teorier og -terminologier.

-   anvender relevante analytiske færdigheder opnået gennem det første års kurser (f.eks. at kunne forklare, fortolke, vurdere, sammenligne og skelne) på et afgrænset, mere detaljeret emneområde inden for engelskstudiet.

Indhold

During the past two decades, the Internet has become a ubiquitous element of daily life on a global basis. Its impact on aspects of human behavior such as education, commerce, politics and entertainment has been far reaching. The consequences of the Internet and the role it plays in society are only gradually being understood and, due to ongoing technological innovation, are often difficult to keep up with.

This course examine the development of the Internet by considering a number of the historical milestones since its early roots in the 1960s. It also investigates the consequences of the internet for a number of aspects of human social interaction. Finally, the future prospects and challenges the Internet presents will be explored. The course draws upon the theoretical work from a number of fields, including generational theory, when considering the political impacts of the Internet on politics, plus emerging work from the field of sociology, when examining social media.  In addition, theoretical developments in communication theory will be considered. 

The main course topics include:

• ­ Historical develop of the Internet from the 1960s to the Present: The main focus will be on the technological aspects of its development.
• ­ The Internet and Mainstream Media: The Internet has had a significant impact on the configuration, content, and economic viability of mainstream media, particularly serious newspapers and television news.
• ­ The Internet and Politics: The advent of the Internet has altered the interrelationship between main political actors - politicians and their campaign advisor, mass media, and voters. The course examines the more salient of these impacts, drawing upon the experience of the Obama 2008 Presidential Campaign as a prime case example.
• ­ Blogging (Weblogging) and Social Media: The growth of blogging and social media, such as Facebook, has altered the traditional one-way mass media paradigm and the role of media gatekeepers.
• ­ The Internet and Marketing: One of the areas the Internet has affected most deeply is the field of marketing. New marketing tools, such as viral marketing are discussed.
• ­ The Internet and Personal and Societal Security: As the Internet becomes increasingly ubiquitous and we become more dependent on it, we are challenged with a number of risks. Threats to security, such as identity theft, and cyber warfare are examined.
• ­ Future Prospects of the Internet: The Internet is still in its infancy, and its technology is constantly evolving. Various scenarios for the future of the Internet are presented, including a discussion of the ongoing debate concerning net neutrality.

Faglige forudsætninger

Ingen.

Underviser

David Harding

Undervisnings- og arbejdsform

Undervisningen i disciplinen foregår på hold, og der lægges vægt på arbejdsformer, der kan omfatte læsning af primær- og sekundærtekster, skriftlige opgaver og/eller mundtlige bidrag fra de studerende, holddiskussioner samt gruppearbejde. Forudsætningen for, at undervisningen forløber til­freds­stillende, er de studerendes regelmæssige tilstedeværelse samt aktive deltagelse i de faglige diskus­sioner.

Engelsk

Litteratur

A course compendium and on-line links will be available prior to the start of the semester.

Studieordning og bedømmelse

Grundfaget i engelsk

• Mundtlig, bedømt efter 7-skala med ekstern censur
• PC-eksamen, bedømt efter 7-skala med ekstern censur
• Skriftlig, bedømt efter 7-skala med ekstern censur
• Skriftlig, bedømt efter Bestået/ikke bestået uden censur
• Undervisningsdeltagelse, bedømt efter Bestået/ikke bestået uden censur

Aktiv, tilfredsstillende deltagelse i undervisningen eller bunden skriftlig prøve eller mundtlig eksamen.