Teaching

Like my research, my teaching is pretty interdisciplinary.  I’m currently faculty in 3 units at Michigan State University (and adjunct in several others), and the classes I teach (and have taught) reflect that.  Here are some of my current (and recent) classes:

Department of History

History 110H – From Panels to Pages: The History of the Modern Comic Book (Fall ‘09)

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In 1837, Swiss illustrator & writer Rodolphe Töpffer published an illustrated comedic account entitled Histoire de M. Vieux Bois.  The work was translated and re-released in 1842 in the United States as The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck. Containing 30 pages, each of which had between one and six illustrations with associated text, the work is widely considered to be the first comic book.  The rest, as they say, is history. More than 150 years later, comic books (and their associated intellectual property)  are a multi billion dollar industry, and  more than worthy of mainstream attention and scholarly study.

The History of the Modern Comic Book is designed to provide students with an opportunity to explore the development and current state of comic books.  The course will take a socio-historical approach to the subject, exploring not only the lineage of genres & trends, but the impact that the industry & medium has had on society and vice versa. While the historical foundations of the medium will be briefly explored, the course will focus on the period following the Silver Age.

History 250 – History of the Digital Age (Summer ‘09, Fall ‘09, Spring ‘10)

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Computers are ubiquitous.  Whether we are in our cars, our planes, our houses, our hospitals, or our classrooms, computers are now part of the infrastructure of everyday life.  How and why did this come about?  In order to explore this question, the course will be broken into three separate, though integrated themes.  First, the historical foundations (going back to the mid 19th century) of modern computing technology explored.  Second, the technological and functional underpinnings of computers and computer systems will be investigating.  Thirdly, the social dimensions of computing and computing technology, information technology, and communication technology will be critically examined.  The approach of the of the course will be be far more than a simple look at the historical progression of hardware and software.  Instead, the class will focus acutely on the people and institutions surrounding and facilitating the development of computers and computing technology.

History 110H – History of the Future (Fall ‘08)

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Nothing tells us more about a society than the assumptions it holds about it’s future. Now, the turn of a millennium having recently passed, such assumptions invariably intensify. What will the future that awaits us in this twenty-first century and beyond be like? How have our visions of the future changed over time?  And how do visions of that future reflect and respond to the world we live in now?

This reading, discussion, and research intensive seminar uses science fiction and futurology as a lens through which late nineteenth and twentieth century history is explored. Particular attention will be paid to changing ideas about social structure and social systems, science, technology, and transhumanism.

History 110 – The Social History of Digital Games (Spring ‘09)

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In 1952, A.S. Douglas wrote his PhD degree at the University of Cambridge on Human-Computer interaction. Douglas created the first graphical computer game – a version of Tic-Tac-Toe. The game was programmed on an EDSAC vacuum-tube computer, which had a cathode ray tube display. The rest, as they say, is history. 50 years later, video games are a multi billion dollar industry, and have become worthy of mainstream attention and scholarly study.

The Social History of Digital Games is an introductory survey course designed to provide student with an opportunity to explore the historical foundations, development, and current state of digital games and the digital games industry. The course will take a socio-historical approach to the subject, exploring not only the lineage of game technology, genres, and trends, but the impact that the industry had on society and vice versa.

History 419 – Ancient Egypt and Popular Culture (Spring ‘08, Sprig ‘10)

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Since Napoleon first invaded Egypt in 1799, the western world has been incredibly fascinated with all things ancient Egyptian. During 19th Century Victorian Britain, the craze had reached such a level that many well to do households were decorated with all kinds of ancient Egyptian objects. Affluent individuals often participated in fashionable social gatherings where the evening revolved around the unwrapping of a mummy. Ultimately, however, all of these activities were aided and encouraged by a world system in which colonialism still reigned supreme. Egypt was considered a resource from which European powers could indiscriminately remove whatever they wished.

Despite the fact that outright colonialism diminished in the 20th century, the infatuation with ancient Egypt only increased. The advent and widespread use of new types of media, such as radio and film, only served to drive “Egyptomania” into a far more popular realm. People’s fascination, sparked by events such as the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun by Howard Carter in 1922, only increased when they went to the theatres to see movies such as The Mummy (1932).

Now in the 21st century, our fascination with a culture than began in the Nile Valley over 6000 years ago has not diminished. The power of Egyptomania is seen in the sheer number of movies, television shows, cartoons, and books that in some way draw on ancient Egyptian culture.

What is it about ancient Egypt that we find so captivating?

The purpose of this course is to explore the nature and history of Egyptomania. While the historical roots of the topic will be explored, the main focus will be on 20th Century manifestations of the phenomena. Strong emphasis will be placed on the true nature of ancient Egyptian culture and archaeology, parallel historical events, and the use of ancient Egyptian themes in popular media (movies, television, and advertising).

HST890 – Designing Serious Games for Cultural Heritage Learning

HST890 – Developing Non-Digital Games for Cultural Heritage Learning

HST890 – Theory & Practice in Digital History & Cultural Heritage Informatics

Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media

TC241 – Principles of Interactivity

Principles of Interactivity is designed to introduce students to the process of brainstorming, planning, implementing, and troubleshooting applications & interfaces for a wide variety of interactive mediums, explore the scope and diversity of interactive media and interactive technology, and examine the foundations of programming for interactivity.

TC 339 – Client Side Web Design

TC346 – Basic Interactive Media Design

TC 349 Client Side Webdesign (4 credits) is an introduction to designing and developing client side web sites. The class focuses primarily on user centered design with implementation vis xHTML and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)

TC349 – Digital Games & Society

TC446 – Advanced Interactive Media Design

TC448 – Alternate Reality Game Design

TC448 – Narrative Design and Writing for Digital Games

TC448 – Principles of Design & Usability for the Web

TC448/848 – Worldbuilding for Multiplatform Stories

Museum Studies

AL895: New Technologies & Museums

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Information and interactive have revolutionized our world and our work, as small, fast, cheap and interconnected digital devices make previously unimagined innovations possible. What was once intractable and unthinkable is now mundane and can be done in the palm of the hand. Computers, information technology, and interactivity play an indispensable role in everyday life for people in business, corporations, the academy, government, public service, and now, more than ever, museums.

This hands-on course experiments with ways museums, zoos, gardens and other sites can leveraging digital media, the web, interactive media and databases in order to engage the public, create virtual exhibits and web presence and manage collections. Further, this course examines the ways technologies are changing the definition of visitor, experience, collection, and even museum.