Digital Humanities, Citizen Branding courses set for spring

If you are looking for a new and interesting elective to round out your spring schedule, two courses will be offered in the spring 2018 semester for students who want to learn how social media is transforming American citizenship or create a digital exhibit for Tulsa's Woody Guthrie Center, a museum and archive dedicated to documenting the American folk singer's life.

“Digital Communication/Digital Humanities 4360” will meet from 4:30-7:10 p.m. on Wednesdays beginning Jan. 16. Dr. Stacy Takacs, OSU-Tulsa associate professor of English, and Jason Collington, Tulsa World web editor, will lead the course focused on digital humanities.

Students will learn to research, organize and present information about American society using new media technologies. The centerpiece of the course will be a collaborative production of an online multimedia exhibit about 1960s-era American folk protest singer Phil Ochs for the Woody Guthrie Center.

“The class will do some research into Phil Ochs’ history to find images and video clips we can use to create a useful online exhibit to help people understand who he was and why he was important,” Takacs said. “Millions of people from all over the world will have access to this. It's a real opportunity for people to show what they can do.”

Students from a variety of disciplines can benefit from the course, including business, marketing, communications or American studies. Students should speak with their adviser to find out which section is right for them.

“It is a real opportunity to develop hard skills, such a technical skills in media production, and soft skills that employers are often looking for, including communication, collaboration and project development,” Takacs said.

Find out how social media is affecting American democracy

“Citizen Branding: Strengthening Community and Expanding Democracy in a Digital Era 5520” will meet from 4:30-7:10 p.m. on Mondays beginning Jan. 16. Dr. Skye Cooley, assistant professor of media and strategic communications, is the instructor.

Students will learn how social media platforms and other emerging technologies are being used to transform what it means to be a citizen in a democracy and how they can take charge of those changes in their community.

"The course is for anyone who wants a firmer grasp of the effects of media on our political system," said Cooley. "I imagine interest among young professionals in media, activists, educators and those focused on strengthening the deliberative aspect of their own communities."

The course is expected to produce high-energy discussions on how media impacts democracy and how to take control of that process, he said.

To enroll in either course, undergraduate students should speak to their adviser by calling 918-594-8271 or visiting the Advisement Services website. Graduate students should speak to their graduate program coordinator.