Caroline's Semester Recap

 This semester opened a lot of new doors for my understanding of literature with technology.  For projects like the Timeline and the Humans of NY essays, I would have never really thought to represent a story in these mediums, however I feel like I have always subconsciously wanted to because of how perfect the medium represented the story.  In other words, it seems like the Timeline platform and the Humans of NY journalism style has been the goal of other mediums throughout time but now technology has allowed for it to be possible and easy.  This gives me such curious and great hope for the future of literature in technology – if telling a story can be this awesome digitally now, what will literature be like in 2050?  I'm hoping for a platform similar to (forgive me I can't remember the name of this platform and can't find on the syllabus – the website that shows emotional history through tweets) *this platform* but with an algorithm that quickly and easily lets you find exactly what you're looking for.  An archive for literature that's not as huge and endless as a typical archive.  Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Tik Tok, you name it, is actively telling our history as we speak – imagine being able to scroll through moments of time on these platforms like a textbook.  That's kind of the general idea of "stories" and "memories" on Snapchat and Instagram etc, but I'm looking for a medium that is telling a greater story such as a textbook.  I am so thankful for this class for allowing and forcing me to get creative and use new digital platforms.  The audio essay was something I've always wanted to do (record a podcast) but really needed the force to do it – this class made me create not only the first step, a podcast, but a podcast I'm really happy with (which makes me want to do them again!!  The kind of class that gives you this feeling is the most valuable. :) ) Through the variety of different multimedia digital works we did this semester, I really was able to see the magic of turning a passive activity (reading a story) into an active one through interactive mediums.  One of my favorite examples of this executed interactivity so simply yet wonderfully; "Infitite Worries Bash" only required one click.  Through one click you could bash a piñata, break it up open and be filled with validity that you're not alone – other people have worries, too.  Even though it's just the click of a mouse and not actually swinging into a piñata, the interactivity still sparks a feeling that satisfies frustration, anger, worry, whatever.  A less simple use of digital work, such as Bashir's Dream, brought you through a virtual tour/documentary that presents more like a Facetime than it does a passive viewing of a documentary.  This helps empathize with the characters (empathy through VR woo!!) and absorbs the audience into a world that feels more real than TV allows for.  This class was really my first introduction to VR (sometimes I'm stubborn with new technology and refuse to use it until I have to.  Am I like a grouchy old man for this?) and what a great introduction.  All I had really known about VR prior was watching a bunch of people look crazy while playing a video game attached to their head.  It seemed kind of scary, to be honest.  But now I'm seeing how VR can really captivate and tell a story.  "Way to Go" was a really interesting VR experience because there was no wrong way to do it.  Unlike a video game, there's ways to play that are right and wrong; "Way to Go" was all about being shamelessly curious and doing absolutely anything you could to navigate the little man and understand his story.  I have never seen this lack of rules in technology before and it was awesome.  A video game combined with endless room for curiosity and it tells a story?!  The future for digital literature has only just begun.  

Thank you so much for a great semester Dr. M and everyone!!!  <3