In this section, Professor Jeffrey Ravel describes how the instructors used online fora as a tool for engaging students in thinking comparatively about media in the Early Modern period and today.
"The online fora were a place to speculate on the meanings of the past for the current media moment in which we live."
In 21H.343J / CC.120J Making Books: The Renaissance and Today, students were required to write four forum postings. We used the online fora as a place for the students to think comparatively about media in the Early Modern period and media today. For instance, we asked them to consider the similarities and differences between the so-called “printing revolution” 550 years ago, and the so-called “digital revolution” today. We asked them to think about how different media forms structured scientific advances in the Renaissance and today. The online fora were a place to speculate on the meanings of the past for the current media moment in which we live.
