MediaTech: How Do You Learn from the Past to Help Understand the Future? (W3-P2) Fa15

A theory is an explanation for how something works, how something happens.  There are helpful theories that can be used to explain how media technologies have developed (i.e., tell their history). How they came to be.  How they spread in a society.

• Social Construction of Technology
• Technological Determinism
• Diffusion of Innovations
• Winston’s Model Communication Technology Development

These theories can be used to better understand the development of past media technologies (e.g., radio).  They explain how and why certain things happened in a history of a technology.  Let's preview each theory and see how it fits into helping us tell the history of media technologies.



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MediaTech: Why Study the History of Media Tech? (W3-P1) Fa15

Source: Flickr (CC - KN6KS) 

Why Study the History of Media Tech?

• To satisfy our curiosity.
• To gain an appreciation for the work done and the progress made.
• To show a little respect for those who came before us.
• To gain a sense of identity w/ community.
• To learn from the past to help understand the future.

Source: Based on Hart, 1999.













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HistMedia: Media Tech (-1899): Timeline (W3-P2) Fa15

If the timeline is not showing above for you, the Media Tech (-1899) timeline can be also be found at this link.

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