| Professor | Dr. Roger Whitson [email protected] Avery 331 Center for Digital Scholarship and Curation |
| Office Hours | MW, noon-1pm: CDSC F, noon-1pm: Avery 331 https://rogerwhitson.youcanbook.me/ |
| Class Meetings | T Th 10:35-11:50 Avery 102 |
| Course Website | http://www.rogerwhitson.net/dtc101F16 |
| Print Syllabus | http://www.rogerwhitson.net/dtc101F16/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/DTC101F16.pdf |
What Students Say
“Dr. Whitson didn’t just study the topic and whatnot, but it’s part of his life. He’s really interested in computers and their impact on our lives, which was cool.”
“Professor Whitson is eager to hear what the students have to say and to show us why we should care.”
“He was always friendly and available for help!”
“I found Dr. Whitson’s class personally challenging, but ultimately fulfilling.”
“Prof Whitson was not only communicated course ideas well, but he also facilitated our growth as students and as people.”
Teaching Philosophy
Technology is changing the world. DTC is quite possibly the most important major on this campus because it explores how technology is changing everything around and about us. As Marshall McLuhan said, “the medium is the message:” our technologies shape our senses, our senses change us, we change the world.
Rethinking one’s perspective can be highly valuable. Our perspectives are inevitably colored by our background. I value students who try to empathize with people that might not have the same values or perspectives. We all have blind spots, even me. We can all learn from questioning our assumptions and broadening our horizons.
Embracing difficult challenges leads to achievement. Life can’t always be comfortable or easy. I love the Dark Souls games for this reason. Of course, you don’t need to “Prepare to Die,” in this class but as the developer Miyazaki stated in a 2011 interview about Dark Souls: “[t]he difficulty is high, but always achievable. […] Overcoming challenges by learning something in a game is a very rewarding feeling.” That reward is an important part of learning in my courses as well. Aim high and you’ll learn more.