What Do We Read?

No printed casebook or edited materials exist in this field, so I’ve created lessons that link you directly to the key cases, scholarly literature, news reports, blog postings and other resources you’ll need to learn about our subject.

Everyone learns differently. Some people are visual, or hands-on; others like lectures. Discussion works in certain cases, but sometimes reading is preferred. So we use various teaching methods to suit different students’ styles. But this course is a seminar, so most days will involve interactive discussion and require extensive student participation. Because this is a course about digital media, we will almost always be immersed in music, video and other audiovisual content throughout our class meetings. Some days, visual presentation aids will guide students’ paths through each topic; other days our meetings will flow more freely.

Website updates, emails to the class, an iCal subscription, and the Twitter hashtag #DigitalMediaLaw from @jdebeer convey important logistics updates, and connect students with real-time developments and news reports related to course topics. Because digital media issues evolve so quickly, no printed casebook or edited materials exist in this field, so I’ve created lessons that link you directly to the key cases, scholarly literature, news reports, blog postings and other resources you’ll need to learn about our subject. I’ve written up web posts that synthesize and link to these various materials.

When prepping for class, your best bet is to start by reading my synthesis of the issues and perspectives. Then I’d like you to start sifting through the links to gather more information, and start to develop your own opinions. How deep should you go? Well, it depends on how much time you have. Just like in the real world, you’ll need to prioritize based on your assessment of importance, and figure out when you know enough to get by.

Ideally, I’d like you to go even further by broadening the class horizons with links to cutting edge cases, news reports, academic or policy papers, audio-video content or anything else you think would enrich our discussion. Please share these resources for the benefit of the entire class.

You can use the Twitter hashtag #DigitalMediaLaw, or email me. Most importantly, bring your news and ideas to class and put them on the table for discussion. The more YOU engage, the better the class will be for everyone.