Harvard Law professor, Charles Nesson, really gets new media. So much so that he has created a course that will live in Second Life and will require all students to make their arguments in the blogosphere, not just in a mock courtroom.
Of course, he created a video explaining the course, which was quickly posted in You Tube by an ivy league blogger who labels him as "insane". This might not be far off, as Nesson admitted that he smokes pot before he teaches class. His wikipedia page says he taught a class in Jamaica this summer. Nice.
The course desription reads like this:
The subject matter of the course is the creation and delivery of persuasive argument in the new integrated media space constituted by the Internet and other new technologies. Our premise is that “First World” and corporate domination of entertainment media, laws, and news can be balanced by the voices of individuals, groups and universities who use new media intelligently. We challenge students to attempt this themselves by choosing an issue of concern to them and using the media we study to make their case for change in the court of public opinion.
Nesson could have easily just taught this in the classroom, but instead he will force himself and the students to make their arguments within the media they are debating. The Blogosphere.
The best part is that the course is open to anyone who drops by. The Harvard Crimson says:
Although at-large participants earn no accreditation for the course, [everyone in Second Life] is invited to view lecture tapes and discuss class materials with professors and other students on Berkman Island, a space in Second Life that resembles Harvard Law School.
I have not spent very much time in Second Life, but this is enough to get me back in there.
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