Students will choose 50 works from each of the following 4 main categories, for a total of 200 works.

I. Media Theory and Related Theoretical Contexts
II. Media Traditions
III. Digital Media Forms and Technologies
IV. Self-Defined Specialty Area

Digital Media Forms and Technologies

General Works
Computer Games and Interactive Narrative
Digital Art and Performance
Digital Characters
Electronic Fiction and Poetry
Information Archives and Information Design
Mixed and Augmented Reality
MOO's, Community, and Synchronous Communications Forms
Virtual Reality
Web Design, Hypertext, Hypermedia
Other Digital Forms

 General Works
  • Arseth, Espen. Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature. Baltimore, Md: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997.
  • Barrett, Edward. Sociomedia: Multimedia, Hypermedia and the Social Construction of Knowledge. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1992.
  • Benedikt, Michael. Cyberspace: First Steps. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1991.
  • Berners-Lee, Tim. "Information Management: A Proposal." CERN 1989.
  • Bolter, David Jay. Writing Space: Computers, Hypertext, and Remediation of Print. Hillsdale, NJ: L. Erlbaum Associates, 1991.
  • Brown, John Seely and Paul Duguid. The Social Life of Information. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2000.
  • Bush, Vannevar. "As We May Think." Atlantic Monthly. Jul-45. 101-8.
  • Cassell, Justine and Henry Jenkins. From Barbie to Mortal Combat. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1998.
  • Coyne, Richard. Designing Information Technology in the Postmodern Age: From Method to Metaphor. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1995.
  • Delany, Paul and George Landow. Hypermedia and Literary Studies. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1991.
  • Duguid, Paul. The Social Life of Information. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2000.
  • Englebart, Douglas. Augmenting Human Intelligence. 1962.
  • Goldberg, Adele and Alan Kay. "Personal Dynamic Media" IEEE Computer. 10 Mar-77.
  • Jakobson, Robert. Information Design. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1999.
  • Jenkins, Henry. From Barbie to Mortal Combat. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1988.
  • Johnson, Steven. Interfaace Culture: How New Technology Transforms the Way We Create and Communicate. San Francisco: HarperEdge, 1997.
  • Kent, Steven L. The Ultimate History of Videogames: From Pong to Pokemon. Prima Lifestyles, 2001.
  • Landow, George. Hypertext 2.0. Baltimore, Md: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997.
  • Laurel, Brenda. Computers as Theater. Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley Pub. Co., 1993.
  • Laurel, Brenda. The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design. Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley Pub. Co., 1990.
  • Licklider, J.C.R. Man-Computer Symbiosis.
  • Loftus, Geoffrey and Elizabeth Loftus. Mind at Play: The Psychology of Videogames. New York: Basic Books, 1983.
  • Lunenfeld, Peter. The Digital Dialect: New Essays on New Media. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1999.
  • Maeda, John. Design by Numbers. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2001.
  • Manovich, Lev. The Language of New Media. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2001.
  • Moser, Mary Anne. Immersed in Technology: Art and Virtual Environments. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1996.
  • Murray, Janet H. Hamlet on the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace. New York: Free Press, 1997.
  • Nardi, Bonnie. Context and Consciousness: Activity Theory and Human-Computer Interaction. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1996.
  • Negroponte, Nicholas. Being Digital. New York: Knopf, 1995.
  • Nelson, Ted. Computer Lib: Dream Machines. Redmond: Tempus Books of Microsoft Press, 1987.
  • Norman, Donald. The Psychology of Everyday Things. New York: Basic Books, 1988.
  • Norman, Donald. The Invisible Computer: Why Good Products can Fail, the Personal Computer is so Complex, and Information Appliances are the Solution. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1998.
  • Papert, Seymour. Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas. New York: Basic Books, 1999.
  • Roads, Curtis. The Music Machine: Selected Readings from Computer Music Journal. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1992.
  • Rowe, Robert. Machine Musicianship. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2001.
  • Ryan, Marie-Laure. Cyberspace Textuality: Computer Technology and Literary Theory. Bloomington: University of Indiana Press, 1999.
  • Schneiderman, Ben. Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction. Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley Pub. Co., 1992.
  • Suchman, Lucy. Plans and Situated Actions: The Problem of Human-Machine Interaction. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1987.
  • Sutherland, Ivan. The Ultimate Display. 1965.
  • Turing, Alan. Computing Machinery and Intelligence. 1950
  • Turkle, Sherry. The Second Self: Computers and the Human Spirit. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1984.
  • Turkle, Sherry. Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995.
  • Wilson, Stephen. Information Arts: Intersections of Art, Science, and Technology. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2002.
  • Winograd, Terry. Bringing Design to Software. Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley, 1996.
  • Winograd, Terry. "From Computing Machinery to Interaction Design."
 Top Main List
 
Computer Games and Interactive Narrative
Related Knowledge: Narrative Theory, Media Traditions of Gaming and Play, and Narrative Genres.
Knowledge of Computer industry incluging platforms, genres and demographics.
Videogame history and techniques, including classic videogames such as: 
  • Graetz, J.M and Steve Russell. Space War! Atari, 1961. 
  • Alcorn, Al. Pong. Atari, 1972.
  • Pajitnov, Alexey. Tetris. Nintendo, 1985.
  • Miyamoto, Shigeru. Donkey Kong. Nintendo, 1981.
  • Miyamoto, Shigeru. Super Mario Brothers 3. Nintendo, 1990.
  • Boon, Ed and John Tobias. Mortal Kombat. Acclaim, 1993.
  • Romero, John and John Cormack. Doom. Id Software, 1994.
 Text Adventure Games
  • Crowther and Woods. Adventure. Atari, 1980
  • Blank, Marc. Zork. Activision.
  • Montfort, Nick and "IF" literary practicioners.
  • Infocom text adventures.
 Massively Multiplayer Online RolePlaying games
  • Garriott, Richard. Ultima Online. Origin, 1997. 
  • Clover, Steve, Brad McQuaid, and Bill Trost. Everquest. Verant, 2000.
 Narrative genre games
  • Miller, Rand and Robyn Miller. Myst. Broderbund, 1993.
  • Mechner, Jordan. The Last Express. Broderbund, 1997.
 Simulation games
  • Meier, Sid. Civilization. Microprose, 1991.
  • Wright, Will. Sim City. Maxis, 1989.
  • Wright, Will. The Sims. Maxis, 2000.
 Narrative Computational research projects
  • Bates, Joseph. Oz group work. CMU, 1990's. 
  • Meehan and Schank. Tale-Spin. 1977.
  • Davenport, Glorianna. Elastic Movies. 1994.
  • Mateas, Michael and Andrew Stern. Façade. 2002.
 "Enhanced" TV projects
  • Tillerman's Taxi. PBS, 2002.
  • Wong, Curtis. Frank Lloyd Wright. PBS, 2001.
  • Hertigard, Dale. American Experience: Woodrow Wilson. PBS, 2002.
  • The American Experience: Marcus Garvey. PBS, 2003.
 Top Main List
 
 Digital Art and Performance
 Books and Articles
  • Causey, Matthew. Screen Test of the Double: The Uncanny Performer in the Space Technology.
  • Druckery, Timothy. Ars Electronica: Facing the Future. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1999.
  • Moser, Mary Anne. Immersed in Technology: Art and Virtual Environments. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1996.
  • Murphie, Andrew. Negotiating Presence: Performance and New Technologies.
  • Saltz, David. "The Art of Interaction: Interactivity, Performativity, and Computers". Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism. 56.2 Spring, 1997. 117-127.
  • Wilson, Stephen. Information Arts: Intersections of Art, Science and Technology. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2002.
 Significant and Representative Digital Art and Performance works
  • Ascott, Roy. Telematic Embrace: Visionary Theories of Art, Technology and Consciousness. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003. 
  • Catts, Oron, Ionat Zurr and Guy Ben-Ary. Tissue and Culture Art Project. 1996.
  • Davies, Charlotte. Osmose and Ephemere. 1995, 1998.
  • Galloway, Kitt and Sherry Rabinowitz. Electronic Café. 1977
  • Gromala, Diane and Yacov Sharir. Dancing with the Virtual Dervish. 1994
  • Davenport, Gloria. Cinemat. 1997.
  • Jeremijenko, Natalie. Suicide Box. 1996.
  • Kac, Eduardo. Genesis. 1998.
  • Mateas, Michael. Terminal Time. 2000.
  • Mateas, Michael and Andrew Stern. Façade. 2002.
  • Penny, Simon. Stupid Robot. 1987.
  • Rockaby, David. A Very Nervous System.
  • Rozen, Daniel. Wooden Mirror. 2000.
  • Schillar, Gretchen and Susan Kozel. Trajet.
  • Schiphorst, Thechla. Bodymaps: Artifacts of Touch. 1996.
  • Sommerer's and Mignonneau's Artificial Life Environments: Life Spacies II and Pico_Scan. 2000.
  • Stelarc. Robot Arm. 1995.
  • Utterback, Camille and Archituv. Text Rain. 2000.
 Top Main List
   
 Digital Characters
  • Bates, Joseph et al. Oz Group. CMU.
  • Blumberg, Bruce. Silas the Dog. 1994.
  • Conway, James. Game of Life. 1995.
  • Prophet, Jane and Gordon Shelly. TechnoSphere. 1995.
  • PF Software. PETZ. 1996.
  • Wright, Will. The Sims. 2000.
  • Creature Lab. Commercial Breeding Game, UK.
  • Weizenbaum, Joseph. Eliza. 1966.
  • Chatterbots.
 Top Main List
 
 Electronic Fiction and Poetry
  • Joyce, Michael. afternoon. Eastgate Systems, 1985.
  • Moulthrop, Stuart. Victory Garden.
  • Jackson, Shelley. Patchwork Girl. Eastgate Systems, 1995.
  • Memmott, Talan. Lexia to Perplexia. Eastgate Systems, 2000.
  • Strickland, Stephanie. True North. Eastgate Systems, 2003.
  • Cayley, John. works.
  • Luisebrink, Marjorie. works. 
 Top Main List
 
Information Archives and Information Design
Technical Approaches
  • W3C XML documentation
  • Media Management software such as Virage
  • Industrial database system such as Oracle
  • Database and active web page technology such as PHP and MYSQL 
  • Rowley, Organizing Information
  • Hernandez, Database Design for Mere Mortals
 Information Archives, Online Databases, Web Exhibits
  • Gregory Pane et. al. Perseus.
  • CNN News Archives
  • New York Times and other news sites
  • Lexus/Nexus
  • Glorianna Davenport, A Random Walk through the Twentieth Century
  • Library of Congress, America's Memory exhibit
 Top Main List
 
 Mixed and Augmented Reality
  • Bobick, Aaron. Kids Room. 2000.
  • Furness, Billinghurst and Shirvanee, et al. The Magic Book. 2000.
  • Feiner. works.
  • MacIntyre. works.
  • Krueger, Myron. Responsive Environments.
 Top Main List
 
MOO's, Community, and Synchronous Communications Forms
  • Bruckman, Amy. works.
  • Foner, Lenny. Entertaining Agents. 1997.
  • Kim, Amy Jo. Community Building on the Web. Berkeley: Peachpit Press, 2000.
  • Morningstar, C. and R. Farmer. "The Lessons of Lucasfilm's Habitat". Benedikt. 1992.
  • Preece, Jennifer. Online Communities: Designing Usability, Supporting Sociability. New York: John Wiley, 2000.
  • Rheingold, Howard. The Virtual Community: Homesteading on the Electronic Frontier. Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley Pub. Co., 1993.
  • Smith, Marc and Peter Kollock. Communities in Cyberspace. London; New York: Routledge, 1999.
 Top Main List
 
 Virtual Reality
  • Rheingold, Howard. Virtual Reality. New York: Summit Books, 1991.
  • Heim, Michael. The Metaphysics of Virtual Reality. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.
  • Hillis, Ken. Digital Sensations: Space, Identity, and Embodiment in Virtual Reality . Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1999.
 VR Installations and Applications
  • Dolinsky, Margaret. CAVE art. Indiana University.
  • Gromala, Diane and Sharir. Dancing with the Virtual Dervish: Virtual Bodies .
  • Davies, Char. Osmose.
  • Furness, Thomas. Greenspace, Pain Distraction, Parkinson's. HIT Lab, 1993.
  • Hodges, L. Virtual Vietnam. 1996.
  • Brooks, Fred. Chapel Hill: Virtual Walkthrough.
  • Lanier, Jaron. Reality Built for Two. 1986.
  • Naimark, Michael. Aspen Movie Map. 1978.
  • Laurel, Brenda and Rachel Strickland. PlaceHolder.  1994.
  • Shaw, Jeffrey. Place-Ruhr. 2000.
 Top Main List
 
Web Design, Hypertext, Hypermedia
 Standard hypertext and hypermedia articles and books: Bush, Engelbart, Nelson, Landow, Berners-Lee CERN memo, Current W3C memos esp XML
Classical Hypertext and Hypermedia precursors to the WWW including:
Brown University Hypermedia
Story Space
Hypercard
Selection of representative web genres such as:
e-commerce catalog
University site
News site
Personal home pgae
Knowledge of standard web technologies and techniques such as:
Dynamic page creation, Style sheets, Database driven sites
Polling and active datacollection, Cookies and silent information gathering,
Grid design, Color palettes, Bandwidth issues, Media types.

Web design books such as:
Badre, Albert. Shaping Web Usability: Interaction Design in Context. Reading: Addison-Wesley, 2002.
Nielson, Jacob. Designing Web Usability: The Practice of Simplicity. New Riders, 1999.
 Top Main List
 
Other Digital Forms
 The above subcategories cover some of the main digital media forms, but by no means all of them. Students and their committees may construct other sub-categories with which to fulfill this part of the Comprehensive Examination. For example: Educational Applications, Humanities Computing, Accessible Design, Site-based Interactive Entertainments, Ubiquitous/Everyday Computing, Wearable Computing, Wireless Applications, Enhanced TV, Database Documentary, etc.
 Top Main List