The Digital Shift: How Computing Remade Media

The Digital Shift: How Computing Remade Media

Osher Online | Available (Membership Required)

U of A Fayetteville, AR 72701 United States
Online Through Zoom
Open to OLLI Members Only
Monday, July 20, 2026-Monday, August 24, 2026
10:00 AM-11:30 AM on Mon
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$55.00

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The Digital Shift: How Computing Remade Media

Osher Online | Available (Membership Required)

The music we stream, the photos we swipe through, the real time news we consume, the books we read or listen to – all have been radically reshaped by digital technology. This course will explore how media is created, stored, and experienced in a digitized world. We will unpack fundamentals like text files, encoding and decoding, pixels, and algorithms in clear, easy-to-understand ways – no prior computer knowledge needed. Each session will focus on a different medium, comparing its analog origins with its contemporary digital version. We will also consider the impact of Generative AI and speculate on future trends. Topics will include text (books, e-books, news portals), images (photography and movies), music, video games, social media, and media ownership (physical media, streaming, and copyrights).

 

Class schedule: Live lectures will take place on Mondays via ZOOM, JULY 20 THROUGH AUGUST, 10am CT;  Each live session is 90 minutes

Monday, July 20
Monday, July 27
Monday, August 3
Monday, August 10
Monday, August 17
Monday, August 24

  • As this class is delivered by the National Resource Center for OLLIs (NRC) at Northwestern University, you will receive a welcome email from osheronline@northwestern.edu.  The email will include your credentials (username & password) as well as a hyperlink to the Osher Online Website through which you will access your course website. Please save the link once you receive it. Multi-session courses will use this same link each week.

Davis Portela, Rafael
Rafael Davis Portela

Rafael Davis Portela is a PhD candidate in Latin American History at the Graduate Center, CUNY. His research examines the history of computing and technology, especially how they shaped and were shaped by economy. His dissertation traces Microsoft’s expansion in Brazil, the rise of the Brazilian computing industry, and resulting tensions between the US and Brazilian governments. Beyond history, Portela is passionate about programming and digital tools and has taught university researchers how to use computing in their own work.