Navon Revleen Amin
DARE Project: Educational Media and Computer Skills: 1980-1995
Program(s) of Study: Communication & Media Studies
Project Supervisor: Mark Hayward
I hope our research contributes meaningfully to how we understand and historicize our relationship with technology.
Project Description:
My DARE project, under the supervision of Professor Mark Hayward, explored the history of personal computing in Canada by analyzing educational television programs from 1980 to 1995. I focused on how shows produced by TVOntario and CBC, such as Mr. Microchip (1983), Bits and Bytes (1983), Bits and Bytes 2 (1991), and others, introduced basic computing concepts to the public and helped shape a national narrative around digital literacy. My work mainly involved archival research, content analysis, and critical discourse analysis, examining how ideas about technology, learning, labor, and the so-called "future" were visually and rhetorically constructed. This project has certainly deepened my understanding of the social and ideological roots of our current digital culture, particularly in light of today’s renewed focus on AI.The Dean’s Award for Research Excellence (DARE) - Undergraduate enables our students to meaningfully engage in research projects supervised by LA&PS faculty members. Find out more about DARE.