We will explore why text is important and highlight that yes, we can invent better ways to read and write. 
There will also be a full introduction to the Augmented Text Tools software including Author.
Your first essay assignment will be set.

Welcome to The Future of Text

Every Session Start: We will start the class by discussing your Essays. This will be collaboratively mapped out in a Dynamic View in Author in a process where we will collaboratively map out the space we are working on.

Weekly Lecture: We will look at the history and state of the art of infrastructure with a focus on metadata as the scaffolding of digital text, and introduce Visual-Meta. We will also look at PDF, DOI and DNS for a good mix of acronyms.

Every Session End: Weekly essay subjects will be assigned.

Infrastructures

We will go through linking and citing to discuss how they are different, as well as explore further aspects of connected writing, including the use of glossaries.

Connected Writing

The fundamental importance of Interactivity will be explored, as well as different views of text

Interactivity & Views

We will go into deep history, text history and the history of digital text thinkers.

History

In this final session we will review the previous essays and finalise our Dynamic View for final Augmented Journal Edition which will be included as a chapter in ‘The Future of Text’.

Final Discussion

Join us to be inspired, engage in dialog & write the  future of text.

Your work will be featured in the second edition of 'The Future of Text' and you will use newly developed software.



Writing the Future of Text

Join us to be inspired, engage in dialog & write the  future of text.

Your work will be featured in the second edition of 'The Future of Text' and you will use newly developed software.


Initial Cohort 

This is a template for collecting the artifact resulting from this cohort — a final, publicly viewable summary of what participants learned or created during the course.

❗️**Important:** The contents of this post will appear on the cohort page, visible to everyone. Don't post anything you don't want to be publicly shared.

Please edit this topic with an artifact that makes sense for your course.

## [Artifact Title]

Replace with: summary description of what the cohort created or learned together.

This may be a final writeup, a summary of each participant's project, a link roundup to externally hosted  assignments — whatever makes sense for your course.

Note that participants can reply to this post, but only this initial post of the topic will be published to the cohort page as its public artifact.

Artifact

This is a template for an assignment you want to give participants in this cohort.

Please edit this topic with description, instructions, or anything else that makes sense for the assignment you'd like to share. The text below is just a starting point.

## [Assignment Title]

Replace with: summary description of the assignment. What are participants creating? What's the learning goal in the context of this course?

## Instructions

Replace with: details on the expected format or process for completing the assignment.

Example (for a final writeup):

- Please post a link to a Google Doc with 500 words on what you learned
- Make sure that sharing is turned on so others can comment

Example (for a photography workshop)

- Select your three favorite photos from the week's theme
- Upload them to a post here, each preceded with a one-paragraph description

Assignment

This is a template for details / discussion related to a specific event in your cohort.

Please edit this topic to include most or all of the elements listed below!

❗️**Important:** Please schedule each event from the main cohort page. This template is not the main way to create an event, but may be useful as a reminder, a way to share related details, or collaborate on event notes.

## [Event Title]

Replace with: short description of the event; any additional info beyond what you included in the event description on the cohort page.

## Details / Instructions

Replace with: further details about the event, if needed. How to join, anything participants need to do to prepare; etc.

Event

This is a template for outlining a few simple steps for how participants in this cohort should get started.

Please edit this topic to include most or all of the following elements — or anything else you like!

## Introductions

Replace with: brief note encouraging participants to introduce themselves in this topic. Something like:

Please post a brief intro below! Let everyone know who you are, why you signed up, and what you hope to learn. And say hello to other participants; let's get to know each other!

## Logistics

Replace with: notes about any logistical details participants need to know. 

Any other tools / services participants will need to sign up for or download (e.g. Google Drive, Zoom, etc.)? Materials to prepare? Be sure to let everyone know any preliminary action items.

This topic contains details for this particular cohort. Right now you're in our private forum just for members of this cohort.

## Start Learning!

Replace with: any day-one action items that participants should complete prior to your first meeting. First reading(s) or assignment(s)? Share those here.

Getting Started

This is a template for a prompt — a question or discussion topic you'd like participants to discuss or respond to.

Please edit this topic to include any details necessary to spark this discussion!

## [Prompt Title]

Replace with: the prompt itself, with as much detail as you need, and how you'd like participants to respond below.

Prompt

This is a template for your cohort to run a retrospective — collecting valuable feedback from participants that will help the course improve over time.

Please edit this topic to include most or all of the following elements — or anything else you like!

## Questions

Replace with: particular questions you'd like students to answer at the end of the cohort, aimed at helping your course improve.

The questions below are just examples. You'll get better feedback if you ask targeted questions about specific aspects of your course. Tweak these questions, or write your own!

- What did you expect to get out of this course? Were those expectations met? If not, how do you feel about the progress you made in this course (if any)?
- What specific things (moments, techniques, conversations) did you feel were most useful to learning in this course?
- What do you wish we'd spent more time on? Anything you felt we should add?
- What's one thing you'd suggest we change or remove?
- Please share anything else you'd like us to know!

Participants: you can quote some or all of these questions to structure your replies below.

## Sharing the Retro

Replace with: how the info from this retrospective will be used to improve the course. For example:

The maintainers of this course will review all feedback collected in this retrospective process. We'll think hard about how we can improve the course structure, specific processes, even particular assignments, questions, or readings.

We may follow up if we want to get more detail on anything mentioned below. 

Thanks so much for taking the time to help us improve this course — we really appreciate it!

Retrospective

# Description

The written word is a fundamental unit of knowledge. Therefore, how richly we interact with our text determines how richly we interact with our knowledge—and each other.

This is why I have hosted the annual [Future of Text Symposium](https://future-of-text.circle.so/s/symposia) for a decade, as well as edited and published the book ‘[The Future of Text](https://futuretextpublishing.com/),’ featuring wonderfully brilliant minds. 

This is also why I built the Augmented Text Tools; [Author](https://www.augmentedtext.info/author), [Reader](https://www.augmentedtext.info/reader) and [Liquid,](https://www.augmentedtext.info/liquid) because it is not enough to speculate about the potential of unleashing the power of digital text, it is also necessary to make it happen by implementing what we know now, and then iterating as we learn more about how augmenting text can augment us.

Furthermore, the future must be built collaboratively. I therefore invite you to join me in a 6 part course of inspiration for the future of text, where each week you will write on a specific topic about the future of text and ***your final piece will be included in the next edition of book ‘The Future of Text’, due out this year.*** 

### Cost

The cohort costs $250 for 6 sessions.

You will also need to download the Augmented Text word processor [Author](https://www.augmentedtext.info/author) which is where we will be doing our essay writing. The use of this software is integral to the course. You may choose to unlock the In-App Purchase to enable Export at an additional $15. 

There is a student discount on the course for those who show a strong interest in the subject, and who have downloaded the required Author software. Please contact the facilitator if this applies to you: frode@hegland.com

### Course Goals

Learn to think about text in a deeper way by using novel tools, thinking and writing about the future of text every week to inspire deep discussions.

Though you will learn about aspects of text history and infrastructure, the focus is on *your* thinking and invention, with the past as an inspiration, not something to learn by rote.

Since the facilitator of this course is the developer of the Augmented Text software you will use, you will have a unique opportunity to learn not only how it works but why it works the way it does, and more importantly, influence how it will develop further.

### Who Should Attend

You should take this course if you are eager to join the dialog on the future of text and to learn new tools for reading, writing and citing.

If you are a power user of your knowledge environment–or if you want to be–if you are interested in the history of Hypertext, or if you simply want to write a better future, this is for you.

### Preparation

Please download the Augmented Text software before we start. It is free so you can decide if you like it as this is your essay writing toolset for this course. If you like it and decide to enrol in this cohort, you can optionally choose to unlock the Export function through an In-App Purchase on the macOS App Store, at $15. [augmentedtext.info](https://www.augmentedtext.info) 

You can choose to get  ‘The Future of Text’ book (download the free PDF or buy a printed version) but you may also choose to start the course with fresh eyes. [futuretextpublishing.com](https://futuretextpublishing.com)

### Course Structure

There will be 6 weekly sessions of 1 hour each. Each session will start with a review of the essay set in the previous session, followed by a lecture to stimulate thought for your next essay topic. 

***Every Session Start:*** We will start the class by discussing your Essays. This will be collaboratively mapped out in a [Dynamic View](https://www.augmentedtext.info/dynamic-view) in [Author](https://www.augmentedtext.info/author) in a process where we will collaboratively map out the space we are working on.

***Every Session End:*** Weekly essay subjects will be assigned. 

***2 Days Before Each Session:*** You are required to submit your essay 2 days before the next session so that it can be included in our weekly [Augmented Journal](https://www.augmentedtext.info/journal) (see below), for everyone to read before the next session in order to facilitate the next weeks discussion. 

***Additional Material:*** You will receive a draft advance copy of 'The History of Text', a short book listing major moments in the history of text, to be published this summer. The book will be discussed in class and you will have the opportunity to contribute to the book, any contributions will be credited.

### Course Outline

1. **Welcome to the Future of Text**
We will explore why text is important and highlight that yes, we can invent better ways to read and write. There will also be a full introduction to the Augmented Text Tools software including Author. 

2. **Infrastructures**
Weekly Lecture: We will look at the history and state of the art of infrastructure with a focus on metadata as the scaffolding of digital text, and introduce Visual-Meta. We will also look at PDF, DOI and DNS for a good mix of acronyms.

3. **Connected Writing**
We will go through linking and citing to discuss how they are different, as well as explore further aspects of connected writing, including the use of glossaries.

4. **Interactivity & Views**
The fundamental importance of Interactivity will be explored, as well as different views of text.

5. **History**
We will go into deep history, text history and the history of digital text thinkers. 

6. **Final Discussion**
In this final session we will review the previous essays and finalise our Dynamic View for final Journal Edition which will be included as a chapter in ‘The Future of Text’.

### Augmented Journal

You will have a weekly essay assignment which you will write in [Author](https://www.augmentedtext.info/author) and email to the facilitator. You will then receive a PDF of everyone's essays for that week in what we call our [Augmented Journal](https://www.augmentedtext.info/journal). You are encouraged to read them all before the next session.

Your essay must be in a specific, but simple format, as described here: [Augmented Journal Document Format](https://www.augmentedtext.info/journal).

Remember, the future is not yet written.

I look forward to seeing you online.