- Office Hours : Monday, 3.00 – 4.00 and by appointment
- Office : 251B Communications Building (beside the elevators)
An electronic version of the syllabus is archived here as a PDF for printing. Basic course information and web site information is distributed the first day of class.
Readings and weekly due dates are listed on one page; refer to the schedule for links to each week’s assignments and topics.
Some readings will be assigned for all to read. Some will be assigned to individuals, who will present information and lead discussion on the article in class the following week. All students will have such a leadership role sometime in the quarter.
The reading load is heavier the first half of the quarter than the second half, reflecting out-of-class time devoted to projects.
####
1. Course Overview
Description
This course explores basic concepts of new media as well as the role new media technologies play in society. Throughout the course, we will explore the evolution of new media technologies as well as their impact on economics, politics, communication and community. The course also examines key moments in computing and media history to gain a perspective on the nature of technological innovation and change. Because new media do not inhabit one specific discipline, this is an interdisciplinary that includes communication, computer science, law, political science, history and economics.
Students will use digital media technology throughout the course, providing them with practical experience with new media. To apply the art of new media design, students will work in small groups to plan, design and create new media content.
The course is structured like a workshop or seminar; each class member is responsible for formally and informally contributing to discussion of readings, activities and assignments.
Course Goals
By participating in this course, students will:
- Acquire an understanding of the historical context, current trends and future projections of digital communication methods
- Develop an awareness of unintended consequences of new technology
- Become a critical consumer of information
- Become better writers and more analytical thinkers
Learning Outcomes
After completing this course, students will be able to:
• Explain basic concepts and theory in new (digital) media
• Describe the historical context of computer-based communication
• Identify three inventions that provided the foundation for today’s digital communication technologies
• Explain how digital media technologies – current and future – may affect society: politically, culturally and economically
Skill Development
o Use e-mail to correspond with instructor and classmates
o Use blogging and other web technologies to share personal thoughts and interact with classmates
o Use the WWW as a research tool
o Use the electronic resources of the UW Library as a research tool
o Effectively communicate complex subjects in engaging oral presentations
o Develop and refine skill in identifying and citing resources
Student Responsibilities
o Be prepared for class; have reading and assignments done on time
o Spend time outside of class working on readings, projects, and correspondence
o Participate in active learning inside and outside of class (in other words, both on-line and face-to-face). That means asking questions, helping classmates answer questions, and working with one another to solve problems.
o Be in class. It’s the only time we’ll have to work face-to-face.
o Regardless of your experience with digital technologies at the start of the class, I expect you to challenge yourself so that your skills are greater at the end of the quarter than at the start.
Course Requirements
We will read book chapters and articles from scholarly journals, trade magazines and popular publications. Assigned readings may be found through the library’s eReserve system. Students must have a working UW e-mail address and check mail regularly. Internet access is required. Basic computer literacy is required.
Course Labs
You will learn how to create a website using WordPress, free blogging software; how to create a blog; and how to create a powerpoint presentation (and share it from the web).
II. Course Structure and Teaching Strategies
Teaching methods for this course will include lectures, demonstrations, student presentations, guest lecturers, reading, and writing assignments. The class functions more like a workshop than a traditional lecture-driven survey course. Students will have the chance to explore topics of interest in their projects and writings.
Classes may feature a guest lecturer who is a leading professional or scholar in digital media. Class discussions are a key element of the course, and students are encouraged to ask questions, offer their own observations, and share their own experiences with new technology.
The course instructor will coordinate all class material, keep in close touch with each student in order to assess and meet individual needs, and evaluate all course assignments. Communication outside of class will be via a class mailing list; students must have a working e-mail address.
Instructor’s Educational Philosophy
My goal is to provide a stimulating environment for learning. Course material includes both theory and application, with an emphasis on application to real world problems and situations. Written and oral reports are required because these skills are needed in the work environment in general, and in web development, management, and consulting in particular. Students are required to comment and collaborate as these are practical skills; the means used demonstrates theories and technologies explored in class.
Schedule
Subject to change.
o Week 1: Course Overview/What are New Media?
o Week 2: Evolution of Digital Communication
o Week 3: Finding and Evaluating Online Communication
o Week 4: Human-Computer Interaction
o Week 5: Networks – Social and Technological
o Week 6: Online News
o Week 7: Online Politics
o Week 8: Online Commerce
o Week 9: Access and the Digital Divide
o Week 10: Emerging Technologies and Wrap-Up
III. Evaluation
There are no exams in this course; instead, there are several assignments. Each of these assignments is required to successfully pass the course.
Your grade for this class will be based on a possible total of 1000 points; and your score will be directly translated into the 4.0 scale. Participation in the class and lab discussions will count towards your final grade. Regular attendance, contributions to the discussion of themes, and engagement and leadership in class exercises will result in a high participation grade.
Assignments will be turned in via Catalyst or on your blog. We will create blogs at WordPress.com. Students with work or family conflicts should make arrangements with the instructor before missing class or an assignment. Late assignments policy varies per assignment.
Grades are determined as follows:
Weekly Blog Posts (reading review) 150
Discussion Leader (once in the quarter) 125
Group Project 125
Three essays 375
Final essay 100
Participation 125
1. Weekly Blog Posts – 150 points
Students will create a blog (on WordPress.com) where they will reflect upon (not summarize!) each week’s readings. Students are asked to write about the readings to help gain cognitive understanding of material as well as to hone analytical skills. Weekly reading assignments are not graded, except for completeness. Be sure to check your spelling and grammar, however!
• These are short (two-four paragraphs) reviews of assigned readings. Each post must also include three (3) discussion questions about the assigned readings. Length: 250-450 words + questions.
• Each regular weekly reading must be categorized “reading”. Each extra credit reading should be categorized “extra credit”.
• These posts are due Monday at 9 am. No late posts accepted.
• Points assigned per the following list: you do not get extra points by providing both a summary and a reflection! The maximum number of points per week is 13; these will be scaled to account for 15% of the final grade.
• Reflection within minimum-maximum word count – 10 points
• Reflection over-or-under word count by more than 5% or with significant grammatical errors- 7 points
• Reading summary (summary instead of reflection) within minimum-maximum word count – 5 points
• Reading summary (summary instead of reflection) over-or-under word count by more than 5% or with significant grammatical errors – 1 point
• Two-Three open-ended discussion questions – 3 points
• One open-ended discussion question – 1 point
• Closed-ended discussion questions – 0 points
2. Leading Discussion – 125 points
The class will be divided into five peer groups. Each peer group will serve as discussion leader once, by being assigned to a class session. (Groups may swap sessions – make arrangements amongst yourselves and then advise me.)
Leading discussion involves actively engaging class members in a discussion of the topic of the day as it relates to a reading you have identified. Be sure to elicit class member participation through questions or activities. Part of your participation grade is determined by how much you, as a class member, participate in weekly discussions.
Each member of the group will select an outside scholarly article that elaborates on the week’s general topic. Please use Lexis-Nexis or ProQuest or another academic database as your source. It is your responsibility to show how your selection relates to that week’s topic and readings.
Each member of the peer group will have five (5) minutes to relate one reading; there will be additional time to engage your classmates in discussion. Be as creative as you’d like to be when presenting your information. You must create a Powerpoint presentation, upload it to Slideshare.net, and link it to your student blog.
There are two posts required; no late posts accepted.
(1) Before class, you must post an abstract (including correct APA citation). The post should also link to your Powerpoint presentation on Slideshare.net and any outside source material (such as YouTube files) that you use in the presentation.
(2) You must also post a reflection on the experience to your blog by 5 pm on Friday the week that your group is responsible for leading discussion. You must categorize both posts “Discussion Leader.”
3. Group Project – 125 points
Analysis of social media use by news organizations.
4. Essays – 475 points
There are four essays.
The first three are assigned essays. Each essay will be given a “points/no points” grade based upon its meeting minimum requirements (subject matter, word count, turned in on time). Two will receive a letter grade, one of your choice (you will write a short paragraph explaining why you selected this assignment) and one of the remaining three at random.
The last assigned essay is a reflection on your learnings in the course. It substitutes for a final exam and will be due finals week via Catalyst. No late assignments accepted.
5. Participation – 125 points
Students are expected to attend all classes and are responsible for completing all course material on deadline. You must e-mail me if you miss class because of illness or emergency. This communication is part of your class participation. Moreover, rather than ask me what happened while you were away, you should also check the course blog as well as talk to your classmates to “see what you missed.” In-class assignments cannot be made up except by arrangement.
There are many ways to participate in the class. This is a safe environment, where students can try new ways of engaging in discussion and learning with others. Discussion about readings and other class material will be conducted seminar-style, that is, with an exchange of questions, explanations and viewpoints about readings and key ideas.
• Provide substantive comment (150-200 words) on a on peer member blog post (reading reflection) at least four times during the quarter (two in the first half of the quarter and two in the second half — this is in addition any assigned comments). Students must send an e-mail to the instructor no later than 12 March detailing these four comments.
• Contribute to in-class activities and discussions
• Complete in-class assignments (cannot be made up)
IV. Course Policies
By becoming a member of this class, you agree to abide by these rules and any other policies not explicitly stated here that are detailed in the UW Student Conduct Handbook.
Absences
You are responsible for all assigned readings and materials presented in class lectures. You should be aware that missing class could adversely affect your performance on assignments and homework. It is your responsibility to obtain all materials missed by working with other students (do not expect the professor to provide this information). It is also your responsibility to complete all assignments, even if you missed the class where the assignment was made. Material is available online.
Academic Honesty
You are expected to produce original work and properly cite the thoughts and works of others. All sources must be properly cited; just because information can be found online does not mean it is exempt from citations! Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses and are not tolerated by the University. For more information, please refer to the University’s Academic Honesty policy.
Assignments
All work must be completed on time. Late submissions will not be accepted, except with advance notice of extenuating circumstances (sudden illness, death in the family, and so forth). Errors (facts, spelling and grammar) will result in a reduced grade. You are expected to produce original work and properly cite the thoughts and works of others. Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses and are not tolerated by the University. For more information, please refer to the University’s Academic Honesty policy.
Classroom Environment
Students and faculty are responsible for creating a good learning environment. We will use computing technology in the classroom during labs; specific uses of computing technology will be announced in advance with detailed instructions.
Students may use laptops or other portable devices for taking notes. However, these portable devices should not be used to engage in non-classroom activities, such as surfing the Net, checking e-mail, playing games or listening to music. These activities would certainly divert your attention away from class and could distract other students as well, thus corrupting the learning environment. I reserve the right to end your use of a portable device, ask you to move, or revoke the privilege of using wireless devices in the classroom.
During class breaks, students may use portable computing devices or lab computers for personal use as long as they respect other class members. Material visible on the computing device should not be offensive or incendiary. Any music played during breaks should be at a level conducive to classroom civility.
Courteous Discourse
Whether in class or online, students are expected to conduct themselves with professional courtesy and decorum. Please make constructive comments; flames and insults are not acceptable. Disagree with the idea, not the person!
Incompletes
The instructor will not give incompletes except under exceptional circumstances.
Accommodations
To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact Disability Resources for Students, 448 Schmitz, 206-543-8924/V, 206-5430-8925/TTY. If you have a letter from Disability Resources for Students indicating that you have a disability that requires academic accommodations, please present the letter to me so we can discuss the accommodations that you might need for the class.
E-mail Communication
E-mail communications among members of this class should reflect respect for the rights and privileges of all members of the academic community. This includes not interfering with university functions or endangering the health, welfare, or safety of other persons. In addition to the University of Washington’s Student Conduct Code, there are additional policies for this class:
• E-mail communication from a student to the instructor will be acted upon, if possible, within 24 hours (M-Th). If an e-mail from a student does not receive a response within 48 hours, then the student should investigate other ways of contacting me (telephone, office hours, etc.). E-mail to the instructor must have clear, not cryptic, subject lines and should include the course number (COM 300).
• Students are responsible for checking their UW mail regularly; instructor and class mailing list mail is directed to the student UW address, as it is the official e-mail address for class enrollment.
• E-mail communications should not include any CCing of anyone not directly involved in the specific educational experience at hand.
• E-mail communications should not include any blind-CCing to third parties.
