T101 Syllabus

Section: 0653
Instructor: Kim Gregson

Instructor: Kim Gregson - Office hours by appointment
AI: Xiaoquan Zhao - Office hours by appointment
Room: RTV 251
Time: 8:55 - 10:10 DAILY
Go right to Semester Schedule

Publisher's website for our textbook

About this syllabus

This syllabus is a contract between you as student and myself as instructor. However, the schedule is not set in stone; if we need to take longer on a particular area, I will try to make accommodations. Due dates for assignment may also shift if need be.

While I take seriously the obligation to provide information about new media technologies and how they affect us, you need to take seriously your obligation to make a sincere effort to learn that information and perform the assignments given to you.

Please feel free to ask questions if you are uncertain as to what I expect or what you should do.

Course description

We live in an age that is saturated with information and technology is invading our lives at every turn. From digital television to the internet to futuristic computer-controlled homes, we deal with new technology every day in our work places and our homes. This course, which is required for new Telecommunications majors, attempts to make sense of what we mean by "The Information Age." We will focus on the historical and developmental framework of the communications media. We will look at the mass media--books, magazines, television, film, computers--examining how the transition from analogue to digital systems have altered the production, marketing, and consumption of these media. During the course of the semester, you'll become conversant with a number of information tools and theories and we will challenge you to think about the cultural, psychological and economic implications of living in an "information age".

Textbooks & Required Readings

Textbook: Joseph Straubhaar and Robert LaRose, Media Now: Communications Media in the Information Age (2nd ed.) Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2000 (There is a web page sponsored by the publisher for our textbook;it has vocabulary flash cards and practice quiz questions for every chapter. Its linked from the online syllabus.)

Readings
There is no packet to buy at the bookstore. There are two kinds of extra readings though that you will be responsible for. Some are available as reserve readings through the library. They will be indicated on the syllabus as (RR) for reserve reading. Others are online. The URLs will be given on the syllabus and they are linked from the online version of the syllabus. Both of these types of readings extend the information that is available in the textbook and provide you with current examples of topics we will discuss in class. Both types of readings will be included on the tests and quizzes as well. There are extra resources listed on the online syllabus that you can use for extra information. I will be using them for examples.

Grading - Points

Midterm 100 points
Final - 150 points
Quizzes - 100 points
Media Diary paper - 100 points
Web Site
.....4 short papers - 25 points each
.....Design Decisions paper - 25 points .....Web Site - 100 points
Participation - 10 points
Research Credit - 15 points
.....Total Points: 700

Grade Scale

94-100%= A......90-93% = A-
87-89% = B+.....83-86% = B.....80-82% = B-
77-79% = C+.....73-76% = C.....70-72% = C-
67-69% = D+.....60-66% = D......0-59% = F

The midterm, final exam, and quizzes will all have similar types of questions - multiple choice, matching, and true false. Questions will come from the textbook, assigned readings, and lectures. Review sheets will be distributed before the midterm and the final to help you study. The midterm and final will be done in class on Scantron bubble sheets so you will need to bring a #2 pencil. Make-up exams will be allowed only in clearly documented situations that have been communicated to me by phone or in person - NOT BY E-Mail - before the date of the original exam or in the case of a documented personal medical emergency.

There are four quizzes this semester at the end of weeks 1, 2, 4,and 5. We hope that the quizzes will help you keep up with the readings by identifying any material you don't understand right away. They should also give you exposure to the types of questions you will see on the midterm and final.Quizzes will be taken online and scored automatically. You will be shown how to do this in class. The quiz will be available shortly after class on those Fridays. Grades will be collected on Monday before class. You can take each quiz only once. There will be 10 questions on each quiz and they will be assigned randomly, so people will get different versions of the quiz.

The four weekly papers have several purposes.

  1. They will give you a chance to see how we grade written work before your media diary paper is due. Written communication is only effective if you can get your ideas across to the reader - grammar, punctuation, spelling, organization are all important and are all considered in your grade.

  2. The weekly papers are also designed to provide you with more information on the week's topic. There are press releases, magazine articles, organization home pages, commercial websites.

  3. These papers give you an opportunity to look at web sites as a producer, a role you will play when you design and create your own web site at the end of the semester. Some sites are very professional with lots of graphics and extra features; others are home-grown simple affairs. As a producer you need to make a lot of decisions about how your site will look, how users will navigate through it, what content you will provide, and so on. These papers will let you critique a variety of sites so you can see what you like or don't like about them, what features or design ideas you might want to borrow from them.

Each paper should be approximately two typed double spaced pages long (with one inch margins, font size 12 or smaller, name and date on a single line at the top of the first page), but feel free to write more if you want. I do not think the assignment can be done in less than two pages. They are due in class on Friday in weeks 1,2,4,and 5. They will not be accepted after class. We will use them as the basis for our discussion in class that day.

Directions for the Media Diary and the Web Site assignments will be distributed in class and will be placed online and linked to the class website. These are the two major projects for the semester.

Research Requirement
The professors in the Telecommunications department are actively involved in creating new knowledge in our field. One or two research projects in which you can participate as a subject are usually available each semester; usually the time requirement is less than two hours. Participating in research helps you understand research articles and policy press releases that you will read in class. Because I believe that participating in these experiments is an important part of the class, I have a research requirement in the syllabus. You can earn the points by participating in a project (researchers will come to class to solicit your help). If, for some reason, you can not participate in the research projects that are available, you can read a professor-approved research article and write a two-page summary of it. See the instructor for a list of appropriate articles and more detailed guidelines.

Attendance and Class Participation
Much of the material on the tests and quizzes will come from class lectures and discussions, so you will benefit from regular attendance. This is especially true in the summer. You are expected to attend every class. You get 2 free absences, no questions asked and no documentation needed. After that, each absence will reduce your participation grade by a point. To get an excused absence, you need to bring a doctor's excuse (or other documentation) to either myself or the AI.

Regarding Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, falsifying academic records, and any act designed to avoid participating honestly in the learning process. Scholastic dishonesty also includes, but is not limited to, providing false or misleading information to receive a postponement or an extension on a test, quiz, or other assignment, and submission of essentially the same written assignment for two courses without the prior permission of the instructor. By accepting this syllabus, you have agreed to University guidelines regarding dishonesty and must adhere to them. Scholastic dishonesty damages both the student's learning experience and readiness for the future demands of a career. Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. For more information on scholastic consult the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, which is available at the bookstore or online.

Contacting the Prof & AI - Mailbox & Email

We do not have a permanent office and so do not have a phone number on campus. However we both have mailboxes in this building, room 310. Put things in the boxes UNDER our names.

We check email several times during the day. E-mail is best for quick clarifications of the readings, to pass on the URL for a cool web site that you found, or to schedule a meeting. It is not good for requesting a detailed explanation of a grade; for that you should schedule a face to face meeting. Please read your e-mail regularly as we will communicate with you as necessary about the class this way.

Class Website

This syllabus is online - see the URL at the top of the first page. From there you can connect to the prof's home page and to a resource page. On the resource page are links to help you with creating your web site. If you know of a good resource that you want to share with the other students, send the prof an email message with the URL and why it should be added.

Questions/Comments/Criticisms/Suggestions

If at any time something seems unclear or unreasonable to you, please make an appointment to discuss it with us. Both of us are open to your suggestions and comments. This class is meant to be an open forum for learning and discussion.

Course Schedule

Week 1: Convergence

Week 2: Theory/Research

Week 3: Regulation & TV

Week 4: Media Content/Unintended Consequences

Week 5: Economics

Week 6: Media & Society

http://www.brillscontent.com/2000apr/features/best_index.shtml