COM 404 –41/Mass Communication Seminar
Spring 2007, W 3:30-6:00; ComCTR 220
Dr. John Beatty
Olney 157
http://www.lasalle.edu/~beatty/ (Entry page)
(215) 951-5004
Office Hours: M 3–6; TR 5–6; W 1–2
Home phone (610) 433-5339
The course will cover several broad concerns:
• Internet politics, that is, the politics of the Internet (e.g. Internet ownership, digital divide) and politics as communicated through the Internet (e.g. professional journalism vs. blogs);
• The history, economics of the Net;
• Computer-mediated communication including a spectrum of interpersonal (e.g. identity, anonymity issues) to group to mass, and the impact of new media channels;
• New media and popular culture (i.e. on-line communities, fan culture, as both consumer and creator of mostly entertainment content).
It will be built on an overview of communication theory, and of the technologies involved and include examination of recent research from key communication journals .
Textbooks:
Wood, A. F., and Smith, M. J. (2005). Online Communication. Linking Technology, Identity, & Culture (2 nd edition). Mahwah , N.J. : Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc.
Klotz, R. J. (2004). The Politics of Internet Communication . Lanham , Md : Rowman and Littlefield.
Lievrouw, L.A. , and Livingstone, S. (2007). The Handbook of New Media (Updated Student Edition). London : Sage.
You will also purchase a readings packet the second class day, and will be responsible for some items that are posted on-line in this course Web site (http://www.lasalle.edu/~beatty/404).
Requirements:
This is a seminar, rather than a traditional lecture or lab course. That means that class participation is a key component in grade decisions.
Participation . You will be asked to participate in discussions both as seminar leaders and as seminar participants.
Each week you are asked to send me two discussion questions that occur to you based on each of the readings you have done. Questions that compare or integrate readings are best. I hope to use many of these in class, and expect you to contribute yours to the discussions as well. E-mail me those by Wednesday noon (beatty@lasalle.edu).
In addition, I expect you to be ready to respond to questions from the seminar leaders or from me in a way that shows you have read the material, as opposed to recounting life experiences (although these can be useful as well).
Finally, you will be asked in groups of two or three to conduct the seminar, including some form of PowerPoint or Web presentation and/or handouts and coordinating discussion. Include at least one Internet resource/link in your presentation.
Policies:
Attendance is important. Those present will sign a roll at each class meeting. For any absence to be excused you must contact me beforehand and provide documentation of your excuse or have a friend do so if you are unable. Given normal extenuating circumstances, you are allowed a total of two unexcused class absences. Further unexcused absences, or excessive excused absences will lower your final grade.
Assignments or tests missed due to excused absences can be made up, but those missed due to unexcused absences cannot.
Adjustments to the schedule and requirements listed in this document are to be allowed for, if not expected.
You are responsible for following the University's and this class's policies on submission of original work and acknowledgement of direct quotations or paraphrases from others' writings (see the La Salle University Student Handbook ). Plagiarism “consists of passing off the ideas, opinions, facts, words—in short, the intellectual work—of another as your own” ( Prentice Hall Handbook for Writers ). Clearly plagiarized work will result in a grade of “F” for the paper.
Grading: Short papers, reading, Web assignments ......... 30%
Leading the seminar ........................................ 20%
Participating in seminar ................................... 20%
Final paper/presentation ................................ 30%
Grade assignment: A = 94 and above; A- = 90-93; B+ = 87-89; B = 84-86; B- = 80-83; C+ = 77-79; C = 74-76; C- = 70-73; D+ = 67-69; D = 64-66; D- = 60-63; F = below 60.
In other words: A = All major and minor goals achieved; B = All major goals achieved, some minor ones not; C = All major goals achieved, many minor ones not; D = A few major goals achieved but not prepared for further advanced work; F = None of the major goals achieved.
For the first class we will look briefly at the following links about the Internet:
Timeline http://www.zakon.org/robert/internet/timeline/
Pioneers http://www.ibiblio.org/team/history/pioneers/pioneers.html
Pie Chart http://www.ibiblio.org/team/intro/map/index.html
Also we saw the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium).
See also Appendix A in Wood & Smith on HTML.
For next week , 1/24, please read and submit discussion questions for:
Carey; Reardon & Rogers ( handouts).
I will conduct a brief discussion on communication theory and how new media/the Net have influenced that theory.
Klotz, Chapter 1; Wood & Smith Chapter 2; Lievrouw & Livingstone Intro (updated), chapters 9, 12.
Two students will conduct the second portion on these readings covering what new media (ITCs) are, how they work and some of their social history.
