Syllabus

Media 4: Introduction to Mass Communication

Summer 2024, Sections 8062 and 8142

 

Welcome to Media 4 Online!

You're starting on a 6-week journey through Weeks/Units to reach your goal of understanding our current media landscape. To do this, you need to navigate through tasks concentrating on several topics per week. Your knowledge builds as your experience increases.

This course provides an overview of mass communications, including its history, theories, and impact on society. Students will explore various forms of mass media, such as print, broadcast, digital, gaming and social media, and examine the role of mass communication in shaping public opinion, culture, and democratic processes. Through lectures, discussions, and hands-on activities, students will develop a foundational understanding of the field of mass communications and its relevance in today's rapidly evolving media landscape.

In addition, this class is designed to provoke critical thinking about the structure, content, and effects of mass communication. In other words, we learn a lot about what we do every day – use, consume, and create media. For many of us, we greatly underestimate how entwined our lives are with mass communication.

Several topics/issues/themes weave throughout this semester's class material: Artificial Intelligence, mis/disinformation, ethics, social media changes, privacy, and technology.

Instructor Contact Information

Linda Schoen

lschoen@santarosa.edu or media4tchr@gmail.com            Phone: (707) 486-2761

Office Hours: At your request via Zoom, phone, messaging

My official school email address is lschoen@santarosa.edu but I prefer to use media4tchr@gmail.com These emails are given high priority throughout the day. I respond to emails within 24 hours; most likely within 4 hours.

In addition to email, I can be reached via the Pronto app within Canvas and via text and calling. You will receive a reply to your question quickly, as I constantly check my messages during the semester.

I do not live in Sonoma County – I am in Nevada (Reno/Sparks). Right now, there aren't any face-to-face meetings I can arrange so we're limited to using Zoom or phone apps.

Catalog Description:

Overview of the history, structure, function and influence of print, electronic, and digital media and their support industries.

Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

  1.  Explain the history, structure, and influence of the major American media industries.
  2.  Critically evaluate the impact of overt and covert media messages on their lives and the culture at large.
  3.  Demonstrate a general understanding of the legal responsibilities of the mass media.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

  • Evaluate the historical development of print, electronic, and digital media.
  • Analyze the economic, social, technological, and aesthetic impacts of the media on culture.
  • Critically analyze the ways in which the media have influenced mass consciousness.
  • Gather, identify, and interpret mass media overt and covert messages.
  • Demonstrate a critical understanding of the media’s impact on their daily lives.

Course Outline:

There are 6 Modules (Weeks) in this course. Content has been modified to accommodate Independence Day.

Media 4 Weekly Modules

Module

Unit

Title

1

1A

Media Landscape & Literacy (Ch. 1)

1B

Media Theories & Effects (Ch. 2)

2

2A

Media Business (Ch. 3)

 

2B

Global Media (Ch. 11)

 

2C

Legacy Media: Books and Magazines (Ch. 4)

3

3A

Online and Mobile Media (Ch. 9)

3B

Social Media and Video Games (Ch. 10)

4

4A

Audio Media (Recordings and Radio) (Ch. 6)

4B

Movies (Ch. 7)

4C

Television and Video (Ch. 8)

5

5A

The News Business (Ch. 5)

5B

Advertising (Ch. 12)

5C

Public Relations (Ch. 13)

6

6A

Media Law & Regulation (Ch. 14)

6B

Media Ethics (Ch. 15)

Class Meetings

There is only one synchronous online meeting at the beginning of the term. Two meetings are scheduled; hopefully, one will work for your schedule. To register, you need to open your calendar (left margin), and find one of the two listings for the online meeting. They are on Monday, June 17th, 2pm or Tuesday, June 18th, 5:00pm.

All other course content and delivery are asynchronous, with weekly deadlines.

Course Web Site

Students will use the Canvas course web site for assignment instructions, submitting assignments, viewing classmate's work, sharing resources, and viewing grades.

Class Structure

Each Module is also called a "Unit", all but one consisting of material from two text chapters, and completion of these Units lead not only to points toward your grade but also progress in the class.

Most deadlines are every other week, except Unit 4 which covers one chapter. You are allowed to submit assignments up to three days late with a 30% maximum penalty, allowing for some flexibility but discouraging procrastination, which is a significant problem for online classes. Each Unit requires reading & review (knowledge), quizzes (cognitive skill), discussions (interaction) and journal entries (analysis/interpretation).

Expectations and Goals

Exposure to several media sources, whether print, broadcast, or web, is essential for understanding current issues & topics. You need to read current news stories through traditional media sources as well as social media. Yes, the consumption of media is required.

Class Cross-Listing and FERPA Compliance

This course is taught in a format that combines multiple sections (5462 and 5976) into one online course environment. Please contact me if you have any issues or concerns.

Required Textbook

Hanson, R. (2021). Mass Communication: Living in a Media World (8th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.

Important: This is the last semester using this text. Several options are available, including rentals and used print. An online search can produce economy options.

Canvas Integrated Apps and Linked Apps

There are two apps used in this class: Pronto and Padlet.

Padlet is used to post your Journals and links are included in the assignments. You do not need to purchase access, although the app does have a free account where you can create up to three Padlets. Instructions on using Padlet are included in the Getting Started Module and the following link: YouTube TutorialLinks to an external site. Links to an external site.

Pronto is the new communication tool within Canvas (included on your main bar on some online pages).

Required Software

You will need the following software for this course.

Instructor Announcements and Q&A Forum

The instructor will post announcements on the “Instructor Announcements” page in Canvas throughout the semester, usually on Mondays. Canvas notifies students according to their preferred Notification Preferences as soon as the instructor creates an Announcement. The last two Announcements are located on the Home Page. Updates include clarifications, reminders, explanations, and additional information. Please read these updates – they are helpful to you and are a vital link between the instructor and students.

A “Q&A Forum” is accessible through Pronto (also on Canvas) to ask for assistance of your classmates or of instructor. Either @ the instructor or a specific classmate or pose your question to the entire class.

Important Dates

Day Class Begins: Monday, June 17, 2024

Day Class Ends: Sunday, July 28, 2024

Last Day to Add without instructor's approval: Thursday, June 20, 2024

Last Day to Add with instructor's approval: Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Last Day to Drop and be eligible for enrollment/course fee refund: Saturday, June 22, 2024

Last Day to Drop without a 'W' symbol: Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Last Day to Opt for Pass/No Pass: Sunday, July 28, 2024

Last Day to Drop with a 'W' symbol: Thursday, July 18, 2024

Dropping the Class

If you decide to discontinue this course, it is your responsibility to officially drop it to avoid getting no refund (after 10% of course length), a W symbol (after 20%), or a grade (after 60%). Also, for several consecutive, unexplained absences, the instructor may drop a student.

Pass‐NoPass (P/NP)

You may take this class P/NP. You must decide before the deadline, and add the option online with TLC or file the P/NP form with Admissions and Records. With a grade of C or better, you will get P.

You must file for the P/NP option by Sunday, July 28, 2024. Once you decide to go for P/NP, you cannot change back to a letter grade. If you are taking this course as part of a certificate program, you can probably still take the class P/NP. Check with a counselor to be sure.

Attendance

Students who fail to attend the first class (face-to-face courses) or do not log-in to an online class after the second day of the semester will be dropped from the class. It is strongly advised that if you need to miss more than one class/homework deadline in a row that you contact me to avoid being dropped from the class.

Late Policy

All assignments are due by 11:59pm on the due date. You are allowed to submit assignments up to two days late with a 20% maximum penalty (10% reduction per day), allowing for some flexibility but discouraging procrastination, which is a significant problem for online classes. Each Unit requires reading & review (knowledge), quizzes (cognitive skill), discussions (interaction) and journal entries (analysis/interpretation).

Due Dates for Unit work (Sundays at 11:59PM) are every week.

If something has happened which prevents you from submitting work on time, please contact the instructor as quickly as possible. If contacted before due dates, arrangements are readily offered. No work is accepted after the published extended deadline without prior approval. No forgiveness of the late penalty will be given without prior approval.

Course Requirements Detail

You are encouraged to check your grades. Feedback is provided on Discussions, Journal submissions and other Assignments. If there are any issues with your submissions, comments will be included there. Rubrics offer information on requirements for submission scores.

Please make sure to read your submission comments and rubrics for feedback. To see them, click on the + within the grades screen.

There is also a tool that allows you to hypothetically enter scores to see if you can attain your goal ("what if"). Canvas will notify you when you have a graded assignment completed.

Readings: Text and Current Articles pages

These include the textbook chapters and additional “Current Articles” documents with important class material additions and current issues and terminology. Since text publication still takes about a year, these offer relevant and recent material about our media world. 

Viewing: Online Lectures

Unit lectures offer additional information to the text.

Submission: "About us" Journal

Using Padlet, students submit answers to question prompts introducing themselves to the class during the first week of class. Responses are used to acquaint students with each other.

Submissions: Weekly Journal Entries

You need to create and enter journal entries each week into a Padlet board. Content instructions are included in the assignments. Prompts relate to the weekly class material and/or your personal observations/research of media around you. Your journal will include writing, videos, podcasts, memes, and any other media which resonate with you. Grades are based on the quality (not necessarily quantity) of your journal response.

Submissions: Discussions

Requirements for these discussions vary each Unit. They require either writing or recording your post. Recording time limits: 3-5 minutes; written: 250 - 500 words. Requirements include answering critical thinking or content questions, sharing experiences, watching and analyzing a video, presenting researched information, or presenting an obituary.

Submissions: Quizzes

Unit Quizzes consist of questions for each included text chapter. Occasionally, a subjective question is included and requires a short answer response; other questions are objective. Two attempts are allowed and the highest score is recorded.

Submissions: Online Lecture Quizzes

During the online lecture, objective questions are presented and require responses. Notifications are not included and skipping through the content may miss a question. Your score after viewing can reveal missed questions.

Bonus Points and Extra Credit

In addition to having the lowest score dropped for one unit discussion, one weekly journal, and one quiz, there may be other opportunities for extra credit, including attendance at live events. These will be announced as soon as available.

Badges are automatically awarded for successful completion of each Unit and the requirements are noted in each Module. These are indicative of achieving enough points to advance in the class and each badge earns Bonus Points. Five points are rewarded for successful completion of each Module/Unit Badge, including the "Getting Started" Module during the first week. There is a possibility of earning 35 extra credit points, which are added to your accumulated assignment scores and can compensate for missed work.

JOMO/Fun Activity and Analysis: the first two articles in the Getting Started Module address aspects of our current media use, environment, and expectations. There is an extra credit activity and analysis addressing these concepts. This is worth up to 10 points.

Trust & Democracy Event: Tuesday, June 25, 2024, 5:30-7:00pm, Luther Burbank Theater, SRJC After the event, you will need to answer a couple questions about the event and submit a digital ticket for attendance verification, which can earn up to 20 points. Please visit this page for free tickets and more information: Event DetailsLinks to an external site. Links to an external site.

Grading Policy

Visit the “Grades” in Canvas to keep track of your grades. I grade assignments in the order they are received and post grades and comments on the online Canvas gradebook.

Assignments and Points

  • 1 Introductory Online Meeting: 10 points
  • 1 Introductory Journal: About Us: 20 points
  • 15 Unit Journal submissions: 14 counted at 20 points each, for a total of 280 points
  • 6 Weekly Discussions: 5 counted at 20 points each, for a total of 100 points
  • 6 Weekly Reading Quizzes: 5 counted at 30 points each, for a total of 150 points
  • 6 Weekly Online Lecture Quizzes: 5 counted at 15 points each, for a total of 75 points
    • Course Total: 635 points
Grade Percentages

A

90%

571.5 points or more

B

80%

508 to 571 points

C

70%

444.5 to 507.5 points

D

60%

381 to 444 points

If taking Pass/No Pass you need at least 70% of the total class points to pass the class.

Other Important Policies and Practices

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity includes topic such as cheating, lying, collusion, and plagiarism. This is quite different from teamwork. Guidelines are in the student handbook – please review them. Plagiarism is of particular concern since this is an online class and AI has added another technological temptation. It is very easy to copy and paste content. But I strenuously suggest that you don’t. Remember: it is just as easy for me to search online as it is for you. If this happens, I will notify you in the assignment feedback.

Please, when I ask for examples, use your own experience or those of friends or family. When you are asked to define terms or concepts in responses, use your own words. I want to make sure you know the material. This applies to every assignment, particularly discussions and journals. I will check submissions that do not seem to be in your “voice”. I also use an AI checker for any use of AI apps.

This does not, however, preclude you from including research information you have found (including Wikipedia, which is a good start in some cases). Just cite the information and include the location of the information (reference) at the end of your work. This is required for all college work, not just this class.

Although most students have likely heard about plagiarism during their years of schooling, it still is prevalent-even in higher education. Recent public events have highlighted the fact that plagiarizing doesn't usually happen once. If I find more than one plagiarism violation, I will use the online reporting system.

The video below reviews what plagiarism is and how not to do it.

Plagiarism: How to avoid it Links to an external site.

Netiquette, or Why Is It Harder to Be Polite Online?

Netiquette refers to using common courtesy in online communication. All members of the class are expected to follow netiquette in all course communications. Use these guidelines:

  • Use capital letters sparingly. THEY LOOK LIKE SHOUTING.
  • Forward emails only with a writer's permission.
  • Be considerate of others' feelings and use language carefully.
  • Cite all quotations, references, and sources (otherwise, it is plagiarism).
  • Use humor carefully. It is hard to "read" tone; sometimes humor can be misread as criticism or personal attack. Feel free to use emoticons like :) for a smiley face to let others know you are being humorous.
  • Use complete sentences and standard English grammar to compose posts. Write in proper paragraphs. Review work before submitting it.
  • Text speak, such as "ur" for "your" or "ru" for "are you" etc., is only acceptable when texting.

Special Needs

Students with disabilities who believe they need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disability Resources (527-4278), as soon as possible to better ensure such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.

Please – communicate with me regarding any help you may need to continue your studies. I have references for aid, student mentors, online tutoring and help, and other resources. If you wait until the end of the class, I cannot help you.

Communication

You are encouraged to establish a rapport and contact with other students to support each other. While communication with the instructor is essential, some students prefer consulting other classmates. Using Pronto allows for questions to be addressed to individuals or the entire class; whichever works best for you.

Just as important is the establishment of rapport and contact with your instructor. Online classes offer flexibility, but they lack understanding and familiarity between students and instructors. If you have a question, please reach out through messaging, email, or phone calls. If you find an error in the class material, please contact me as soon as possible so it can be resolved.

Physical and Mental Health

Should you experience any physical or mental health issues, know that all of us at SRJC care about your well-being. SRJC’s Student Health Services (SHS) has nurse practitioners and mental health therapists available. Confidential sessions are provided via secure Zoom or in-person. Sessions are free for SRJC students taking credit or non-credit classes, and some providers can converse with you in Spanish if you prefer. To start the process for any type of physical or mental health appointment contact Student Health at 707 527-4445 or email studenthealthservices@santarosa.edu. More information about all that Student Health Services provides is available at shs.santarosa.edu.

Diversity and Inclusion

All of us are aware of the challenges we face. These are not just academic; every aspect of our lives is affected, including educational adjustments. Please let me know if you have challenges, in or out of this class, as the online environment doesn’t foster observational insight.

This class presents many opportunities to explore some formidable issues and increase our understandings of different perspectives. We sometimes will make mistakes in our speaking and our listening, and we will need patience or courage or any number of qualities in combination to engage our own ideas and experiences. Always, we will need respect for others.

It is my intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be heard in this course, that students' learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength, and benefit.

It is my intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally or for other students or student groups.

If you have, or think you may have, a disability (including an “invisible disability” such as a learning disability, a chronic health problem, or a mental health condition) that interferes with your performance as a student in this class, you are encouraged to discuss your needs and arrange support services and/or accommodations through Disabilities Services. 

Tech Support and Canvas Help

I want you to do your best in this class and earn the highest grade you possibly can. If you have an accommodation letter, please submit it to me as soon as possible. If there is any other factor that could affect your class performance, contact me as soon as possible. It is always better to ask permission than forgiveness.

Padlet support is also offered and their response rate, based on experience, is quick and effective.Padlet WhatApp number: 1-844-472-3538 and Padlet Knowledge Base and Support

Technical support is offered by Canvas 24/7. The phone number is (844) 698-7484. If you have questions about the website, please call this number first and foremost. I cannot view your screen or specific activity – but they can. In addition, there are websites with training and answers, such as: Canvas community forums Links to an external site.

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