Class Information

Spring 2019

Course Title: Communication in Society

Course Number: MCS 244-J302 (57572)

Term: Spring 2019

Class Dates:  January 29, 2019 to May 14, 2019

Time: Tues / Thurs, 11:00 AM to 12:15pm

Room: Carman 224

Professor: Jonah Brucker-Cohen

School: Lehman College, Department of Journalism & Media Studies

Office hours: Office hours: Tues/Thurs, 10AM to 11AM & by appointment

My Office Location: 269 Carman Hall

Email: jonah.bruckercohen at lehman.cuny.edu 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

3 Hours; 3 Credits

This course explores the uses and influences of communication media in society from a critical perspective.  We will examine the role of the communication media in the formation of identity, ethics, political opinion, and celebrity.  We will discuss the differences between interpersonal and mediated communication.  The course is based on the concept of media literacy, which is one’s ability to interpret media messages in all forms. 

We will explore the following topics: 

  • The emergence and mainstreaming of communications technologies and platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, podcasts, etc.
  • The transformation of journalism by practices such as blogging.
  • Media and the political campaign.
  • The blurring of the line between producer and consumer by interactivity and audience participation (reader response forums, user-generated content, viewer voting, etc.)
  • Reality television

Course Goals:

  • To familiarize students with key concepts in media studies such as audience, reception, crowd source.
  • To familiarize students with the social significance of media production, consumption and distribution.
  • To encourage students to develop their media literacy.
  • To encourage students to think conceptually about media content and effects.

Objectives:

  • Students will become familiar with the concept of media literacy and be equipped to apply it in their consumption of media content. 
  • Students will be able to identify techniques and practices of the differing forms of communication: face-to-face or interpersonal, mass mediated, computer-mediated communication.

Expected Learning Outcomes (ELOs):

Students acquire an understanding of the impact of mediated communication on society, industry and citizenship.

Students will become familiar with the concept of media literacy and be equipped to apply it in their consumption of media content. 

Students will be able to identify techniques and practices of the differing forms of communication: face-to-face or interpersonal, mass mediated, computer-mediated communication.

Critically identify and challenge existing relationships of network culture and experience

Critically examine the underlying concepts of the history of digital life and provoke reactions to this contrived culture and existence

Distinguish this understanding through creative production and written text

Comparatively analyze projects and movements related to media culture and networked practice or research.

Think and speak critically about one’s creative practice or research.

Students acquire an understanding of the impact of mediated communication on society, industry and citizenship. 

Pre-Testing Exercise

The first week of class I will ask you to participate in a pre-testing exercise in order to gauge your ability to complete and assignments and report back in written form on your experiences. For this course, the pre-resting exercise is a challenge for you and consists of your ability to refrain from using any form of Google Products for one week. This includes Google, Blogger, Gmail, Youtube, Google Chat, Google Drive, Android, etc…   

Example: For Google: Forward all Gmail to your Lehman College Account, Use other search engines for search (if your cellphone is Android, you can use it, but please divert all other Google services to your Lehman College accounts)

If you succeed or fail, write a 250 word post to the class website about your experience of trying to avoid this company and reflect on how it may or may not control a lot of your daily routine.

PLEASE NOTE: You MUST check your LEHMAN EMAIL ACCOUNT regularly for messages from me and other class content. Also, this class is a paperless class and you must have a basic familiarity with WordPress as all assignments and submissions will be through WordPress.

Texts:

ALL readings are available online

Where relevant to each segment of the course, we will screen clips from television, film, YouTube, explore online content, and listen to podcasts or other sound recordings.

Final Project Details:

The theme of the final project is your prediction for the future of communication. How will we communicate in 10, 20, 30 years? What new innovations will be possible and how will we access them? The final project should highlight an interesting way that challenges existing forms of communication and media delivery. Can you invent the next Facebook? Twitter? Television? Radio? If so, I want to read about it and see a prototype. The final should be a written paper up to 1500 words posted on the blog. 

Course Format: Weekly Group Activities

Students will present weekly activities based on the readings, data sources, and matches of those sources to particular interactive scenarios. This will also take the form of story boards and input on a collective class blog where all sources and data will be pooled to ensure openness and sharing amongst students. This will also help to create a fertile environment for collaboration on projects with a steady cross pollination of ideas. Each week, the readings from the week will be covered by the instructor after which one or two students will team up and present an interactive scenario by matching, criticizing, and contrasting topics mentioned in the weekly readings from that week in order to elicit a response. They must design an activity that the entire class can participate in during class in order to better illustrate their concept. Each group of students is required to post their activity and data sets to the class blog before their specified activity will take place.

The Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) and the Science Learning Center (SLC) The Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) and the Science Learning Center (SLC) are two of the tutoring centers on campus. The ACE provides appointment based and drop-in tutoring in the humanities, social sciences, and writing, as well as general writing and academic skills workshops. The SLC provides drop-in tutoring for natural and computer science courses. To obtain more information about the ACE and the SLC, please visit their website at http://www.lehman.edu/issp, or please call the ACE at 718-960-8175, and the SLC at 718-960-7707.

Instructional Support Services (ISSP)

Lehman College’s Instructional Support Services Program (ISSP) is home of the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) and Science Learning Center (SLC).  Both offer students an array of activities and services designed to support classroom learning.  Open to students at any level, there are individual, small group, and/or workshop sessions designed to improve “proficiency in writing, reading, research, and particular academic subject areas.  Computer-assisted writing/language tutorial programs are also available,” as well as individual tutors, workshops and tutors.

To obtain more information about the ACE and the SLC, please visit Old Gym, Room 205 or http://www.lehman.edu/academics/instructional-support-services/humanities-tutoring.php or call ACE at 718-960-8175, and SLC at 718-960-7707. Regular tutoring hours for fall & spring semesters are: M—T 10 a.m.-7 p.m., and Sat. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 

Library Tutors are also available in the Library.  These tutors offer help with Library resources and computers.

Technology and Blackboard Information

You are required to use Blackboard to access course materials and to post response papers to Safe Assign.You are required to sign into your Lehman student email account for course messages—and check it!  Blackboard will only allow me to send individual and mass messages to Lehman accounts.  If there is an issue, this is the only account to which I can send and if I email the class something, the fact that you didn’t know about an assignment or course change because you don’t use your Lehman account will never be accepted for not knowing the information.

http://www.lehman.edu/itr/blackboard.php For Information Technology: http://www.lehman.edu/itr/ 

Student Handbook

Students are strongly encouraged to download and become familiar with the Student Handbook: http://www.lehman.edu/campus-life/support-services.php  [This last link has lots of cool stuff one can use, like 

Experiential learning opportunities: http://www.lehman.edu/experiential-learning/ Conduct: http://lehman.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2017-2019/Undergraduate-Bulletin/Appendix/Board-of-Trustees-Rules-and-Regulations-on-Campus-Conduct ]

Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

Lehman Students must complete four writing-intensive courses.  In a WI Course, “students should be expected to write approximately 15-20 pages of proofread, typed work that is turned in to the instructor for grading.”  Various courses stipulate various requirements designed to meet this requisite over the course of the semester.  WI courses focus on revision, short & long assignments, graded and ungraded writing, journals, etc, and each will have “a class-size limit of twenty-two.  Under no circumstances will more than twenty-five students be admitted to any writing-intensive section.”

For more information, see: http://www.lehman.edu/academics/general-education/writing-faqs.php

Attendance, Lateness and Preparation:

Both attendance and preparation (doing the assigned readings) are mandatory in this class, as in all your classes.  Failure to come to class or continually showing up late may result in an automatic drop in grade after the second time.  Preparation for class is also key.  You must do the readings and come to class ready to discuss and participate.  

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Policy
Lehman College and CUNY seek to prepare students for professional roles within their fields. Congruent to the mission of the College, students are held to high standards of ethical and professional practice.  The knowledge of and adherence to standards of professional ethics and practice is an integral part of professional preparation.  This includes a clear understanding of the seriousness and consequences of plagiarism as defined by City University of NY. Faculty members and students have an obligation to maintain high standards of academic integrity established by the City University of New York. Students will be required to complete and sign a learner’s contract agreeing to abide by these policies. Full information regarding these standards is available in the Lehman College bulletin. 

“Academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York.  Penalties for academic dishonesty include academic sanctions, such as failing or otherwise reduced grades, and/or disciplinary sanctions, including suspension or expulsion.”  All violations are reported to the Department and college’s Academic Integrity Officer.

For detailed information on definitions and examples of Academic Dishonesty, including Cheating, Plagiarism, Obtaining Unfair Advantage and Falsification of Records and Documents, please refer to the student handbook or visit: http://lehman.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2017-2019/Undergraduate-Bulletin/Academic-Services-and-Policies/Academic-Integrity 

Assessable Tasks and Grade Rubric Calculation:

Task Description %
Reading Responses Regularly updated blog posts that critically examine the readings as they pertain to the weekly themes 30
In-Class Activity Design and implement an activity based on the weekly readings that the entire class can engage with 30
Organization, Attendance, and Communication Ability to plan and execute according to posted deadlines; consistent communication with instructors and peers. 10
Final Projects and Presentations Submission of final projects and blog post documenting final projects. 30
TOTAL 100

Accommodating Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability, you are not alone. There are more than three hundred registered students at Lehman, with a wide range of disabilities. The Office of Student Disability Services (SDS) works with both the Lehman College community and the local community to ensure access to all areas of campus life. For additional information; call at 718-960-8441; visit http://www.lehman.edu/student-disability-services/ ;   send an email to disability.services@lehman.cuny.edu, or stop by room 238 Shuster Hall to find out more about the programs and services offered.