mass media Critical Process Paper

MAC 143 MA- Online Miami University Middletown

Spring 2017

Instructor: Courtney Curtner Office Hours: By Appointment or Google Hangout Email: [email protected] Office: TBD

Course Description:

MAC 143 - Introduction to Media (3 credit hours). Designed to be the first class for Media & Culture majors, this course also fulfills the General Miami Plan social science requirement. Students learn to think about the media in new ways through an introduction to the history of various media technologies and industries, and by applying various theories to the media- saturated culture in which students live. Course readings and short writing assignments encourage students to reflect on their roles as media consumers, media producers and media- age citizens.

Required Text: Campbell, R., Martin, C., & Fabos, B. (2015). Media & Culture: Mass Communication in a Digital

Age (Tenth ed.). Boston, MA: Bedford St. Martin's.

Course Requirements

Tests

There will be SIX non-cumulative tests (multiple choice and essay questions) in this course. All tests will be timed and based upon the required readings and supplemental materials (video screenings, for example) required for this course. Please note that while you are taking a test, you will not be able to return to a test question after you have answered it. Essay questions will be graded separately and added to your score on Part 1 of the test. **LATE EXAMS WILL LOSE ONE FULL LETTER GRADE**

Writing Assignments

1. Discussion Forums and Responses This includes the Introductory Forum AND FOURTEEN additional forums, which should contain a minimum of 200 words. You are required to complete 14 discussion forums out of a total of 16. After each chapter you will be asked to respond to a prompt related to the material covered in the chapter AND respond to posts from at least two other classmates and/ or the instructor. Your posts should be written as if they were short essays, containing opinion and facts. They may be casual in tone but must adhere to the formal rules of writing. Your posts and responses should be presented in a respectful manner, in consideration of the multiple points of view held by your classmates. Your responses to the prompts should contain a minimum of 200 words. The responses to your classmates and/ or instructor should contain a minimum of 50 words. Your original forum response is worth 20 points and your response to your classmates and/or the instructor is worth 5 points for a total of 25 points.

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2. Critical Process Papers (FIVE, approximately 1250 words).

You are required to complete 5 Critical Process papers out of a total of 6. If you decide to write all 6 critical process papers, the paper with the lowest score will be dropped.

For this assignment, you are asked to apply the Critical Process to an example from the media and write an analysis of approximately 5 pages or 1250 words. You will choose your topic from the choices provided for each assignment at the end of each module. At the end of each chapter, the authors of your text apply the Critical Process to an example that is pertinent to the material presented in the chapter. Use this example as a guideline. The Critical Process consists of five steps: description, analysis, interpretation, evaluation and engagement (pp. 32-33). It is a methodology through which you will produce a comprehensive understanding of a media product, event or issue. The steps of the Critical Process are meant as a guide, but there should be evidence that your paper was informed by this analytic framework. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding this assignment. This assignment must be submitted as a Word document attachment.

3. Current Events postings (extra credit)

During the semester there will be current events that will relate to the issues being learned in MAC 143. As such, in the Current Events forum you are encouraged to post items that are being reported in the media that are of interest to you. After you post an item, briefly explain how it relates to the course content. Each post will be worth two extra credit points and applied to your lowest test grade. You may earn a maximum of 10 extra credit points for participating. You are encouraged to respond to as many as you wish as a way to dialogue with your classmates. (However, only one initial post per day will be counted. In other words, you cannot post five events that occur in one day.)

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4.) Media Literacy Final Project (50 points for Progress Report + 100 points for Final Project = 150 POINTS TOTAL)

Developing media literacy is the primary objective of this course. Media literacy promotes an informed understanding of the popular culture so that we may become more “engaged citizens and discerning consumers” (p. 32- 33). The Critical Process offers one method by which to develop a comprehensive interpretation of the media and their impact. Your final project requires you to create a presentation, website or short video (1-2 minutes) about media literacy. You may use tools such as:

• PowerPoint, Prezi or Popplet www.popplet.com (free)

• www.weebly.com for websites (free)

• www.wevideo.com for videos (free)

• or others that you are familiar with

Each chapter in the textbook provides examples about why examining the media critically is important for the individual as well as democracy. Issues such as media ownership, the impact of social media, the crisis in journalism, media violence, privacy, and stereotypes are but a few examples to consider. The textbook examines many other relevant issues. Choose a topic that interests you. The assignment will be graded for originality, creativity, mastery of subject matter and how effectively you are able to convey the subject matter to others. By the middle of the course, you will be expected to have an outline and 25% of the project completed. Your final project will be shared with the class.

It should address the following questions:

• What is media literacy?

• Why is it important?

• What issue should the media give more attention to, or, how have the media misrepresented or underrepresented a specific issue or event?

• What evidence supports your claims?

• How can we encourage the development of media literacy?

The final project is something that you should be working on the entire semester.

**PLEASE DO NOT USE THE COURSE NUMBER, NAME OF THE UNIVERSITY OR ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION IN YOUR PRESENTATION. PLEASE DO NOT SHARE YOUR PROJECT PUBLICLY (FOR EXAMPLE, UPLOADING IT TO YOUTUBE) BEFORE IT IS GRADED**

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Grading

All grades will be posted in the GRADEBOOK.   In order to well in this course, you must balance your time wisely.    1. Please see grading rubrics included on the course site to see how all forum posts and responses will be graded. 2. Late writing assignments will lose one letter grade for EACH DAY they are late, and make-up exams are not permitted. 3. Critical Process papers must be submitted as Word document attachments. 4. This course will be graded using a points system:   Introductory Forum = 5 points   Discussion board posts = 14 @ 25 points each = 350 points  25 points = A, 21 points = B, 19 points = C, 17 points = D, Below 16 = F   Responses to classmates/instructor are worth 5 points out of the 25 point total score. (If you choose to complete more than the 14 required discussion board posts, the highest 14 discussion board post grades will be used in the calculation of your final grade for the course.)   Tests = 6 tests (various point values)= 450 points   Critical Process papers = 5 @ 100 points each = 500 points (If you choose to complete all 6 critical process papers, your lowest paper grade will be dropped).   Final Project progress report = 50 points    Final project = 100 points   Total points for the course: 1455   Final grades will be determined as follows: A         =          94-100% A-        =          90-93% B+       =          87-89% B         =          83-86% B-        =          80-82% C+       =          77-79% C         =          73-76% C-        =          70-72% D+       =          67-69% D         =          64-66% F          =          below 64%  

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ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Academic integrity is an issue of paramount importance in a society where information is so readily accessible. It is taken very seriously at Miami University. Any form of academic misconduct resembling cheating or plagiarism will not be tolerated. Your instructor is required to report any suspicion of academic misconduct to his/her chairperson and/or coordinator immediately. Please refer to the Student Handbook for additional information about the official university policy regarding this subject: http://www.MUOHIO.edu/student_handbook

If you will be referencing outside sources in any writing assignment for this class, please refer to the American Psychological Association (APA) or Modern Language Association (MLA) style manuals for information about documenting sources, which can be accessed via the internet including the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL). I am also happy to answer any questions you may about proper citations so do not hesitate to email me.

Student & Instructor Expectations

You, as a student, should try your best to: • Check the Canvas class site at least 4 times a week. • Check your Miami email every 24-48 hours. • Submit assignments prior to their due date/time. • Complete all readings and activities in a timely manner. • Submit work that demonstrates a clear understanding of the material. • Keep an open mind regarding the material and other people's opinions. • Notify the instructor if you have any problems in a timely manner.

I, as the instructor, will try my best to: • Check the Canvas class site every day to monitor discussion board postings and

check assignments. • Check my email at least twice a day Monday-Friday. (I will check email once a day

on weekends.) • Respond to all email within 48 hours. • Post all grades within 7 days of assignments due dates (unless otherwise noted). • Hold office hours by appointment for students who want to meet face-to-face.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments, auxiliary aids or services) for this course must register with the Disability Services Office. Please contact the Disability Services Office immediately in Room 1 JHN or call (513) 217-3440 for more information. The Disability Services Office must verify your disability in order to provide any necessary accommodations that you may need.

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One Final Note:

As the course instructor, I want all of my students to succeed in class, but it is your responsibility to properly manage your time and complete the work needed for this course. With the online classroom, we will not have regular in-person meetings, but it will still be important to be in contact with me if you have any questions about the course or the materials or if you run into any problems along the way. Don’t expect me to answer your question about an assignment 10 minutes before it is due, but if you don’t understand something, just ask.

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Course Calendar:

Module 1 (Chapter 1) (Jan. 23- Feb. 3) Due Date

Module 1: Forum One Thursday, January 26

Module 1: Introductory Forum Thursday, January 26

Module 1: Critical Process Paper Friday, February 3

Module 1: Module 1: Test 1 Friday, February 3

Module 2 (Chapters 2- 3) (Jan 23- Feb. 15)

Module 2: Forum Two Sunday, February 5

Module 2: Forum Three Tuesday, February 14

Module 2: Critical Process Paper Wednesday, February 15

Module 2: Test 2 Wednesday, February 15

Module 3 (Chapters 4- 7) (Feb. 15- Mar. 18)

Module 3: Forum Four Friday, February 24

Module 3: Forum Five Monday, February 27

Module 3: Forum Six Wednesday, March 8

Module 3: Final Project Progress Report Friday, March 10

Module 3: Forum Seven Friday, March 10

Module 3: Critical Process Paper Saturday, March 18

Module 3: Test 3 Saturday, March 18

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Module 4 (Chapters 8- 10) (Feb. 15- Mar. 31)

Module 4: Forum Eight Sunday, March 19

Module 4: Forum Nine Tuesday, March 28

Module 4: Forum Ten Thursday, March 30

Module 4: Critical Process Paper Friday, March 31

Module 4: Test 4 Friday, March 31

Module 5 (Chapters 11- 13) (Mar. 31- Apr. 20)

Module 5: Forum Eleven Sunday, April 9

Module 5: Forum Twelve Monday, April 10

Module 5: Forum Thirteen Wednesday, April 19

Module 5: Critical Process Paper Thursday, April 20

Module 5: Test 5 Thursday, April 20

Module 6 (Chapters 14- 16) (Mar. 31- May 10)

Module 6: Forum Fourteen Saturday, April 29

Module 6: Final Project Sunday, April 30

Module 6: Forum Fifteen Monday, May 1

Module 6: Forum Sixteen Wednesday, May 10

Module 6: Test 6 Wednesday, May 10

Module 6: Critical Process Paper Wednesday, May 10

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