Stace Hall Instructor Office: Jennings 110 435-879-4364 halls@dixie.edu Regular Office Hours: M, T, R: 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. W, F: 2:30-3:30 p.m. Online Office Hours: Tuesdays 8:00-9:30 Consultation by email at any time!

Welcome to Communication 1500, Introduction to Mediated Communication. I am your host, Stace Hall. This is my second semester teaching communication courses at Dixie State College. I am also working as the news director for the Center for Media Innovation, so if you attempt to contact me via phone or at my office and I'm not there, please check the newsroom. You can always leave a message and I will get back to you promptly (unless we're filming news or I'm teaching another class, I'll likely get back to you in a matter of minutes--thank you, BlackBerry). If you email me, I will respond as soon as possible.

I am thrilled and excited about the opportunities that have been and will be offered to you as students. We live in an interesting time. The media are changing rapidly (along with most other things in life). If we are able to recognize these changes and how they affect our lives, we will be able to better prepare ourselves so that when we go out into the workforce, we know what needs to be done.

A big part of the expectation of this class is that you take the initiative to keep up with the readings, posts, quizzes, and tests. Bear in mind that this is not an independent study course. You're expected to stay with the class discussions.

Over the course of this semester, you will learn many things about what, for many years, was known as "mass" communication. The Digital Revolution has caused a reformation of sorts regarding the definition of this type of communication. The single most important aspect of "mass" communication was the medium on which communication took place. Since the Digital Revolution has not changed the need for a medium in this type of communication, we will concentrate our discussion this semester on "mediated" communication, or that type of communication that takes place over a medium.

Introduction to structure, operation, diversity, and effects of mediated communication. Discusses the different forms of media, including newspapers, magazines, radio, television, computer networks, and motion pictures. Emphasis on helping students develop and defend value judgments about media content and style and on the relevance of mass media in everyday life.

• Critically analyze the means by which mediated communication has become, and is continuing to become, the most prevalent aspect of daily life
• Discuss how mediated communication knowingly and unknowingly dictates, directs, and impacts your life
• Demonstrate mastery of mediated communication concepts such as media literacy, media exposure, media awareness, inescapable symbiosis, fragmentation, demassification, and moral consensus and how these concepts apply to current mediated communication trends
• Compare and contrast the relative strengths (or weaknesses) of various forms of mass media in their ability to transmit different messages.
• Explain mediated communication issues and how those issues impact your opinion of media and their messages

Web Access, Web cam, Earphones/Speakers and Microphone Needed: This course requires you to have access to the Internet, since all assignments involve use of the Web. You must also have an e-mail account. In addition, you must have a web cam, earphones, and microphone. Web cams are very inexpensive, and you will use one for other things apart from this course. Many stores sell headsets that are designed for computers. These headsets are a combination of earphone and microphone. You may not like how you look with one of these on, but neither do the rest of us. If you have a PC or MAC with a webcam and microphone built in, you're set!

1. Textbook: The textbook is titled "Converging Media: A New Introduction to Mass Communication, 2nd Ed." by Pavlik & McIntosh. You will read one chapter per week from this textbook. The bulk of assignments and discussion postings will come from this textbook, therefore, it is required that you have access to a copy.
2. Assignments: You will work in groups to collaboratively work on assignments. Each week, your group will be given study topics. Your group will research those topics and post your findings for the rest of the class. These study topics will be the source for questions given during the three oral examinations that will take place during the semester.
3. Class Discussions: Each week on Monday morning, I will post discussion topics in the course forum. You log your participation in this course by posting substantive comments regarding these topics. In addition, you are required to supply substantive feedback posts to other students' submissions. Since this is a three credit course, you must participate in these discussions no fewer than three times per week.
   The first posting for the week must be completed by that Tuesday at 11:59pm.
   The second posting is due between that Wednesday at 12:01am and Thursday at 11:59pm.
   Finally, the third posting must be completed during the time between that Friday at 12:01am and Saturday at 11:59pm.
   In order to provide substantive comments, you must show that you have read and understood the postings so far. However, you must also show that you have
   completed some form of research so that you can adequately contribute to the discussion at hand. This does not mean that you need to consult academic journals or spend an hour in the library, but you must demonstrate that you have learned something (in your own words) as a result of the discussion.
4. Term Research Paper: You will write one major term research paper for this class. More details regarding the term paper are available on the home page for this course, click "Term Paper." The term paper is due April 16, 2011.
5. Oral Examinations: There will be three oral examinations during the semester, each one covering the material for that unit only. A couple of weeks before the scheduled date of the exam, a sign-up sheet will be available on the course home page where you will sign up for a ten minute block of time from a list of available blocks. During your scheduled block, you will use the Virtual Classroom (accessed by a link from the course home page) to videoconference with your instructor. You will be given 9 questions, randomly selected from the list of questions that were generated over the course of that unit, and 1 "essay" question, randomly selected from the list of essay questions for that unit. You are graded on how well you understand the topic. You will not be able to consult your notes, book, other materials, other humans, me or anything else. You either know the answer or you don't.
   
   The nice thing about these exams: you have been given all of the answers previously from which you can study!
   
   The difficult aspect of these exams: you do not know which questions will be asked (and neither do I), and you must commit the answers to memory (just like in a regular Face2Face class).
   
   The schedule for these quizzes is posted in the course calendar and also below:
   
   Quiz 1: February 16, 17 or 18, 2011
   Quiz 2: March 30 or 31 or April 1, 2011
   Quiz 3: May 2, 3, or 4, 2011
6. Adding the Class: You must register for this class by January 12, 2011 if you wish to do so without instructor approval. Thereafter, instructor signature is required to add the class. Beginning January 25, 2011 there is a $25 late registration/payment fee assessed. The last day to add classes is February 4, 2011.
7. Withdrawing from Class: You must withdraw by February 1, 2011 if you want a refund and February 1, 2011 if you wish to avoid a “W” grade. Thereafter, you may withdraw from or choose to audit a class until March 4, 2011, but will receive no refund or adjustment. The last day for complete withdrawal from school is April 1, 2011.
8. Other Important Dates: The semester officially ends on April 28, 2011. Final exams for this term are April 29-May 5, 2011.
9. Written Work: Your term paper must be in APA style. Every page of each assignment must bear a page number (except the first page) and the assignment title, as APA style dictates. You do not have to write an abstract.
10. Timeliness of Papers: Papers are due on the day that they are due. I will not accept late papers. If you think you might be a day or two late turning in your paper, start a day or two early.
11. Grading Papers: Term Papers will be graded against professional business standards rather than against the performance of other students in the class. A paper which meets professional standards with some revision will be graded at a “C” level. Better quality papers, requiring less editing and demonstrating above average critical analysis will receive higher grades. Mechanical correctness is required, and one point will be subtracted for each spelling, grammatical, and/or usage error. Factual correctness is also required, and major errors in fact will be penalized significantly. You must cite sources!! If you didn't think of it, you must cite from where the idea came. Plagiarism is the use of another person's written work, whether directly quoted or not, without giving credit to that person. If I see that you have plagiarized another's work, I will toss your paper in the Recycle Bin and empty it.
12. Exams: Exams must be taken on the day that you chose when you sign-up. NO make-up exams will be given. If you are not going to be able to keep the appointment for which you signed-up, you must choose another available time. If no other time is available, you must keep the original time.
13. Absences Related to College Function: In accordance with Dixie State’s policy, students may be excused from class for legitimate college functions such as athletics and student leadership activities. However, any work and/or quizzes or exams that may take place during the student’s absence must be completed before the student leaves for the required activity. In no case can quizzes or exams be taken late, and written assignments turned in after the due date will be considered late (see #2 and #4 above).
14. Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty in any form is not tolerated at Dixie State College, including but not limited to plagiarism on written assignment, submitting another person’s work as one’s own, and cheating on exams or quizzes. Teachers at Dixie State College may discipline students proven guilty of academic dishonesty by: (1) giving a failing grade on the specific assignment where dishonesty occurred, (2) failing the student in the entire course, (3) immediately dismissing and removing the student from the course, and/or (4) referring the student to Student Affairs, a committee which may reprimand, place on probation, suspend, and/or expel the student. (See DSC Policy 34.1.1-4). In addition, the Communication Department may consider dropping such students from its academic degree program.
15. Disabilities Statement: If you are a student with a medical, psychological or learning difference and request reasonable academic accommodations due to this disability, you must provide an official request of accommodation to your professor(s) from the Disability Resource Center within the first two weeks of the beginning of classes. Students are to contact the center on the main campus to follow through with, and receive assistance in the documentation process to determine the appropriate accommodations related to their disability. You may call (435) 652-7516 for an appointment and further information regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 per Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The office is located in the basement of the Financial Aid and Career Center building.
16. Library, Writing Center, and Testing Center statements can be found on the Internet at the following links:
    1. Library http://library.dixie.edu
    2. Writing Center http://new.dixie.edu/English/desc_writing_center.php
    3. Testing Center http://new.dixie.edu/testing
17. Dmail statement: Important class and college information will be sent to your Dmail account. This information includes your DSC bill, financial aid/scholarship notices, notification of dropped classes, reminders of important dates and events, and other information critical to your success in this class and at DSC. All DSC students are automatically assigned a Dmail account. If you don’t know your user name and password, go to www.dixie.edu and select “Dmail,” for complete instructions. You will be held responsible for information sent to your Dmail, so please check it often.
18. Progressing Through the Course: This course is divided up by week. You will not be able to move on to the next week until the previous week is over. Each week you will read a chapter in the textbook, complete the discussion forum postings, and work with your group to answer the potential exam questions. I suggest that you get started writing your paper about midway through the semester.
19. Checking Your Grades: You can check your grades at any time by clicking "My Grades" in the course menu. As soon as assignments are graded, grades will appear in this section. At the end of the semester, your final grade will also appear.
20. If Ever You Have Questions: Send an e-mail to halls@dixie.edu with the word "Question" in the subject. Then, type your question in the body of the message. I will get back to you ASAP.
21. First Assignment: For this first week, complete the assignments given in "Week 0," which you can find in the "Weeks" folder on the course home page.

Week 0

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15

Total Points Possible