Syllabus for COM-120

INTRODUCTION TO MASS COMMUNICATIONS I

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course explores the nature and history of how complex organizations produce public messages. The course examines the development of mass media after the invention of the printing press, the telegraph and telephone, and photography. It also examines the relationship between mass communication and culture as well as the historical and cultural significance and impact of the media.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you should be able to: 

1. Identify the elements of the communication process, communication settings, and the nature of the mass communicator.
2. Describe the various models for studying mass communication.
3. Discuss the historical and cultural context for studying mass communication.
4. Explain the impact of the development of printing, the telegraph, the telephone, and the Internet on mass communication.
5. Describe the relationship between photography and motion pictures.
6. Describe journalism in early America, how newspapers became a major industry, the impact of the Great Depression on journalism, modern newspapers, and the impact of online newspapers.
7. Compare newspaper, magazine, and book production and publishing.
8. Describe magazines and books in early America, the organization of these industries, and their modernization.
9. Explain the evolution of radio as a mass medium, the economics of radio, radio production, and the pros and cons of Internet radio.
10. Assess the impact of the radio industry on the recording industry.
11. Identify recording industry milestones such as rock and roll, the commercialization of rock, and the British invasion.
12. Discuss the history of motion pictures, the organization of the film industry, and motion picture production.

COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to complete your coursework. Some course materials may be free, open source, or available from other providers. You can access free or open-source materials by clicking the links provided below or in the module details documents. To purchase course materials, please visit the University's textbook supplier.

Required Textbook

• The Dynamics of Mass Communication: Media in Transition, 12th ed., by Joseph R. Dominick (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013).
  ISBN: 978-0073526195

COURSE STRUCTURE

Introduction to Mass Communications I is a three-credit online course, consisting of five modules.  Modules include objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.

• Module 1: The Nature of Mass Communication

• Module 2: Historical Context, Newspapers, and Magazines

• Module 3: Books

• Module 4: Radio

• Module 5: Recording and Film

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to read the text, participate in online discussion forums, complete five written assignments, take a proctored online midterm examination, and complete a final project. See below for more details.

Consult the Course Calendar for assignment due dates.

Promoting Originality

One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this document.

Discussion Forums

Introduction to Mass Communications I has four graded online discussions, each focusing on a different subject. There is also an ungraded but required Introductions Forum in Module 1. All class discussions take place in their respective discussion forums.

Communication among fellow students and with the mentor is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a posted question (discussion thread) and subsequent comments on classmates' responses. Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

Written Assignments

Introduction to Mass Communications I has five written assignments. Each assignment consists of two or three essay questions.

Read through the written assignment questions before you begin each lesson. Your answers to the assignment questions should be well developed and convey your understanding of the course materials. Formulate responses in your own words (do not merely copy answers from your reading materials), citing text materials where appropriate and in an appropriate manner.

Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.

Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your activity as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.

Midterm Examination

For a list of key concepts that may appear on your exam(s), refer to the study guide(s) available in the Examinations section of the course Web site.

This course requires you to take a closed-book, proctored online midterm examination. The midterm is two hours long and covers material in Modules 1, 2, and 3. It consists of multiple-choice questions and essay questions. If you have concerns about the format and/or content of the examination, please contact your mentor at least a week in advance of the scheduled test.

For the midterm, you are required to use the University's Online Proctor Service (OPS). Please refer to the "Examinations and Proctors" section of the Online Student Handbook (see General Information area of the course Web site) for further information about scheduling and taking online exams and for all exam policies and procedures. You are strongly advised to schedule your exam within the first week of the semester.

Online exams are administered through the course Web site. Consult the Course Calendar for the official dates of exam weeks.

Statement about Cheating

You are on your honor not to cheat during an exam. Cheating means:

• Looking up any answer or part of an answer in an unauthorized textbook or on the Internet, or using any other source to find an answer.

• Copying and pasting or, in any way copying responses or parts of responses from any other source into your exams. This includes but is not limited to copying and pasting from other documents or spreadsheets, whether written by yourself or anyone else.
• Plagiarizing answers.
• Asking anyone else to assist you by whatever means available while you take an exam.
• Copying any part of an exam to share with other students.
• Telling your mentor that you need another attempt at an exam because your connection to the Internet was interrupted when that is not true.

If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in an exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.

Final Project

You are required to submit at the end of this course a final project in the form of a paper. The purpose of this final project is to give you experience in researching one of the broad topics covered in this course. You will:

1. Research your topic following specific guidelines.
2. Produce an outline for your paper in which you will present your findings.
3. Build on your outline to produce a 5–7 page paper.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

• Online discussions (4)—10 percent
• Written assignments (5)—40 percent
• Midterm Exam (proctored online, Modules 1–3)—25 percent
• Final project—25 percent

• Outline and Sample Works Cited (5%)
• Final Project (20%)

All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.).

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

• Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.
  
• Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State University.
  
• Arrange to take your examination(s) by following the instructions in this Syllabus and the Online Student Handbook.
  
• Familiarize yourself with the learning management systems environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.
  
• If you are not familiar with Web-based learning be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting activities before class begins.

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

• To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the Course Calendar. The Calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting activities, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking examinations.
  
• Check Announcements regularly for new course information.

ACADEMIC POLICIES

To ensure success in all your academic endeavors and coursework at Thomas Edison State University, familiarize yourself with all administrative and academic policies including those related to academic integrity, course late submissions, course extensions, and grading policies.

For more, see:

• University-wide policies
• Undergraduate course policies and regulations
• Graduate academic policies
• Nursing student policies
• Academic code of conduct