CMN1160WB

Course Outline

Fall 2013

University of Ottawa Faculty of Arts, Department of Communication Introduction to Media Studies: CMN 1160WB Professor: Dr. Aliaa Dakroury COURSE LOCATION AND HOURS: Online Please note that this course is 100% online (there are no class attendance) OFFICE HOURS: Online COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVE: Since this course is a general introduction to the study of the media, it is designed to overview the historical, empirical, and intellectual attempts of theorizing communication media in modern society. It aims to: Explore the mass-mediated age and the manner in which media processes define and exercise power in our societies. Understand media ownership policies and institutional frameworks; Critically assess how media texts are produced and received in different contexts; Reflect on the ways media representation works in our society in terms of race, gender, culture, and identity. Provide the foundations of a group of communication theories, with a special focus on the Canadian context. Develop a critical understanding and synthesize of the different intellectual and methodological approaches to communication and media studies; Associate theories with major scholars name, position, and historical order REQUIRED TEXT Eid, Mahmoud & Dakroury, Aliaa. (Eds.). (2012). Basics in communication and media studies. Boston, MA: Pearson. (Available at the University Bookstore and you can order it online; please note that it is important to get your text book as this will help you in studying the course content and writing your weekly quizzes online). Online Required Readings: Other required readings include online journal articles posted on the course Virtual Campus in a downloadable format. Students are required to retrieve copies of these readings and read them in preparation for the appropriate classes. Hence you are strongly advised to regularly check the course Virtual Campus for course updates and announcements. COURSE EVALUATION Given the nature of the online course, there are no assigned marks for attendance, yet, given that the focus of this course is to explore communication theories and discuss issues and case-studies related to media practices in and outside Canada, students are strongly encouraged to attend the class regularly. They are expected to have read all of the material assigned for each class and to come to class prepared to discuss them in interactive settings.

CMN1160WB

Course Outline

Fall 2013

DUE DATES

Evaluation of this course will be on-going (weekly) and will vary from, Weekly quizzes; and Written assignments. Details are as follows:

Assignment Summative evaluations (Online quizzes)

% 15

Deadline Quiz on weeks ( 3; 4; 5) each worth 5% of your final mark Quiz on weeks (6; 8, 9; 10; 11; and 12) each worth 7.5% of your final mark

45

total 60

Quizzes will be released to you each Friday from 8 a.m. to midnight, yet, please note, that once you start writing your quiz, you will have only hour to finish it. In other words, it is timed, and you will not be able to re-do it again. So make sure you are ready when you start it. You will have 2 essays to write (please see the course online for details). Your assignment work will be due on: 1) Friday 4 October 2013; and 2) Friday 15 November 2013 (BY MIDNIGHT). Virtual campus is designed to reject all submissions after the deadline, so start early!

Individual Research Paper

40

Total

100

IMPORTANT NOTES AND COURSE POLICIES Late Submission: Failure to make your assignment in the assigned due date results in a (zero) mark in that assignment. Plagiarism and Other Academic Offences: It is a serious violation of university regulations to take credit for the work of others, cheating, and other intellectual dishonesty. Students are expected to consult and become familiar with University of Ottawa policies on plagiarism. All sources must be cited according in the APA style, this includes all paraphrased work and accredited internet sources. Students are strongly encouraged to consult the Academic Regulations Academic Fraud section of the calendar to avoid any disciplinary actions. Missed assignments: Any missed assignments WILL NOT be deferred unless an official note is submitted to and approved by the instructor. For more information, please consult the Faculty of Arts Calendar on the Academic Regulations. Grading System: Grades will be assigned according to the scale set out in the Faculty of Arts Calendar, reproduced below.

CMN1160WB

Course Outline

Fall 2013

Final Total
90-100% 85-89% 80-84% 75-79% 70-74% 65-69% 60-64% 55-59% 50-54% 40-49% 0-39%

Letter Grade
A+ A AB+ B C+ C D+ D E F

Numerical Value
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Percentage scale Value

90-100 85-89 80-84 75-79 70-74 65-69 60-64 55-59 50-54 40-49 0-39