I. ASCRC General Education Form (revised 1/27/11)
Use to propose new general education courses (except writing courses), to change existing
gen ed courses and to remove designations for existing gen ed courses.
Note: One-time-only general education designation may be requested for experimental courses
(X91-previously X95), granted only for the semester taught. A NEW request must be
submitted for the course to receive subsequent general education status.
Group
III. Language
VII: Social Sciences
(submit
III Exception: Symbolic Systems * VIII: Ethics & Human Values
separate forms
IV: Expressive Arts
IX: American & European
X
if requesting
V: Literary & Artistic Studies
X: Indigenous & Global
more than one
VI: Historical & Cultural Studies
XI: Natural Sciences
general
w/ lab  w/out lab 
education
group
*Courses proposed for this designation must be standing requirements of
designation)
majors that qualify for exceptions to the modern and classical language
requirement
Dept/Program Journalism
Course #
J195
Course Title
Prerequisite
Social Media and Global Change
none
Credits
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Instructor
Phone / Email
Henriette Lowisch
243-2227
Henriette.Lowisch@umontana.edu
Program Chair Dennis Swibold
Dean
Peggy Kuhr
III. Type of request
New
One-time Only X
Renew
Reason for Gen Ed inclusion, change or deletion
3
Date
1/18/12
Change
Remove
GLI seminar, with a focus on
comparing American and European
perspectives on social media use.
Description of change
Requesting “Y” designation
IV. Description and purpose of new general education course: General Education courses
must be introductory and foundational within the offering department or within the General
Education Group. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and relate course
content to students’ future lives: See Preamble:
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/archives/minutes/gened/GE_preamble.aspx
U 195 Social Media and Global Change. Global Leadership Initiative Freshman Seminar. 3 cr.
Offered Fall 2012. Critical examination of the potential of social media to foster global change.
Final project to be conducted in partnership with students of Freie Universitaet, Berlin.
The purpose of the course is to empower students to become more critical and responsible users
of social media in a variety of public contexts. On the one hand, this will be achieved by an
examination of recent cases from around the world, including the United States and Europe, in
which social media are purported to have played a decisive role in political and social change.
On the other hand, students will team up with peers from a German university and put the
power of social media in fostering actual changes in behavior among their age group to the test.
This element of intercultural learning will let them experience how Europeans view the digital
frontier, and, by way of contrast, allow them to re-evaluate their own assumptions and
perspectives. Readings and lectures by scholars and experts from both sides of the Atlantic,
ranging from cultural studies to strategic marketing, will provide the theoretical context.
V. Criteria: Briefly explain how this course meets the criteria for the group. See:
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/documents/forms/GE_Criteria5-1-08.aspx
Courses present a critical introduction to the
Though the United States and Germany are
antecedents, principles, institutions, cultures,
both Western democracies, their respective
traditions and legacies of the United States and histories have brought forth different
Europe.
concepts of press freedom. First Amendment
rules aren't as broad in Germany; for
example, it's illegal to publish Nazi symbols
on the Internet, even for satirical purposes.
At the same time, German citizens today are
more concerned about data security and
privacy issues on the Internet than young
Americans. The course will examine how
current social media use reflects different
concepts of media freedom, while tracing
those concepts to the history and the legal
and social traditions of both countries.
Courses focus on either area and can be
comparative in content or approach. The
courses are broad in theme, geography, or
chronology. They are foundational and prepare
students for further study by raising core
questions of an academic discipline.
The course uses a comparative approach to
help students to critically evaluate their own
attitudes toward social media: Hearing about
what Germans perceive as the pitfalls of the
digital age will induce American students to
take a fresh look at their own attitudes, and
vice versa. Furthermore, students from both
countries will collaborate in testing the
power of social media in their respective
settings. Applying journalistic standards and
fundamentals of communication research,
they will formulate a hypothesis related to
the potential of social media to foster
change; test their hypothesis by
implementing several scenarios (one to
include social media tools, the other using
one-way communication only), and assess
the validity of their results based on
previously developed assessment tools.
VI. Student Learning Goals: Briefly explain how this course will meet the applicable learning
goals. See: http://umt.edu/facultysenate/documents/forms/GE_Criteria5-1-08.aspx
1. Demonstrate informed and reasoned
Based on a direct exchange of views with
understanding of American and/or European
students from Berlin, seminar participants
historical and contemporary behavior, ideas,
will get a vivid picture of the state of social
institutions, and culture.
media use in Germany, with a focus on data
security, privacy laws and censorship. They
will demonstrate their ability to use this
information in a reasoned way during class
discussion and in their final exam.
2. Analyze and evaluate what is distinctive and
The collaborative, intercultural final project
significant about the American and/or European will provide students with important insights
experience and legacy.
into the differences between German and
American views of the digital frontier. Their
research will help them evaluate to what
degree these differences affect the power of
social media in fostering change.
VII. Justification: Normally, general education courses will not carry pre-requisites, will carry
at least 3 credits, and will be numbered at the 100-200 level. If the course has more than one
pre-requisite, carries fewer than three credits, or is upper division (numbered above the 200
level), provide rationale for exception(s).
No prerequisites
VIII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form.  The syllabus
should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus
preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
JOUR 195 / Social Media and Global Change Fall 2012
Prof. Henriette Lowisch
Don Anderson Hall 431
(406) 243-2227
Henriette.Lowisch@umontana.edu
Course overview
Following the Arab Spring and other protest movements around the world, the Twitter
revolution has become a much touted catchword. Facebook, YouTube and Tumblr are
increasingly used in journalism, domestic political campaigns, marketing, fundraising and
education, as well. But are social media really the answer to global challenges? How effective a
tool can they be, in fostering change, locally as well as internationally?
In this seminar, we will take a hard look at the promises and pitfalls of social media. We will
analyze recent cases of social media activism around the world, while also probing issues of
digital identity, weak vs. strong ties, corporate ownership, information poverty, hate speech,
propaganda, censorship and privacy.
Teaming up with students from Berlin, Germany, you will experience how differently societies
view the digital frontier. Together, you will test what it takes to use social media to spur
concrete action, rather than to just get a couple of your friends to hit the 'like' button when you
post a funny video.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the semester, successful students will have
 Acquired the vocabulary to participate in the global debate about social media.
 Learned to critically evaluate cases of social media activism around the world.
 Understood how American and European approaches to data security and censorship
compare and what distinguishes the media systems of Germany and the USA.
 Been introduced to cutting-edge thought on social media across disciplines.
 Established micro- and video-blogging channels and used them responsibly.
 Tested and evaluated the power of social media to effect global change.
Course Structure
Lectures and readings: You will hear from a diverse group of scholars and practitioners: media
professionals, business people, philosophers, computer scientists, anthropologists, sociologists
and lawyers. What are their perspectives on the promises and pitfalls of social media? You will
post questions and comments about these talks and readings on the seminar's Facebook group
page.
Seminar discussion: Based on insights gained from lectures and readings, you will critically
analyze current and recent cases where social media played a role in promoting change, locally
and around the world. Examples we will look at are the Arab Spring in Egypt, the ongoing U.S.
presidential election campaign, the Dalian protests in China and student protests against
austerity measures in various European countries.
Workshop: Most of you use Facebook or YouTube for private purposes. To employ social
media as journalists, researchers, educators or activists requires a more professional approach.
Mindful of data security, digital identity and copyright rules, you will learn how to formulate,
source and disseminate information to effectively reach sources, collaborators and audiences on
a local as well as an global scale.
Research: You will team up with students from Berlin, Germany, and use social networks and
mobile devices to test the power of social media in fostering global change. Using Skype
sessions, you will develop a game plan, draw up a hypothesis and assessment tools to determine
under which conditions Facebook may trump one-way media to spur other students into action.
The research project will take place in the second half of the semester; we will aim at
presenting the results at UM's undergraduate research conference (UMCUR) in the spring of
2013.
Evaluation
The midterm exam will assess your familiarity with cases in which social media played a role
in effecting change in various places around the world. It will also test your knowledge of the
vocabulary needed to participate in public debate about the global impact of social media.
The final exam will focus on your insights of how differently Germans and Americans
approach social media, as well as your analysis of the outcome of the transnational research
project.
In the course of the semester, you will also receive grades for workshop assignments and
written comments on the Facebook group page. Your final grade will include an assessment of
your contributions to class discussion and to the research project.
Grading
Written comments on lectures and readings: 20 percent
Workshop assignments: 15 percent
Research project: 20 percent
Midterm Exam: 20 percent
Final Exam: 25 percent
Books
Baym, N. (2010). Personal Connections in the Digital Age. Cambridge, UK: Polity.
Drushel, B., & German, K. (2011). Ethics of Emerging Media: Information, Social Norms and
New Media Technology. New York, NY: Continuum.
Gripsrud, J., Moe, H., Molander, A., & Murdock, G. (2011). The Idea of the Public Sphere. A
Reader. Lanham, MD: Lexington.
Hartley, J. (2012). Digital Futures for Cultural and Media Studies. Chichester, UK: WileyBlackwell.
Noor Al-Deen, H.S., & Hendricks, J.A. (Eds.) (2011). Social Media. Usage and Impact.
Lanham, MD: Lexington.
Rule, J.B., & Greenleaf, G. (2008). Global Privacy Protection: The First Generation.
Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar
Other resources
The Pew Internet & American Life Project. http://pewinternet.org/
Edge Conversations: Mind, Life, Culture, Universe and Technology. http://edge.org
TED Conversations: Ideas Worth Spreading. http://www.ted.com/conversations
Andy Carvin, National Public Radio's "social media guy," on Twitter: @acarvin
Evgeny Morozov, Net.Effect. http://neteffect.foreignpolicy.com/
Clay Shirky, Internet analyst and thinker, on Twitter: @cshirky
Nerds Unite: The Vlogbrothers Channel. http://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers
Professionalism
To learn is your responsibility. It is imperative that you follow all instructions closely and
completely. Otherwise, you risk squandering the opportunities this course affords.
 Adhere to all deadlines and closely follow instructions for assignments.
 Don't be late. Class doesn't start at 9:41 a.m. It starts at 9:40 a.m.
 Notify me in advance if you are ill or need to miss a class for other valid reasons.
 To act professionally at all times will positively affect your final grade.
 Unexcused absences and late shows will negatively affect your final grade.
 Missing one third of classes will automatically result in failing the course.
Academic Honesty
All students must practice academic honesty. Academic misconduct is subject to an academic
penalty by the course instructor and/or a disciplinary sanction by the University. All students
need to be familiar with the Student Conduct Code. The Code is available for review at
http://life.umt.edu/vpsa/student_conduct.php
Same Work for Multiple Classes in J-School
You may not submit for this course any assignment that has previously or will be concurrently
submitted for another class, unless you receive prior approval from the professor for this
course. To do so without permission will result in an "F" for the assignment, and could result in
an "F" for the course.
Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
This course is accessible to otherwise qualified students with disabilities. To request reasonable
program modifications, please consult with the instructor. Disability Services for Students will
assist the instructor and student in the accommodation process. For more information, visit
http://life.umt.edu/dss.
After-hours Access
For after-hours access to Don Anderson Hall, complete and submit this form online:
http://jour.umt.edu/after-hours/ by September 4. Complete only one request form per semester
– be sure to list all courses you are taking.
A door code will be assigned and provided to you via e-mail. This request will also activate
your Griz Card for the outside door and, if needed, Room 101.
Codes will remain active until the last day of the semester.
Please note: Approved general education changes will take effect next fall.
General education instructors will be expected to provide sample assessment items and
corresponding responses to the Assessment Advisory Committee.