Houston Community College System
Distance Education
COMM 1307: Introduction to Mass Communication in the Electronic Environment
Summer (2st five weeks) 2011 (Section 86483)
Instructor:
Location/Time:
Marcelo Gonzalez
713-718-7820
marcelo.gonzalez@hccs.edu
Appointments available upon request
DAY
TIME
ROOM
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
COMM 1307
Prerequisites: Must be placed into college-level reading (or take GUST 0342 as a co-requisite) and be
placed into college-level writing (or take ENGL 0310/0349 as a co-requisite)
Credit: 3 (3 lecture)
Analyzes communication theory and mass media in the 20th century society. Surveys history, operation and
structure of the American communication system. Identifies major legal, ethical and socio-cultural issues,
studies basic communication theory, and the interrelations between media and the individual, media and
society, and media and the future. Examines career potential and job prospects in today’s and tomorrow’s
electronic culture. Core curriculum course.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of the course, the student should be proficient in the following competencies:
1. Understand and define the term mass communication
2. Understand and explain the functions of the mass media
3. Understand and describe the development of the print media
4. Understand and describe the development of radio and television
5. Understand and describe the development of the recording industry
6. Understand and describe the development of the film industry
7. Understand and explain the interrelationships between the above media
8. Understand the implications of electronic technology on the future of mass communication
9. Understand the implications of the internet on mass communication
REQUIRED TEXT:
Biagi, Shirley, Media Impact: An Introduction to Mass Media, 9th ENHANCED ed., published by
Thompson/Wadsworth. ISBN: 978-0-495-79816-3
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Actively participate in online discussions.
Take 15 quizzes and successfully pass 12 of them.
GRADING POLICY:
Quizzes (12 of 15)
Graded Discussion Topics (4)
Attendance and Participation
75 points
15 points
10 points
TOTAL
100 points
Grading scale according to HCCS Student Handbook:
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
0-59
A
B
C
D
F
ATTENDANCE and ONLINE PARTICIPATION POLICY:
This is a five-week course that covers 16 weeks worth of material, the length of a regular
semester at HCC. This means the course will run at a very fast pace and it is highly
advised you keep up with the material on a daily basis. I will be monitoring this.
Blackboard, our online course computer program, allows me to track your access to the
course materials, the amount of time you are spending on the modules, etc. Participation
is a part of your grade and regular participation (3-4 times a week with the course
material) is expected from you. Borderline grades (grades of , say 89) will be affected by
your level of participation, the more you regularly participate, the more curve your final
grade will receive. Also please note. If you have little to no participation in the course by
the final withdrawl date, YOU MAY BE DROPPED FROM THE COURSE!
QUIZZES AND MAKE-UPS:
The majority of your grade is calculated from your quiz grades: 85% of your final grade.
The quizzes will be posted weekly Once you begin the quiz, you will have only 10-15
uninterrupted minutes to complete them. Each quiz covers up to 1 chapter’s worth of
material. There are no quiz make-ups. Because of this, the instructor will drop the three
lowest quiz scores of the semester when calculating the final grade.
Your 3 lowest quiz grades will be dropped; this includes and quizzes you receive a “0” on
due to missing the quiz.
GRADED DISCUSSION TOPICS:
During the course of the semester, 4 graded discussion topics will be posted on the
website. These topics will be spaced out at approximately 2-3 week intervals and will
cover material for chapters being discussed that particular week. To get full credit for the
graded discussion topics, the student must address all aspects of the topic discussed and
answer all questions posed by the instructor using lucid arguments backed up by text
book and lecture material.
COURSE OUTLINE:
This is the suggested pace you should employ when completing the work for the online
course. If you get ahead of the schedule, excellent work, if you get behind, be aware you
will have more to do towards the end. If you do none of the work or almost none of the
work by June 29th, the date of administrative withdrawl, YOU MAY BE DRAPPED
FROM THE COURSE BY ME WITH A GRADE OF “W”.
Withdraw deadline: July 29 2011 by 4:30PM
Access to course materials ends Friday, August 11 2011
Meeting Week
Day
Activity
Week 1
07/11
Introduction
Chapter 1: Mass Media and Everyday Life
Quiz 1 (1) Chapter 2: Books: Rearranging the Page
Quiz 2 (2) Chapter 3: Newspapers: Expanding Delivery
Week 2
07/18
Quiz 3 (3) Chapter 4: Magazines: Targeting the Audience
Quiz 4 (4) Chapter 5: Recordings: Demanding Choices
Quiz 5 (5) Chapter 6: Radio: Riding the Wave
Quiz 6 (6) Chapter 7: Movies: Picturing the Future
Week 3
07/25
Quiz 7 (7) Chapter 8: Television: Changing Channels
Quiz 8 (8) Chapter 9: Digital Media: Widening the Web
Quiz 9 (9) Chapter 10: Advertizing: Motivating Customers
Quiz 10 (10) Chapter 11: Public Relations: Promoting Ideas
Week 4
08/01
Quiz 11 (11) Chapter 12: News and Information: Getting Personal
Quiz 12 (12) Chapter 13: Society, Culture, and Politics: Shaping the Issues
Quiz 13 (13) Chapter 14: Law and Regulation: Rewriting the Rules PART I
Quiz 14 (14 part 1) Chapter 14: Law and Regulation: Rewriting the Rules PART II
LAST DAY ADMINISTRATIVE WITHDRAWL July 29, 2011 – 4:30PM
Week 5
08/08
Quiz 15 (14 part 2) Chapter 15: Ethics: Placing Responsibility
Quiz 16 (15)
Course ends on Friday August 12, 2011 at 11:59PM
DISCIPLINE
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION:
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who
needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Services Office at Southwest
College at the beginning of each semester. Faculty are authorized to provide only the accommodations
requested by the Disability Support Services Office. If you have a disability that qualifies you under the
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), please contact Dr. Becky Hauri, 713-718-7909 to determine
accommodations.
SCHOLASTIC DISHONESTY
Students are responsible for conducting themselves with honor and integrity in
fulfilling course requirements. Penalties and/or disciplinary proceedings may be
initiated by College System officials against a student accused of scholastic
dishonesty.
“Scholastic dishonesty” includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism,
and collusion.
-
“CHEATING” on a test includes:
Copying from another student test paper;
Using material during a test that are not authorized by the person giving the
test;
Collaborating with another student during a test without authority;
Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole
or part the contents of an unadministered test;
Bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered.
“PLAGIARISM”- means the appropriation of another’s work and the unacknowledged
incorporation
of that work in one’s written work offered
for credit.
“COLLUSION”- means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in
preparing written work offered for credit.
VIOLATIONS
Possible punishments for academic dishonesty may include a grade of “0” or “F” on
the particular assignment, failure in the course, and/or recommendation for
suspension or expulsion will be referred to the College Dean of Students for
disciplinary disposition.
Students who wish to appeal a grade penalty should notify the instructional supervisor
within 30 working days of the incident. A standing committee appointed by the
College Dean of Instruction will convene to sustain, reduce, or reverse the grade
penalty. The committee will be composed of two students, two faculty members, and
one instructional administrator. A majority vote will decide the grade appeal and its
final.