THE SYLLABUS
Spring 2011
COURSE PREFIX/NUMBER: MMC 2000 Section 1275
COURSE TITLE: Principles of Mass Communication
MEETING TIMES AND LOCATIONS: Fully online course (Exception: Testing must take place
in a proctored environment. More details below.)
COURSE CREDIT HOURS: 3
INSTRUCTOR NAME, CONTACT INFO AND OFFICE HOURS:
Charmere Gatson
Office – Building 36, Room 178 (mailbox is located in the main office)
Telephone: Direct – 850-698-0573 or Comm Arts Office – 850-474-2874
E-mail: cgatson@uwf.edu
Office hours for spring 2011: Available upon request
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
 Textbook: The Media of Mass Communication, 10th edition w/ coursepack, by
John Vivian. Publisher is Pearson. ISBN-10: 0205798977. NOTE: When you
purchase your book, ensure you purchase a new textbook that has an
ACCESS CODE to get into the Pearson system.
 Computer with online access
 Computer software listed below to view video, hear audio and fully interact with
the eLearning system and the Pearson system. Quick time is essential to hear
lectures.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Principles, issues, organizations and functions of film, radio, television, print and other
media of mass communication are discussed. Consideration is given to current practices
and recent developments and their implications for the future direction of mass media.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
This course supports the Academic Learning Compacts for the various tracks within the
Department of Communication Arts.
Students in the Communication Arts build a professional portfolio of materials through
their coursework. The portfolios will document what they have learned as well as what
they have learned to do. To assess the progress of students in Communication Arts,
professors in the department will work with practitioners in journalism,
telecommunications, advertising, public relations and organization communication to
evaluate how effectively students have met our professional expectations.
Upon completion of Principles of Mass Communication, students will be able to:
 Trace the history of major developments in mass communication
 Identify the strengths and differences of various forms of mass communication
 Assess the role and impact mass communication has on societies, especially the
United States
COURSE DELIVERY PLATFORM:
WE WILL BE using the University of West Florida eLearning system. The Pearson
site (mycommunicationlab.com) will be used as a supplemental source, as assigned.
The supplemental system is created and supported by Pearson, the publisher of the
textbook. Within it are video, audio and print files, self-quizzes to help guide your
studies through chapters and much more information. Directions on how to access the
Pearson system are below. I have also attached two PDF files with additional directions
and required you to review a video during the first week of class to familiarize yourself
with mycommunicationlab. The main course materials can be found at
elearning.uwf.edu and supplemental materials are located at
http://www.mycommunicationlab.com/
The Pearson (mycommunicationlab) site also has 24-hour assistance for technical
issues. If, after exhausting all other troubleshooting in the system, you can access help
by visiting http://247pearsoned.custhelp.com/.
 HOW TO … access the Pearson eLearning environment:
To enroll in this course, a student needs to have an access code
that comes with a new book purchase.
Important: The student access code is nontransferable and can be used only once .
Follow the directions that are included in the MYCOMMUNICATIONLAB instructions
which I have provided in separate PDF attachments. If you have any problems accessing
the course portal in mycommunicationlab – after following all of the directions, then contact
Pearson customer support at http://247pearsoned.custhelp.com/.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Each week is a session that runs from Monday morning through 11:59 p.m. CST the
following Sunday when ALL assignments must be completed. Each session will contain
an audio lecture and/or assignments on textbook reading, discussion items, viewing
video or listening to audio and other items, such as tests. For each chapter in the
textbook, there is a pre-test and post-test, which will aid in your studies. Aside from the
tests and discussion items listed below, there likely will be no other graded assignments.
I will, however, monitor how frequently students access the assigned material (which
counts as participation). In this course, discipline is highly necessary, because the
course engages the student in a lot of reading and understanding that will be required to
recall on the two exams.
GRADES:
The 310 points available for the course grade will be determined as follows:
 There are two tests worth a total of 200 points.
o Test 1 in session 7 is worth 100 points.
o Test 2 in session 15 is worth 100 points.
 NOTE: You must utilize PROCTORING when completing both of
these tests. Complete guidelines for proctoring are found in
separate course Word document.
 There are 11 weekly discussion items on a central topic; sometimes a discussion
item may be a case study. The objective is for you to analyze situations and
respond based on what you have learned in the course.
o Participation will be graded on the percent and substance of the two
required posts you provide each week and how frequently you read other
postings for a total of 110 points, or 10 points for each discussion item
 There is no opportunity for extra credit.
 All assignments must be completed ON TIME. NO late work is accepted.
 Percent grading system:
94 – 100
A
90 – 93
A87 – 89
B+
83 – 86
B
80 – 82
B77 – 79
C+
73 – 76
C
70 – 72
C67 – 69
D+
63 – 66
D
Below 62
F
CLASS COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL:
Email vs. Discussion Posting: There are two general ways to communicate: through
e-mail and a discussion board. On the discussion board (located in elearning.uwf.edu),
there is a general issues topic to which you would address all questions related to class
work. Only personal questions should be sent to me via e-mail, which I monitor diligently
through the week.
You can normally expect a response to your e-mail questions within 24 hours during the
Monday-Friday workweek. Because I am not as diligent in checking e-mails on
weekends, e-mails received then sometimes won’t receive attention until Monday, so
please submit your questions by Friday morning whenever possible.
Questions that center on topics directly related to the class and are not of a personal
nature should be posted in the discussion forum, which I will monitor. This benefits
everyone in the class and allows other students to answer, which might be a quicker
response. The types of questions best posted to the discussion forum are those on
assignments, clarity of a point under discussion, and other class-related issues.
Note also that ALL students in this course are required to check their UWF e-mail every
24 hours, as it is utilized as a primary means of communication between the instructor
and students in this course.
*Only personal questions should be directed to me through e-mail or phone.*
*See the course schedule for explanation of how the discussion board works.
SPECIAL TECHNOLOGY UTILIZED BY STUDENTS:
This course utilizes an e-learning system, to which grades and other important
information will be housed. All instructional content and interaction will take place online. In addition to baseline word processing skills and sending/receiving e-mail with
attachments, students will be expected to search the internet and upload / download
files. In addition, students might need one or more of the following plug-ins:
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Adobe Acrobat Reader: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
PowerPoint Viewer:
http://microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=D1649C22-B51F-491093FC-4CF2832D3342&displaylang=en
Windows Media Player:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/
QuickTime Player: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
Macromedia Flash Player:
http://macromedia.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=S
hockwaveFlash
EXPECTATIONS FOR ACADEMIC CONDUCT / PLAGIARISM POLICY:
As members of the University of West Florida, we commit ourselves to honesty. As we
strive for excellence in performance, integrity-personal and institutional-is our most
precious asset. Honesty in our academic work is vital, and we will not knowingly act in
ways that erode that integrity.
Accordingly, we pledge not to cheat, nor to tolerate cheating, nor to plagiarize the work
of others. We pledge to share community resources in ways that are responsible and
that comply with established policies of fairness. Cooperation and competition are
means to high achievement and are encouraged. Indeed, cooperation is expected
unless our directive is to individual performance. We will compete constructively and
professionally for the purpose of stimulating high performance standards. Finally, we
accept adherence to this set of expectations for academic conduct as a condition of
membership in the UWF academic community. A full statement of the plagiarism policy
is provided at http://uwf.edu/cas/docs/plagiarism.htm
The UWF Library also offers a tutorial, and I highly suggest you spend some time
reading it and taking the exercises offered there. You can find the link here or at
http://library.uwf.edu/Research/OnlineTutorials/module_plagiarism/default.htm
Penalties for academic misconduct are severe: Any student who is found in
violation of any infraction will receive a ZERO for that assignment with no
opportunity to regain those points. A second act will result in a grade of F for the
course. There are NO exceptions.
STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT:
The Student Code of Conduct sets forth the rules, regulations and expected behavior of
students enrolled at the University of West Florida. Violations of any rules, regulations,
or behavioral expectations may result in a charge of violating the Student Code of
Conduct. It is the student's responsibility to read the Student Code of Conduct and
conduct him or herself accordingly. You may access the current Student Code of
Conduct at http://www.uwf.edu/judicialaffairs.
COURSE CONTINUITY IN CASE OF CAMPUS EMERGENCY:
If a hurricane or other situation necessitates the closing of campus, the University of
West Florida will provide information to students and UWF personnel regarding closure.
The procedures are outlined at
http://uwf.edu/cutla/campus_planning--emergency.cfm
Once specific information is received from the university, I will provide detailed
information on how the course will continue.
COMM ARTS ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Initiated in January 2006, students must attend the first two meetings of each class for
which they are enrolled. If a course meets once a week, students must attend the first
meeting. Students who do not attend the first two meetings of a course should drop that
course, because their seats in the course will be assigned to other students. Students
who do not drop a course after missing its first two meetings will receive a final grade of
F in that course.
COURSE ATTENDANCE POLICY - MANDATORY
The rule in this course is simple: If sickness, a family emergency or some other
unavoidable development causes you to miss a course session or assignment, send an
e-mail to the instructor’s e-mail address at least six hours before the posted
assignment deadline. If you do, you will be able to make up missed exercises (as long
as the excuse is valid and appropriate). If you do not, you will receive a zero on all
missed work. Exceptions to the six-hour rule include sudden emergency. Be reminded
that the instructor can view how many times you have contributed to class discussions,
logged in, and etc. IF A STUDENT HAS TWO UNEXCUSED ABSENCES OR DOES
NOT NOTIFY THE INSTRUCTOR PRIOR TO MISSING TWO SESSIONS /
ASSIGNMENTS, ONE FULL LETTER GRADE WILL BE DEDUCTED FROM THE
FINAL GRADE.
SPECIAL ASSISTANCE:
The Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) at the University of West Florida
supports an inclusive learning environment for all students. If there are aspects of the
instruction or design of the course that hinder your full participation, such as time-limited
exams, inaccessible Web content, or the use of non-captioned videos and podcasts,
please notify the instructor or the SDRC as soon as possible. You may contact the
SDRC office by e-mail at SDRC@uwf.edu or by phone at 850.474.2387. Appropriate
academic accommodations will be determined based on the documented needs of the
individual.
EXAM PROCTORING INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES (required for every student):
Both of the exams given in this course will require you to sit before a proctor, in order to take the
exam. You will need a password to access the exam, and I will not provide to students. Once
you select a proctor, I will correspond with the proctor and provide the necessary exam
information, including the password ONLY to the proctor. It is important that you follow
instructions just as they are provided.
*SEE “Midterm/Final Exam Proctoring Information” IN THE ATTACHED WORD
DOCUMENT WHICH WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE IN THE
COURSE PORTAL.*
THE SCHEDULE (SPRING 2011)
COURSE DATES:
January 5, 2011 until April 22, 2011 (Exam week April 25-29, but we will not have anything due
during that week. All of our coursework will be completed by the April 22 deadline.)
Our course weeks run from Monday through Sunday at 11:59 p.m. CST, with the exception of
week 1, because week 1 is very minimal. (Week 1 will only run from Wednesday through
Sunday.)
For most weekly sessions, there are several components (FULLY ONLINE):
EACH WEEK, YOU WILL USE BOTH SITES:
(elearning.uwf.edu AND mycommunicationlab.com)
1) Chapter readings in the assigned textbook pages.
a. Each chapter has a pre-test and post-test, flashcards and a chapter exam,
which are NOT for grade and are found in the “chapters” section of
mycommunicationlab. They are simply tools to help you learn the material.
You complete the pre-test before reading the chapter and the post-test after
reading it. Once you’ve done that, the system prepares a study plan by
identifying those areas requiring additional attention. This will help you
prepare for the midterm and final exams administered through the term)
2) Other reading, viewing, presentations or listening assignments provided by
Charmere Gatson, usually posted at beginning of weekly session. You will ALWAYS
be instructed as to which additional readings to complete, audio lessons to hear or
video lessons to watch. ALWAYS READ THE COURSE PLAN OF ACTION FOR
THE WEEK ON THE “NEWS” SECTION OF THE UWF E-LEARNING PORTAL for
the latest updates each week.
3) A discussion board posting
IN THIS COURSE, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU READ, READ and READ! You
cannot make it through an exam successfully without having read the material before the
exam started. This is the problem I have found with many students in the past who have
had a hard time taking the exams. You have to read in advance and comprehend! If you
do not comprehend, then you need to ASK questions.
*BE ADVISED that I will be monitoring the discussion board and grading for quantity and
quality of the responses you post each week.
REQUIREMENT FOR DISCUSSION BOARD: Your main response to the discussion
question(s) no later than 11:59 p.m. CST on THURSDAY of that course week AND at least one
response to one of your peers’ response no later than 11:59 p.m. CST on SUNDAY at the end
of that week. Therefore, you are required to have two responses AT LEAST on the discussion
board each week with quality – not just quantity.
*Furthermore, keep in mind, as stated in the syllabus, that your regular "attendance" and
activity in the course will be closely monitored, so little to no activity will impact your
grade.
WEEK 1: Wednesday, January 5 – Sunday, January 9
This week is shortened, so that you can have additional time to get course materials and access
the Pearson mycommunicationlab.com portal. This week to finalize all details of accessing the
course. Do not wait until the last minute! On Monday, we will hit the ground running!
- Make sure you have all course materials by January 9 and have access to both
elearning.uwf.edu and mycommunicationlab.com
WEEK 2: Monday, January 10 – Sunday, January 16
This week you will familiarize yourself with all elements of the course. See assignments listed
below. Everything will be posted for you to begin work in elearning.uwf.edu and the Pearson
site.
- Introduction to class and Pearson environment (elearning.uwf.edu and
mycommunicationlab.com)
- Familiarize yourself with the Pearson environment, including “chapters” contents,
Multimedia library, and Resources. The gradebook in mycommunicationlab will
not be the grades for the course, but rather will be the grades you earn on the
practice tests you take.
- Familiarize yourself with UWF’s elearning site (elearning.uwf.edu). This is the place
where you will ALWAYS find the plan of action for each week on the NEWS
“home” page of the course portal, and you will be able to participate in
discussions and view your grades for all assignments counted toward your final
grade. This is the FIRST place you should come every Monday to see what you
have to do for the week.
- Review ALL attachments and course files on the elearning home page.
- Watch video introducing you to mycommunicationlab features and benefits (link
available in elearning.uwf.edu)
- Discussion item: Introduce yourself (same discussion rules apply to earn credit) &
permission to transmit grades electronically. Discussion responses are due on
Sunday, January 16.
WEEK 3: Monday, January 17 – Sunday, January 23
Chapter 1 – Mass Media Literacy
Chapter 15 – Mass Media Globalization
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation in mycommunicationlab, as instructed on
course home page in elearning.uwf.edu (ALWAYS visit elearning first!)
- Discussion item
- Readings:
WEEK 4: Monday, January 24 – Sunday, January 30
Chapter 16 – Media Law
Chapter 17 – Ethics
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation in mycommunicationlab, as instructed on
course home page in elearning.uwf.edu (ALWAYS visit elearning first!)
- Discussion item
- Readings:
WEEK 5: Monday, January 31 – Sunday, February 6
Chapter 2 – Media Technology
Chapter 14 – Media and Democracy
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation in mycommunicationlab, as instructed on
course home page in elearning.uwf.edu (ALWAYS visit elearning first!)
- Discussion item
- Readings:
WEEK 6: Monday, February 7 – Sunday, February 13
Chapter 3 – Media Economics
Chapter 13 – Mass Media Effects
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation in mycommunicationlab, as instructed on
course home page in elearning.uwf.edu (ALWAYS visit elearning first!)
- Discussion item
- Readings:
WEEK 7: Monday, February 14 – Sunday, February 20
- Review ALL material for upcoming midterm: Chapters 1-3 and 13-17
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation in mycommunicationlab, as instructed on
course home page in elearning.uwf.edu (ALWAYS visit elearning first!)
- E-mail instructor to notify her of your proctoring method, whether on-campus or offcampus, so you can have a space and also all of the necessary paperwork can
be completed; no confirmation by the deadline of Feb. 18, no exam.
WEEK 8: Monday, February 21 – Sunday, February 27
- MIDTERM EXAM (PROCTORED) on Chapters 1-3 and 13-17
Note: The on-campus test date will be available on the course home page
in e-learning. See the proctoring guidelines for more info on date/time. If you plan
to take the exam on-campus, you MUST show up at the specified date/time,
once it is given, AND you must confirm your seat by the Feb. 18 deadline.
WEEK 9: Monday, February 28 – Sunday, March 6
Chapter 4 – Ink on Paper
Chapter 7 – New Media Landscape
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation in mycommunicationlab, as instructed on
course home page in elearning.uwf.edu (ALWAYS visit elearning first!)
- Discussion item
- Readings:
WEEK 10: Monday, March 7 – Sunday, March 13
Chapter 5 – Sound Media
Chapter 6 – Motion Media
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation in mycommunicationlab, as instructed on
course home page in elearning.uwf.edu (ALWAYS visit elearning first!)
- Discussion item
- Readings:
WEEK 11: Monday, March 14 – Sunday, March 20
SPRING BREAK !!! Enjoy.
WEEK 12: Monday, March 21 – Sunday, March 27
- Readings: Chapter 8 – News
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation in mycommunicationlab, as instructed on
course home page in elearning.uwf.edu (ALWAYS visit elearning first!)
- Discussion item
WEEK 13: Monday, March 28 – Sunday, April 3
- Readings: Chapter 9 – Entertainment
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation in mycommunicationlab, as instructed on
course home page in elearning.uwf.edu (ALWAYS visit elearning first!)
- Discussion item
WEEK 14: Monday, April 4 – Sunday, April 10
- Readings: Chapter 10 – Public Relations
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation in mycommunicationlab, as instructed on
course home page in elearning.uwf.edu (ALWAYS visit elearning first!)
- Discussion item
WEEK 15: Monday, April 11 – Sunday, April 17
Chapter 11 – Advertising
Chapter 12 – Mass Audiences
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation in mycommunicationlab, as instructed on
course home page in elearning.uwf.edu (ALWAYS visit elearning first!)
- Discussion item
- Review ALL material for upcoming final: Chapters 4-12
- E-mail instructor to notify her of your proctoring method, whether on-campus or offcampus, so you can have a space and also all of the necessary paperwork can
be completed; no confirmation by the deadline of April 15, no exam.
- Readings:
WEEK 16: Monday, April 18 – Friday, April 22
- FINAL EXAM (PROCTORED) on Chapters 4-12
Note: The on-campus test date will be available on the course home page
in e-learning. See the proctoring guidelines for more info on date/time. If you plan
to take the exam on-campus, you MUST show up at the specified date/time,
once it is given, AND you must confirm your seat by the April 15 deadline.
- Course evaluation / Pearson evaluation