THE SYLLABUS
Fall 2010
COURSE PREFIX/NUMBER: MMC 2000 Section 1323
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 fall 2010: 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 not be using the University of West Florida eLearning system. There will
be some documents housed there, however, to direct you to the eLearning system we
will be using the course portal that has been specifically designed for the textbook. That
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. It is there where we will operate during the course of this term.
Directions on how to access the Pearson system are below. The course can be found at
http://www.mycommunicationlab.com/
The course 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 a separate Word document attachment. 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, 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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
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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 IN PEARSON.*
THE SCHEDULE (FALL 2010)
COURSE DATES:
August 23, 2010 until December 3, 2010 (Exam week December 6-10, 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.
For most weekly sessions, there are several components (FULLY ONLINE):
1) Chapter readings found in Chapter Contents section
a. Each chapter has a pre-test and post-test, which are NOT for grade and are
found in the chapter contents section. 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 eLearning system
prepares a study plan by identifying those areas requiring additional attention.
This will help you prepare for the four tests administered through the term)
2) Other reading, viewing, presentations or listening assignments provided by
Charmere Gatson, usually posted at beginning of weekly session.
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, August 25 – Sunday, August 29
This week is shortened, so that you can have additional time to get course materials and access
the Pearson course portal. Use Monday, Aug. 23 through Wednesday, Aug. 25 to finalize all
details of accessing the course. Do not wait until the last minute! On Wednesday, we will hit the
ground running!
- Introduction to class and Pearson environment
- Familiarize yourself with the Pearson environment, including chapter contents,
Multimedia library, timeline, Mycareer, Mymediafeed, and gradebook.
- Discussion item: Introduce yourself (same discussion rules apply to earn credit)
WEEK 2: Monday, August 30 – Sunday, September 5
Chapter 1 – Mass Media Literacy
Chapter 15 – Mass Media Globalization
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation, as instructed on course home page
- Discussion item
- Readings:
WEEK 3: Monday, September 6 – Sunday, September 12
Chapter 16 – Media Law
Chapter 17 – Ethics
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation, as instructed on course home page
- Discussion item
- Readings:
WEEK 4: Monday, September 13 – Sunday, September 19
Chapter 2 – Media Technology
Chapter 14 – Media and Democracy
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation, as instructed on course home page
- Discussion item
- Readings:
WEEK 5: Monday, September 20 – Sunday, September 26
Chapter 3 – Media Economics
Chapter 13 – Mass Media Effects
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation, as instructed on course home page
- Discussion item
- Readings:
WEEK 6: Monday, September 27 – Sunday, October 3
- Review ALL material for upcoming midterm: Chapters 1-3 and 13-17
- 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
WEEK 7: Monday, October 4 – Sunday, October 10
- MIDTERM EXAM (PROCTORED) on Chapters 1-3 and 13-17
WEEK 8: Monday, October 11 – Sunday, October 17
Chapter 4 – Ink on Paper
Chapter 7 – New Media Landscape
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation, as instructed on course home page
- Discussion item
- Readings:
WEEK 9: Monday, October 18 – Sunday, October 24
Chapter 5 – Sound Media
Chapter 6 – Motion Media
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation, as instructed on course home page
- Discussion item
- Readings:
WEEK 10: Monday, October 25 – Sunday, October 31
- Readings: Chapter 8 – News
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation, as instructed on course home page
- Discussion item
WEEK 11: Monday, November 1 – Sunday, November 7
- Readings: Chapter 9 – Entertainment
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation, as instructed on course home page
- Discussion item
WEEK 12: Monday, November 8 – Sunday, November 14
- Readings: Chapter 10 – Public Relations
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation, as instructed on course home page
- Discussion item
WEEK 13: Monday, November 15 – Sunday, November 21
Chapter 11 – Advertising
Chapter 12 – Mass Audiences
- Supplemental reading/video and presentation, as instructed on course home page
- Discussion item
- Readings:
WEEK 14: Monday, November 22 – Sunday, November 28
- Review ALL material for upcoming midterm: 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
WEEK 15: Monday, November 29 – Friday, December 3
- FINAL EXAM (PROCTORED) on Chapters 4-12
- Course evaluation / Pearson evaluation