Skunkworks: Exploring Social Media Strategies
Jour 1871
Fall 2014
Professor Kendra Gale
Buckingham S121
kendra.gale@colorado.edu
Office Hours: W 1:30 – 3:30
and by appointment
Course Overview
The overall goal of the course is to more deeply understand how social media can be used to build and sustain
community. The "case" we'll be working on is COMM RAP, i.e., developing a strong and sustainable social
media presence for COMM RAP. The course is organized into three sections: 1) a look at how social media is
shaping the way we communicate; 2) understanding how to create content strategies in service to specific
communication goals; and 3) using the tools for executing and managing social media, e.g., Facebook, Twitter,
Tumblr, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.
Course Structure and Goals
In a word, the structure of the course is“fluid.” We will adapt as we go. Variables include your interests, your
skill levels with technology, the availability of guest speakers and your level of engagement.
We will use a flipped classroom approach. In this model, you complete homework outside of class to prepare
to discuss and apply material during class and to help each other learn. There is very little lecturing. But if
you don’t come prepared, there is also very little to discuss or apply.
By the end of the course, you should be able to articulate a response to the following questions:
• Why social media?
• How does technology impact communication?
• What kind of impact does social media have?
- on attention
- on identity
- on relationships
- on community formation
- on business and branding
• What is social capital and digital social capital? Why should we care?
• What is a communication strategy? How do you create a communication strategy? How do you assess
whether content is “on strategy?”
• Why are stories to powerful?
• What are the strengths and limitations of various social media platforms and tools? What are best
practices?
• How can you track the effectiveness of social media campaigns? What should be monitored?
Readings and Homework
Readings
Reading should be completed before class for the day it is listed. Course readings are located on the Desire to
Learn (D2L) site (https://learn.colorado.edu/). You are welcome to read them online or print out a hard copy.
Regardless of how you choose to process course materials, you should always bring your notes on the reading
to class with you as a point of reference in discussion.
Early in the course, we will read some of the foundational articles about the impact of social media on daily
life and communication patterns. A few of these may be somewhat challenging. But most of the readings are
short and from the popular and trade press. Overall, the reading load will be relatively light.
Instead you will have multiple hands on homework activities to accomplish in between class meetings:
generating content ideas, polling your hall mates about content, setting up accounts, creating an editorial
calendar, creating and posting content, managing content, taking photographs, and so on. This will help you
develop communication skills, the ability to manage complex projects and to facilitate your ability to work
collaboratively.
Assessment
Multiple surveys of employers, communication professionals and educators highlight the need for students to
communicate effectively - orally and in writing, work as part of a team and collaborate with others, embrace
innovation and creativity, and think critically to assess challenges and potential solutions. This course
provides an opportunity to practice all of those skills.
Media Diary
Content Ideas (1)
Best Practices
Content Creation
Exam 1
Final Exam/Project
Participation
And Engagement
5%
10
15
15
15
10
(individual)
(group)
(group)
(individual)
(individual)
(individual but collaborative))
30
(a mix)
% of grade based on individual work
% of grade based on group work
apprx 70%
apprx 30%
You must have a passing grade on your individual work
in order to pass the course.
Participation and Engagement (30%)
Participation includes both attendance and engagement. It is important to show up – even if you haven’t
completed the work. If you’re not present, you lose the benefit of learning through discussion and we lose the
benefit of your presence. Each of you provides a unique perspective that no one else can contribute.
Engagement
Learning is an active process. It is marked by both physical and cognitive engagement. There are multiple
points of assessment throughout the semester including a monthly in-class participation component,
group blog posts, peer evaluations, completion of worksheets based on readings, out of class
brainstorming, etc. Late work may not be accepted if it was part of the preparation for class on a specific
day or it will receive less than full credit. The two lowest scores are dropped. It isn’t the end of the world
if you miss one worksheet, posting, or if you aren’t the most vocal person in class. But, if it is a pattern
across multiple forms of measurement, it will impact your grade.
In-class Engagement
• Being an active participant in discussions. Engage in discussions with energy and enthusiasm. You
prepare for discussion with the reading prompts, the informal homework, watching the videos, etc. If
you have extreme difficulty speaking in class, please see me and we’ll work out a strategy.
• Giving respectful attention to the instructor and/or other students when they are speaking. I expect
much of your learning to come from each other.
• Stowing your cellphone and laptop unless we are specifically using them for a classroom activity.
• Asking questions, making comments, raising objections, or providing observations about topics in the
course, particularly those that link the classroom material to the world outside the classroom.
Attendance Policy
The COMM RAP attendance policy is an automatic fail if you miss more than 2 weeks of class. That is only
4 sessions in this class. If you miss a fifth class, it is an automatic failure for the course. Arriving more
than 5 minutes late equals an absence as does leaving early. That said, I recognize that life happens.
Please come and see me if you have a major life issue that impacts your attendance.
Your engagement grade in the class starts to drop after 2 absences.
Your current grade is always available on the D2L system. I use the following scale in assigning final grades:
A = 93-100%
A- = 90-92%
B+ = 87-89%
B = 83-86%
B- = 80-82%
C+ = 77-79%
C = 73-76%
C- = 70-72%
D+ = 67-69%
D = 63-67%
D- = 60-62%
Below 60% = F
My Policies
• I expect you to create and maintain a respectful atmosphere in the class so everyone feels safe to express
experiences, feelings, perceptions and beliefs.
• Cell phones, laptops, I-pods, etc. need to be turned off and stowed away during class – unless we are
specifically using them for class.
• You are responsible for knowing the information on the syllabus and for announcements made in class,
including changes to the schedule.
• Material distributed in class is available on D2L or in my office if I don’t have an electronic version. I don’t
bring old handouts, uncollected assignments, etc. back and forth with me each day. You can pick these up
from my office.
• If you miss a class or arrive late, please contact another student in the class first to find out what you
missed. You are welcome to come see me if you have additional questions after reviewing the notes and
materials from class.
• Arrive on time. Late arrivals are disruptive to everyone. Arriving more than 5 minutes late equals an
absence as does leaving early unless we have discussed it in advance.
Communication
• Email and face-to-face are the best way to communicate with me outside of class. I will try to respond to
email within 24 hours during the week (M-F). It may take longer over holidays and weekends.
• My official office hours are on Wednesday afternoon but I am generally in the building in the afternoon MTh. You are always welcome to stop in. However, please be aware that I might be in the middle of another
project and may need to suggest that we set up another time to meet.
• Sign up to receive notifications of updates to the course D2L site. That is where I will post any important
information that comes up between classes. Go to https://learn.colorado.edu/ to log in to D2L. Select JOUR
1871. At the course site, you will see your name at the top of the toolbars. Pull down the menu and select
“Notifications.” You may sign up for email and/or text notifications and how frequently you want to receive
notifications. At a minimum, you should check the “news” items.
• I will use your official CU email for individual communication. If you are using another email account, check
that it is being forwarded properly.
UNIVERSITY POLICIES
I strongly support all of these policies. Please come talk to me if you are impacted by any of the following
issues in any way.
(1) On Disabilities: If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to me a letter
from Disability Services in a timely manner so that your needs be addressed. Disability Services determines
accommodations based on documented disabilities. Contact: 303-492-8671, Willard 322, and
http://www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices
If you have a temporary medical condition or injury, see guidelines at:
http://www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices/go.cgi?select=temporary.html
Disability Services' letters for students with disabilities indicate legally
mandated reasonable accommodations. The syllabus statements and answers to
Frequently Asked Questions can be found at:
http://www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices
(2) On Religious Observances: Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make
every effort to deal reasonably and fairly with all students who, because of religious obligations, have
conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. In this class, {{insert your procedures
here}} See full details at: http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html
(3) On Classroom Behavior: Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate
learning environment. Those who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline.
Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing
with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance, and
nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. I will gladly honor
your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference
early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. See policies at:
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html and at:
http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code
(4) On Discrimination and Sexual Harassment: The University of Colorado at Boulder policy on
Discrimination and Harassment, the University of Colorado policy on Sexual Harassment and the University of
Colorado policy on Amorous Relationships apply to all students, staff and faculty. Any student, staff or faculty
member who believes s/he has been the subject of sexual harassment or discrimination or harassment based
upon race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status
should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial
Affairs at 303-492-5550. Information about the ODH, the above referenced policies and the campus
resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained at:
http://www.colorado.edu/odh
(5) On the Honor Code: All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing
and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include:
cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All
incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (honor@colorado.edu; 303735-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both
academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to
university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Other information on the Honor Code can be found at:
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html and at: http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/
Tentative Schedule
(subject to change)
Date
Topic
Reading and/or
Assignment
Sept 2 Communication Models
Vocab: Linear (Transmission), Synergistic, Constituitive
4
Logistics
Communication and New Technologies
Vocab and concepts: Affordances, digital native, digital
immigrant, multitasking
Prensky “Digital Natives
and Digital Immigrants”
and Carr “Is Google
Making Us Stupid?”
Klout scores due
Sept 8
Communication and New Technologies
Vocab and concepts: “challenge of absent present,” virtual vs
“real” self, “perpetual contact,” mass communication vs
interpersonal communication, interactivity, temporal,
synchronous and asynchronous, social cues, storage, replicability,
reach, mobility (reading)
Technological determinism, Social construction of technology,
Social shaping, Utopian/dystopian, Digital divide, (lecture)
Baym “New forms of
personal connection”
Notes: Aubrey and Lauren
10
Communication and Technology (cont.)
Notes: Blake and Abby
Bring your StrengthsQuest
talent themes to class
Start tweeting
16
First Project
- meet teams and organize
Bring laptops
Media Diary Due
18
Social Identity: One or multiple?
Vocab and concepts: context collapse, imagined audience, implicit
code of conduct, to type oneself into being, performing identity,
impression management
Notes by Jordan and Dom
Read boyd “Identity: Why
do teens seem so
strange online?”
Google group responses
23
No formal class meeting. Work on project.
25
No formal class meeting. Work on project.
30
Guest
Project Debriefing
Complete Hootsuite
tutorials
Netiquette due
Oct 2
Relationships
Notes: Derek and Meredith
Read boyd “Always-on
Lifestyle” and Turkle
“The flight from
conversation”
Google group responses
THE UNPLUGGED CHALLENGE
7
Social media and relationship norms
Notes: Katie and Nicolette
Read Pew Study highlights
Google group reflections
9
Strategy 101
Notes: Scott and Naser
14
Community
Notes: Bridger and Brian
16
Community-building Capital
Notes: Graham
21
Exam 1
Exam 1
23
Social Media Audit
Complete Hootsuite
tutorials
Bring laptops to class
28
Content Strategy
Complete Hootsuite
tutorials
30
Content Curation
Complete Hootsuite
tutorials
Nov 4
Analytics
Complete Hootsuite
tutorials
6
Fall Speaker
Backchannel Twitter
11
Community management
Complete Hootsuite
tutorials
13
Best Practices
18
Guest
20
TBD
Google group response
Read Shirkey “It takes a
village”
Curation projects
complete?
FALL / THANKSGIVING BREAK
Dec 2
4
Crowdsourcing
Read: Shirkey on Cognitive
Surplus
9
TBD
Editorial Calendar Due?
11
TBD
Klout scores due
Sunday, Dec 14, 4:40 – 7 p.m.
Exam 2 (or not – TBD)