CMAT 355 - Media Literacy

Description and Objectives

This course examines four basic areas of communication theory and learning: Systems theory explains how we learn to coordinate and manage both other people and other factors of our environment. Interpersonal communication theory sheds some light on why human relationships take the paths they do; here we examine how we learn to interact with others in all sorts of relationships.

Semiotics helps us understand how we learn to negotiate meanings for communication and for social artifacts within and between cultures. Finally, in studying the relationship between human beings and technology we explore
what cultures learn from their interactions with media. We will also spend some time exploring classic theories about learning and communication and how those theories can be utilized in today's world.

By the end of this course you will be able to identify and explain several communication functions and models for understanding communication and learning. You will be able to identify which methods of examining communication are appropriate to particular situations. You will be able to explain how meaning is negotiated within various cultural contexts. And you will be able to explain this culture's relationship with communication technology and how theories about this
relationship are formulated.

Required Texts

1.Systems Theory – Laszlo
2.Bridges Not Walls – Stewart, ed.
3.Signs of Our Times – Solomon
4.Essential McLuhan – McLuhan and Zingrone
5.Introduction to Communication Studies – Fiske (optional)

Grades

Papers 75%
Class participation 15%
Homework 15%
(Yes, I know the total is 105%, this is just my way of saying all things are equally important)

Important Safety Tips

This is a professional communication course and as such all required papers must be typewritten. A handout on proper form
will follow. All papers will be graded for writing as well as content, and all departmental writing policies will be observed.

Late papers will be accepted only if you have received special dispensation before the due date. There will be no exceptions;
absence is not an excuse for late work.

For every reading assignment there is a concurrent writing assignment. For each reading assignment -- which means every day class meets -- you should spend at least ten minutes writing a response to what you have read. You may write about anything in the piece you liked, didn't like, didn't understand, understood, agreed with, disagreed with, or generally had questions or comments about. If you find the reading difficult to understand summarizing here may help. The purpose of this assignment is to get you started thinking about and interacting with what you have read. This will help you arrive in class prepared to discuss the readings. I will collect what you write, only to see that you are keeping up with the reading. Do not worry about misinterpretation of the text or any other writing problems; it is probable that you will not fully understand what you have read until you start wrestling with it. Late homework will be accepted only if you were absent on the day it was due.

All assignments are due at the beginning of class. This means that you need to have read the assigned portion of whatever text we are working on and have done your writing before you arrive for class. You are expected to keep pace with the reading and come to class prepared to discuss what you have read. A couple of suggestions: take notes on what you read, make a note of anything you do not understand or with which you disagree, or which sparks your interest. Write your daily assignments from these notes.

Five brief papers are required. While they are fairly self explanatory, each will be explained in greater detail as the semester progresses. Do not fear, I will not ask you to do anything that has not been explained.

Attendance is mandatory. More than two absences will be reflected in your grade. Nothing further need be said.

Do not be fooled into complacency by my informal demeanor. This syllabus should tell you I am quite serious about this
course. I believe in whimsy and learning. home

Topics Covered

Preliminaries of Communication Theory
Information and System Theory
Nature as Information
The Codes of Language
Learning in the World
Learning and Cognition
paper due: Systems Analysis

Interpersonal Communication
Verbal Communication
Nonverbal Communication
Recognizing Interpersonal Rules
Self/Others
Cross Cultural Communication
paper due: Interpersonal Analysis

Intro to Semiotics
Reading Myth
Reading Semiotics
Understanding Advertising
Negotiating Cultural Meaning
paper due: Semiotic Analysis

Think Like a Canadian
Understanding Technology
McLuhan Presentations
paper due: Analysis According to McLuhan
Empiricism and other models
Using other models
paper due: Final Paper

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