COMM 1100 Foundations of Communication

COMM 1100 (A11)

FOUNDATIONS OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES

Fall 2024

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course offers a comprehensive overview of what it means to study communications. Students will explore classic definitions and models of communications and trace how these notions have changed with the introduction of new media, new messages, new communicators and a more active and participatory audience. They will explore: communication theories, communication media, the key power players in the realm of communications (particularly in North America), and the role of the audience.

REQUIRED READINGS

There is no required textbook for this course.  Given the nature of the topic, timely readings will be introduced on a weekly basis.  Readings from books and published articles will be made available online via Moodle.

DUE DATES & LATE ASSIGNMENTS

· Assignments are due on Sundays by 11:59 p.m. (Vancouver time). 

· There may be exceptions, so please keep an eye out for these.

· Late assignments will be docked 25 percentage points if they are handed in within 72 hours. After that, they will receive a zero.

EXTENSIONS

· Extensions will only be granted in exceptional circumstances such as a family, medical or personal emergency.

· Requests for extensions, whenever possible, should be made well in advance of the assigned due date.

ASSIGNMENTS

Weekly quizzes/reports	27.5% (11 x 2.5%)
Probes (PowerPoint or Video)	22.5%  (3 x 7.5%) Two Probes will be done in groups of three.
Participation	10% (3 x 3.33%)
Reflection paper	20%
Mid-term test	10%
Final test	10%

ASSIGNMENTS

Weekly Quizzes 27.5%  (13 X 2.5%)

· Each week there is an online quiz.

· Complete the quiz at your own time before Sunday at 11:59 p.m.

Probes (Powerpoint or Video)   22.5%  (3 x 7.5%) Two of these will be created in groups of three.

Probe #1 

Probe #2

Probe #3

Participation 10%

· Students must provide substantive feedback (five to six clear sentences) in response to three other Probe assignments. 

· Post your comments in the Forums where assignments are posted – once for each of the three Probe assignments.

· Participation is vital in order to help create a sense of community, experience sharing our work with others, and to help each other improve.

· Participation comments will be graded out of two.

· Participation comments must be posted on Moodle by the Sunday at 11:59 p.m. after assignments are due.

· Required: Each time post your Participation comments on Moodle, you must write ‘Participation 1,’ ‘Participation 2,’ ‘Participation 3.’ This is required in order for me to keep track of these and grade your work. Your assistance is appreciated.  

Tips for sharing feedback:

o Use ‘sandwich feedback’: Start and end with positives. E.g., I really liked how the story…I appreciated this…

o Avoid using: ‘You should …’ 

o Consider using: ‘If it were my assignment, I might…’

o Ask questions: ‘Did you think about…?’

o Be specific. Vague language won’t score points.

Reflection Assignment  20%

Mid-Term Test  10%

Final Test 10%

ASSESSMENT

Assessment will be ongoing through the term. Process, progress, participation and professionalism will be evaluated. Each major assignment in the class will be given a mark out of 100%.

Minimum Grade: You must earn at least a D to receive credit for the class.

My use of marks is as follows:

Grade	Grade Points	Conversion Scale (%)	Definition
A+	4.33	90  - 100	Exceptional Achievement
A	4.00	85  -   89	Outstanding Achievement
A-	3.67	80  -   84	Excellent Achievement
B+	3.33	76  -   79	Very Good Achievement
B	3.00	72  -   75	Good Achievement
B-	2.67	68  -   71	Good Achievement
C+	2.33	64  -   67	Satisfactory Achievement
C	2.00	60  -   63	Satisfactory Achievement
C-	1.67	56  -   59	Marginal Achievement. This grade does not permit student to pursue another course for which the graded course was a prerequisite.
D	1.00	50  -   55	Minimal achievement. This grade does not permit student to pursue another course for which the graded course was a prerequisite.
F	0.00	0   -   49	Unsatisfactory achievement. Student did not meet minimum course requirements.

COURSE SCHEDULE – See Moodle

This schedule is a guideline only and is subject to change.

WEEK 1

Introduction/course overview

· What is communication?

· What are media?

· The seven traditions of communication

WEEK 2

Models of communication and how we communicate

WEEK 3

The semiotic tradition and semiotics in everyday communication

WEEK 4

Critical discourse analysis

· Probe #1

WEEK 5

Media effects and cultural approaches to media research

WEEK 6

Political economy: How media messages are shaped by who owns/controls/regulates the media

WEEK 7

Marshall McLuhan: The Medium is the Message

· Mid-term test (Weeks 1 - 6)

WEEK 8

Canadian Content: How is our culture related to content and what’s Canada doing to protect it?

WEEK 9

The Rhetorical Tradition

WEEK 10

Gender, Sexuality, Race, Ability and Class: Representation in the mass media and its impacts on society

WEEK 11

Phenomenology and the presentation of self

WEEK 12

Going Digital: History of the internet and the social media shift

· Probe #3

WEEK 13

· Final test (Weeks 7 - 12) + Reflection Assignment due