Course descriptionPSY 700 is specifically designed for the new student in Media Psychology. Critical thinking and argumentation are essential to competent professional practice, particularly in commenting on the use, misuse and impact of digital technology and social media on individuals and society. Students are expected to demonstrate an understanding and application of critical thinking to well written, research supported professional arguments. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to evaluate claims, evidence, and conclusions and to develop coherent, well-articulated, convincing, formal arguments, particularly as they apply to the impacts of technology and social media.
Course overview
We all live in the tEcosystem, that secondary ecosystem that people have created that consists of digital technology, connectivity and the communication they facilitate. In many ways we have fused with the tEcosystm and are as dependent upon it as we are on the air we breathe. To be conscious digital citizens and critical thinkers we need to understand the implicit and explicit biases in the technology we adopt and information we consume, in much the same way that we need to understand the characteristics and quality of the air we breathe.
This course provides a number of activities and exercises designed to challenge and expand your perceptions of media, and at the same time help you develop perceptual tools to help you see more clearly and evaluate more effectively the technology and media that populate your digital landscape.
Materials
Nearly all of the materials needed for this class are found on the Internet. So, there are no books or media that you have to buy.
Books. However, I recommend, but do not require, that you read the following:
- Here Comes Everyone: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations, by Clay Shirky
- Taming the Beast: Choice and Control in the Electronic Jungle, by Jason Ohler
- Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube, and the Future of American Politics, by Morley Winograd and Michael Hais
- The Persuaders
- Merchants of Cool
You will also be watching the documentary:
- This Film Is Not Yet Rated
Course schedule following NSO
You will finish this course on your own, and electronically with your colleagues, after NSO. There are three sources of information about your course work:
- Week by week assignments. Detailed description of what is due on a week by week basis; this is available as a list in the right hand column of this blog
- Weekly course topic matrix- a quick reference showing weekly topics and due dates
- Course syllabus- The entire syllabus, including NSO and beyond NSO actitivies and assignments, as a Word file
- Input. Watching, reading and/or listening to material. Try to finish this by Wednesday.
- Conversation. Joining an electronic forum (to be announced) and responding to a weekly question. The questions are included in your syllabus. Also, you will respond to two comments posted by your colleagues (for a total of at least three conference messages per week). Ideally, you would join in after you have completed your activities. Conversation concludes over the weekend.
- Output. Updating your blog according to the criteria included with each activity. This needs to be completed by Sunday Evening.
- Forum Discussion: 0-3 for our forum discussion; if you posted three substantial messages, then you get a 3. It goes down from there.
- Blog posting: 0-3 If you have posted 2-3 paragraphs of substantial reflection and critical thinking, and you have used the VDT approach to posting, then you get 3 points. It goes down from there.
- Final project (2-3 page mission statement). Grading is also based on a 0-3 point scale.
Can you redo your blog posting to increase your points? Yes. I wish you would.
* "man thinking" image from Clipart.com, through a paid subscription)
