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Media History and Theory (AHI 212)
Tuesday/Thursday 10:30 11:50
Dalrymple 25
Edward Stapel
Phone: 887-7444
Email: [email protected]: PMAD Center
Offices (2
ndfloor)
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 1:00 2:30 and by
appointment
This course will critically examine the production,
dissemination and effects of media in
contemporary society. To engage this complex dynamic, we will
investigate media
through various historical and theoretical lenses. We will focus
on deepening our
questioning of modes of communication that pervade most aspects
of our daily lives. In
the process of this examination, we will employ analytical
strategies such as semiotics,
structuralism and historical analysis to gain a more complex
perspective on societal
phenomena that are both ubiquitous and elusive. Ultimately, the
goal of this class will
be for students to become aware of various strategies of
mediamaking and utilize
those strategies to inform their own creative work.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK:
MediaMaking, Mass Media in a Popular Culture, Lawrence
Grossberg, et al. 2nd ed.
SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS:
The Medium is the Message, by Marshall Mcluhan
Poststructuralism and Semiotics, A primer on Jacques Derrida and
Roland Barthes
Crisis of the Real, Andy Grundberg
(STRONGLY) RECOMMENDED TEXTS:
A dictionary (if you dont already have one)
Dictionary.com (or similar website) bookmarked on your
computer
A Short Guide to Writing About Art(6th
edition or later new or used) by Sylvan Barnet
EXAMS:
The Section 1 Exam and the Mid-term Exam will held on date to be
determined and the
full class time will be allotted. They will both consist of two
parts: First, students will be
required to define important terms discussed in class and
included in the readings
Second, students will be asked to write on essay topics based on
class material.
PRESENTATION AND PAPER:
Team Presentations will require students to make two member
teams and present a
series of assigned readings to the rest of the class. Students
will be asked to link their
readings to a contemporary media phenomenon (Second Life, Face
Book, etc.) and
provide presentation material. Students will also submit a paper
based on the
presentation that formally outlines its thesis, provides
supporting evidence and a
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conclusion. First drafts will be submitted on the day of
presentation. Final drafts will be
submitted on the final exam date.
FINAL EXAM:
The final will be a take home essay exam given out on the last
day of class (specific
details to be determined). It will be due on the final exam
date.
EXTRA CREDIT OPTIONS:
I do not offer extra credit to individual student who do poorly
on exams or assignments
as it is unfair to those who do well. However, I will offer
extra credit options that are
open to the entire class. If you do poorly on a given exam or
assignment and would like
to improve your grade it would behoove you to take advantage of
any offered extra
credit.
ATTENDANCE AND GRADING POLICY:
If you miss more than 3 classes, your final grade will be
dropped one letter grade.
If you miss more than 5 classes, you will fail this class.
If you come to class 15 minutes late, you will be counted
absent.
There are no excused absences.
Attendance is mandatory. If you have a conflict with a scheduled
exam or due date it is
your responsibility to make arrangements with me to turn in your
work at another time.
Readings and Assignments are to be completed by the beginning of
class on the day that
they are assigned.
Since class discussion is a pertinent part of this class, class
participation is mandatoryand will be taken into consideration for
grading.
GRADING CRITERIA:
Attendance and Participation 20%
Exam 20%
Mid-term Exam 20%
Presentation and Paper 20%
Final Exam 20%
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ROUGH OUT LINE OF THE SEMESTER
TUESDAY THURSDAY
8/31 Class intro and overview. 9/2 Chapter 1
9/7 NO CLASS go to your Monday classes
today!
9/9 Chapter 2
9/14 Chapter 3 9/16 Supplemental Reading: McLuhan
9/21 Chapter 4 9/23 Exam
9/28 Chapter 5 9/30 Supplemental Reading: Derrida and
Barthes
10/5 Chapter 6 10/7 Supplemental Reading: Grundberg
10/12 Chapter 7 10/14 Review for Mid-term exam
10/19 Mid-term exam 10/21 Supplemental Reading: TBA
10/26 Supplemental Reading: TBA 10/28 Chapter 8
11/2 Chapter 9 11/4 Chapter 10
11/9 Supplemental Reading: TBA 11/11 Chapter 11
11/16 Chapter 12 11/18 Chapter 13
11/23 Presentation/Papers assigned and
discussed
11/25 THANKSGIVING!
11/30 Presentation/Paper Team 1 12/2 Presentation/Paper Team
2
12/7 Presentation/Paper Team 3 12/9 Final Exam Assigned
FINAL EXAM DUE DATE: TBA
