320 S20 Deveau

320

University of Waterloo

Department of English Language and Literature

History and Theory of Media 2 (ENGL 320)

Spring 2020

Class Hours, Classroom

Instructor Information

Instructor: Danielle J. Deveau

Digital Office Hours: TWTh 9-11:30am or by appointment

Email: d2deveau@uwaterloo.ca

Course Description

This course explores the social, political, and cultural contexts and consequences of contemporary technologies of representation such as print and visual media, photography and film, audio recordings, computer-mediated communications, and interactive digital media. We will take a historical and theoretical overview of the mass media of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, from the newspaper to new media and from the Frankfurt School to globalization.

You will read, discuss, and respond to canonic media theory texts and develop an understanding of how academic knowledge about media and communication has developed over the 20th century.

The textbook for this course is:

Mills, B. & Barlow, D.M. (2013). Reading media theory: Thinkers, approaches & contexts. London & New York: Routledge.

The library has arranged to have an e-book available for you to sign out during this course. Sign-in to your library account and search the Omni database for the above textbook: https://ocul-wtl.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?vid=01OCUL_WTL:WTL_DEFAULT

Course Requirements and Assessment

Weekly Discussions/Quizzes: 40%

Reflection One: 20%

Reflection Two: 20%

Reflection Three: 20%

Late Work

Lake work will be penalized 2% per day to a maximum deduction of 10%. Students who require an accommodation due to extenuating circumstances must submit documentation and arrange an extension prior to the assignment or exam due date.

Attendance Policy

Students are required to be present in the online course. This will be demonstrated through engagement with course materials and active participation in the discussion boards.

Institutional-required statements for undergraduate course outlines approved by Senate Undergraduate Council, April 14, 2009

Academic Integrity

In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of

Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. See the UWaterloo Academic Integritity webpage (https://uwaterloo.ca/academic-integrity/) and the Arts Academic Integrity webpage (https://uwaterloo.ca/arts/current-undergraduates/student-support/ethical-behaviour) for more information.

Discipline

A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing academic offences, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Undergraduate Associate Dean. When misconduct has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under Policy 71 – Student Discipline. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should

refer to Policy 71 - Student Discipline. For typical penalties check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties (https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat-general-counsel/policies-procedures-guidelines/guidelines/guidelines-assessment-penalties).

Grievance

A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4 (https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat-general-counsel/policies-procedures-guidelines/policy-70). When in doubt please be certain to contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.

Appeals

A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances (other than a petition) or Policy 71, Student Discipline may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes he/she has a ground for

an appeal should refer to Policy 72, Student Appeals (https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat-general-counsel/policies-procedures-guidelines/policy-72).

Note for Students with Disabilities

The AccessAbility Services office, located on the first floor of the Needles Hall extension (NH 1401), collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the AS office at the beginning of each academic term.

Schedule

Each week the course instructor will post an essay or podcast related to the course material. You will be required to complete assigned readings from the course textbook (Mills & Barlow, Reading Media Theory) and engage with this content in either a discussion (odd number weeks 1,3,5, etc.) or a quiz (even number weeks 2,4,6, etc.)

At the end of each unit you will complete a reflection assignment in the form of a short essay, podcast, or youtube-style video. Other media forms must be approved by the course instructor. These unit projects are intended to demonstrate your understanding of course concepts as well as your engagement with the course material and your peers.