SP 399 - COMPUTER MEDIATED COMMUNICATION
Instructor: Gloria Totten
Email: totteng@pdx.edu


I am teaching this class from Italy, so email is the only way to get hold of me. If you have general questions, please contact the Communication Department at 503.725.5384. (in case you are interested:http://www.celleligure.comis the city where I am)

Text: Holeton, Richard. (1998). Composing Cyberspace: Identity, Community, and Knowledge in the Electronic Age. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Available at the PSU Bookstore.

On Line Text "extras" at: http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/english/holeton

Class web page: http://www.psuonline.pdx.edu -- and log into "My WebCt" by following the directions. Please always access this class via WebCt's home page, as sometimes there are technical difficulties and this site will tell you what to do and give you updated information.

I check the class web page at a minimum of 3 times per week. Please give me at least 2 days to respond to messages. I cannot help you with technical problems. Please contact the WebCt Help Desk at PSU for technical difficulties at 503-725-4357.

THIS CLASS IS ENTIRELY ONLINE - WE DO NOT MEET IN A REGULAR CLASSROOM.


Course Description: This class focuses on communication within computer mediated settings. Readings and discussions will focus on climate, settings, philosophies, and practices of computer mediated communication in today s world. We will explore the nature and impact of topics such as: ethics, confidentiality, accessibility, relationships developed through e-mail, validity of information, and global implications.

All class meetings and assignments will be conducted electronically via the class web page -- we will not meet in a traditional classroom setting. You will be expected to check the class main page a minimum of 3 times per week, and can expect weekly assignments and quizzes -- which will have due dates. This is not a self-paced class.

Course Objectives:
  • To heighten student awareness, understanding, and interest in communication processes utilized on the internet.

  • To facilitate discussion about current communication issues that are changing the way in which we live and interact with one another nationally and globally.

  • To incorporate current trends and issues in a non-traditional classroom setting which will encourage students to apply what they are learning to their everyday lives.

  • To demonstrate the ability of each student to gain access and maneuver themselves around the internet.

  • To participate in current debate regarding computer mediated communication and add to this dialogue.

Course Requirements:

Participation: All students will participate by completing each assignment in a timely manner. Due to the nature of this class, late assignments are not accepted..

Deadlines: Assignments must be completed and received by the due date. (Quizzes will be available through the Quiz icon on the quiz date from 00:05 to 24:55.) Assignments should be posted to the class bulletin board unless otherwise noted. Assignments sent to instructor's email account(s), in the wrong format, or late, will not be accepted. You may turn in assignments ahead of time. It is your responsibility to check the class web page on the day an assignment is due (to make sure your assignment posted correctly, etc.) -- it is NOT my responsibility to find you.

The primary responsibility for learning resides with you. I will provide a comfortable learning environment which includes: providing information, directing you towards resources, facilitating discussions and learning activities, providing feedback on assignments, and at the end of the term, evaluating your progress in the form of a grade. The degree of your personal motivation will determine how much personal satisfaction and knowledge you glean from this class.

You should make it a habit to check the following (minimum of 3 times per week):
  • Class Homepage

  • Class Bulletin Board

  • Your Private Email icon on the class web page

Grades: final grades will be a calculation/percentage of the total assignments. You will be expected to go into more depth with each assignment. I will be looking for a correlation between (1) your own thoughts, (2) what the text says, and (3) what you see in the world around you. Your assignment grade will be based on how you addressed those three things. Quizzes will include short-answer, T/F and multiple choice questions based on the terminology presented in the text. Other assignments are as described via the Assignments link on the class Homepage.

Grading Criteria: all assignments will be graded based upon a traditional grading scale. For written assignments, you will be expected to improve upon each assignment based on instructor feedback.

I am looking for three things in your WRITTEN assignments -- in depth analysis of what the text is saying in comparison to what you have seen in your own experience, detailed examples from your daily life, and a correlation between what you have seen happen and what should happen.

See the Assignment Description icon on the main class page for a detailed account of all assignments due for this class.

HOW TO POST ASSIGNMENTS:

I recommend typing your assignment in Word (or another program) and saving your assignment on your own computer/disk before posting it to the bulletin board. To post to the bulletin board, copy your assignment into a blank bulletin board message (highlight the text you want to be posted, click copy, and then go to the bulletin board message, put the cursor in the body, and click paste). The subject line should be the assignment title (nothing else in the subject line is required). All assignments should be posted to the bulletin board in the appropriate section. You will be graded down for incorrectly posted assignments. I am having you copy and paste your assignment into a bulletin board message so that myself and your classmates can easily read your assignments (otherwise, we have to save/download them to read them, and this generally creates difficulties). I am not so much interested in the format of your assignment as I am the content (I realize that copying and pasting your assignment will change the format from Word or whatever program you use).

@ @ If you still wish to attach your assignment, please be sure it is in HTML (Web Page) format. Other formats will be considered posted incorrectly. In this case, you attach it and make sure there is something in the body of the message (it won't send without at least something). To read attached assignments, click on the paperclip to the left, and then click on the file name. The text should appear to the right -without having to download/save it. If it does not, it is posted incorrectly i.e. we should not have to download it. However, remember that it must be readable (as a Web page). It will not be counted as turned in on time if it is incorrectly posted. I recommend cutting and pasting as we can all easily read that. I am not as much interested in correct formatting (i.e. spacing, paragraphs, etc.) but am interested in correct spelling and grammar.

I will read your assignment and give you feedback in your Private Mailbox (see the Private Mail icon on the class homepage). My feedback will be an attachment saved as HTML, so that you simply need to click on the name of the file to view it -- you do not need to download the file. My feedback will be in blue.

If you have any questions or comments about this syllabus or any of the class content please feel free to email me. If you require any special assistance due to disabilities or any other issues, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can assist you in regards to this course.