Welcome to the Class!

COMM 2500; Introduction to New Media; Fall 2009
Dr. Lance Strate, Faculty Memorial Hall, Room 434A
Telephone: (718) 817-4864; E-mail: strate@fordham.edu
http://lancestrate.blogspot.com or find me on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc
Office Hours: Mon. 4-5; Tues. 1-2 & 6-7; or by appointment.

Point of View of This Course:
In this course, we will create a collaborative learning environment in order to explore, examine, and understand the contemporary media environment, and what has variously been known as new media, participatory media, interactive media, digital media, computer media, cybermedia, hypermedia, online media, networked media, etc. Together, we will study the history and forms of new media, address issues of media control, convergence and convertibility, and begin to explore the cognitive and cultural implications of living in a digital age

Required Text:
Communication and Cyberspace: Social Interaction in an Electronic Environment (Second Edition), edited by Lance Strate, Ron L. Jacobson, & Stephanie Gibson.
Additional readings will be provided in class or online.

Course Objectives:
1. To explore and participate in the contemporary media environment.
2. To examine the contemporary media environment from a variety of different perspectives, including the aesthetic, phenomenological, philosophical, critical, historical, anthropological, psychological, and media ecological.
3. To analyze the personal, social, and cultural implications of the contemporary media environment.

Evaluation:
1. Participation. First, there is the Fordham College policy that unexcused absences are grounds for failure. Second, there is the basic requirement that you attend class with a minimum of absences (excused or unexcused), and that you come to class on time and remain for the full duration of class. Third, you need to participate sensibly during class meetings. Fourth, you need to contribute to the class online group and blog. Participation will account for 30% of the final grade.
2. Written Assignments. You will be required to post written work on our public blog, answering questions, reporting on research, discussing readings and other assigned material, and commenting on your fellow students' posts. At minimum, you are expected to provide one substantive post each week, and leave comments on three others. There will also be an optional term paper. Your written work will be graded in terms of quantity, timeliness, and quality, and will account for 50% of the final grade.
3. Examinations. There will be a final examination, which will account for 20% of the final grade.
Tentative Schedule:

Sept. 8 Introduction to the Class

Sept. 15 Information and Cybernetics

Sept. 22 Electricity and Telecommunications

Sept. 29 Computers

Oct. 6 Digital

Oct. 13 Monday Schedule—No Class Meeting

Oct. 20 Cyberspace
Reading Due: Introduction, Introductions to Sections 1-4, & Chap. 14

Oct. 27 Virtual
Reading Due: Chaps. 5, 6, 7

Nov. 2 Interactive
Reading Due: Chaps. 12, 13, 19, 20

Nov. 9 Text and Data
Reading Due: Chaps. 15, 16, 17

Nov. 16 Time and Space
Reading Due: Chap. 22 and "Varieties of Cyberspace"

History and Policy
Reading Due: Chaps. 8, 9, 10, 11

Nov. 23 Issues of Control and Critical Perspectives
Reading Due: Chaps. 1, 2, 3, 4, 18, 21 and the Epilogue

Nov. 30 Web 2.0 and Social Media

Dec. 8 Conclusion to the Course

Dec. 22 Final Exam – 1:30-3:30