Course Description

The Internet-fueled democratization of media creation has enabled anyone to be a publisher, and has given audiences almost infinite choices -- with both great and questionable effects. In a world of information abundance, it can be difficult to discern fact from opinion and truth from fiction. We need to know how to wade through this barrage of information with a critical eye, to be better informed and ultimately become creators of media ourselves. Media in a Hyper-Mediated World is designed to help students navigate 21st century media, starting by becoming active users of media, not just passive consumers. Students will employ principles of media literacy in analyzing and creating messages on a variety of topics using a combination of writing, image production, sound production and creative work with digital media. In order to become active participants in an information society, students will examine the factors that assist them in acting responsibly in media environments.   

GenEd

This course fulfills the Human Behavior (GB) requirement for GenEd.

GenEd Area Goals: https://bulletin.temple.edu/undergraduate/general-education/#GenEd_Courses

Course Learning Goals & Related Assessments

	Course Learning Goals	Corresponding Assessments to Measure Goal Achievement
1.	Possess a working understanding of the concept of “media literacy”	Readings Reflection assignments Thematic activities Exams Final project
2.	Be able to critique both implicit and explicit media messages and artifacts analytically
3.	Know the histories of various media and communication channels & technologies
4.	Understand the roles that media play in contemporary culture
5.	Be familiar with relevant theories and models of media and communication
6.	Question assumptions surrounding dominant/hegemonic themes in media messages

 

Course Materials

Required textbook:

Christian, S. E. (2023). Everyday media literacy: An analog guide for your digital life (2nd ed.). Routledge.

Textbook is available for purchase as an e-book or paperback directly from the publisher (t.ly/tAvZh), from sources like Amazon, or electronically through Temple University Libraries (t.ly/ZYS8k).

Additional readings, resources, links, and materials will be posted directly to the course Canvas page.

 

Instructional Methods

This course is asynchronous (i.e., there are no scheduled meetings via Zoom). However, students are required to observe posted due dates and times, and are expected to submit all assignments in a timely fashion.

Modules generally consist of a reading, a short pre-recorded lecture and/or videos to view, homework activities, and a written reflection post via the discussion board function of Canvas.

  

Course Communications

To facilitate communication, the university requires you to have and use an e-mail account ending in @temple.edu.

I will generally post important course communications as Announcements on Canvas. These announcements may or may not also be sent out to the class as emails, so it is important for you to regularly check both.

I strive to respond to emails within 24 hours. However, keep in mind that I am in the Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) time zone, which is a 13-hour difference from Japan Standard Time (JST). This time difference, along with American holidays/observances, may impact my ability to respond.

   

Course Technology Requirements

As this course is being taught asynchronously via the online Canvas LMS, students are required to have ready access to a computer with up-to-date browser (e.g., Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge) and stable high-speed Internet connection.

All software necessary for the course, including Microsoft Office and the Adobe Creative Suite (optional), is available at no charge to students. Access and install these programs using the TUapplications tab on TUportal.

Resources are available for students who do not have the technology they need for class, including on-campus computer labs and laptop loan programs. Students with educational technology needs should contact TUJ Information Technology Services (https://www.tuj.ac.jp/services/computer).

Policy on Generative AI Tools (e.g., ChatGPT)

Temple has established a blanket policy that prohibits the use of generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Perplexity, DALL-E, etc.) by students, unless an instructor explicitly grants permission.

For this specific course, the use of generative AI is permitted for the following activities:

• Brainstorming and refining ideas
• Fine-tuning research questions
• Finding information on a topic
• Drafting outlines to organize your thoughts
• Checking grammar, spelling and style

You are responsible for the information that you submit based on an AI query (i.e., that it does not violate intellectual property rights, or contain erroneous information or unethical content). In other words, you are ultimately responsible for all submissions, regardless of the tools that you use to generate them.

If and when you use generative AI tools to help with an assignment, you are expected to make a note to that effect when you submit it. If you are ever in doubt about whether a particular type of usage is permitted, please ask for clarification.

Grading Scale

A Range	B Range	C Range	D Range	F Range
A  100-93%	B+ <90-87%	C+ <80-77%	D+ <70-67%	F <60%
A– <93-90%	B  <87-83%	C  <77-73%	D  <67-63%
	B– <83-80%	C– <73-70%	D– <63-60%

C– or better is required to fulfill the GenEd area requirement. 

Weighting Details

• Reflection Responses: 40%
  Your reasoned responses to the assigned materials/lectures, including your responses to classmates’ submissions. The lowest score among all of your reflections will be dropped automatically at the end of the term.
  
• Unit Activities: 10%
  Various activities and homework assignments intended to reinforce your understanding of the assigned course materials/lectures.
  
• Midterm Exam: 15%
• Final Project: 15%
  A creative project taking a form of your choice that will demonstrate your understanding of a particular area of media literacy as well as your mastery of a particular form of media production.
• Final Exam: 20%

Total = 100%

 

Assignment Descriptions

See above.

  

Course Minimum Grade

Although D- is a passing grade, a minimum grade of C- is required in General Education courses and, in many programs, courses required by the major.

For more information, please see Temple University's Academic Policies on Grades and Grading.

     

 

General Policies

All Temple University Academic Policies will be upheld.

The General Education Policies and Requirements details program expectations.

   

Attendance and Your Health

Students must attend and participate in classes according to their instructors’ requirements to achieve course learning goals. If you feel unwell or are under quarantine or in isolation because you have tested positive for the coronavirus, you should not come to campus or attend in-person classes or activities.

It is the student’s responsibility to contact their instructors to create a plan for participation and engagement in the course as soon as they can do so and to make a plan to complete all assignments in a timely fashion when illness delays their completion.

 

Incomplete

A student will be eligible for a grade of “Incomplete” only if the student: 1) has completed at least 51% of the work at a passing level, 2) is unable to complete the work for a serious reason beyond their control, and 3) files a signed agreement with the instructor outlining the work to be completed and the time frame in which that work will be completed. The student is responsible for initiating this process and all incomplete forms must be sent to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs prior to the start of study days in that semester.  

Please refer to the following for further details: Temple University’s Incomplete Policy. (Policy #02.10.13). 

  

Withdrawal from the Course

If a student wishes to withdraw from a course, it is the student’s responsibility to meet the deadline for the last day to withdraw from the current semester.

See Temple University's Academic Calendar for withdrawing deadlines and consult the University policy on Withdrawals (Policy # 02.10.14). 

  

Statement on Academic Rights & Responsibilities

Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy #03.70.02).

   

Academic Honesty

Temple University believes strongly in academic honesty and integrity. Plagiarism and academic cheating are, therefore, prohibited.

Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of another person's labor, another person's ideas, another person's words, or another person's assistance. Academic cheating is, generally, the thwarting or breaking of the general rules of academic work or the specific rules of the individual courses. It includes falsifying data; submitting, without the instructor's approval, work in one course which was done for another; helping others to plagiarize or cheat from one's own or another's work; or doing the work assigned to another person.

The penalty for academic dishonesty can vary from receiving a reprimand and a failing grade for a particular assignment, to a failing grade in the course, to suspension or expulsion from the university. The penalty varies with the nature of the offense, the individual instructor, the department, and the school or college.

Refer to the following link for the full TU policy on plagiarism and academic cheating: http://bulletin.temple.edu/undergraduate/about-temple-university/student-responsibilities/#academichonesty

Netiquette and Class Conduct Expectations

Engagement & Participation

A successful learning environment requires active engagement on the part of all students. This means you are required and expected to come to class, complete assignments, and materially participate. Otherwise, you will likely not get much out of the experience… as you’ll quickly learn, I am not like many other professors—lecturing is boring, both for you and for me. Expect the unexpected. 🙃

Academic Freedom & Comfort Zones

In this course (as with all courses), it is likely that some material or conversation may push you outside of your comfort zone. Humanistic education is based on the idea that “nothing human is alien to me,” even when ideas may sometimes seem alien.

When this happens, understanding can only occur after examining an idea—even (and perhaps even especially) when it makes you uncomfortable. This is how we enlarge our subjective experience and knowledge—discomfort is instructive! It is an indicator that something about the idea needs to be probed more deeply. Forget the idea that it is an emotion to be avoided.

When discomfort occurs, remember that you still retain your right to be safe, meaning your voice will always be respected and acknowledged. In other words, any point of view, when respectfully offered, will be respectfully received. It is your right to enjoy freedom of expression and vigorous discussion of contrary viewpoints—but it is also your responsibility to uphold and protect these same rights for your fellow students.

Diversity and Differences

Our individual differences, highlighted by the university’s Diversity Statement (https://www.temple.edu/life-at-temple/diversity-inclusivity), add richness and complexity to the learning experience. Therefore, all opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may seem, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse, so long as these are communicated civilly.

Treat me and your classmates with respect in all communication, class activities, and meetings. You are absolutely encouraged to comment upon, question, or critique ideas, but you are not entitled to employ personal attacks while doing so.

Remember, too, that sometimes sarcasm, humor, and slang can be misconstrued or misunderstood (especially in online interactions) and can generate unintentional disruptions. Make your best effort to adhere to general standards of acceptable social behavior (and netiquette, when online).

Disability Disclosure Statement

Any student who has a need for accommodations based on the impact of a documented disability or medical condition should contact Disability Resources and Services (DRS) at tujdrs@tuj.temple.edu to request accommodations and learn more about the resources available to you. If you have a DRS accommodation letter to share with me, or you would like to discuss your accommodations, please contact me as soon as practical. I will work with you and with DRS to coordinate reasonable accommodations for all students with documented disabilities. All discussions related to your accommodations will be confidential.

Technical Support 

For a listing of technical support services available to Temple University students, see the Tech Support page.

 

Academic and Support Services

Temple University provides a variety of services to support you throughout your studies. Please take a moment to view these by visiting the Student Resources module.

Privacy Policy

Please see the links below to become familiar with the privacy policies for each of the following: 

• Temple University
• Canvas Instructure
• Zoom

    

Course Schedule

Key Dates

• Monday 26 May: Summer I begins (Memorial Day holiday in USA)
• Friday 30 May (13:00 JST): Last day to add
• Friday 6 June (13:00 JST): Last day to drop + receive tuition credit
• Friday 18 July (13:00 JST): Last day to withdraw from a course
• Friday 18 July: Last day of classes
• Monday 21 July: Marine Day (holiday)
• Tuesday 22 & Wednesday 23 July: Study days
• Thursday 24 July: Final exams begin
• Wednesday 30 July: Final exams end

Modules

• • 27-29 May: Using
  • 30 May-3 June: Thinking
  • 4-6 June: Analyzing
  • 9-11 June: Connecting
  • 12-16 June: Selling
  • 17-19 June: Advertising
  • 20-24 June: Spending
  • 25-27 June: Informing
  • 30 June-2 July: Verifying
  • 3-7 July: Protecting
  • 8-10 July: Choosing
  • 11-15 July: Creating
  • 16-18 July: Participating