COMM 339: Communication Technology and Culture Syllabus
COMM 339 Communication Technology and Culture Spring 2012
Professor: Douglas Thomas Time: Wednesdays, 2:00 – 4:50 Phone: 213-743-1939 Location: Kerckhoff Hall (KER) 101 Email: [email protected] 734 W. Adams Boulevard Office Hours: By appointment Section: 20540R Credits: 4
Professor: Susan Metros Blackboard Course Site: https://blackboard.usc.edu Phone: 213-821-8084 Email: [email protected] Office Hours: By appointment
Course Description This course is designed to explore the intersections of technology, culture, and imagination. As an industry, a site of cultural production, and a factor in our everyday lives, technology has had the power to change everything about the way we live, see the world, and engage in every facet of human communication. This course is designed to explore one of the pathways through which that happens-- imagination.
Course Objective The primary objectives of this course are threefold: to understand where ideas come from, to learn how to implement ideas (turn ideas into actions), and to engage in assessment of those ideas.
Learning Outcomes By the completion of this course, students will know how to apply creative problem solving processes for the purpose of analyzing, selecting, implementing, and evaluating ideas. They will have practiced the basic tenets of design, taking a topic that has personal interest to them and creating a project summary and work plan that will allow them to “follow their passion” from inception to execution to assessment of their original idea for utilizing or engaging communication technology. They also will be able to describe (pitch) their idea verbally, textually, and visually to a variety of diverse audiences.
Course Format The course meets weekly for a three-hour seminar, which will include a review of weekly readings, in class exercises and instructor and student facilitated discussions, guest speakers, and in-class iterative and final presentations.
Supplies • 9”x12” plain paper sketchbook • Assorted pens, a couple black sharpie pens, pencils, pencil sharper, and an eraser
Course Assignments and Grading Students will complete five projects in the first half of the class (Each 10% of the final grade, equaling 50% of final grade). The remaining 50% of the final grade will be
Susan E. Metros/Thomas Page 1 1/8/12 COMM 339: Communication Technology and Culture Syllabus assessed on the final project with 20% of it based on the final in-class presentation and 30% of it on the final project itself. Final projects may take a variety of multimedia forms and should not be limited to written papers, proposals, or reports.
Grading is on a 10% scale
A 100-94 A- 93-90 B+ 89-87 B 86-83 B- 82-80 C+ 79-77 C 76-73 C- 72-70 D+ 69-67 D 66-63 E 62 and below
Assignments % of Assigned Due Date Grade Date 1. Innovation interviews 10% 1/11 1/18
2. Project summary and work plan 10% 1/18 1/25
3. Project Logo 5% 2/1 2/8
4. Project visual (mind) map 5% 2/8 2/15
5. Written project narrative (1,500 10% 2/15 2/22 words) 6. Project “pitch” 10% 2/22 Wave 1: 2/29 Wave 2: 3/7 Wave 3: 3/21 Wave 4: 3/28 7. Final project presentation 20% --- Wave 1: 4/4 Wave 2: 4/11 Wave 3: 4/18 Wave 4: 4/25 8. Final project 30% --- Exams week 5/4, 2-4pm Total Percentage 100%
Assessment The instructors and students will jointly develop assessment rubrics for each project
Students must come to class and on time, participate in discussions and critiques, meet all deadlines, turn in completed work at designated times and dates. Inability to meet these requirements will result in a failing grade.
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Schedule (Subject to change)
Week 1 Topic: Creativity Wed. 1/11 Due beginning of class: NA In class activities:
• Introductions 1. Tell me about the town where you grew up. 2. What are your passions? 3. The one word that best describes me is… 4. What was the first profession you ever dreamed of being? 5. What do you want to get out of this class? • Review syllabus and assignments • Wave assignments • Developing assessment rubrics Presentation/Discussion: • Movie-- “Why Man Creates” • Creative Problem Solving (.ppt) Readings/Resources (Read by next class): • Michael Polanyi from The Tacit Dimension (TBD) Assignments: • Assignment 1: Innovation Interviews Week 2 Topic: Keen Observation Wed. 1/18 Due beginning of class:
• Assignment 1. Innovation Interviews
In class activities: • Learn how to draw http://www.artyfactory.com/portraits/drawing_techniques/propo rtions_of_a_head_1.htm) Readings/Resources (Read by next class): • Thomas and Brown New Culture of Learning (TBD) Presentation/Discussion: • Communicating visually (.ppt) Assignments: • Assignment 2: Project summary and work plan • Bring an evocative object to class next week
Week 3 Topic: Making and Building Wed. 1/25 Due beginning of class: Susan out of • Assignment 2: Project summary and work plan
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• Nothing
In class activities: • Design a logo Readings/Resources (Read before next class): • Edward Tufte, Offering Beautiful Evidence (NPR audio file) http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5673332 Assignments: • Assignment 3: Project Logo (Design your project’s logo) Week 5 Topic: Visualizing and Mapping Wed. 2/8 Due beginning of class:
• Assignment 3: Project Logo
In class activities: • Map your day Readings/Resources (Read before next class): • Roland Barthes (TBD) Presentation/Discussion: • Mind Mapping Assignments: • Assignment 4: Project visual (mind) map
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Week 6 Topic: Narrative Wed. 2/15 Due beginning of class:
• Assignment 4: Project visual (mind) map
In class activities: • Sci Fi exercise/What If? • Exquisite Corpse: Accordion Storytelling Readings/Resources: (TBD) Presentation/Discussion: • Susan’s art book collection-show and tell Assignments: • Assignment 5: Written project narrative (1,500 words) Week 7 Topic: Perfecting the Pitch Wed. 2/22 Due beginning of class:
• Assignment 5: Written project narrative (1,500 words)
In class activities: • Expressing your passion • How to develop a pitch o 1 minute elevator pitch o 5 minute presentation Readings/Resources (Read before next class): • John Seely Brown, USC Visiting Scholar and Independent Co- chairman of the Deloitte Center for the Edge o Bio: http://www.johnseelybrown.com/
• Speaker assigned reading/resources TBD Assignments: Assignment 6: Project “pitch” Week 8 Topic: Guest Speakers: Play (Tentative) Wed. 2/29 Due beginning of class: Susan out of • Wave 1: Project “pitch” town Part 1: Guest Speaker (Tentative)
John Seely Brown, USC Visiting Scholar and Independent Co- • chairman of the Deloitte Center for the Edge Part 2: Innovator Questions • What have you done? • What do you need to do? • What problems are you having? Part 3: Wave 1: Project “pitch” presentations Readings/Resources (Read before next class):
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• Jonathan Taplin, Clinical Professor and Director of the Annenberg Innovation Lab: o Bio: http://annenberg.usc.edu/Faculty/Communication%20a nd%20Journalism/TaplinJ.aspx • Annenberg Innovation Lab: http://www.annenberglab.com/
• Speaker assigned reading/resources TBD Assignments: • Project status report 1 (one page template) Week 9 Topic: Guest Speaker: Innovation and Communication (Tentative) Wed. 3/7 Due beginning of class: Doug out of • Project status report 1(one page template) town • Wave 2: Project “pitch” presentations
Part 1: Guest Speaker (Tentative) • Jonathan Taplin, Clinical Professor and Director of the Annenberg Innovation Lab Part 2: Innovator Questions (See week 8) Part 3: Wave 2: Project “pitch” presentations Readings/Resources (Read before next class): • Krisztina "Z" Holly, Vice Provost for Innovation, and Executive Director, USC Stevens Institute for Innovation • Bio: http://stevens.usc.edu/about_usc_stevens_team_krisztina_holly.p hp • USC Stevens Institute for Innovation: http://stevens.usc.edu/ • Rodney Mullen, professional freestyle and street skateboarder o Bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_Mullen o Best Of Rodney Mullen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U-cgn3cEGA
• Speaker assigned reading/resources TBD Assignments: • Work on your project over Spring Recess! • Project status report 2 (one page template)
Spring Recess Wed. 3/14 Week 10 Topic: Guest Speaker: Implementing Innovation (Tentative) Wed. 3/21 Due beginning of class:
• Project status report 2 (one page template)
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• Wave 3: Project “pitch” presentations Part 1: Guest Speakers (Tentative) • Krisztina "Z" Holly, Vice Provost for Innovation, and Executive Director, USC Stevens Institute for Innovation • Rodney Mullen, professional freestyle and street skateboarder Part 2: Innovator Questions (See week 8) Part 3: Wave 3: Project “pitch” presentations Readings/Resources (Read before next class): • Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, Assistant Professor of Education at Rossier School of Education Assistant Professor of Psychology at Brain and Creativity Institute o Bio: http://rossier.usc.edu/faculty/mary_helen_immordinoyang.h tml • Speaker assigned reading/resources
o Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, (September 9, 2011), Embodied Brains, Social Minds, TEDxManhattanBeach http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxManhattanBeach-Mary- Helen-I o Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, (October 2, 2010), Cultivating the Creative Mind, Utah Valley University conference on Arts Education. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ubtLgs_j1Y Assignments • Project status report 3 (one page template) Week 11 Topic: Guest Speaker: Implementing Innovation (Tentative) Wed. 3/28 Due beginning of class:
• Project status report 2 (one page template) • Wave 3: Project “pitch” presentations Part 1: Guest Speakers (Tentative) • Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, Assistant Professor of Education at Rossier School of Education Assistant Professor of Psychology at Brain and Creativity Institute Part 2: Innovator Questions (See week 8) Part 3: Wave 3: Project “pitch” presentations Readings/Resources (Read before next class): None Assignments • Project status report 3 (one page template) • Final presentation over the next 4 weeks
Week 12 Topic: Final Presentations: Wave 1
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Wed. 4/4 Week 13 Topic: Final Presentations: Wave2 Wed. 4/11 Week 14 Topic: Final Presentations: Wave 3 Wed. 4/18 Week 15 Topic: Final Presentations: Wave 4 Wed. 4/25 : Exams Final Project Due Friday 5/4 2:00-4:00 pm
Students with Disabilities: Academic Accommodations Students seeking academic accommodations due to a physical, psychological or learning disability should make the request to the course instructor prior to or during the first week of class attendance or as early in the semester as possible. Course instructors should require that a student present verification of documentation of a disability from Disability Services and Programs if academic accommodations are requested.
Statement on Academic Integrity USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. General principles of academic honesty include the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectation that individual work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an instructor, and the obligations both to protect one's own academic work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using another's work as one's own. All students are expected to understand and abide by these principles. Scampus, the Student Guidebook, contains the Student Conduct Code in Section 11.00, while the recommended sanctions are located in Appendix A: http://www.usc.edu/dept/publications/SCAMPUS/gov/. Students will be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards for further review, should there be any suspicion of academic dishonesty. The Review process can be found at: http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/SJACS/.
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