ComS 222 Analysis of
Electronic Media Paper Assignment
To
experience a
variety of interactions online
To
compare the nature
of online and face to face interactions as instructional
contexts
To
reflect on those
experiences from an instructional communication perspective
To
account for
(explain) the affordances and limitations of various mediated
experiences by
applying relevant communication theory.
In order to
accomplish this assignment you will need
to start immediately so you have sufficient time to find
and
subscribe to
appropriate online lists, discussion groups or courses that
provide
sufficient
“traffic” for you to assess the experiences.
You will participate with those lists, discussions or
courses
you
subscribe as well as with our ComS 222 SacCT discussion.
Time is needed to ensure the lists are
sufficiently active and for you to experience their nature and
quality. Also, you will encounter
technical problems
that will take time to solve—all part of the mediated
instructional
context.
Lists:
For a list of lists
with subscription links try http://www.edwebproject.org/lists.html
Read the directions
for subscribing at the top and try some out.
Keep a record of your sign-ups and keep the response
you get
from any
successful subscription so you know how to unsubscribe if and
when you
need to
do so.
Blog:
While lists are still used, blogs seem to be replacing
them.
Here's one that you may want to read and comment on: http://tlt-swg.blogspot.com/
The TLT
(Teaching/Learning with Technology) Group sponsors this one.
·
What
are the affordances
of the electronic media as a channel for communication
designed to
instruct?
·
What
are the
weaknesses or limitations of electronic channels in
communicating with
students? What are the strengths
of
these channels in facilitating learning?
·
What
knowledge do we
already possess (i.e. what theory do we have) that can guide
our best
use of
this medium?
·
What
do we need
to learn in order to make best use of these media?
Use the APA stylebook
to format this paper. (If you don't
have a style book, use the on-line versions listed in the
syllabus.)
·
The
essay presents a
coherent conceptual approach with introduction, body and
conclusion.
·
The
essay treats all
three areas of the assignment: exploration, explanation and
speculation.
·
Evidence
of
exploration
is present in the essay in the form of examples,
illustrations and
narratives of your experience.
·
Explanation
is
grounded
in appropriate and sufficient communication theory to account
for your
experiences and those of others you include.
·
Speculation
is
logically
related to explanation; present and future have some
connection;
experience and theory are connected, too.
·
The
essay is free of
spelling and grammatical errors.
·
The
essay is properly
formatted using APA stylebook.
[Model essay]
These
journals are concerned about doing education online. However,
note, the
writers
rarely treat communication theory or practices explicitly.
Be careful not to apply statements from the
journals to any discussion of instructional communication
without first
considering whether or not the content is consistent with
theory we
employ. For example, media tools
are
central to many of the discussions, but the symbolic and
semantic
qualities of
media are almost never discussed.
Advocating media use for the sake of convenience, for
example,
is a
wrong-headed rationale for its use.
http://www.innovateonline.info/