Syllabus

"NEW TECHNOLOGIES AT THE NEXUS
OF MASS AND INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION"

SPRING 2003

DR. PATRICK B. O'SULLIVAN
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION
ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY
Fell 424
438-2688
posull@ilstu.edu
Office Hours: M 2-3, W-Th 5-6

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Overview
Course Goals
Course Format
Materials
Assignments
Evaluation
Policies

OVERVIEW

Fragmentation in the communication discipline has been a longstanding and ongoing source of concern and debate. A key divide has been the distinction between mass communication and interpersonal communication, which manifests itself structurally (in departments, professional organizations, journals) as well as academically (in curricula, scholarship, theory). A small number of scholars has conducted research that strives to bridge mass and interpersonal communication and has contributed to the debate over the origins, usefulness, and future of that divide. In recent years, new technologies have further blurred the functional distinction between the two areas, which adds to the urgency of engaging the issue if we are to accurately frame communication scholarship. In this seminar we will engage this debate by examining the history of the distinction between mass and interpersonal communication, review studies that have sought to bridge the two areas, debate approaches and theories that transcend the distinction, and explore the theoretical and applied implications of new technologies for real-world applications and for the future of the discipline.

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COURSE GOALS

Through your active participation and contributions in this seminar, you will: - Understand the origins of mass communication and interpersonal communication as distinctive areas of study within communication; - Evaluate arguments regarding the usefulness of the divide in the past and in the future for communication theory and research; - Review foundational conceptualizations of communication that recognize the distinctions and similarities in mass and interpersonal communication; - Examine scholarship that bridges mass and interpersonal communication processes and theory; - Explore new approaches to the mass/interpersonal divide to generate inquiry projects that transcend traditional levels of analysis.

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COURSE FORMAT

This course is a seminar, which means we will develop your expertise through reading, discussing, and writing. We will examine issues and explore ideas through informed and focused conversations about the topics raised in course readings. This, of course, requires that you have read and thought about the assigned readings before class well enough to know the main points and to understand the ideas so that you can contribute to the discussion. You also must be ready to evaluate the quality and relevance of the materials and to synthesize current material with previous materials and discussions. All are expected to contribute through regular, consistent, constructive participation in discussions.

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MATERIALS

Required:

- Course Reader is available through Rapid Print in the basement of DeGarmo and online.

Strongly Recommended:

- Rubin, R. B., Rubin, A. M., & Piele, L. J. (2000). Communication research: Strategies and sources (5th ed). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
- Strunk, W., & White, E. B. (2000). The elements of style (4th Ed.). NY: McMillan.

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ASSIGNMENTS

Article Abstracts and Presentations

I will assign each of you to prepare abstracts on a selection of course readings and to initiate discussions on those readings (appx 4 over the semester). They will also be posted on the course website for distribution to classmates. Preparation details can be found here.

Webboard

I have established a Webboard for the class to extend discussion beyond the confines of the classroom. Your regular participation (reading and responding) is expected as a supplement to your participation (listening and responding) in our weekly classroom meetings.

Reflection Papers

As we progress through the material, I want to give you an opportunity to process the ideas more comprehensively and to link them to your prior experiences and knowledge as well as to identify new insights. Reflection papers will be relatively short (about 5 pages) think pieces that pick up and expand or extend ideas in the readings that you find especially intriguing. I will post them on the course website (without any grading marks) so that everyone in the seminar gains the benefit of your thinking, not just me. Details on approaches and format will be provided in class.

Term Paper

The major assignment for the course is for you to develop a proposal for a research project that addresses one of the following themes:

- Examines a theme that ranscends traditional levels of analysis to incorporate/integrate/synthesize mass communication and interpersonal communication concepts and theories;
- Examines a technology that bridges mass and interpersonal and addresses the practical and theoretical implications;
- Analyzes theoretical constructs pertaining to the linkage between mass and interpersonal communication and proposes revisions to existing theory;
- Propose an alternative endeavor subject to my approval./

Approximate length: 15 pages (not including title page, abstract, and references). Details on specifics will be provided in class.

Term Paper Presentations

You will present your work to your classmates toward the end of the semester as you would present to a research or professional conference. A concise, smooth 12-15 minute presentation, including appropriate visual aids and handouts, are expected. You should be prepared to provide informed answers to questions following the presentation.

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EVALUATION

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POLICIES

Assignments:

All written assignments will be typed/word processed, 10-12 point type, 1" margins standard. Keep a copy of everything you hand in.

Late assignments/makeups:

Late assignments will be marked down a half grade for every day (or portion thereof) past the announced due date/time, including weekends. In the event of a bona fide emergency, it is your responsibility to: 1) inform me prior to the scheduled assignment deadline and 2) provide me with legitimate written documentation (e.g., a medical note from a physician) of the emergency. Job conflicts, family vacations, computer crashes, broken alarms, etc., DO NOT qualify as emergencies.

Office hours (face-to-face/online):

Use my office hours! I hope/expect to see each of you during the semester. Email and telephone are also an excellent ways to get your questions answered. I check email regularly and will respond as quickly as I can (but within 48 hours if at all possible).

Attendance/Participation:

Your contributions are important every class session and attendance is expected at every class meeting. Roll will not be taken and no points are allocated for attendance as it is a basic expectation of all who take a course. Conversely, it is impossible to contribute if you are absent. A pattern of absences will be reflected in your participation points.

Cheating:

Anyone cheating on any assignment will fail that assignment and face possible departmental and university action. Cheating includes submit another's work as your own (with or without that student's knowledge). This applies to papers bought from a research service or term paper mill (including web-based sources). Don't even think about it. When in doubt, ask me! Submitting the same paper for more than one course is also considered a breach of academic integrity unless prior approval given by all of the involved instructors.

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism, one type of cheating, is the unacknowledged appropriation of another's work, words, or ideas in any themes, outlines, papers, reports, or computer programs. Examples of what to avoid include paraphrasing materials from a source without appropriate documentation and copying materials from a documented source but leaving out quotation marks.

Click here for the section of the ISU Academic Integrity dealing with dishonesty.

Special Accommodations:

Any student needing to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability should contact Disability Concerns at 350 Fell Hall, 438-5853 (voice) or 438-8620 (TDD).

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