MADT 307: Technology and Communication
Course Description
Students acquire a qualitative understanding of how various information and communication technologies work, the social needs that drive technology developments, and the future impact of new information technologies on work and society.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
Understand and communicate current trends in communication technology
Understand and demonstrate the use of several theoretical approaches to studying communication technologies
Understand and communicate the role of political, policy and economic factors in the creation, use, abuse, success and failure of communication technologies
Be able to critically examine and communicate the role communication technologies play in our lives and society at large
This is a required course for the B.F.A in Communication Design and the B.A. in Media Arts, Options in Production and Criticism.
It is also a GE Upper Division course in Area D, part of the Science, Technology, and Values pathway.
Course Modality
MADT 307 is offered as an online course, both synchronous and asynchronous.
6 class sessions are synchronous to allow for group work time and final presentations
Asynchronous units are completed each week. Students have one week to complete the unit. New units are released the Sunday before the week starts. There is no jumping ahead but students can go back.
Participation is tracked through graded activities and weekly quizzes.
Blackboard groups are used for group work.
Elements of Course Design
The course is organized into learning modules around each communication technology topic, such as digital photography or big data.
Each learning module is organized for students to walk through the content and activities in order. They begin with an introductory video with a greeting and overview the the unit. I’ll also use the time to provide feedback and encouragement on class work. Then there are a series of video with prompts for different activities such as tweeting or participation in a discussion. Each unit ends with a short quiz which is open book and note.
I use backwards design - what do they need to know and how can I get them there.
Every module/unit starts with the objectives/plan for the unit.
Student Engagement & Feedback
Student engagement is promoted through the following practices:
Wiki: I start with students getting to know each other through a course wiki where they each have a page about themselves.
Interaction student-instructor: students engage with me through blog posts, tweets, and discussions
Interaction student-student: students work on a semester long “Kickstart” project where they research and present on a new technology service or product. Students interact with each other on discussion boards and on Twitter.
Group work: “Kickstart” project (explore it below)
Participation in discussion boards: every unit has a few graded discussion boards
Assessment of Student Learning
Technology Kickstart: Students will be pitching a new communication technology or service Shark Tank style. In order to do this, your group will be producing technology briefs (basically research papers) on new developments and the marketplace and a formal presentation.
Blogs: Students will be creating a blog site for regular blog posts on issues and problems covered in class. Students must submit blog post links to assignments in Blackboard.
Twitter Posts: Most classes will include a required tweet on course material. The class hashtag is #madt307
Discussions: Students will be participating in discussion forums. Posts and comments must be substantial and thoughtful. These are graded.
Quizzes: Each unit has a quiz.
Elements of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Course topics include race, gender and disability with communication technologies - such as harassment of women, POC and LGBTQ+ in online gaming, video games for those with disabilities, photo retouching and falsification (e.g. OJ Simpson Time and Newsweek).
The digital divide is discussed throughout the course and students have several blog posts and activities related to it.
Images of people in slides represent all
Elements of Experiential Learning &
Connections to the Professional Field
The Kickstart Project has them writing two papers - technical briefs similar to what an organization would ask for including a research brief, examining the top developments in a technology and a market brief which shows research into the market for the product or service they are creating. Students present pitches for funding to the class and classmates vote for the ones that deserve funding. This is similar to technology pitch contests such as TechCrunch Disrupt.
Opportunities for Active Learning/Civic & Community Engagement
Past face to face versions of the class had students prepare presentations on technology social issues they wished they knew about in high school for students at Inspire. Now students do the Kickstart Project and I hope to get Chico Start involved in the presentations if they want.
Students also engage with their place through their wiki, and different assignments such as the digital signage scavenger hunt.
Technology & Tools
Google Drive is used for lecture slides, and the writing gallery where students can post papers for comment and feedback. All group papers are peer reviewed in class a week before they are due.
Blackboard is used for all assignment submissions and to access the learning modules which have videos, assignments, discussion boards and quizzes.
Students create their own blog for the the course. They can use whatever platform they wish: usually Wordpress, Wix, or Weebly. They complete 10 blog posts. Some create their own webpages.
Twitter: Students use Twitter to tweet about topics as prompted in class and for fun extra credit activities such as “show me your favorite food”
The class uses Google Slides, Google Docs, Pdfs, Videos, Podcasts, a textbook, the textbook website.
Discord is used to facilitate student to student communication, especially group work and communication
Video games are used for autonomous vehicle ethics and fake news on social media
Accessibility & Universal Design for Learning
I ensure that videos are captioned
PDFs are readable
I use Blackboard’s accessibility features
assignments come in many formats so students can demonstrate learning in different ways.
I use Announcements to keep students updated on when units are opened, when the close, and when assignments are available. I also use them for encouragement or when I see things veering off course.
Faculty Development & Training
I have done many trainings over the years.
Go Virtual really helped me organize and clarify my course and it’s outcomes.
The HSI FLC helped me better understand my students and their pressures - I’ve moved away from high stakes exams and have “a nothing is late but you will lose points” approach to assignments.
A writing FLC really changed my approach to writing in the course to include both informal and formal writing. Students get the writing they need and meet the course objectives without having to write 5 research papers. (they still write 2 - as well as 10 blogs, 25 tweets….)