589 Law & Social Media

LAW589

Law & Social Media

METHOD OF EVALUATION  

The evaluation will be based on both the content and the effectiveness of communications.  Evaluation in this course will be based on a number of social-media based assignments, as well as the research and writing that will be used to generate the social media content.  The goal is to generate as much traffic with the social media.  Number of followers, retweets, page visits on a blog, etc. will be used to evaluate the effectiveness.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is being offered on a pilot-project basis.  The goal of the course is to emphasize public advocacy of legal issues using social media, which can include blogging, tweeting, Facebooking, creating YouTube videos, creating and spreading memes, etc.  

The course extends over both semesters but the students are encouraged to be in contact with the instructor prior to the start of the course, so that the projects can be started effectively and with the least disruptions.

Possible topics could be: Revitalization of Indigenous Laws, Gladue Principles, Senate Reform, federal and provincial legislation related to the implementation of the United Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and other topics the students discuss with the instructor. Other possible topics could include choosing a book, such as Gabor Maté’s the Myth of Normal or a broad topic and tying its ideas into current legal events, or even creating a podcast series.  

The subject for 2023-2024 is a post-colonial vision of Canadian state law.

The selected students will research the various issues associated with the subject, and then condense the content into social media deliverables.  The goal is not only to get the substantive content out there, but to generate traffic and discussion from other online actors (within prescribed legal and ethical boundaries).  

Four or five students will be selected for this course. No class time is scheduled, but students will be spending time working in a group or independently (depending on how the students are assigned after the initial meeting) to perform the tasks required.  

At this stage, it is envisaged that there will be a mix of blogging, tweeting, and posting to Facebook, in addition to the creation of memes and YouTube videos depending on the skills of the students.  The frequency of posts and tweets will be a function of the project, and the goal is to generate traffic and interaction.

The question of whether to work as a group or individually, or as a combination of individual and group projects, will be determined by the selected students and the instructor.

SPECIAL COMMENTS

1.     This course is closed to online registration.  Selection is at the discretion of the instructor.  Contact the instructor prior to that for more information.  Selection will be based on a variety of factors, such as the mix of skill-sets needed and interest in the subject.  Interviews will be held after that, and the students selected will be notified after that.

2.     Given the limited number of spaces and the work that goes into this course, students selected for this course must waive their rights to drop the course once it has begun.

REQUIRED TEXTS (IF ANY)

None – but depending on the subject of the course, various readings may be required.