Objectives & Outcomes
Jan 5th, 2009 by admin
Learning Objectives and Outcomes for Analytical Inquiry:
At the end of this course, you will be able to:
1. Demonstrate the ability to create or interpret the texts, ideas, or artifacts of human culture.
2. Identify and analyze the connections between texts, ideas, or cultural artifacts and the human experience and/or perception of the world.
More specifically, the goal of this course is to help you to develop a deeper, more contextualized understanding of the history of various communications technologies. You’ll learn things in this class that will help you to stand out as an informed communications professional, able to converse capably with the most intelligent and articulate of the communications professionals with whom you’ll work. You’ll have the kind of background knowledge that would enable you to write a piece for Wired or produce a segment for Frontline. You’re also going to learn some of this history in relation to the University of Denver to add interest, and, I hope, to help you to better remember some of what you learn in this class long after it’s over. Here are some specific learning goals:
1. To gain an overview of the major and sometimes competing perspectives on the relationship between human society and communications technologies (technological determinism vs. cultural determinism vs. political economic determinism)
2. To understand the cultural and social contexts that have made communications technologies what they are today.
3. To better compare “old” and “new” communications technologies in interesting, informed, and useful ways.
4. To understand better how various communications technologies play a role in contemporary society and in your own life.
5. To visit some key places that help you to understand the unique role Denver has played in the history of communications technologies and their development.
In addition to these goals, this course contributes to the development of several specific skills and learning outcomes that will help you in your career. This class will help you:
1. Strengthen your ability to understand and contribute to the management of a team-based group project utilizing video production.
2. Strengthen your ability to quickly and concisely summarize reading materials within time constraints.
3. Strengthen your ability to contribute thoughtfully to large group conversations as you reflect on your own earlier written thoughts and on the comments of your colleagues.
4. Strengthen your ability to organize your thoughts on earlier readings and experiences into a persuasive argument and to write that argument within time constraints.
5. Strengthen your ability to work collaboratively with colleagues in the development of a group presentation for your classmates.
6. Strengthen your abilities in self-evaluation relative to your peers.
Critical Questions:
Here are some specific questions to keep in mind as you’re reading and evaluating materials. These should help you to think critically about the key issues we’re exploring in this class (and can serve as starting points if you’re stumped as to what to write about in response to readings):
1. Is this story about a particular development or technology an example of cultural or technological determinism? What’s the evidence that suggests one or the other approach?
2. What’s really new about this? What’s not-so-new about this, or how might this development be viewed in relation to social and cultural patterns and practices that preceded it?
3. Who’s benefiting from the way and the timing in which this technology developed?