COMM 120P Digital Media Pedagogy   Brian Goldfarb, Winter 2015   Dept of Communication, UCSD Overview Meetings Resources

Meetings: Tues/Thurs 11:00 -12:20 AM (Thursdays at UCSD in TM 102 ROOM 1, and Tuesdays at HTMMA in Point Loma)
Office Hours: Thurs 1:30 - 3 pm or by appointment in MCC 241 
Email: bgoldfarbucsd.edu
Website: http://communication.ucsd.edu/goldfarb/comm120p-w15/

The class will be limited to 28 students.

Course Objectives:
To develop students' critical understanding of educational uses of media technology and to provide first-hand experience engaging with students using digital media in school settings.

Overview:
Participants will consider the challenges, benefits and pitfalls of educational application of communication technology through discussion of experiences working with students in public school classrooms, as well as media-based texts (podcasts, videos, etc) on contemporary themes and debates related to education. Questions addressed include: How do media forms shift the relationships between various sites of learning including the school, the home and the workplace? What are the challenges digital media present to teachers, students and schools? How do educational uses of digital media compare to older technologies such as pen and paper, textbooks, typewriters, film cameras and analog video? Are computers improving school-based education? A central focus of the course will be the consideration of diversity (gender, ethnicity, class, age, differences in ability) in relation to evolving practices of teaching and learning.

Course Requirements:
ATTENDENCE AND PARTICIPATION: Students must complete all viewing/listening assignments and attend all class meetings. The class will be meeting on campus at UCSD every Thursday in TM 102 ROOM 1, and Tuesdays from 11-12:20 at High Tech Middle Media Arts (HTMMA) school in Point Loma.

WEEKLY SCHOOL SITE VISITS: In addition to the scheduled class time at High Tech Middle Media Arts (HTMMA) school in Point Loma, students are required to spend 3 hours per week doing site visits in an HTMMA classroom. The site visits will involve participatory observation of teaching/learning with teachers and students at the school. You will be working on digital media projects with middle school students. Your hours of weekly site visits can be scheduled either on the day that we meet at the school or on other days that fit your schedule.
Note about transportation: Students often carpool with others. If you don't have a care, we will help coordinate a ride with other students. You should account for a half hour transportation time from campus when figuring out your schedule for attending the site visits and the classes at the school. I will send a schedule of available site visit times in a follow up email very soon.

ASSIGNMENTS:
• required weekly viewing/listening assignments (podcasts, videos, etc). All readings are optional.
• weekly journals observations that reflect on site visits and viewing/listening assignments;
• developing teaching/learning project that draws on experiences in the classroom.

Evaluation: Grading for the course is based on:

• 30%: Attendance and participation in classroom discussions and site visits;
• 40%: Written journals based on observations from site visits and listening/viewing assignments (total of six journal entries);
• 30%: Learning activity project. (design and presentation of a learning activity appropriate for the HTMMA students, related resources, and reflection/analysis).

This class requires dedication at an advanced level in terms of time and academic considerations. Quality work is expected.

Attendance and Participation:

• Participation in class is mandatory and constitutes 30% of your grade. Students are required to listen to or view assignments and to come to class prepared to participate in discussions. Students are encouraged to contribute to class meetings by bringing in examples and ideas from experiences outside of class. 
• Unexcused absences are not acceptable and will significantly affect your final grade.
• Late arrival (over 10 minutes) will be considered half an absence.
• School site visits are a central component of this class. It is very important that you arrive a few minutes early so that you don't interrupt the class. Please be considerate of the time of the teachers, staff and students at the site. If you are going to be absent from a site visit because of illness or an emergency you must contact both me and the HTMMA teacher in advance.
• When visiting your school site you must adhere to the professional dress code of the school (the following are not permitted: hats, highly revealing clothing, flip flops, t-shirts with logos or images). Conduct yourself in an exemplary manner. Do not listen to ipods or do other non-related activities during your time in the school.
• All students are required to visit the professor during office hours at least once during the first seven weeks of the quarter.

Required Texts:

• All required media (podcasts, videos, etc) are on e-reserve at Geisel Library, or on TED or linked to the online syllabus.

Disability Accommodations:

The professor is dedicated to making this course as accessible to all students as possible. If you require accommodations or services for disabilities, please communicate with the professor immediately and register with the Office of Students with Disabilities (OSD) in order to obtain a current Authorization for Accommodation (AFA) letter. This letter is required for eligibility for requests. Receipt of AFAs in advance is necessary for appropriate planning for the provision of reasonable accommodations. OSD Academic Liaisons also need to receive current AFA letters.

For additional information, contact the Office for Students with Disabilities:

• 858.534.4382 (V)
• 858.534.9709 (TTY) - Reserved for people who are deaf or hard of hearing
• osd@ucsd.edu
• http://disabilities.ucsd.edu

Academic Integrity:
You are required to observe university regulations regarding academic integrity. This means no student shall engage in any activity that involves attempting to receive a grade by means other than honest effort; for example:

• No student shall knowingly procure, provide, or accept any unauthorized material that contains questions or answers to any examination or assignment to be given at a subsequent time.
• No student shall complete, in part or in total, any examination or assignment for another person.
• No student shall knowingly allow any examination or assignment to be completed, in part or in total, for himself or herself by another person.
• No student shall plagiarize or copy the work of another person and submit it as his or her own work.
• No student shall employ aids excluded by the instructor in undertaking course work or in completing any exam or assignment.
• No student shall alter graded class assignments or examinations and then resubmit them for re-grading.
• No student shall submit substantially the same material in more than one course without prior authorization.
• No student shall sign attendance sheets for another student, or ask someone else to sign in for her/him.

Any plagiarism will result in a grade of "F" for the assignment or exam, will be reported to the Academic Integrity Office, and may result in an overall course grade of F. To view the UCSD Academic Integrity policy, visit:
https://students.ucsd.edu/_files/Academic-Integrity/Sanctioning-Guidelines.pdf