Communication Studies (CMNS) 302
Communication in History (Revision 3)

CMNS 302 closed August 11, 2003, replaced by current version.

Delivery modes: Individualized study with video and audio components; Online-enhanced
Credits: 3 - Humanities
Prerequisite: None.
Centre: Centre for State and Legal Studies
Challenge for Credit: CMNS 302 has a Challenge for Credit option
Télé-université du Québec equivalency: COM 2000
Learn more online: Course/Program information

>> Overview | Course Objectives | Outline | Evaluation | Course Materials
>> Special Course Feature | Course Fees | Course Availability


Overview

Communication in History is a required course in the Bachelor of Professional Arts (Communication Studies) degree program. This course introduces a series of historical moments in the development of communication technology.

Communication in History is intended to ground communication studies students in the field. The course introduces not just the development of communication technology, but some of the main scholarly debates about those technologies. In so doing, it tries to establish the notion that the history of communicationtechnology is as much about ideas and practices as it is about events and things.

Course Objectives

Communication in History is intended to accomplish the following objectives:

  1. Understanding: to introduce major developments in the history of communication technology so that students can understand how innovation and institutionalization occur in different settings.

  2. Comparative analysis: to develop students' ability to compare and contrast among different technologies and across different cultural contexts.

  3. Application: through the study of debates and practices in the field to assist students in applying their understanding and critical abilities to their professional practice.

Outline

  • Unit 1 Introduction: Technology and Society
  • Unit 2 Literacy and Orality: A Debate
  • Unit 3 Scribal Culture into Print
  • Unit 4 Wired World
  • Unit 5 Image Technologies and the Emergence of Mass Society
  • Unit 6 Radio: The People's Medium
  • Unit 7 TV Times
  • Unit 8 Computer Networks

Evaluation

To receive credit for CMNS 302, students must achieve a course composite mark of at least "D" (50 percent). The weighting of the composite mark is as follows:

Summary and Commentary Critical Book Review Research Paper Final Exam Total
15% 15% 30% 40% 100%

Course Materials

Textbook

Crowley, David, and Paul Heyer. 1999. Communication in History: Technology, Culture, Society. 3d ed. New York: Longman.

Audiocassette

War of the Worlds, a radio broadcast featuring Orson Welles.

Other course materials

Other course materials include a study guide, student manual, and a reading file.

Library-based course materials

Students registered in this course may request course-related videotapes and audiocassettes from Athabasca University Library.

Special Course Feature

Students registered in this course may take part in computer conferencing.

Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice.
Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.

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Rev. #3, Aug. 21/00. To previous version.
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This page was updated by G. Zahara