Syllabus
COMM 1400, Social Media Communication
3 Credit Hours, 3 Contact Hours

Prerequisites:  None
Course Materials:  None
Facilities Use:  Electronic Classroom

Instructor: 		Office hours: 	
Telephone:	 	Email: 

Text Examples:
•	The Social Media Bible by Ron Safko
•	The Big Book of Social Media: Case Studies, Stories, Perspectives by Robert Fine
•	The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to our Brains by Nicholas Carr

Course Description:

This course will explore the history, rise, and growth of social media as a 21st century communication practice. Students will study the advances that led to the creation of social media and just as importantly examine how the use of social media fed its growth. Students will develop social media communication plans and practice digital communication using online tools such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Kickstarter, YouTube, Flickr, Digg, and Tumblr.

Learning Outcomes:
As a result of this course, the student will be able to:
•	Discuss the history of social media and its impact on society.
•	Analyze digital media messaging to determine credibility and relevance of a message.
•	Describe how to effectively craft social media messaging campaigns.
•	Use social media tools to become effective consumers and designers of online messaging.
•	Design and organize social media communication to harness the diverse uses of digital messaging.

Weights Used to Derive the Final Total Points Out of 100:
1. Attendance and participation (20%)
2. Editing assignments (40%)
3. Exams and Projects (40%)

From Point Grades to Letter Grades:

93-100	A	
90-92	A-	
87-89	B+	
83-86	B	
80-82	B-	
77-79	C+	
70-76	C	
67-69	D+	
60-66	D	
>60	F	

The instructor reserves the right to raise or lower final grades due to attendance, class participation, and other course requirements.

Academic Integrity:
Violation of academic integrity will be subject to the college’s disciplinary code as stated in the Student Handbook.

Attendance:
Class attendance is vital to student success because it provides opportunities to enhance learning by interacting with fellow classmates and instructors. With this goal in mind, the English Department created its attendance policy. When students register for a course which meets on a specific day(s) and time, they are consenting to be on time and present. Faculty members follow the policy in an effort to treat everyone equally. Remember that absences should be used only if absolutely necessary for bereavement, serious illness, court appearances, and other unavoidable circumstances. For a class that meets 3 times a week, you are allowed three, unexplained absences. (Note that two late arrivals=1 absence.) After 3 absences, your grade will be reduced. After 6 absences, an F will be assigned for the course.

Accommodations:
The Disability Services Office (DDS) provides support services and coordinates reasonable academic accommodations for students with documented disabilities under the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Students are responsible for identifying themselves to the DSS office and submitting appropriate documentation in advance of the requested accommodation. For more information, contact DSS: (401) 825-2164 in Warwick, (401) 333-7329 in Lincoln, (401) 455-6064 in Providence and (401) 851-1650 in Newport. 

Schedule
COMM 1400: Social Media Communication

Week	Topic	Assignment	
1	Media Literacy in the Digital Age	Textbook reading, In class discussion	
2	Social Media history	Textbook and Web readings and research; Critique Essay	
3	How has the Internet changed us?	Textbook reading, presentation	
4	Social Media 
Audiences and Users	Handout, online experimentation	
5	Social Media Identification and Exploration	Research papers 	
6	Mid-Term Exam
	Social Media Project overview and planning	
7	Online Tools for social media communication 	Textbook reading, Social media tools account setup	
8	Participatory media and social implications	Handouts and article readings, online exploration 	
9	Communicating directly with your audience	Textbook reading, online exercises,
Social Media Project development	
10	Search Engines and Mobile Media	Textbook reading, Message Outline Presentations	
11	Collaboration, Community and Communication	Online exercises and experimentation, Social Media Project development	
12	The Future of Social Media	Textbook and online reading	
13	Message and Content: Sustaining your audience	Textbook and online reading	
14	Project Workshop	Social Media Project Wrap-up	
15	Final Projects	Project Presentations