MIT 244G
Cyber-communication: Communications and Learning Technologies in Contemporary Society
Half course: 2 hours lecture, 2 hours lab

Instructor: Dr. Nick Dyer-Witheford                                            Office: 283 Middlesex College
Tel: 661-2111, ex. 8502                                                                Email: ncdyerwi@uwo.ca
 

Prerequisites: Any 020-level course from the Faculty of Arts and Social Science or from the department of Computer Science, or permission of the course coordinator.

Texts & Electronic Resources: There are two set texts for the course--Matthew Friedman, Fuzzy Logic: Dispatches from the Information Revolution (Vehicule Press, 1997)--available from the university bookstore.

The course will be supported by a Web site: http://instruct.uwo.ca/mit/244/. We will also make frequent use of the Web site associated with Fuzzy Logic: http://fuzzylogic.total.net.

Objectives: Following from the course description, the successful completion of this course will enable learners to, at minimum:

Understand the social scope of computer-mediated-communication, and its increasing importance to contemporary culture, commerce and political community.

Critically assess controversies about the social significance of cyber-communication.

Evaluate the workof leading theorists of contemprary techno-culture.

Access resources on the Internet and the World Wide Web to reflexively research the topic of cyber-communication.

Work and thrive collaboratively in a multi-media--oral, textual and electronic--learning environment.

Requirements:
Written Assignments: There will be three written assignments, each of which you will have two weeks to do.
Assignment 1:  20%  Set: Oct. 5  Due:  Oct. 19.  Covering weeks 1-4
Assignment 2:  30%  Set: Nov. 2. Due: Nov. 16. Covering weeks 5-9
Assignment 3:  30%  Set: Nov 23. Due: Dec. 7. Covering weeks 10-13.
Each assignment will take the form of a short essay, from a choice of questions. It will relate directly to the lectures and readings of the weeks covered, but will require some research to extend your understanding of the issues. Papers will be a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 6 pages long, printed/typed, double-spaced, hard copy. Late assignments will have 1% of the total course mark deducted per day late, unless you have a documented medical excuse, and will not be accepted more than one week late without documented medical excuse. It is the student’s responsibility to keep a copy of assignments to protect against loss or theft. Plagiarism-the unacknowledged use of other people's ideas-is a serious offence, and will be dealt with according to the established UWO procedures detailed in the Academic calendar. If you are unclear as to what constitutes plagiarism, consult your instructor or TA.
Tutorial participation: 10% for attendance and constructive contribution to tutorials/labs., including completion of any short in-class exercises set by TAs.
Computer conferencing: 10%. For participation in the Caucus computer conference associated with the course, starting in Week 3.
 

Instructor's Office Hours: This course is coordinated by Dr. Nick Dyer-Witheford. Office: 283 Middlesex, Office Hours: Wednesdays 9-11am. Email Office Hours: Wednesdays 9am-10am (you can send me email any time, but I will answer it--volume permitting--at this time). Email: ncdyerwi@uwo.ca. Tel: 661-2111, ex. 8502.

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