| Session |
Date |
Subject |
Reading/Assignment (due before class on the date specified) |
| 1 |
M, Feb 1 |
Introductions |
No Reading |
| 2 |
W, Feb 3 |
The Landscape of Media Criticism |
Read http://davis.foulger.info/research/unifiedModelOfCommunication.htm and http://evolutionarymedia.com/cgi-bin/wiki.cgi?IntroductionToMediaCriticism |
| 3 |
M, Feb 8 |
Exploring and Explaining Media |
Read Allen, Introduction |
| 4 |
W, Feb 10 |
Doing Media Criticism |
TBD |
| - |
M, Feb 15 |
Presidents Day, Classes Cancelled |
| 5 |
W, Feb 17 |
Semiotics |
Read Allen, Chapter One; Bring body of content to class |
| 6 |
M, Feb 22 |
Semiotics (Continued) |
TBD |
| 7 |
W, Feb 24 |
Narratology |
Read Allen, Chapter Two |
| 8 |
M, Mar 1 |
Narratology (Continued) |
TBD |
| 9 |
W, Mar 3 |
Writing Media Criticism |
TBD; First Annotated Bibliography Due |
| 10 |
M, Mar 8 |
Genre Theory |
Read Allen, Chapter 4 |
| 11 |
W, Mar 10 |
Genre Theory (continued) |
Read Medium as an Ecology of Genre (web reading) |
| 12 |
M, Mar 15 |
Auteur Theory and Production-Oriented Approaches |
TBD; Short Paper 1 Due |
| 13 |
W, Mar 17 |
Medium as Message Theory |
Read "The X is the Message" |
| 14 |
M, Mar 22 |
Audience-Oriented Criticism |
Read Allen, Chapter 3 |
| 15 |
W, Mar 24 |
Audience-Oriented Criticism (continued) |
TBD |
| - |
Mar 29-Apr 6 |
Spring Recess |
| 16 |
W, Apr 7 |
Ideological Analysis |
Read Allen Chapter 5; Optionally Read Allen, Chapter 7 |
| 17 |
M, Apr 12 |
Ideological Analysis (Continued) |
Short Paper 2 Due |
| 18 |
W, Apr 14 |
Cultural Theory |
Read Allen, Chapter 8 |
| 19 |
M, Apr 19 |
Theories of Mind |
Read Allen, Chapter 6; Second Annotated Bibliography Due |
| 20 |
W, Apr 21 |
The Post-Modern Turn |
Read Allen, Chapter 9 |
| 21 |
M, Apr 26 |
Uses of Media |
TBD; First Complete Draft of Term Paper Due |
| 22 |
W, Apr 28 |
Term Paper Presentations |
No Reading |
| 23 |
M, May 3 |
Term Paper Presentations |
No Reading |
| 24 |
W, May 5 |
Term Paper Presentations |
No Reading |
| 25 |
M, May 10 |
Term Paper Presentations |
No Reading |
| 26 |
W, May 12 |
The Rearview Mirror |
TBD; Final Submission of Term Paper for Grading |
| 27 |
M, May 17 |
Thinking Systematically about Media; Exam Preview |
Read Allen, Afterword. |
| 28 |
May 19-25 |
Final Exams, Date TBD |
