In my classes, students explore theoretical approaches and practical applications of digital media. They create web sites, blogs and multimedia projects that examine various media issues ranging from security and anonymity of the Internet to the ownership and aesthetical appeals of digital media.
This is an introductory course to digital media and web design, which explores both the practical applications and the theoretical implications of the Internet and the web. Students practice writing for academic and professional purposes on social media, and develop their own criteria and best practices for using digital media. Students design a web site using Adobe DreamWeaver, hypertext mark-up language (HTML) and Cascading Styling Sheets (CSS), as well as blogs on convergent media topics.
Examples of students' work (Fall 15):
The Syrian Crisis web site by Tesbih Habbal
Disney Travel Agency web site by David Gallaher
SIUE Men’s Soccer Site by Jabari Danzy
Personal Portfolio Site by Christal Sampson
Fitness Frenzy by Andrea Tompson
Bravo! Chicago Theatre web site by Jasmine Woods
This is a project-based course, which builds a foundation for understanding contemporary issues surrounding multimedia design, production and consumption. Multimedia is a rapidly changing field. While it is impossible to cover all the cutting-edge technologies in one course, the course aims at building groundwork for students to understand the field of fluid and interactive design, to become a conscious user of multimedia and to learn some industry-standard software tools like Dreamweaver and Flash by completing their own projects.
Examples of students' work (Fall 15):
Price Media site by Siarra Price
Explore and Encounter by Sydney Emhke
Soccer Topics by Armando Gould
Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Site by Adrianna Henson
Online Personal Portfolio by Jariessa Jackson
Ignite Events site by Olivia van Walleghen
This is a graduate course, which surveys major mass media theories, and develops students' understanding of the role of theories in scholarship and media practices.
Course Goals: Upon the successful completion of this course students will have developed:
This class explores how people construct their social and cultural identities through various emerging media—Instragram, Twitter, and YouTube. These new media platforms provide venues for people to construct and experiment with identities; and at the same time the anonymous, viral and ephemeral characteristics of these emerging media complicate identity. Students read articles and essays on gender, race, class, sexual orientation and ethnicity coming from different sociological, cultural and philosophical perspectives. They also relect upon identity politics and various arguments surrounding cultural tensions manifested in emerging media. Students will engage in writing about their own identities and producing Do-It-Yourself media pieces.
This course provides an overview of research methods used in the communication field such as the survey, content analysis, the field observation, the focus group, and the in-depth interview. Students learn the phases of conducting communication research which often involve problem identification, a literature review, the development of a research question or hypothesis, sampling, data collection, analysis and interpretation of the data, and reporting. They also conduct research with their classmates employing the methods learned.