General Information
| Course Code | S_CMC |
|---|---|
| Credits | 6 EC |
| Period | P4 |
| Course Level | 300 |
| Language of Tuition | English |
| Faculty | Fac. of Social Sciences and Humanities |
| Course Coordinator | dr. D. van Huijstee |
| Examiner | dr. D. van Huijstee |
| Teaching Staff |
dr. D. van Huijstee dr. D.F. Preciado Vanegas dr. D.A. Parry drs. E.R. Schagen J.K. Kat dr. M.A. Tanis |
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Part of programme(s)
Bachelor
Premaster
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Practical Information
You need to register for this course yourself. The (de)registration deadlines can be found on VU.nl
| Teaching Methods | Study Group, Written partial exam, Lecture |
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Target audiences
This course is also available as:
Course Objective
Upon completion of this course, the student is able to:
- describe and discuss new media challenges from different perspectives.
- critically assess communication-scientific theories in light of new media challenges.
- compare theoretical perspectives to evaluate empirical studies related to new media.
- advise stakeholders on new media challenges by applying communication-scientific theories.
- integrate scientific findings related to a current media challenge into a creative lesson plan tailored to a non-academic audience.
Course Content
Media are omnipresent in our society. While digital platforms offer exciting possibilities for interpersonal connection, customer service, and democratization, they also present a "dark side", including privacy violations, the spread of misinformation, and threats to democratic processes.
A crucial question for any communication scientist is how to navigate these challenges. Have recent developments fundamentally reshaped society, requiring entirely new frameworks, or can we still explain media use and effects through classic theories?
In this course, we take a theory- and evidence-based approach to these issues. The course begins with a series of in-depth lectures where you will delve into a range of current topics, presented by active researchers from the Communication Science Department who are currently investigating these fields. Examples of topics are the psychological impact of digital media on mental health, the mechanisms and consequences of misinformation in the digital age, and the evolving role of social robotics in human interaction. These sessions provide the theoretical foundation and empirical insights necessary to understand today’s media challenges from multiple perspectives. In the final weeks of the course, the format shifts to interactive work groups; during this time, you will choose the specific topic that interests you most and apply your knowledge by designing a comprehensive lesson plan.
Additional Information Teaching Methods
Lectures + Workgroups
Method of Assessment
Written exam + Assignment (Lesson plan creation)
Literature
The mandatory literature will include published journal articles and relevant book chapters. Students will have to retrieve these themselves from the online databases of the VU library. The reading list will be announced in Canvas.
Additional Information Target Audience
Third-year bachelor students in communication science and premaster students in communication science. International exchange students are also very welcome to attend, and should note that this course is at the level of Bachelor 3.
Additional Information
This course serves as a stepping stone for the bachelor thesis course in periods 5-6.
The course will be entirely in English, including all lectures, assessments, and assignments.