WESTERN COURSES
MIT 1200F/G - Media in Society
This course gives students the necessary tools to interpret a range of texts in various contexts. It is an extended practical application of selected forms of cultural analysis to diverse media and ideas. The course surveys the development of our roles as consumers and participants in media, culture and society.
2 lecture hours and 1 tutorial hour, 0.5 course.
MIT 1500A/B - The Matter of Technology
The course provides the technical, cultural, and historical background to inform our cultural ideas, myths, and fears about technology. The focus of the course is current and emergent technologies, focusing on the ways those technologies work along with their technical and cultural implications.
2 lecture hours and 2 laboratory hours, 0.5 course.
MIT 1700F/G - FYI: Information and Its Contexts
An introduction to the universe of print and electronic information sources. Students examine how information is organized and presented, learn basic information retrieval techniques such as how to search library catalogues, periodical databases and the Internet, and develop information retrieval strategies to support their research.
2 lecture hours and 1 tutorial hour, 0.5 course.
MIT 2000F/G - The History of Communication
The course examines communication throughout history. It explores the relationship of communication media and technologies to society and culture. The course covers the history of different communication media, such as the printing press, telegraph, radio and television broadcasting, film and sound recording, and the Internet.
Prerequisite: At least 65% in each of MIT 1200F/G, 1500A/B and 1700 F/G.
2 lecture hours and 1 tutorial hour, 0.5 course.
MIT 2100F/G - Political Economy of Media
This course introduces basic concepts of political economy to the study of contemporary media. By examining corporate, public and alternative media formations, it provides students with the tools to analyze intersections of power and wealth in societies and economies increasingly centered on the profitable exploitation of culture and information.
Prerequisite: At least 65% in each of MIT 1200F/G, 1500A/B and 1700 F/G.
3 lecture hours, 0.5 course.
MIT 2200F/G - Mapping Media and Cultural Theory
The course explores traditions within media and cultural theory, including traditions such as cultural studies, semiotics, hermeneutics, poststructuralism and postmodernism. These traditions arise from debates around such issues as: audience/reader activity, diversity, context, texts and textual determination, ideology and hegemony, discourse, and socio-cultural constructions.
Prerequisite: At least 65% in each of MIT 1200F/G, 1500A/B and 1700F/G.
2 lecture hours and 1 tutorial hour, 0.5 course.
MIT 2500A/B - The Meaning of Technology: Exploring the Relationship between Technology and Society
Exploration of a number of technologies that lie behind and fuel the technocultural imagination. Introduces contemporary technologies from both a technical and cultural/historical point of view. Topics include: technological systems, issues of technical visualization, representation and interactivity, natural vs. artificial languages, artificial intelligence, robotics, natural and virtual environments, technology as social imperative and cultural metaphor.
Prerequisite: At least 65% in each of MIT 1200F/G, 1500A/B and 1700F/G.
2 lecture hours and 1 tutorial hour, 0.5 course.
Writing 2121F/G - Writing for MIT
This course will improve the writing skills of MIT students, many of whom will find themselves developing written content for a variety of media formats in their professional lives. The focus on the basic principles of grammar and their relation to techniques of good expository writing in professional communication will aid students in developing precise and elegant prose.
Antirequisite: Writing 2101F/G.
3 hours, 0.5 course.
FANSHAWE COURSES
MMED 1015 - Multimedia Project Development 1
MMED 3010 - Multimedia Project Development 2
The course (taken over two terms) will involve a combination of design, media development and project management activities to give the participants experience in many levels of the multimedia production process. The course will have no formal ‘lecture’ component; however, there will be a number of scheduled weekly seminars. Students will meet with an assigned project advisor(s) on a weekly basis, and will also have weekly or semi-weekly team meetings where they will be expected to complete specific project-related activities on a regular basis throughout the term.
The first term of this course will involve the students in activities designed to increase their independent skills in project planning, design, development and presentation:
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Conducting and presenting research on target audiences, primary goals and focus, existing market and competitive information, etc., relevant to the chosen client(s);
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Developing an overall plan for project implementation based on research and other documented information;
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Designing and prototyping;
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Presenting proposals and designs to identified client(s), and implementing feedback;
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Interviewing and selecting first year MMD students who will work on implementing portions of the project in the second term.
While students will collaborate in discussions, research, etc., all participants will be required to complete the assigned work in the first term; during the second term, it is expected that participating students will adopt more differentiated roles as development becomes the primary focus (overall project management, authoring, media asset acquisition and development, content development, etc.). In the first term, evaluation will be based on the student’s performance in the following areas:
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Needs Assessment/Project Goal Description (25%)
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Client discussion/interviews
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Gathering/Assimilation of Existing Information
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Selection of Media and Authoring/Delivery Platform(s)
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Design Documents and Outlines (20%)
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Informational and Graphic Design, Prototyping (30%)
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Client Presentation of Initial Proposal (15%)
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Revision (based on Client Feedback) (10%)
The second term will focus primarily the actual implementation of the plan and designs developed over the first term, presenting it to client groups and refining the final project application(s). Wherever feasible, this will be done with selected first-year MMDP students incorporated into existing teams, with MTP students assuming appropriate advisory/project management roles in addition to any media development duties.
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Delegating roles and development activities amongst the project team(s);
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Hands-on digital media development as appropriate;
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Providing "day to day" supervision and support in media development;
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Providing formal and informal feedback to project teams;
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Supervision and participation in beta testing and revision;
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Presentation of final media applications to clients and MMDP faculty.