CMNS 201 (Introduction to Mass Media) – Concept Mapping
Grade weight:
8%
The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate your mastery of the course material through analysis, synthesis and concept mapping. You will answer one of the three questions set forth in the Student Manual for this assignment through a concept map and a short essay (300 – 500 words). The questions for this assignment are as follow:
1 – The future of media: How do you envision the individual media (newspapers/magazines, sound recordings, radio) ten years from now? Will they still be a part of our culture? Will their function in our society differ from the present? Will the convergence of media with computer technology alter their effects on individuals?
2 – Media dissemination and consumption in your community: Select two of the individual media and explain how they serve your community as a vehicle for news communication. For instance, how does radio deliver the local news to the community? How accurately and objectively do you feel the news is being communicated? Do the news sources dictate opinions in the community or does the community dictate what is being reported?
3 – Copyright, censorship and MP3 technology: Copyright and censorship are two issues that have been much discussed in the context of MP3 technologies in the last few years. Discuss how one of these issues affect you. Do we have enough legislation? Do we have the right legislation? Can these technologies be regulated at all? If not, what will the effect be on you and your family?
You will first answer the questions posed within the question series selected from the options above (draft). Then review your readings and notes from Units 1 – 6 to identify key concepts, events and occurrences that are related to the answers you have constructed. Then use a visualization tool, a concept mapping application, to demonstrate visually how these concepts relate to one another within the context of mass media in Canadian society. Submit your concept map to your tutor accompanied by a 300 – 500 word explanation of how the featured concepts relate to one another.
For this assignment, you will:
- Identify key concepts and events that are involved in the answers to the question series chosen. Note that you should identify 3 – 6 concepts and/or themes per unit.
- Using a visualization tool focused on concept mapping found in the e-Lab’s Virtual Tool Cupboard (e.g., Visual Understanding Environment [VUE]), build a concept map that demonstrates the relationships that exist between and among the concepts and events that you have identified above. If you would like to work with a visualization concept-mapping tool that is not included in the Virtual Tool Cupboard, please provide your tutor with its name and URL.
- Write a brief essay about your concept map (300 – 500 words) that clearly describes the relationships it illustrates.
A recommended methodology is presented below as well as a marking rubric that will be used to evaluate your work. Your finished concept map should contain 1 - 36 elements (concepts, events, occurrences). Note that APA or MLA formatting should be used consistently throughout your essay to acknowledge the source of the material included; please advise your tutor if you require guidance or resources for citation. Note that the Purdue University On-Line Writing Lab (OWL) offers current information on both styles of academic formatting, which could be of great use to you: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/. Athabasca University’s WriteSite also presents useful tools and information on academic writing and formatting: http://www2.athabascau.ca/services/write-site/.
Methodology:
1 – Answering the Questions Series Chosen
In a draft format, answer the questions posed within the option chosen above. Relate the content of your responses to ideas, concepts, events and occurrences that you remember from your course reading.
2 – Identifying Elements (concepts and events)
Review the content and material for Units 1 – 6. Identify which elements relate to the responses you developed within your draft responses; ideally, you should identify 3 – 6 elements for each unit that you will then include within your concept map.
3 – Establishing Relationships Between/Among Elements
Once significant concepts and events have been identified, decide how each element relates to the other; consider how concepts and events are connected. For example, consider the definitions of copyright and censorship; consider current legislation governing the production, transmission and consumption of electronic music files; consider your own consumption habits of such music/files. How could you present the relationships between these concepts visually?
4 – The Visualization Tool
Familiarize yourself with an on-line visualization tool, such as the VUE tool included in the e-Lab Virtual Tool Cupboard. Review instructional material and tutorials included on the tool’s website. Build your own concept map based on the elements and relationships established above.
5 – The Short Essay
Explain your concept mapping decisions in a short essay of 300 – 500 words. Note that the short essay must be formatted in a current academic style such as MLA 2009 or APA. Submit the concept map and the short essay to your tutor via Moodle.
Evaluation:
The following rubric will be used to evaluate your submission. Please read the criteria before beginning the assignment and refer back to it as you work on your paper to make sure that assignment expectations are being met.
|
Criterion |
A Range |
B Range 70 – 79% |
C Range 60 – 69% |
D Range 50 – 59% |
|
Content |
Relevance - demonstrates thorough understanding of course concepts by presenting the most appropriate information from Units 1 through 6 for inclusion within concept map
- demonstrates thorough understanding of the relationships bewteen/among the elements chosen |
demonstrates considerable understanding of course concepts by presenting highly appropriate information from Units 1 through 6 for inclusion within concept map
- demonstrates considerable understanding of the relationships bewteen/among the elements chosen |
- demonstrates general understanding of course concepts by presenting appropriate information from Units 1 through 6 for inclusion within concept map
- demonstrates general understanding of the relationships bewteen/among the elements chosen |
- demonstrates limited understanding of course concepts by presenting some appropriate information from Units 1 through 6 for inclusion within concept map
- demonstrates limited understanding of the relationships bewteen/among the elements chosen |
|
Reasoning |
Definition and precision of terms - shows thorough understanding of the relationship between elements included within concept map and justifications offered within short essay
Use of evidence - offers pertinent arguments to justify response, draws from a variety of course materials; demonstrates a subtle understanding of relationships between ideas |
- shows considerable understanding of the relationship between elements included within concept map and justifications offered within short essay
- offers pertinent arguments to justify response, draws from course materials |
- shows some understanding of the relationship between elements included within concept map and justifications offered within short essay
- offers some arguments to justify response, draws from a limited selection of course materials |
- shows limited understanding of the relationship between elements included within concept map and justifications offered within short essay
- offers few arguments to justify response |
|
Organization |
Logical consistency - follows all recommended writing guidelines as set forth in the Student Manual, follows an appropriate academic style rigorously (APA or MLA)
- concept map demonstrates visually relationships between ideas in a highly effective manner |
- follows most recommended writing guidelines as set forth in the Student Manual, follows an appropriate academic style consistently (APA or MLA)
- concept map demonstrates visually relationships between ideas in an effective manner
|
- follows some of the recommended writing guidelines as set forth in the Student Manual, follows an appropriate academic style (APA or MLA)
- concept map demonstrates visually relationships between ideas in a generally effective manner |
- follows few of the recommended writing guidelines as set forth in the Student Manual, and fails to use an appropriate academic style (APA or MLA)
- concept map does not demonstrate visually relationships between ideas presented |
|
Research Skills |
Accuracy and variety of information - demonstrates a high degree of research ability: includes a wide variety of course concepts from Units 1 – 6
|
- demonstrates research abilities: applies a variety of course concepts; from Units 1 – 6
|
- demonstrates some degree of research ability: applies some course concepts from Units 1 – 6
|
- demonstrates little research ability: applies few course concepts from Units 1 – 6
|
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