Critical Media Theories | ATCM 3320 | Spring 2025
📜 Course Description
We live in a media-saturated world surrounded by data, instant communications, social media, and digital technologies. We're going to review existing media theory this semester. We will also work towards developing new theories to fit your experiences and help you navigate digital world.
The course will take a critical view of digital media while narrowing in on how the Internet and its workings are transforming culture, entertainment, business, political engagement, our experience of subjectivity and identity, and our ideas of social connection. In addition, students will be required to analyze their use of these new technologies and think critically about our digitized media landscape.
Instructor: David Rheams
Office hours: By Appointment
Email: davidc.rheams@utdallas.edu
Class Website: Critical Media Theory | Spring 2025
Course Schedule: Link
Credit Hours: 3
University Policies
Course Policies🧰 What You'll Get Out of This Class
- Understand the social, political, ethical, and legal ramifications of the Internet and network technologies
- Develop a way to use theory to guide your decisions and the way you interact with media and people
- Engage in the collaborative production of knowledge.
💡Helpful Tools
These are the writing and organization tools I will mention during the semester. They all have a free option. I’ll add to this list as we go through the semester.
- Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (OWL)
- Harvard’s Writing Center
- Academic Writing Style & Active & Passive Voice
Group Work & Attendance
Thinking is a team sport, and you'll be assigned group work in labs and presentations over the semester. The class is designed as an in-person class (unless otherwise indicated on the syllabus) so that we can take advantage of all being in the same room together.
Technologies & Platforms
As we've switched to an online class, here's what you'll need from a technology perspective.
- Class website: This website will have your schedule, lectures, instructions, reading materials, and everything else you need. If you're reading this, then you're in the right place.
- MS Teams: We will use MS Teams as the place for you to meet during lab, have class discussions, and talk to me! It's not perfect, but it will serve our purposes. We'll use it to give our presentations at the end of the semester.
- eLearning: We'll use eLearning to turn in your Think Pieces, Assignments, and any other class materials for a grade. However, this website is the source of truth for all dates and activities. So if you want to know when something is due, check here first.
- FigJam: We'll use FigJam for brainstorming activities. While I prefer actual sticky notes, whiteboards, and anything else likely to make a mess - this digital equivalent will have to work for now.
📚 Readings
All readings are provided for you - no need to buy textbooks. I've provided links to all readings on the class website. We'll use a mix of text, lecture, video, and audio during this class. Where and when possible, I'll provide multiple options. In addition, I've provided quite a few 'optional' readings if you find a subject interesting and would like to know more.
🏆 Grading
Breakdown
- Midterm (20%)
- Student Facilitation (20%)
- Presentation (10%)
- Journals & Participation (10%)
- Final Project (30%)
Scale
- A 94%-100%
- A- 90% - 93%
- B 84% - 89%
- B- 80% - 83%
- C 70% - 79%
- D 60% - 69%
- F < 60%
😢 Plagiarism
Presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words, is a serious offense with serious consequences. In short, don't do it.