SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION

CMNS 453-4

Linda Harasim	Fall Semester 2002
604-291-3257	Harbour Centre Day
Downtown office/tel TBA
email: harasim@sfu.ca

(Issues in the Information Society)
UNDERSTANDING CRITICAL THEORY AND PRACTICE
OF VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES, VIRTUAL UNIVERSITIES
AND VIRTUAL SEMINARS

Prerequisites:

75 credit hours including CMNS 253 and 362.

Focus:

The objectives for this course are to introduce the framework of critical theory and practice as applied to online environments and activities such as virtual communities and virtual universities. The course will involve hands-on activities and will be taught in mixed mode, whereby some classes will be held in face-to-face mode while others will occur entirely online. There will be training in the use of online discussions and seminars. Students will be encouraged to explore a wide variety of applications, such as the use of virtual communities for learning, virtual universities, and/or virtual seminars such as those used by labour unions in the Third World. Students will then especially focus on one particular application or activities as a focus for moderating a one-week online seminar.

Readings:

A set of readings will be put together, and distributed in class.
Readings are to be done prior to the week in which they are discussed.

Assignments and Grades:

Midterm 20%
Assignment 1 30%
Assignment 2: 20%
Assignment 3: 30%

The School expects that the grades awarded in this course will bear some reasonable relation to established university-wide practices with respect to both levels and distribution of grades. In addition, the School will follow Policy T10.02 with respect to "Intellectual Honesty," and "Academic Discipline" (see the current Calendar, General Regulations Section).