COM 44101 - Social Media: Theory And Practice

This course explores the influence of social media in our daily. From theory to practical examinations of form and genre to content creation, this course provides students the opportunity to explore topics such as activism, entrepreneurship, news production, and interpersonal discourse. Students will learn effective strategies and applications of these platforms, with readings and hands-on projects that will address the social, technical, and behavioral factors related to the use and adoption of social media technologies.

Cr. 3.
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Explain communication concepts and theories relevant to their major.
2. Analyze media and public communication.
3. Demonstrate a basic understanding of the terminology of mediated and public communication.
4. Identify and analyze the form, structure, and techniques of mediated or public texts in their entirety, and consider how they function in a larger context.
5. Think critically, creatively, and independently.
6. Apply theories of communication to better understand the use of social media by organizations, public officials, and other individuals.
7. Gain intimate knowledge of the top social media platforms and how to use each one to engage audiences, drive traffic and market themselves and their organizations.
8. Learn how news organizations identify trending stories and cover breaking news using social media and crowdsourcing.
9. Create engaging content and/or know how to measure success for a social media campaign.
10. Build up their personal social media presence, making them more marketable to future employers.