Comparative Media Systems, COM 420
World Information Access
Fall 2006
Monday and Wednesday, 11:30-1:20
Room #302 Communications Building
Dr. Philip N. Howard, Assistant Professor
Room 141, Communications Building
Telephone: (206) 221-6532, E-mail: pnhoward&-u.washington.edu
Office Hours MW 10:30-11:20 and 1:30-2:20 and by appointment
Course Content
This is a course about how information and communication technologies are used to help solve social problems in developing countries. Students will be involved in original research through a group project—publication of content for the World Information Access Project web site (www.wiareport.org). The reports will be some of the first comprehensive studies of the distribution of information technology within and between countries. Coursework is centered around the production of these reports, which will include comparative data tables and chapters on key countries, global cities, and themes of interest to the students. This class is all about researching and writing in groups, so if you already know you do not like group projects, do not take this class.
This course will be run as a workshop. Students are encouraged to share their critical insights on development and communication so as to help all of us understand specific theoretical questions about the relationship between cultures, communication and development. This class has several specific goals:
Although this course has no formal prerequisites, students with life experience overseas, or coursework in communication, international studies, or political science will be best prepared for the pace and expectations of this course.
- to understand the role of new media communication tools in local, national, and regional development;
- to understand core development theories of modernization, dependency and underdevelopment;
- to practice collecting and analyzing raw data, producing accessible research material, and managing relationships with news media and development practitioners;
- to apply the comparative method, critical theories of development, and team learning skills through group projects.
Teaching Method
This class will be run as a workshop. Much of the class time will be spent in small working committees that will change frequently as we move through different phases of gathering data, creating table and text content, and promoting our findings. We will often talk about current events in class, so you should start listening for news items related to course topics. Each class will probably start off with people sharing relevant clippings or news stories read (New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Economist Magazine recommended) or heard (NPR or BBC recommended) during the week. During some classes, we will spend time collectively searching for data or writing for collective stories.
In a typical class, you will be making phone calls, hunting for data online, building spreadsheets, or writing short summaries of important trends. This class has almost no required reading, but students will still be expected to work about 10 hours per week on our project. Class time will provide 4 hours a week to for meetings with your group, editing each other’s work, and conferring with the instructor. The other 6 hours a week will be spent hunting for data online, doing phone interviews, and writing up your findings. This is a service education class where the goal is to learn about how information technologies are used to solve social problems in developing countries, and to produce a research resource for journalists, development practitioners, and the public.
Methods of Evaluation
There are no quizzes, mid-term exams or final exams in this course. The final grade will be determined by successful authorship credit for two data memos, successful completion of code sheets designed by principal investigators, an external evaluation of our content, and a participation review by both the instructor and your peers.
Assignment Points Peer Participation Reviews Instructor Participation Review
Weekly Research Code sheets Research Memo 1 Research Memo 2 External Evaluation (Shared Grade) Total The peer evaluations will be run every two weeks, and each person will evaluate the people they have been working with. Students will be responsible for generating content ideas during our meetings, for collecting and analyzing data, for constructing the web site, for publicizing our research findings, and for representing our project to public. Some stories may be dropped for lack of data or writing quality, but you will still be credited for trying. E-mail will be used to conduct class business and carry on debates outside of class time.
Since irregular attendance will disrupt our learning community and a portion of the grade comes from peer review, absences will affect your grade. Attendance will be monitored, and since demand his high for admission to this class, absences may also result in your spot being given to another student. Exceptions will only be made for medical reasons, and you will need a doctor’s note.
There will be an evaluation of our report at the end of the quarter by an outside panel of experts in development communication. This committee will review our deliverables, and their assessment will help determine everyone’s final grade. In other words, if the whole website's content and presentation earns us a 38, then that grade will contribute to every student’s overall grade. Early in the quarter, students as a group will define the standards by which they want their project graded by the external reviewers.
I will not mark for grammar but if it impedes my ability to understand your arguments your grade will suffer, so it is a good idea to have at least one other person proofread your writing. Use William Strunk, Jr., and E. B. White, The Elements of Style (New York: Macmillan, 1979) for writing style questions. The University of Washington has a number of resources to help with writing style, and they are described online at http://depts.washington.edu/uwrite/. Howard Becker’s Writing for Social Sciences also has advice on developing good writing habits. Citations should be formatted according to the Chicago Manual of Style. Please refer to the University of Washington’s “Principles Regarding Academic Integrity” for the definitions and consequences of plagiarism.
Required Resources
The following resources are required for the course..
- The World Economic Forum’s The Global Information Technology Report, OR the United Nation’s Human Development Report, OR the World Resources Institute’s annual World Resources Report, OR the World Bank’s annual World Development Report, most recent year. New copies can be very expensive, so find a used copy of the most recent version you can afford on Amazon or another online book seller. We will coordinate our purchases as a class. $20-$25.
- New York Times, weekly subscription, $35.
- Long distance calling card for interviewing experts in other countries. $20.