Assignment 1 -- Tracking Media Use

Response due Monday, 9/24 by midnight
(use comment section below to submit response)

As explained today in lecture, you have a homework assignment for this weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, I want you to take brief notes on your use of media. This doesn't need to be a "down to the minute" catalogue of your activities, but try to be as reasonably accurate as you can. For instance, your journal for Saturday morning might look like this:

Saturday AM:

Talked on the phone with Cheryl -- 20 mins.

Watched College Football on ESPN -- 2 hrs.

Listened to music on Pandora -- 30 mins.

Commented and chatted on Facebook -- 45 mins.

On Monday, return to your journal. On a separate page, re-organize the individual items (e.g., Listened to music on Pandora) based on instances of "mediated interpersonal communication" and instances of "mass communication" (Note: these are topics discussed in the chapter for this week). Then, after you've organized the individual items, determine how much total time you spent this weekend using media for interpersonal communication, and how much time you spent with mass communication media. Your re-organized journal should look something like this:

Instances of mediated interpersonal communication: 

Talked on the phone with Cheryl -- 20 mins.

Commented and chatted on Facebook -- 45 mins.

etc. -- xx mins.

etc. -- xx mins.

Total mediated interpersonal communication -- xx mins.

Instances of mass communication:

Watched College Football on ESPN -- 2 hrs.

Listened to music on Pandora -- 30 mins.

etc. -- xx mins.

etc. -- xx mins.

Total mediated interpersonal communication -- xx mins.

Some items might not fit well as "mediated interpersonal communication" or "mass communication." Don't sweat it. Place items in the category where you think they fit best, and put an asterisk (*) next to the items that presented difficult choices for you.

After compiling (1) your media use journal and (2) your re-organized media use journal, paste each as  a single comment below. Your comment is due at midnight on Monday (9/24). Please be sure to include your full name at the top of your comment.

This assignment is worth 30 of the 270 points available for the media explorations course component. I will use the following rubric to grade your responses:

30 points -- Executed all assignment components. Demonstrates firm understanding of subject matter. Is well organized and very easy to follow.

22 points -- Executed assignment components mostly as asked. Demonstrates reasonable understanding of subject matter. Is fairly well organized and generally easy to follow.

14 points -- Executed only some of the assignment's components. Demonstrates limited understanding of subject matter. Poorly organized and difficult at times to follow.

6 points -- No evidence of having given the assignment real thought. Minimal or no understanding of subject matter. No organization is evident. Reads like a last minute effort.

0 points -- No assignment submitted or submitted late.