MDST 580

Issues in Communication Technology

4 Undergraduate credits
Effective August 24, 2002 – Present

This course is concerned with the impact communication technologies have had and continue to have on human societies. The course begins with a brief examination of two technologies that have had a profound impact on how people think about communication. It looks at the background and impact of current technologies. And it also looks at new and emerging technologies - such as hypermedia, neural nets, virtual reality - speculating about how these technologies will change people in the near future and later in the twenty-first century.

Learning outcomes

General

Students explore at an advanced level the complex relationship between communication technologies and society.
Students learn relevant communication theory, explore key social trends and examine a number of technologies in depth.
Students learn a historical perspective on communication technologies.
Students explore, critique and discuss speculation about future technologies.
Students develop an advanced understanding of how communication technologies connect people (and who they leave out) and how technologies often evolve beyond their original purpose.
Students write advanced level research papers on class topics and present their research to the class.