WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY.doc

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY PROPOSAL FOR NEW COURSES Department _Mass Communication_____ Date __3/21/04_____ MCOM205 Principles of Internet Communication Three (3) Course No. Course Name Credits This proposal is for a(n) ___X___ Undergraduate Course ______ Graduate Course Applies to: __X__ Major _X___ Minor _X__ University Studies* _____ Required _____ Required _X__ Elective __X__ Elective Prerequisites _____None Grading method __X___ Grade only ______ P/NC only ______ Grade and P/NC Frequency of offering Spring term in 2004; each semester thereafter *For University Studies Program course approval, the form Proposal for University Studies Courses must also be completed. submitted according to the instructions on that form. Those materials Are Also Being Submitted Provide the following information (attach materials to this proposal): Those Materials Are Attached A. Course Description 1. Catalog description. 2. Course outline of the major topics and subtopics (minimum of two-level outline). 3. Basic instructional plan and methods. 4. Course requirements (papers, lab work, projects, etc.) and means of evaluation. 5. Course materials (textbook(s), articles, etc.). 6. List of references. B. Rationale 1. Statement of the major focus and objectives of the course. 2. Specify how this new course contributes to the departmental curriculum. 3. Indicate any course(s) which may be dropped if this course is approved. C. Impact of this Course on other Departments, Programs, Majors, or Minors 1. Does this course increase or decrease the total credits required by a major or minor of any other department? If so, which department(s)?

2. List the departments, if any, which have been consulted about this proposal. D. University Studies Course Proposals The form Proposal for University Studies Course must also be completed and submitted according to the instructions on that form. Attach a Financial and Staffing Data Sheet. That Form is Attached Attach an Approval Form. That Form is Attached Department Contact Person for this Proposal: __________________________________________ X5232 ___jweis@winona.edu___ Name: Prof. John N. Weis, Chair, MCOM Phone e-mail address

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY APPROVAL FORM Routing form for new and revised courses and programs. Course or Program: MCOM2005 Principles of Internet Communication Department Recommendation _________________________________ ________________ ________jweis@winona.edu_______ Department Chair Prof. John N. Weis Date e-mail address Dean’s Recommendation _____ Approved _____ Disapproved _________________________________ ________________ Dean of College Date A2C2 Recommendation _____ Approved _____ Disapproved For: _____ Major _____ Minor _________________________________ ________________ Chair of A2C2 Date Graduate Council Recommendation _____ Approved _____ Disapproved (if applicable) _________________________________ ________________ Chair of Graduate Council Date _________________________________ ________________ Director of Graduate Studies Date Faculty Senate Recommendation _____ Approved _____ Disapproved _________________________________ ________________ President of Faculty Senate Date Academic Vice President Recommendation _____ Approved _____ Disapproved ________________________________ ________________ Academic Vice President Date

Decision of President _____ Approved _____ Disapproved _________________________________ ________________ President Date Please forward to Registrar. Registrar _________________ Please notify department chair via e-mail that curricular change has been recorded. Date entered

A. Description: This course provides an overview of the unique and specialized nature of communicating to mass audiences via the Internet. This new medium, perhaps the most significant communication development since Gutenberg’s moveable type in the 1440s, starts with a message on a single web page from among one billion available to the receivers of that message. The medium also combines printed words, still photographs and other images, sound, video, character and component motion and interactivity. This course deals with fundamentals of html language, web page/site development and how to communicate clearly and maintain interest while balancing those complicated elements of the effective communication process. A complete syllabus follows this portion of the proposal. It is anticipated that this course would enjoy a high level of interest and support from the student population. Since this is simultaneously being proposed as a University Studies course, the department believes enrollment could be significant. The only other comparable department course is MCOM100, Media and Society, which has an average enrollment each term of more than 350 students. As such, lecture combined with video presentations and demonstrations would be the primary method of instruction. Students will be instructed in HTML and WYSIWIG web programming and development and the specifics of mass communication dealing with the Internet and intranets with concentration on the unique nature of that communication as it relates to: personal/family websites; entertainment, news and information, research, and persuasive communication Readings from the texts would be make up a significant portion of student responsibility. Students will be expected to satisfactorily complete weekly quizzes during the semester with a midterm examination and a final exam. They will also be expected to demonstrate further participation through periodic projects such as identifying effective and ineffective web communication between classes and sharing this information with the class. They will be required to develop a personal web site and publish that to a server using file transfer protocol. A panel seminar on website audits will be presented mid-course. Quizzes would be objective in nature, scantron if class size required it. The midterm and a final would be objective, scantron if class size required it.. Students would also be required to submit an electronic “hard copy’ of their website on CD or zip disk, etc. This would be evaluated by the instructor for its efficacy by communication type. The text for this course would include: Lynch, Patrick and Horton, Sarah. Web Style Guide. 2nd Edition. 2001.

New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN No. 0-300-08898-1. Price, Jonathan and Lisa. Hot Text: Web Writing That Works. 2002. Indianapolis: New Riders Publishing. ISBN No. 0-7357-1151-8. Alexander, J. and Tate, M. Web Wisdom: How to Evaluate and Create Information Quality on the Web. 2000.New Mahway, NJ.: Lawrence Erlbain Associates. ISBN No. 0-8058-3122-3C. These represent a combination of emphasis on web language, structure and design; the different types of web communication based on audience and purpose; and the unique aspects of non-linear, multimedia web communication and what makes for effective use of that unique medium. Students would use Adobe Software to develop their websites. This software, provided to students in MCOM courses by IT, works on the key server principle to ensure access in-class or outside of class times. This course would not require access to that software or the internet during class times, however. That software would be used by the instructor during class sessions, however. Students would work on their sites outside of class time. B. Rationale: The development of the Internet as a means of mass communication may be the most significant development in mass comm since the development of moveable metal type by Gutenberg in the 1440s leading to availability of printed material to mass audiences, an explosion in literacy and a society changed forever. It is critically important that the Mass Communication Department prepare our students for communicating effectively using a medium with which they are increasingly familiar–and dependent. Internet/web communication is not only an expected area of expertise for advertising and public relations professionals, newspapers, radio and television stations today consider web communication a necessary complement to their traditional means of communication. The MCOM Department is anxious to offer instruction related to this developing medium. In terms of due diligence, the department would be abrogating its responsibilities if it did not add this course as soon as possible. It is necessary to effectively prepare our students for professional responsibilities after graduation. But, significantly, the MCOM Department feels that this course should be available to all other students at Winona State University in general because of the growing necessity that students entering the workforce today have a sound understanding of how to use the Internet to communicate effectively in a wide range of activities and interests. But as

consumers of mass messages, it is also very important that they understand this form of communication. It is also important to their functioning outside the work environment with expectations that this will become even more important in the next few years. Based on the level of expressed interest in a course which deals with the very unique aspects of online communication, it is apparent that there is student interest outside the Mass Communication Department. This university can assume a leadership role in that education and societal preparation. It is most appropriate, the department believes, that the Mass Communication Department provide this instruction on the emerging mass medium involving the Internet. The department will be proposing that this course be made available as an elective in all MCOM options—Advertising, Broadcast TV and Radio, Journalism, Photojournalism and Public Relations. The department will be proposing a reduction of one required course in each of those options, but this is to enable students to take more electives in general and to provided more flexibility to students and to the department. This would also, however, provide a greater ability of students in all options to take this Internet course as well. As discussed elsewhere in this application, this will not require additional staff. C. Impact: The department is aware that other faculty in other departments have begun including website development in their courses. This does not contradict that in any sense. Within MCOM, for example, Public Relations, Public Relations Writing, Advertising, Advertising Campaigns, Public Relations Campaign all have web communication components. But the department feels that the students could get more from those classes if they had had access to a fundamental web communication course prior to taking the other, non-web-specific courses. Having a fundamentals course available to university students, especially if approved as a University Studies course, could bring students into other courses with an enhanced web capability to apply to the other courses currently requiring web involvement. This course does not change the number of hours required within any option in the MCOM Department, for either majors or minors. It does not affect hours for any department with which we have cooperative course offerings. We do not see any impact on other departments in this regard.

D. Univ. Studies: This course is being submitted as a University Studies course with use of appropriate application materials separately. E. Syllabus: The syllabus for MCOM205, Principles of Internet Communication, follows: ___________________________________ Course Title: Principles of Internet Communication Credit: Three (3) Semester Hours Term: One Semester Texts: Lynch, Patrick and Horton, Sarah. Web Style Guide. 2nd Edition. 2001. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN No. 0-300-08898-1. Price, Jonathan and Lisa. Hot Text: Web Writing That Works. 2002. Indianapolis: New Riders Publishing. ISBN No. 0-7357-1151-8. Alexander, J. and Tate, M. Web Wisdom: How to Evaluate and Create Information Quality on the Web. 2000.New Mahway, NJ.: Lawrence Erlbain Associates. ISBN No. 0-8058-3122-3C. Focus: The course uses fundamentals of communication as the foundation for focusing on how to communicate effectively in a medium which is visually oriented and increasingly demands mental and sensory stimulation to maintain viewer/reader interest. It examines the evolution of the mass media and the society in which they function. It provides specifics of Internet and web communication and the technology related to it. It deals specifically with the elements of effective communication for each of the types of communication on the Internet today. Methods: As a survey course, involves lecture primarily. But discussion will be used to foster dialogue leading to further understanding. Examples of both effective and ineffective web pages will be shown to the students. Students will also be expected to identify examples on their own and to share these with the class. This course offers fundamental training in web page/site

development. But the course does not require that students be at a computer and connected to the Internet during class. Web development is done outside of class. But, again, the emphasis is on communication effectiveness and the differences in communicating via the Internet based on audience and message content. Focus will be on the concepts and principles of effective Internet and web communication with emphasis on specific types of communication, e.g. business, information, advocacy, personal communication to mass audiences, entertainment, etc. Products: Students will be expected to satisfactorily complete quizzes during the semester with a midterm examination and a final exam. Scantron may be required; instructor will let students know. They will also be expected to demonstrate further participation through periodic projects such as identifying effective and ineffective web communication between classes and sharing this information with the class. They will be required to develop a personal web site and publish that to a server using file transfer protocol. Course Outline Week One: The principles of communication. Intra-personal, interpersonal, group and mass. The communication process: sender, message, encoding, medium, receiver, decoding, shared meeting/action/opinion. Why it’s difficult to communicate effectively in any circumstances; the unique challenges of online communication. Fundamentals of mass communication. Models of mass communication. The linear nature of historic mass communication compared to the non- linear nature of Internet communication, the first such communication challenge. Comparison of various mass media and the differences in audiences by medium. Week Two: The development and evolution of mass communication in response to societal change and an influence on that change. The print media: books, magazines and newspapers. The electronic media: radio and television. Other media: recorded music and other material, motion pictures and video. While each preceding medium saw the “new arrival” as a fad which would pass and, then the “enemy,” media today recognize the tremendous influence of potential of the Internet and are moving quickly to become a part of the developing new media...whatever that may be and wherever it may lead. Quiz. Week Three: Mass Communication and the mass media as businesses. Inventors started each of them; the

business people brought the technological development, growth and development of each of them. The relationship to society and the reflection of society. Globalization. The media melting pot of today. The Internet, an interesting phenomenon today, becoming the center of the mass communication universe of tomorrow. History of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Another interesting invention with a very limited purpose. The Internet as business and, once again, inevitable growth as media history repeats itself. Globalization of business and the media. The instant global nature of the Internet and the communication and societal challenges related to it. Quiz. Week Four: Internet spoken here. The nitty gritty of online communication. An overview of HTML. A history of web communication, navigation and “language.” Software enables average folks to develop a web presence. Web design considerations. How to juggle words, photographs, colors, fonts, video, sounds and music, gifs, banners, JAVA applets and other active elements, interactivity and still have it result in clear, effective communication. The seductive nature of links. A receiver of your message may have stumbled on to it via a link from another site; a receiver of your message may be lured away by any one of the other one billion sites available to her/him. Web “senders.” Web “encoding” of messages. Web “media.” Web “receivers” Web “decoding.” Web “shared meaning” and action as a result of your communication. A “home” for your site; the options. To advertise or not to advertise; that is a question. Understanding HTML to facilitate understanding of what happens with WYSIWYG software programs today. Quiz. Week Five: Web communication evaluative criteria: what makes for a “good” web site. Comparing the good, the bad and the just plain ugly. Appearances vs. effective communication. The long and short of written communication on the Internet. Applying traditional communication criteria to web communication. The need for a new way of thinking and evaluating. Incorporating basic “good” web elements into your sites. The need for planning up-front. Knowing the audience. Understanding the intended purpose and outcomes. Thinking strategically instead of strictly creatively. Do-it-yourself or hiring the “pros?” Fundamentals of web development using a sample web creation software program, e.g. Adobe Software for web design. Quiz. Week Six: Keys to effective communication quality in web pages involving advocacy and issues communication. Seminar approach to what works and doesn’t on the web with direct student involvement. Panel. Quiz. Week Seven: Keys to effective communication quality in web pages involving business web communication. Seminar approach to what works and doesn’t on the web with direct student involvement. Panel. Quiz.

Week Eight: A review of material to this point. Conducting a personal Internet mass communication audit for students to complete some preliminary planning for the development of their websites. Distribution of and discussion of a checklist for quality. Domain, location, content and navigation checklists. A functionality checklist in preparation for going online and an evaluation checklist for effectiveness once the site is operational. A checklist for balancing text, graphics, active elements and layout and design to have the intended communication effect. General Review. A seminar involving students and their views of effective and ineffective web communication. Midterm examination during this week. Review of examination answers and explanation of them after the graded exams are returned. Week Nine: Keys to effective communication quality with web pages involving web pages designed to provide and share information on a mass basis. Seminar approach to what works in this regard and what doesn’t with direct student involvement in comparing and contrasting web sites. Quiz. Week 10: Keys to effective and quality communication with web pages involving news. Newspaper, television and radio on the computer. Repetition or complementary content? Push media and pull media online today. Is it live or is it “Memorex?” Direct student involvement in the context of this seminar. Quiz. Week 11: Keys to effective communication that is also effective with personal web pages of individuals and families. Your web page will be able to be viewed by nearly a half billion people. Search engines and spiders. The tremendous potential of an individual to communicate to mass audiences. Drudge bigger than the New York Times today. Seminar format with direct student involvement. Quiz. Week 12: Keys to effective and quality mass communication using web pages designed to provide entertainment. Seminar approach to class discussion with direct student involvement in discussion from submissions of sites that work effective, those that need improvement. Quiz.

Week 13: Keeping web sites fresh. Pre-testing and post-testing of web communication effectiveness. Evaluating effectiveness and comparing to original planning objectives, adapting accordingly. Web site operations and maintenance. Quiz. Week 14: The impact of the Internet on other mass communication professionals. The affect of the Internet on those involved in journalism, photo journalism, radio-broadcast, television- broadcast, advertising and public relations. The opportunities for persons in those fields in the future. Special discussion of advertising as the new engine Internet growth. Public relations professionals and the Internet; limitless possibilities for image enhancement...or damage. The web and crisis communication and management. The glory days of mass communication seem to be ahead, but the existing media will be changed forever. Quiz. Week 15: The crystal ball. Technology, content and capitalism. Past media development has been evolutionary; the Internet is volatile, in the boardroom and online. Keeping up with what’s ahead. An overview of what the gurus are predicting in a totally unpredictable environment. Will your television be replaced by your computer or will your computer be replaced by the infotainment center in the family room and the wireless data- entertainment unit in your car? Publishing of final student websites. Quiz. Week 16: Final Examination

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY FINANCIAL AND STAFFING DATA SHEET Course or Program Mass Communication Department--MCOM205 Principles of Internet Communication Include a Financial and Staffing Data Sheet with any proposal for a new course, new program, or revised program. Please answer the following questions completely. Provide supporting data. 1. Would this course or program be taught with existing staff or with new or additional staff? If this course would be taught by adjunct faculty, include a rationale. This course would be an additional course for the department, but it is intended to be absorbed into the current structure without significant additional cost and no additional staffing requirements. It is intended to be an elective in all five of the Mass Communication Department options—Advertising, Broadcast TV and Radio, Journalism, Photo Journalism and Public Relations. This course is simultaneously being submitted as a new university course as well as a US course. The department feels that it is critically important to offer an introductory course in the fundamentals of web/Internet design and communication. This need goes beyond the needs to mass communication professionals and extends to those students who will be accessing that important new medium as consumers as well. As a result, the department has placed the highest priority on making this course available at this university and within the MCOM department but want to make it available to all university students since their effective use of the Internet will be crucial for most of them regardless of college/department/major. As a result, it is the intent of the department to meet the financial/staffing needs of this course within existing university/department resources. Like any other course in the department, this would be fulfilled with existing staff and/or funded adjunct equivalent positions in the MCOM budget. For example, MCOM has a certain number of full-time faculty. But our budget also includes a university commitment to fund staffing equal to the number of courses taught by the now-retired Prof. Pack and for Prof. Elcombe, reassigned to Residential College. We would use adjunct or existing faculty depending on needs and availabilities in any given semester. This course requires unique expertise in web design, Internet mass communication theory and application, and knowledge of the evolution of the “new media.” But it would be done without asking for additional staffing beyond the department’s existing staffing levels. 2. What impact would approval of this course/program have on current course offerings? Please discuss number of sections of current offerings, dropping of courses, etc.

Again, the department would offer this course within the current historical patterns of numbers of course offerings. The department’s relatively recent move to increase GPA requirement for participation in MCOM courses has reduced the pressure on numbers of sections number of sections required each term. Secondly, the department’s efforts (being proposed separately) to reduce the number of required courses in each option, increase the number of electives in each option by one, and offer this MCOM205 course as an elective in each option, will provide flexibility required to offer this new course without expanding the staffing/expense requirements. 3. What effect would approval of this course/program have on the department supplies? Include data to support expenditures for staffing, equipment, supplies, instructional resources, etc. There are no additional capital expenses associated with offering this course. As proposed, this course would be structured very much like MCOM 100, Media and Society, a megasection intro course held each term in Somsen Auditorium. Enrollment in that course, a University Studies course, is usually about 400 students. This proposed MCOM 205 course is also anticipated to be a megasection course and, as mentioned previously, is submitted for consideration as a ew course AND new University Studies course. If that is approved, additional cost for a teaching assistant would be associated with this new course. A teaching assistant, at a cost of about $800 per term, provides assistance for the MCOM100 course. Again, however, that course generates revenue associated with 400 students each term. The primary additional cost would be copying associated with quiz and test materials. This would involve one two-sided copy X number of students X 14 weeks. The MCOM chair has already arranged with the IT department to have the Adobe suite of software, including web design software, available to MCOM students beginning next fall term. The cost of student software is absorbed by the IT department under this agreement.

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY CHECKLIST FOR CURRICULAR CHANGE PROPOSALS Course or Program---MCOM 2005 Principles of Internet Communication This checklist enables A2C2 representatives to endorse that their departments have accurately followed the Process for Accomplishing Curricular Change. For each course or program proposal submitted to A2C2, this checklist should be completed and signed by the submitting department's A2C2 representative. Peer review of proposals is also strongly advised, e.g., departments should discuss and vote on the proposals as submitted to A2C2, rather than on just the ideas proposed or drafts of proposals. If a proposal fails to follow or complete any aspect of the process, the Course and Program Proposal Subcommittee will postpone consideration of the proposal and return it to the department's A2C2 representative for completion and resubmission. Resubmitted proposals have the same status as newly submitted proposals. Note: This form need not be completed for notifications nor should it be included in proposal copies. 1. The appropriate forms and the “Approval Form" have been completed in full for this proposal. All necessary or relevant descriptions, rationales, and notifications have been provided. ____X____ Completed 2a. The “Financial and Staffing Data Sheet" has been completed and is enclosed in this proposal, if applicable. _____X___ Completed ________ NA 2b. For departments that have claimed that “existing staff" would be teaching the course proposed, an explanation has been enclosed in this proposal as to how existing staff will do this, e.g., what enrollment limits can be accommodated by existing staff. If no such explanation is enclosed, the department's representative is prepared to address A2C2's questions on this matter. ___X_____ Completed (On financial/staffing sheet) ________ NA 3. Arrangements have been made so that a department representative knowledgeable of this proposal will be attending both the Course and Program Proposal Subcommittee meeting and the full A2C2 meeting at which this proposal is considered. ____X____ Completed Name and office phone number of proposal's representative: Prof. John N. Weis, MCOM Chair, X5232 4. Reasonable attempts have been made to notify and reach agreements with all

university units affected by this proposal. Units still opposing a proposal must submit their objections in writing before or during the Course and Program Proposal Subcommittee meeting at which this proposal is considered. ________ Completed ____X____ NA 5. The course name and number is listed for each prerequisite involved in this proposal. ________ Completed ____X____NA 6. In this proposal for a new or revised program (major, minor, concentration, etc.), the list of prerequisites provided includes all the prerequisites of any proposed prerequisites. All such prerequisites of prerequisites are included in the total credit hour calculations. ________ Completed ____X____ NA 7. In this proposal for a new or revised program, the following information for each required or elective course is provided: a) The course name and number. b) A brief course description. c) A brief statement explaining why the program should include the course. ________ Completed _____X___ NA 8. This course or program revision proposal: a) Clearly identifies each proposed change. b) Displays the current requirements next to the proposed new requirements, for clear, easy comparison. ________ Completed ____X____ NA 9. This course proposal provides publication dates for all works listed as course textbooks or references using a standard form of citation. Accessibility of the cited publications for use in this proposed course has been confirmed. ____X____ Completed ________ NA __________________________________________________ _______________ Department's A2C2 Representative Prof. Becky McConnell Date

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