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MDS 1895.01 Special Topics: Digital Citizenship & Society Fall 2014
CRN: 18647
Time and Location: Wedgewood Academic Center (WAC) Room, 2092,
12:00-12:50.
Professor: Sybril Bennett, Ph.D. Dr. Syb
Ofce: GCMS 201-D
Ofce Phone: 460-6383; sybril.bennett@belmont.edu
Twitter: @drsyb
Google Plus: Dr. Syb Bennett
Ofce Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 8:30-11:30, Fridays 9:00-11:00 and
by appointment
Course Description: This course addresses the global need for digital
citizens. It prepares students to embrace their civic duty to contribute to the
virtual world in responsible ways. Digital literacy isnt an option, it is
necessary. Students will learn about digital communication, commerce,
security, access, etiquette and law. In addition, they will have a better
understanding about the inception and implementation of social media tools
from Google to Twitter to whatever has been created at the time.
Course Objectives: This learning experience is designed to meet the
following goals:
To better understand their civic as well as ethical responsibilities in
the digital realm
To provide a real time overview of digital media
To further develop critical and lateral thinking as well as just in time
learning skills
To engage and empower students to become active learners who are
able to analyze, compare/contrast and apply acquired knowledge
To enhance your presentation skills on and of line.
To improve collaboration skills
Learning Outcomes:
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Students will be able to form arguments to empirically support their
positions on major issues being confronted in the digital age.
Students will understand how to present their work online to attract
potential employers.
Students will learn how to more efectively collaborate
Students will expand upon their ability to create and to innovate
Students will learn how to leverage research to reach target audience
Required Texts & Supplies:
Digital Leader Erik Qualman
Filter Bubble Eli Pariser
How Will You Measure Your Life? Clayton Christensen
Steal Like An Artist Austin Kleon
What Happens in Vegas Stays on You Tube Erik Qualan
Others as assigned
Texts I may Reference that you may choose to read:
Likeable Social Media
Tribes, Purple Cow, Permission Marketing Seth Godin
What Would Google Do? Jef Jarvis
Here Comes Everybody, Clay Shirky
Crowdsourcing, Jef Howe
Free, Chris Anderson
Mavericks at Work, William C. Taylor and Polly LaBarre
Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, all by Malcolm Gladwell
Search Engine Optimization for Dummies, Peter Kent
Brain Rules, John Medina
Follow on all Social Media Platforms
Mashable Tech Crunch
Wired Read Write Web
The Next Web The Atlantic
Fast Company The New Yorker
Robert Scoble
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Other Requirements
Twitter: You are required to open a Twitter account and follow me:
http://www.twitter.com/drsyb
Choose your Twitter name deliberately and professionally. This is your
BRAND.
Google Plus: You are also required to join the private Google Plus
community I have created for Digital Citizenship Noon section. You need a
Gmail account, click your name with the plus sign located in the top left hand
corner. You will need to add Dr. Syb Bennett to your circles. You can create
circles based your interests. You add people to your circles. For example, you
may create a Digital Citizenship or Education circle. Then, I will add you to
the community. DEADLINE: Wednesday, August 27. THIS IS YOUR
RESPONSIBILITY. YOU WILL BE GRADED FOR PARTICIPATION.
Ted Talks: Watch TED videos as many as possible
www.ted.com
Attendance Policy: Be responsible adults, govern yourselves accordingly. If
you choose to skip class, it is not my responsibility to allow you to make up
work at the expense of other students. If you miss a quiz or presentation, your
grade will sufer short of an emergency, Provost excused absence and/or
illness. For legitimate reasons, I am happy to work with you. If you know you
will be absent for YOUR group presentation, you need to do your part, record
it and/or creatively include your work. You will not be allowed to make up
work you could have done in advance. If you miss too many classes, the
University policy now allows for a FN grade, failure for non-attendance.
Further, if you CHOOSE to schedule travel during class time without my
express approval in ADVANCE, you will lose 10 points from your overall
grade per absence. In other words, do NOT schedule any fights during class
time either before or after a university approved break. i.e. Fall Break,
Thanksgiving, or End of the Semester.
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To avoid attendance conficts, groups may switch dates with other groups.
You must handle these matters among yourselves.
Timeliness: PLEASE BE ON TIME.
Media Policy
Cell Phones: Electronic devices are not to be used during class, unless the
Professor asks for you to do so. Cell phone interruptions will not be tolerated.
If you are caught texting, emailing, talking or communicating during class, it
will impact your participation grade.
Recording Class: You may not copy, record, publish or alter my class
without my express permission.
Accommodation of Disabilities: In compliance with Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, Belmont
University will provide reasonable accommodation of all medically
documented disabilities. If you have a disability and would like the
university to provide reasonable accommodations of the disability during this
course, please notify the Ofce of the Dean of Students located in Beaman
Student Life Center (460-6407) as soon as possible. ALL DISABILITIES
NEED TO BE ON RECORD ON THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS.
DISABILITIES THAT ARE MADE APPARENT AFTER AN EXAM WILL
NOT BE CONSIDERED IN THE GRADING PROCESS. IN OTHER
WORDS, DO NOT FLUNK A TEST OR MISS AN ASSIGNMENT AND
THEN SAY YOU HAVE A DISABILITY.
Academic Honesty: Plagiarism, fabrication, or other dishonorable behavior
will not be practiced in this classroom. Any violation of Belmonts Honor Code
will be acted upon swiftly and reported, with the appropriate punitive action
taken.
This class will adhere to Belmonts Honor Code :
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The Belmont community values personal integrity and academic honesty as
the foundation of university life and the cornerstone of a premiere
educational experience. Our community believes trust among its members is
essential for both scholarship and efective interactions and operations of the
University. As members of the Belmont community, students, faculty, staf,
and administrators are all responsible for ensuring that their experiences will
be free of behaviors, which compromise this value. In order to uphold
academic integrity, the University has adopted an Honor System. Students
and faculty will work together to establish the optimal conditions for
honorable academic work.
Following is the Student Honor Pledge that guides academic behavior:
I will not give or receive aid during examinations; I will not give or receive
false or impermissible aid in course work, in the preparation of reports, or in
any other type of work that is to be used by the instructor as the basis of my
grade; I will not engage in any form of academic fraud. Furthermore, I will
uphold my responsibility to see to it that others abide by the spirit and letter
of this Honor Pledge.
Grading Scale: A = 100-90; B = 89-80; C= 79-70; D = 69-60 F= 59 -0
Assignments:
Individual: Quizzes, Participation, etc. 20%
Group: Social Media Case Study 20%
Group: Social Media Case Study 20%
Group: Mobile App Project 20%
Individual: Article or Book Analysis 20%
Assignments, Quizzes, etc. Individual Grade (100 points)
This is your opportunity to show your individual capabilities through quizzes
and other relevant assignments. Your individual grade includes: attendance,
quiz grades, assignments, substantive class participation and social media
participation on Google Plus and Twitter. Each group will monitor a specifc
publication in addition to reading other blogs, articles etc. Group #1-Fast
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Company, Group #2 Mashable, Group #3 Wired Group #4 Tech Crunch and
Group #5 The Next Web
You are responsible for paying attention in class, checking Google Plus,
Twitter and conducting yourself as an engaged college student. You are
responsible for studying for quizzes in advance. They may cover class content
as well as relevant current events. You are responsible for all assignments.
You are responsible to get missed notes from your classmates. If they choose
not to share, they are sending a message. YOU need to be responsible.
TWO Social Media Case Studies (100 points each)
One case study focuses on one of the current top social media companies and
the other should be on a newcomer. Your focus is to research the company
explaining its inception, implementation and impact. What is the vision and
where are they headed? Go beyond the obvious to uncover ideas, innovations
and insight about the role and relevance of this particular company on
society. Stats including the number of users, company wealth etc are relevant.
You will present your fndings visually and creatively. NO TALKING HEAD
presentations. Via social media sites not limited to Twitter, LinkedIn or
Facebook, you will fnd a person who works for the company to interview for
the project. You may use video, audio or Twitter. Screenshot your
communication to prove contact if just using quotes. Power Point will not be
accepted. You may use Google Hangout and record your presentation with
your company representative if you so choose. Add video via You Tube,
visuals, etc., as part of the Hangout. Each presentation should be thirty
minutes, leaving ffteen minutes for questions and answers. THIS IS A
RESEARCH Presentation.
Publication (100 Points)
Students will choose to write an article for publication. The articles will
follow the guidelines set by the New Yorker, Fast Company, Wired etc. They
will be posted to your LinkedIn account, blog and other social media.
Students will work with Professor to select a relevant topic. Books selected for
the course will help provide guidance as well. You may submit early, fnal
Deadline November 5.
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Mobile App Project (100 points)
Ea&h group 'ill &reate a obile appli&ation( You 'ill )esign an) layout the appli&ation*
resear&h the target au)ien&e* analy+e the &opetition* present a &reati,e arketing plan
an) 'ork through userability an) -un&tionality issues( .perate as i- you are )e,eloping a
Ki&kstarter &apaign to &ro')-un) the app( Your presentation 'ill in&lu)e/ resear&h
supporting ALL pro0e&t &hoi&es* the )esigne) app* a arketing plan an) an e1planation o-
'hat it )oes* ho' it 'orks an) ho' it 'ill bene-it the target au)ien&e( You also nee) a
thorough analysis o- the &opetition( 2esear&h supporting the sele&te) )eographi&*
stats on the nuber o- apps in use in the area you3,e sele&te) an) resear&h to support
EVE2Y part o- the pro0e&t is an)atory(
Tentative Schedule (Changes may be necessary due to unforeseen events)
Read 3 Relevant Articles/Blogs/Watch Ted Talks for each of the
Themes of Digital Citizenship BEFORE class where it appears on
syllabus, you may be quizzed on any topic the day it appears on the
syllabus
Date Topic
August 20 Introduction/Overview Read Digital Leader
Digital Citizenship
Google Plus/Twitter/LinkedIn
August 22 Digital Citizenship/Social Media Revolution
What is the Internet?
August 25 Digital Access/Digital Divide
August 27 Digital Access/Digital Divide
September 1 No Class, Labor Day
September 3 Digital Leader Read Privacy is Dead
September 5 Digital Leader
September 8 Digital Literacy
September 10 Group Work Read Filter Bubble
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September 12 Digital Etiquette
September 15 Digital Etiquette
September 17 Digital Rights & Responsibilities
September 19 Digital Rights & Responsibilities
September 22 Digital Law
September 24 Bill Tallent, Mercury Intermedia
Mobile App Overview
September 26 Group Work
September 29 Amazon #4
October 1 Facebook #3
October 3 Google #5
October 6 LinkedIn #2
October 8 Twitter #1
October 10 Dr. Marcia Dawkins, USC Annenberg
Google Glass
October 13 Fall Break
October 15 Digital Security
October 17 Filter Bubble
October 20 Filter Bubble
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October 22 Latest Media Case Study #1
October 24 Latest Media Case Study # 2
October 27 Latest Media Case Study #3
October 29 Latest Media Case Study #4
October 31 Latest Media Case Study #5
November 3 Group Work-Mobile Apps
November 5 Wearable Technology Google Glass and More
November 7 Wearable Technology Google Glass and More
Dr. Marcia Dawkins, USC Annenberg
Google Glass

November 10 Guest Speaker, Deb Grifth
November 12 Group Work
November 14 Group Work
November 17 App Presentations Group 4
November 19 App Presentations Group 5
November 21 App Presentations Group 1
November 24 App Presentations Group 2
November 26 Thanksgiving
November 28 Thanksgiving
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December 1 App Presentations Group 3
Final Exam: Tuesday, December 9, 11am