Fall 2021 Assignments – COMM 1305

3 exams (300 points). The exams will cover content from lectures and the text.

• Exam 1 covers Units 1-6; Exam 2 covers 7-12; Exam 3 covers 13-16
• Students are expected to demonstrate understanding of course concepts. You will be asked to read questions and decide the best answer. Most questions will test critical thinking (how and where do concepts apply) rather than definition.
• The exam includes 67 multiple choice, true false, and choose all questions worth 1.5 points each, and one fill in the blank 1-point question.
• Exams 1 and 2 are completed online during lecture time, disseminated and automatically graded through ICON.
• If you begin the exam at the start of class time (12:30) you will have 50 minutes to complete your exam. The exam will close at 1:30pm regardless of when you started.

• • Time will be added as specified by submitted accommodation letters. These letters must be submitted at least one week prior to the exam in order to give the course management team sufficient time to edit.

• Exam 3 will be completed using the same basic format, only during exam week in our scheduled time (to be announced by the university).
• You can only attempt the exam once. Thus, if you open the exam to try to see the questions ahead of time that will be counted as your one attempt. Additionally, exams questions will individually randomized. No two students will get the same exams as questions will be pulled, randomly, from a large bank of questions. Exams will be examined for evidence of cheating. Canvas records the amount of time you spend on each question, and when you leave the exam tab in your browser.

The exams will be DURING a certain window of time, but you will not be required to use any kind of extra monitoring software or be logged on to our class zoom. You may, however, use the class zoom to ask questions during the exam. This is also your opportunity to screen share if you are having technical difficulties.

Textbook Contribution. (70 points; 7 @ 10 points each). Either with your discussion section or on your own, you will be working on material to submit for inclusion in the OER textbook. Creation of a textbook for this course was supported by the university of Iowa. During discussion, you’ll work in small groups to brainstorm innovative ways to reimagine course material. You’ll take at least one concept that we discussed in lecture, preferably one that does not have an example in the text already, and present it in a way that you think is really accessible to college students. For example, you could write a story to illustrate a concept, you could make a video, or draw a cartoon. Maybe a concept we discussed reminds you of a movie or a song or a youtube video – you could link to that other media and write up a student-friendly explanation of the connection. You’ll work in your discussion section brainstorming and fleshing out ideas, and getting clarification of concepts from your discussion section leader.

We understand that your ability to participate in synchronous online learning (aka, discussion section) might be hampered by circumstances outside of your control. This is why only 7 are required, and why you have the ability to complete this assignment outside of your discussion section, should need be. Should you choose to complete this assignment outside of your discussion section time, you will need to use the template and submit ideas for at least three concepts. You must turn in the assignment no later than one week after we cover the unit in class (e.g., you may not turn in ideas for unit 4 at the very end of the semester).

CITI Training (25 points). Each student is responsible for completing HawkIRB CITI training by the date indicated on the syllabus. This online training is sponsored by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and addresses ethical responsibilities of individuals conducting human subjects research. Uploaded certificate demonstrating completion of training is due November 13th at 11:59pm.

Research Participation (5 points). Research component described above. Research participation is due November 2nd by 11:59pm.

Deconstruction Research in Journalism: Should You Believe it Project  Methods Application Assignment. (100 points) The method application will include using the knowledge from this course and applying it to “news” articles that present a claim based on some sort of research. You will first need to find an article from the popular press that has some sort of sensational headline (e.g., drinking wine once per day is the equivalent of going to the gym once per day). Next, you will locate the original research publication(s) that are discussed in the news article (you must be able to locate the original research on which the news article is based). Finally, you will examine the original research publication and report problems related to what we discussed in class prior to the due date. Your method application will be due on various dates throughout the semester.  Your TA will distribute a sign up sheet SEPTEMBER 5th (that’s why the due date said 9/5). You will workshop this assignment in your discussion section.

…Unit 1…Unit 2….Unit 3…Unit 4…Unit 5…Unit 6…Unit 7…Unit 8…Unit 9…Unit 10…Unit 11…Unit 12…Unit 13…Unit 14…Unit 15…Unit 16…