Communication in Context: Analysis & Research (101-2-2)

Instructors

Nathan Walter

Courtney Scherr

Meeting Info

Frances Searle Building 1441: Mon, Wed 1:30PM - 2:50PM

Overview of class

Ways of Knowing and Not Knowing: The goal of this course is to improve students' ability to draw valid inferences from data and information, while offering a set of skills that helps them become more informed individuals in the media-rich environment. To achieve this goal, we will engage in discussions around key questions, such as "what is the difference between science and pseudoscience?" "How can we assess the reliability and validity of empirical findings?" "How do different ontologies, epistemology, and methodologies shape our understanding of the world and evidence-based reasoning?" To contextualize our discussion, we will examine a wide variety of media-related case studies from education, politics, public health, and crisis communication. As such, this course occupies a middle ground between the philosophy of science and the daily practice of making valid claims and distinguishing fact from fiction. Students will be putting their knowledge into practice by designing and working on an original research project throughout the course.

Class Attributes

SOC First-Year Seminar

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Communication Studies Majors.