Course: COMM 1030
Division: Fine Arts, Comm, and New Media
Department: Communications
Title: Intro to Social Media
Semester Approved: Spring 2024
Five-Year Review Semester: Fall 2028
End Semester: Fall 2029
Catalog Description: In this course, students will explore both how and why people use social media, as well as what the societal implications are for a world connected by these technologies. The course will utilize real-world examples to help students use these online tools to create content personally and professionally. Students will learn how to manage their own online identities and brands, as well as how to create communication plans for organizations and businesses.
Semesters Offered: TBA
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 3; Lecture: 3; Lab: 0
Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Justification: This course will serve to align Snow College's Communication Department's offerings with most other higher education institutions' Communication programs. Having this course available to Snow College Communication students will help them transfer to other Communication programs easier and more successfully upon graduation, as well as they will be more prepared for their respective transfer programs. This course will also serve as a foundational offering for students to complete their Certificate of Proficiency in Communication, as well as several emphases for a Communication degree at Snow College. Importantly, students will also gain important, practical skills for managing their online presences (personally and professionally) to promote their future success in this increasingly digital world.
Student Learning Outcomes: Explain the key tenets of prominent social media theories, perspectives, principles, and concepts. Students will show their mastery of this outcome via reading quizzes, exams, in-class activities and group discussions, and/or their comprehensive, strategic Social Media Plan.
Indicate when one social media theory, perspective, principle, and/or concept will be more applicable to a social media situation than another. Students will show their mastery of this outcome via reading quizzes, exams, in-class activities and group discussions, and/or their comprehensive, strategic Social Media Plan.
Utilize audience data and research to guide their social media decisions. Students will show their mastery of this outcome via various assignments, in-class activities and group discussion, and/or their comprehensive, strategic Social Media Plan and its accompanying in-class presentation.
Create strategic content plans meant to enhance an organization’s online success (e.g., presence, reach, engagement, and/or influence). Students will show their mastery of this outcome via various assignments, in-class activities and group discussion, and/or their comprehensive, strategic Social Media Plan and its accompanying in-class presentation.
Content: In this course, students will explore both how and why people use social media, as well as what the societal implications are for a world connected by these technologies. Students will learn about concepts such as personal and organizational branding, audience analysis and segmentation, content creation/management/curation, and even ethical and legal frameworks for social media management. As social media are naturally worldwide communication tools, this course will explore these concepts from a variety of diverse and inclusive perspectives and discuss the importance of understanding each perspective when constructing a social media presence.
Key Performance Indicators: Students will be assessed through...
Social Media Plan 35 to 50%
In-class Presentations 10 to 20%
Exams / Quizzes 15 to 30%
Assignments and Discussions 20 to 40%
Representative Text and/or Supplies: Freberg, K. (2019). Social media for strategic communication: Creative strategies and
research-based applications. Sage. (Current Edition)
Pedagogy Statement: This course will be taught as a lecture-based course, as well as through multiple, diverse readings and using examples from the modern social media world. Formative writing assignments and research activities, class discussions, and in-class activities will also be used. As social media are naturally worldwide communication tools, this course will draw from and promote a variety of diverse perspectives, for and from students, in order to encourage a more comprehensive and inclusive classroom climate.
Instructional Mediums: Lecture
Online
Maximum Class Size: 25
Optimum Class Size: 20
