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March 14, 2007

Lecture: Presentation Software (cont'd)

Key concepts: cognitive style, resolution, sequence, linearity, hierarchy Examples: "Iraq: Failure to Disarm" slides, Challenger disaster diagrams

Textbook: 16: Global Communications Media

Read Chapter 16, Global Communications Media, from Media Now. Key concepts: localization, regionalization, globalization, cultural imperialism, the relationship between media and soverignty, the Great Firewall of China

Announcement: The discussion board is now online

Assignment: BLOG POST: Advertising Tutor

For this assignment, imagine you are the instructor of a course called "Communication Technology & Society." Your job is to prepare a Web-based tutorial that teaches just one aspect of the course material related to advertising. To make things crystal clear, you plan to teach with several specific examples. First, choose a topic for your tutorial from the list below. Next, find from 2-5 advertisements related to communication technology that can be used to explain your topic. Finally, write your tutorial as a blog entry that includes your definition and explanation, at least one quote from an appropriate reading, and your 2-5 advertisements. TIP: If you use video examples, use what you learned about HTML code in Lab #6 to include the video clip directly in your blog entry. (Note that this may not be possible with some video sources.)

For full credit, use your examples in the most effective manner you can to illustrate your concept. For example, if your hypothetical topic was "screen size," it would be most effective to choose a small screen and a large screen and discuss the difference between them, rather than choosing two examples that are the same size and stating "these are the same," or stating the same thing twice. Choosing the first two ads that you find will probably not work well.

Post an answer of at least 250 words to your blog. DEADLINE: 11 a.m. -- one hour before class begins.

Course Concepts / Topics:

• the relationship between the diffusion of innovations and advertising strategies for communication technologies (from Media Now)
• the role of advertising in racializing communication technologies (from Media Now)
• the orienting response in advertising for communication technologies (from Reeves & Nass)
• the use of scene changes in advertising for communication technologies (from Reeves & Nass)
• the role of advertising in socialization about (especially showing people how to act with) a new communication technology (Media Now) [Update: This could include "the certainty trough" and "the configured user"]

Possible sources for advertisements:

• iFilm Commercial Channel
• The Errol Morris Commercial Archive
• The AdLand Commercial Archive
• The RetroJunk Commercial Archive
• Google Video
• Yahoo Video
• YouTube -- The Commercial Group
• (Or capture your own.)

Announcement: Breaching experiments compared on the discussion board