JOUR 206 — SOCIAL MEDIA AND DATA VISUALIZATION/ CRN 34214

Spring 2019
All-online course

Instructor
Jeff Nachtigal

Dear prospective Social Media and Data Visualization student: 

Thanks for considering this course! This course reflects the changes in reporting and storytelling that is happening in journalism now. This course is for motivated and online-savvy students. If you’re interested in exploring the many different ways data can be visualized as a story (think pie charts, and then think way beyond pie charts!), and learn how journalists and storytellers use social media platforms to find, research, fact-check the fake news, and publish stories, this course is for you. We will spend half the course on social media and half the course focused on data visualization (12-week course).

You will need access to a computer and Internet connection and the ability to download software to edit digital media. Assignments will require you to download and use software to work with data, digital images, and video. Although this is not a “hands on” course where I can provide step-by-step support with individual programs, I will help assist you through any issues you may have learning the software you choose to edit.

Course Calendar
March 4 — May 24, 2019 (12-week course, all online)

The weekly topic, assignments and specific due dates will be posted on Tuesdays on the JOUR206 Canvas page. See the weekly “To do list” for the week’s reading, discussion forums, and assignments.

Contact information
Email is the best way to reach me: jeffrey_nachtigal@cuesta.edu

Office hours
This is an online course, and we do not meet in person in a classroom or office.  If requested I will conduct Zoom video calls with any student during the course.

Instructor contact expectations

·      Email is the best and fastest way to reach me. I will make every attempt to respond as fast as possible, or at least within 24 hours. During those times in the semester when things are busy, the turnaround time may be 48 hours.

• Also: I generally log off around 5pm every day and do not respond immediately to emails on the weekends.

• If there is a question we are unable to answer by email correspondence, we may schedule a phone or Zoom conversation
  
  

Course Environment
This all-online course will be based on Canvas, where you will access course content, assignments, discussions, email with me and other students, and video conference calls. Canvas provides the framework for the course including PowerPoint presentations, student data files, the tools to receive and send course materials, and a grade book. Using the communication tools, you can communicate using e-mail, and you can share materials and ideas with other course participants via the discussion forums and groups.

Class opens / Accessing Canvas
Prior to the Monday class start on March 4, you will receive an email to your my.Cuesta.edu address providing you with a reminder that class will be starting and log in procedures for Canvas, the learning management system (LMS) used to deliver course content. You can access Canvas by logging into MyCuesta, then clicking on the Resources Tab, then clicking on Canvas in the Online Learning Channel, or by typing the Canvas address (https://cuesta.instructure.com/) into your browser address bar. Do not bookmark / favorite the canvas site after your login, or you will get an error message next time you try to log in. You must access the canvas log in directly.

If you are not familiar with logging into canvas, please refer to the Canvas Quick Reference GuideLinks to an external site.. Once logged into Canvas you will be directed on where to get started. Be sure to read all the direction on the course home page.  

If you are having difficulty logging into Canvas after March 4 and need assistance lease email me or technical support at this email address: support@my.cuesta.edu. 

Things to consider in determining if an online class is right for you
This is an all-online course, but in practice it is the same amount of work and likely requires more participation than in other face-to-face classroom courses. We will not meet in person as a full class. This is not a self-paced course — there are due dates and deadlines three times per week.

We're going to cover a lot of material in this course, in a shorter time period than normal and you'll be asked to use software to create and edit digital images, video and audio, and build infographics and visualization charts. I expect some of you will be challenged — and the way to stay on track and learn the fundamentals of multimedia production is to stick to it, and stay up to date with assignments and discussions in this course. 

I want you to succeed, and I will do everything I can to make this happen, as long as you stay on track completing assignments and communicating with the class.

The class has required assignments and three deadlines per week. In practice, an online course is the same as a classroom course. If you are unsure about whether an online course is right for you, please read (and watch the videos) published by

Cuesta College: http://library.cuesta.edu/distance/survey.htmLinks to an external site.

And

The online student readiness tutorials published by The State of California’s Online Education Initiative (OEI): https://apps.3cmediasolutions.org/oei/students.htmlLinks to an external site.

Student Learning outcomes for Social Media and Data Visualization, JOUR 206, CRN 34214

• Describe the role and impact of big data for journalism and communications professions, and the impact of data storytelling for public use
• Demonstrate how to search for, access, and clean and prepare data sets for use in data visualization
• Design and produce effective data visualizations utilizing sound design principles, including size, color and appropriate style for specific types of data for journalism
• Describe the role of social media's effect and relationship with news journalism
• Demonstrate how to effectively use social media platforms to find sources, report, and publish stories
  

Text Book, equipment and software

• the functional art, an introduction to information graphics and visualization, First edition (2016), by Alberto Cairo

• Mobile and Social Media Journalism, First edition (2016), by Anthony Adornato
  

• Access to a computer that can run Tableau data visualization software and access the Internet and social media accounts.

• A Twitter account (we’ll connect using hashtag: #spring19_34214)

• An Instagram account (we’ll connect using hastag: #spring19_34214)
  

• Data visualization software:  I will let you know what software we will use at the beginning of the course.  Links to an external site.

Technical Support
Cuesta students are encouraged to direct all technical support inquiries to  support@my.cuesta.edu. If you are having issues with Canvas, you should contact the Canvas Support Hotline at (877) 921-7680, or click on the help button on the Canvas Navigation to report a problem.

If you are having difficulty viewing the course or logging in, it may be because you are not using the correct url: https://cuesta.instructure.com/ or you are using your phone or using an unsupported browser.

Your learning environment is best accessed from a desktop or laptop computer, using Firefox or Chrome.  This may solve your problem!  Please review the browser requirements and minimum computer specificationsLinks to an external site. at:
http://www.cuesta.edu/student/aboutacad/distance/faqs_technical.htmlLinks to an external site.

Accommodations
This course is designed using an accessible Learning Management System, and course materials have been created with ADA compliance in mind. If you have a disability and might need accommodations in this class such as extended time on exams or other resources. Please contact the instructor as soon as possible so that you can receive appropriate accommodations in a timely manner. You should also contact DSPS (Disabled Student Programs & Services)Links to an external site. at 805-546-3148 or http://www.cuesta.edu/student/studentservices/dsps/index.htmlLinks to an external site.

College & Course Policies
Academic Honesty Policy: Violating copyright in this course is prohibited, and will be cause for immediate drop. In addition to my course policy, please note all students attending San Luis Obispo County Community College District at any district site and when representing Cuesta College in any off-campus activity, assume an obligation to conduct themselves in an acceptable manner compatible with the Student Code of conduct.

• Please review the Cuesta College Student Code of conduct at:
  http://www.cuesta.edu/student/studentservices/admrreg/arpolicies/index.htmlLinks to an external site.

• Board Policy Student Conduct Code and Technology Agreement:
  http://www.boarddocs.com/ca/cuesta/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=A2V4LD661AE3Links to an external site.

• College Plagiarism and Academic Honesty Policy:
  https://www.cuesta.edu/about/documents/vpss-docs/AcademicHonesty_2017.pdfLinks to an external site.

Add / Drop Policy

• I will send add codes and admit students on the third day of the course, if there is space available.

• Please log in to JOUR206 in Canvas on the FIRST DAY of the course (March 4, 2019) and complete the first Discussion post with your bio and background by the third day of this course. Failure to complete the first assignment (or contact me with extenuating circumstances) by the end of the first week of the course may result in you being dropped.

 
Waitlist Policy
Please contact me for an add code if you are interested in adding this course. I will admit students on the third day of the course, if there is space available.  

In addition to my course specific procedures, please review Cuesta’s waitlist procedure and instructions:  http://www.cuesta.edu/student/studentservices/admrreg/arpolicies/Waitlist.htmlLinks to an external site.