Course Guide - Communication and Social Relations by Brian Morris

Communication and Social Relations

Part B: Course Detail The following link provides important information on the following topics that relates to all courses: Important Information • • • • • • •

Student Feedback at RMIT Student Progress Special Consideration, appeals, and discipline Academic Integrity Student Progress Committee (SPC) Assessment Grades Classification of award

Teaching Period: Sem 1 2010 Course Code: COMM2411 Course Title: Communication and Social Relations School: 345H Media and Communication Career: Undergraduate Campus: City Campus Learning Mode: Face-to-Face Primary Learning Mode: Face-to-face through a combination of lectures (50 minutes), weekly tutorials (1 hour 50 minutes), and other directed activities. Credit Points: 12 Teacher Guided Hours: 32 per semester Learner Directed Hours: 72 per semester Course Coordinator: Dr Brian Morris Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 3882 Course Coordinator Email:brian.morris@rmit.edu.au Course Coordinator Location: 9.4.42 Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment only - please email

Offering Coordinator: Dr Brian Morris Offering Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 3882 Offering Coordinator Email:brian.morris@rmit.edu.au Offering Coordinator Location: 9.4.42 Offering Coordinator Availability: by appointment only - please email Additional Staff Contact Details Associate Professor Deb Verhoeven - deb.verhoeven@rmit.edu.au Chris Hewson - chris.hewson@rmit.edu.au Alvin Ang - alvin.ang@rmit.edu.au Grant Bailey - grant.bailey@rmit.edu.au Dean Brandum - dean.brandum@rmit.edu.au Dr Fincina Hopgood - fincina.hopgood@rmit.edu.au Matt Loads - matthew.loads@rmit.edu.au Ashley Perry - ashley.perry@rmit.edu.au Dr Buck Rosenberg - buck.rosenberg@rmit.edu.au Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities There are no pre-requisites. Course Description

In this course you will discover how “communication” and “society” are integral to each other. You will develop skills in describing, researching and analysing communication artefacts and the social relations they articulate using techniques and conceptual frameworks developed within the field of communication studies. You will also reflect on the ways different communication disciplines (such as media, advertising, journalism, design and public relations) interpret and approach the world. The course will focus on a specific ’case study’, the city of Melbourne, in order to explore these issues and develop relevant skills. Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development: Communication and Social Relations is the first in a sequence of courses that will ensure that you have a basic understanding of theories, approaches, issues and debates within the field of communication. By the end of the course you will be able to: •

recognise the diversity of communication texts, practices and forms and their role in the constitution of social relations;

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recognise and articulate the difference between primary and secondary sources related to a specific object of critical analysis;

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articulate the differences between various secondary sources (such as their claim to authority and relevance as well as their relation to the production of scholarly knowledge);

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have developed skills in the collection, description and analysis of communication artefacts (written, visual, audiovisual, embodied) that figure specific social relations, and

of using critical frameworks developed within the field of communication studies to produce this analysis; •

articulate differences and similarities in the interpretative approaches of the key communication disciplines.

Overview of Learning Activities Tutorials will involve student-centred discussion, group activities and assessment-related work. You may be asked to lead a discussion or to bring materials to the tutorials. Students are also expected to complete the assigned weekly readings available online and to attend lectures. These learning activities provide vital preparation for activities undertaken in tutorials and assessment tasks.

Details of Learning Activities Learning Activities include: • • • •

lectures (which introduce core concepts and debates and provide examples of analysis within a communication studies and professions context) tutorials (made up of different exercises and discussions designed to give you the opportunity to develop skills useful for University study and your professional careers in the communication and media industries); self-directed research and reading (of course materials as well as external source materials pertinent to the subject) field trips to relevant sites (generally held during class time).

The course is premised based on the notion that you will be a proactive learner and take responsibility for your own learning process and learning path. Participation and attendance is a crucial part of this course. Participation, however, isn’t just being present – it’s being actively present; sharing your ideas and contributing to class discussion and feedback. A lot of what you will learn in the course will be through class discussion – the more students who actively participate, the better the quality of the discussion, the more interesting it is and the more you will learn. Teaching Schedule Lecture Schedule PART I: MELBOURNE AS A LENS: COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL RELATIONS Week 1 (Mar. 2) Lecture: WHAT, WHY, HOW Week 2 (Mar. 9) Lecture: INTRODUCING OUR CASE STUDY: A BRIEF HISTORY OF MELBOURNE Week 3 (Mar. 16) Lecture: THE CITY COMMUNICATES: IMAGINED GEOGRAPHIES Week 4 (Mar. 23) *No Lecture Tutorial: POWER AND SOCIAL RELATIONS: COMMUNICATIVE STRATEGIES AND TACTICS

Week 5 (Mar. 30) *No Lecture Tutorial: ASSESSMENT TASK#1 WORKSHOP Note: Easter tutorials are split over two weeks PART II: IN FOCUS: THE CITY, SOCIAL RELATIONS AND THE COMMUNICATION PROFESSIONS Week 6 (Apr. 13) Lecture: DESTINATION X: THE BRANDED CITY (Guest Lecture - Professor Stephanie Hemlryk Donald) Week 7 (Apr. 20) Lecture: THE LIVEABLE CITY: ECONOMIC & SOCIAL NARRATIVES OF MELBOURNE Week 8 (Apr. 27) Lecture: DESIGNER MELBOURNE (Guest Lecture - Professor Leon van Schaik) Week 9 (May 4) Lecture: WHAT RIVALRY? REPORTING ON MELBOURNE VS SYDNEY Week 10 (May 11) Lecture: MURDEROUS MELBOURNE: TELEVISION AND THE CITY Week 11 (May 18) *No Lecture Tutorial: FINAL ASSIGNMENT WORKSHOP Week 12 (May 25) *No Lecture Tutorial: FINAL GROUP PRESENTATIONS Overview of Learning Resources There will be prescribed weekly readings that students will be expected to complete and bring to class to discuss. (These readings are available via electronic download (accessible from the Blackboard section of the course’s online site on the Learning Hub and/or RMIT Library eReserve)). Learning Resources Prescribed Texts -there are no prescribed texts other than the weekly readings. References New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society (2005), T. Bennett, L.Grossberg and M.Morris (eds), Malden MA: Blackwell Schirato, T. and S. Yell (2000), Communication and Cultural Literacy: An Introduction, 2nd ed., St Leonards NSW: Allen and Unwin. Emmison, M. and P. Smith (2000), Researching the visual : images, objects, contexts and interactions in social and cultural inquiry, London: Sage. Branston, G. and R.Stafford (2006), The Media Student's Book, 4th ed., Oxon UK: Routledge.

Other Resources The weekly course readings (which can all be downloaded electronically via either the Learning Hub/Blackboard or RMIT Library catalogue - search under ’reserve’) are in no way exhaustive, but will provide you with an essential background to what goes on in classes. Lectures and tutorials may refer to the readings, but they are meant to be complementary rather than equivalent (i.e. you need to come to classes and do the reading to get a "full" sense of the course). Reading will be more specifically directed and referred to during classes, as well as some supplementary reading provided. Overview of Assessment The assessment in Communication and Social Relations will include individual and collaborative(group) tasks. Assessment Tasks OVERVIEW The assessment in Communication and Social Relations will include individual and group tasks. Assessment Tasks There are 3 assessment tasks in this course that will contribute to your final grade 1. Research - Doing Communications Research (40%), due 5pm, Mon, 19th April 2. Reflection - The Communication Professions/Industries (20%), due 5pm, Mon, 17th May 3. Publication - Collaborative Online Publication (40%), due 5pm - one week from your final Week 12 tutorial and presentation The assessment tasks build upon each other and produce learning outcomes corresponding to the course objectives. They are ‘doing’ and ‘thinking’ tasks that are helping to teach you, through practice, how the process of communication research and critical analysis works. These tasks build skills in description, analysis, critical reflection and communication.

ASSESSMENT TASK #1 (40%) - DOING COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH Due date: 19 April (Monday, 5pm) This assessment task has two key parts: Part 1A (must be handed in at your Week 4 tutorial ) - IDENTIFYING PRIMARY RESEARCH ARTEFACTS/SOURCES Identity and document four Melbourne communication artefacts that fit within the criteria outlined below. What is a communication artefact? For the purpose of this assessment a communication artefact is any object or practice that can be analysed in terms of the social meaning it communicates about Melbourne or urban life. So an artefact might be a city monument, building or artwork; a media object (e.g. a television news item about a city activity); an event such as a street parade promoted through a festival guide; a public relations campaign by a city authority; the website of a city-based institution such as the Victorian State Library; and so on. These communication artefacts will be your primary sources.

HINT: Avoid choosing something too stereotypical or obvious like Flinders Street Station etc. Also note that you can choose artefacts that might seem unique to Melbourne in some way AND/OR artefacts that communicate Melbourne’s urbanity (but which are found in other cities around the world). Documenting your artefacts Take a digital photograph of each artefact with a camera (mobile phones are good for this). The image simply needs to clearly communicate the artefact chosen. At this stage we are not concerned with the aesthetic (i.e., artistic) quality of your image so don’t waste time trying to get a more ‘interesting’ shot. Then, in your Week 4 tutorial class, submit to your tutor a document (not handwritten) that includes individual images of the artefacts, each with an accompanying title, two-sentence description, and a note of the its location. Please note: you cannot use an existing private or commercial image belonging to someone else (e.g. a picture downloaded from the internet). Also avoid taking take any pictures in which individuals are identifiable or prominent. The following essential criteria must be met when you are selecting your four artefacts: -Your artefacts must be sourced from, or clearly relate to, the central city grid area of Melbourne. -You must be able to categorise each of your artefacts as conceptually related to one of the following area taught in the School of Media and Communication. That is, each of your four objects of analysis have to be able to be understood as a ‘design’, ‘advertising’, ‘public relations’ or ‘media’ (includes journalism) artefact. HINT: Categorising artefacts in this way is easier than it sounds. In fact, some artefacts might belong to multiple categories (for instance, a media advertisement about Melbourne produced by the Melbourne City Council as a public relations exercise). Do note that you are free to choose artefacts from any one or more of these areas - it doesn’t matter what professional strand or degree you are actually enrolled in. Part 1B (due 5pm, Monday 19 April, Week 7) - IDENTIFYING AND EVALUATING SECONDARY RESEARCH SOURCES (1500 words) Taking account of feedback from your tutor, select two of your artefacts (out of the original 4). i) Expand your initial two-sentence description of those two artefacts to at least 150 words each. ii) Locate and identify at least three different secondary sources for each of the two artefacts these need to help analyse the artefacts in terms of what they communicate about either the meaning of ‘Melbourne’ and/or ‘the city’ and its social relations. Two out of the three sources must be ‘scholarly’ references (we will discuss this notion in class), and at least one out of these two scholarly sources must be from a communication, media and/or cultural studies perspective. iii) Write an annotated bibliography entry of 200 words for these six secondary sources explaining the relevance of that secondary source, its claim to authority, and its usefulness in terms of analysing the artefact in terms of key concepts and issues raised in lectures and course readings. Overall, then, your assignment will add up to a total of 1500 words ((that is, a 150wd description + (200wds x3 on secondary sources)) x 2 artefacts). Submitting Assessment#2 A printed version of your assessment should be placed in the assignment dropbox (next to the elevators) on level 4 of Building 9 (near the reception of the School of Media and Communication) before the due date. It should have an official coversheet signed and attached. REMEMBER TO PUT YOUR TUTOR’S NAME ON THE COVERSHEET. We also require that you email a copy of your assignment (in rtf or pdf format) to your tutor before the due date and time (you can find their contact details on the official course website accessible via the Learning Hub). Your tutor will not acknowledge receipt of the electronic backup version of your assignment. The electronic

version will not be accepted as a substitute for the printed version. What opportunities will you get for feedback on your work? -verbal feedback from your tutor in the Week 5 Assessment Task#1 workshop -written feedback following submission of the task (this will include basic annotations on your submitted assignment and a feedback sheet evaluating the submission against key criteria as well as general comments) Assessment Criteria These are detailed separately on the Assessment Task#1 Feedback Sheet, a copy of which will be made available to students online at least six weeks prior to the assessment due date.

Hints and useful resources: -To complete this task successfully you will need to be able to think about the differences between secondary sources in terms of both their origin (academic or non-academic?), and also what broader field of academic study they originate from? (e.g. History? Communication Studies? Politics? Or are they cross-disciplinary?) -You will need to more than simply go online and conduct a google search (though it is important and useful to do this as one of your research strategies) for secondary sources. You will also need to visit libraries (e.g. AFI Research Collection, RMIT Library, Victorian State Library etc) and learn how to use the research resources they offer. -You will also need to understand the distinction between description and analysis in the writing you produce. The Assessment Task is designed to help you learn about the differences between a primary and a secondary sources. One way of beginning to understand how they differ is to observe that secondary sources analyse and interpret primary sources - they provide commentary and discussion of the primary source. What is an annotated bibliography? An annotated bibliography provides an overview or summary of specific secondary sources as well as a critical evaluation and reflection about how they might be useful for an analysis of the focus of the study. Good explanations and examples of annotated bibliographies can be found in these concise guides: i) Queensland University Technology http://www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/write/annotated_bib.jsp ii) University of New South Wales http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/annotated_bib.html iii) RMIT Learning Lab [accessible from Blackboard]

ASSESSMENT TASK #2 (20%) - REFLECTIVE COMMENTARY ON THE COMMUNICATION PROFESSIONS/ INDUSTRIES AND MELBOURNE Date due: 17 May (Monday, 5pm), 1000 words For this assessment you are asked to submit a reflective commentary responding to the following proposition: ‘There is no single point of view from which one can grasp the city as a whole’ - Jonathan Raban, Soft City (1974) Write a reflective essay responding to this idea - specifically, comment on the ‘point [or points] of view’ of Melbourne privileged by three of the different communication industries/professions. In other words, what are some of the dominant ways in which the communication professions imagine ‘Melbourne’ and their role in relation to it? How are they similar and/or different in terms of the kinds of social relations and imagined communities they address and help create? The commentary must make close reference to ideas, concepts and issues referenced in at least three out of the five lectures presented in Part II of the course (i.e. during Weeks 6-10). In

addition, it may also draw on tutorial discussions. Submitting Assessment#2 A printed version of your assessment should be placed in the assignment dropbox (next to the elevators) on level 4 of Building 9 (near the reception of the School of Media and Communication) before the due date. It should have an official coversheet signed and attached. We also require that you email a copy of your assignment (in rtf or pdf format) to your tutor before the same due date and time (you can find their contact details on the official course website accessible via the Learning Hub). Your tutor will not acknowledge receipt of the electronic backup version of your assignment. The electronic version will not be accepted as a substitute for the printed version. Hints: -A ‘reflective commentary’ (even one as short as this) is different from the other kinds of essays you will generally write at University (such as a ‘research essay’). -Reflective commentaries (which outline a response to a broader learning experience or course materials) are relatively more wide-ranging in the scope of the material they might discuss (when compared to research essays which typically pursue a narrow focus and go into more depth on their particular topic). -Reflective commentaries don’t require extra reading or the same degree of referencing as research essays as they are responding to work already done in the course and previous assessment tasks. It will require careful thinking ... and a re-reading of your past lecture notes (and any associated readings) and does need to communicate ‘evidence’ of some sort to persuade the reader of its claims. The major evidence in this case will be points raised in lectures (and taken up further in tutorial discussions). -A reflective commentary still employs a writing strategy to effective communicate (it has a structure and includes a balance of description, review and analysis). -While you may use the first-person pronoun ‘I’, your written expression shouldn’t be informal or colloquial (you are still trying to convey a sense of critical distance on the process you are commenting upon). -Do structure your reflective commentary in the form of an introduction, main body and conclusion. Assessment Criteria These are detailed separately on the Assessment Task#2 Feedback Sheet, a copy of which will be made available to students online at least six weeks prior to the assessment due date. What feedback will you receive? -Written feedback via email 2-3 weeks after the submission of the task (this will consist of a feedback sheet evaluating the submission against key criteria as well as general comments). The reflective essay itself will not be annotated and returned.

ASSESSMENT TASK#3 (40%) - COLLABORATIVE GROUP PUBLICATION Date due: Jun 1-4, 5.00pm - one week following the day of your final tutorial class For this task you must work in a group of four to collaboratively produce a ‘publishable outcome’ (see below) from your research and learning activities in this course. This third assessment task will build on work carried out in your first assessment task in describing and analysing communication artefacts that convey meaning about Melbourne and/or the city and its social relations. Specifically, you will produce and publish online a collective version of the group’s best annotated communication artefacts within one of the thematic groupings identified in the first assessment task (i.e. ‘design’, ‘advertising’, ‘public relations’, and ‘media’). The group must also collaboratively produce a one-two page length document outlining what changes were made following the group presentation (a table ‘mapping’ the key changes - which might be a response to tutor feedback or to student’s own recognition of aspects of their research

requiring improvement). An important part of this assessment is the process of combining and exchanging the work with your group members, selecting and evaluating, and revising and improving through a process of peer and tutor feedback. Then you will ‘publish’ it online through one out of these three possible outlets: i) A Google Map with annotated entries ii) A collection of entries in the BONZA (film and television) database iii) An online magazine-style publication via Issuu *Further information on these publication forms will be provided in class and online by no later than Week 7 of the course. Timeline & Deadlines for this assessement task: • Week 9 tutorial -Groups of 4 are confirmed (in consultation with your tutor) • Week 11 tutorial -Groups are required to confirm their final selected artefacts in the assessment workshop • Week 12 tutorial -Each group must give a final class presentation or ‘pitch’ (max of 8 minutes) + (7minutes class discussion). A copy of the the draft of the group’s publication (NOT their presentation) must be received by the tutor no later than 48 hours prior to the presentation. • The following week: -By 5pm, exactly one week after the day you gave your final presentation (i.e during 1-4th June), you must have successfully uploaded your group project to one of the three online publishing sites. -One nominated group member must send the class tutor a confirmation email of the successful completion of this upload, along with the relevant url (web address), as well as an electronically copy of the final work submitted. Please note the following re your groups: -You can only work with students in your tutorial class. -Tutors will assist with group organisation where necessary. -Each member of the group must contribute at least one communication artefact entry (from assessment Task#1). -Each group member will receive the same mark for this assessment task (however, the Course Coordinator reserves the right to change individual member’s marks in extraordinary circumstances). Submitting Assessment#3 A printed version of your final group assessment (just one copy needs to be submitted for the entire group), including the final published entries and the 1-2 page map of changes made as part of the collaborative revision process should be placed in the assignment dropbox (next to the elevators) on level 4 of Building 9 (near the reception of the School of Media and Communication) before the due date. It should have an official coversheet signed and attached. Your group must also email a copy of the printed material (in rtf or pdf format) to your tutor before the same due date and time (you can find their contact details on the official course website accessible via the Learning Hub). Your tutor will not acknowledge receipt of the electronic backup version of your assignment. The electronic version will not be accepted as a substitute for the printed version. Assessment Criteria These are detailed separately on the Assessment Task#3 Feedback Sheet, a copy of which will be made available to students online at least six weeks prior to the assessment due date. What feedback will you receive? -Verbal feedback to your group during the Week 11, Assessment Task#3 workshop.

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-Verbal feedback to your group at the time of your presentation during Week 12. -Written feedback in the form of an email (with feedback sheet attached) to the group after submission and uploading of the final published project. (Please note: the printed version of Assessment Task#3 will not be annotated or returned). Other Relevant Information Additional Information There may arise occasions where the work that you undertake, including work that is submitted for assessment, may be quoted or commented upon in research. Permission to cite work will only be sought after all assessment tasks have been completed and individual permission will be sought in all instances. All such work will be appropriately acknowledged and cited, and if you wish it will not specifically identify you. Submission of Tasks All assessment submissions require a completed School Cover Sheet. The form is located in the School website under Information for students (Student Forms). Please check with your tutor or lecturer regarding any online submission requirements including the completed Cover Sheet. Work may not be emailed to the course coordinator unless the course coordinator specifically asks you to do so. Students should ensure that they keep copies of all work submitted. Return of Tasks See the Assessment Task notes for details. Late Submission If you are unable to complete your assessment project, assignment or essay by the due date, and you are seeking an extension of up to 7 calendar days, you need to apply to your tutor. The tutor will consider your request (and may consult with the Course Coordinator) and will notify you within 24 hours as to whether your request for an extension of up to 7 calendar days from the due date has been granted or not. This Application for Extension is to be made using the form provided in the School website under Information for students (Essential program information), together with supporting evidence such as a medical certificate. The Application is to be submitted to the course coordinator (by email or in person), no later than one working day before the official due date. However, if you are seeking an extension of longer than 7 calendar days you need to apply to the University for Special Consideration. If you are unsure which application to make, please discuss with your program director. If the course coordinator does grant you an extension of up to 7 calendar days after the due date, or if the University does grant you Special Consideration, and you submit the work within the time approved, you will not be penalised for lateness. However, assignments submitted after the deadline without an approved extension or an approved special consideration application will incur a penalty of 5% of the total mark available for the assignment for each working day after the due date. For example, if an assessment is worth 40 marks and it is submitted three working days late, you will lose 3 x 2 (5% of 40) = 6 marks. Work submitted more than two weeks beyond the due date without an approved extension or approved special consideration application will receive a mark of zero. Grading: HIGH DISTINCTION (80% and above) - Indicative of work. Distinguished by original thought, highly creative and innovative implementation, depth and clarity of documentation and/or discussion and an intelligent critical and/or creative engagement with the tasks. DISTINCTION (70-79%) - Excellent work, containing original ideas and creative or innovative implementation, a comprehensive grasp of the requirements and their expression, but marred by one or two minor problems. CREDIT (60-69%) - Good to very good work, displaying some original thought and creativity and/or innovation, but undermined by gaps in documenting or discussing what you have done

and why, insufficient critical engagement with your ideas and work, or work that interprets the required tasks in an overly literal manner. PASS (50-59%) - Average work, displaying a basic grasp of the requirements, but with a range of more or less serious flaws, such as technical problems, a lack of communicative clarity, lack of appropriate and adequate documentation and discussion, poor reasoning, and so on. FAIL (0-49%) - Fail, or NN grades are given to inadequate work. Some reasons for failing include where there is no evidence of any attempt to cover what is required, or the work simply demonstrates the task rather than interprets and engages with the task. Plagiarism can also be grounds for failure. DNS indicates that no work was submitted for the assessment task. Resubmission of Assessment Task#1 If your Assessment Task#1 is at risk of failing, with a numerical mark between 40-49, you will be advised of this by email to your student email address. In such a case you will be given and opportunity by your tutor to resubmit an improved project/assignment for reassessment, based on feedback provided to you. This resubmission will be due at a date determined by the tutor in consultation with the Course Coordinator. Resubmissions can gain a maximum possible grading of 50% PA. There will be no resubmission options for Assessment Task#2 and Task#3. Changes to form of assessment: Changes to the form of assessment may only be made after consultation and with the written consent of at least 70% of students enrolled in the course, as well as the approval of both the lecturer / course coordinator and the Dean of the School. Written notification of any such approved changes will be sent to student email accounts, and the revised assessment instructions will be provided in the online course information in the Distributed Learning System (DLS), our online learning hub. The lecturer will also discuss such changes with you so you can clarify the revised assessment requirements. Return of assessed work: You can expect to have your assessed work and/or feedback on that work returned to you within 2-3 weeks following the due date of the piece of assessment. Feedback on assessment: Feedback will be given verbally and/or in written form, to individuals and to groups, depending on the type of assessment. See the notes on Assessment Tasks#1-3 above for more details of how feedback will be given for each task. Feedback is defined here as including responses to your ideas and work in progress before submission (in discussions and workshop sessions in tutorials), as well as evaluations of the finished and submitted assessment task. Plagiarism: Plagiarism is a serious academic offence and it is your responsibility as a student to be familiar with the University’s Policy and Procedure related to Plagiarism. It is essential that you refer to the “Important Information” link at the start of Part B of every course guide. This link takes you to a section titled “Academic Integrity”, which includes information about Plagiarism (what it means, and the process and range of academic penalties when it is identified). Course evaluation and feedback: Student feedback is welcome at any point throughout the course either in class, or via the teaching staff. A Course Experience Survey (CES) will be distributed in class toward the end of semester, whereby you can provide written feedback anonymously. The results of these surveys contribute directly to the content and learning processes of this course in future.