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Information Literacy, Writing, and Research for Book and Media Studies
Description
BMS 201 develops foundational skills for students in Book & Media Studies, including academic writing, information literacy, media literacy, citation, qualitative and quantitative research, primary and secondary sources, library resources, and practical techniques for analysing different forms of media.
Course Outcomes
By the end of this course , students will be able to:
● Conceive of a research project from beginning to end by going through a process of brainstorming, developing a research question, and answering the question through methods that might include reception analysis, reflection , narrative , and research.
● Write with greater confidence across common academic genres such as reflective , descriptive , analytic , and research essays and make reasoned writing choices about language and tone based on their communication goals and audience.
● Describe media objects through close reading of creators ’ artistic choices.
● Articulate how one’s positionality , assumptions , and views informs one’s analysis , judgement , and priorities in one’s own study of media.
● Categorise and evaluate different types of information and identify common logical fallacies and misinformation strategies.
● Recognize that research ethics is an area of consideration before conducting research.
● Find , analyse , and incorporate scholarship in their own writing in order to defend , complicate , or refute a thesis.
How Does This Class Work?
● This class is an active , participatory class in which you will hone your research , writing , and critical thinking skills through practice in and outside of class times. ✍
● Our classes will be a blend of lecture , discussion , peer feedback sessions , and hands-on work.
● You should complete all readings and any assignments due before class because we will be working with them during class time.
Course Materials & Readings
Paper Journal: Please bring a dedicated paper journal and pen/pencil to every class. There should be enough space in your journal for you to freely and comfortably write , but it doesn’t have to be standard sized or even have ruled lines. Pick a journal that will inspire you to write! I also encourage you to find special pens , stickers , washitape , stencils , or other stationery that will make writing more inspiring to you. We will write in class together. You can find supplies at places like the campus bookstore , Dollarama (there’s one on Yonge) , gift shops , bookstores (there’s an Indigo on Bay) , and stationary stores , or from online sellers.
Laptop: If you have a laptop , you may find it helpful to bring it to class. We’ll do many activities that could benefit from the use of a full screen and keyboard , such as writing , peer review, readings , and more. If you don’t have a laptop , a mobile device will suffice. If you find a mobile device limiting or you don’t have one , find a partner with a laptop or contact Stacy to help pair you with a partner.
Readings: All course readings will be linked in Quercus. Please see the Course Schedule section (below) for what we’ll be reading during a particular week. Thanks to the Library , you don’thave to purchase any readings for this course.
A Note about the Summer Schedule
This is an intensive summer course. We are condensing an entire term’s worth of content into just 6 weeks. Be prepared to write and read a lot. Please note that you’ll be expected to write
everything yourself from scratch, completely independently. This course does not allow
students to use Gen AI or copy and paste from translation tools. The course is designed this way because in order to become a stronger writer, lots of hands-on practice is a must (just like a good basketball player needs to play basketball a lot!) . If you feel the intensity of this course during the summer will be too overwhelming , consider taking it during the Fall or Winter term when the pace will be slower.
Weekly Schedule
UNIT 1: POP CULTURE & THE SELF
Pop Culture, Reflexivity, Close Reading
Week 1
Mon , May 6
Pop Culture & the Self
In-Class Activities
● I Remember
● Close Reading
Wed , May 8
Pop Culture & the Self
Due
● Free Write: Pop Culture Encounter (Exploratory Activity)
● Introduce yourself in Quercus on the “ Introduce Yourself!” discussion board
Readings
● “ Defining Popular Culture” (Jenkins , McPherson , Shattuc)
● Review the syllabus
Resources
● “ Popular Culture” (Encycl. Of Media and Comm)
● "Everything Everywhere All at Once and the Intimate Public of Asian American Cinema” (Coe)
● “Jay-Z 's The Black Album Turns 20 and Is More Relevant than Ever ” (Watkins)
● Close Reading Handout
Week 2
Mon , May 13
Critical Approaches to Media
Due
● Reply to at least 2 other students on the “ Introduce Yourself!” Discussion board
Readings
● Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication (Campbell , et al)
○ “The Linear Model of Mass Communication” pps. 9- 10
○ “Critiquing Media and Culture” pps. 30-35
○ “Cultural Approaches to Media Research” pps. 534-540
Additional Resources
● “Shitty First Drafts” (Lamott)
● “ Revising And Editing” (Procter)
● Reverse Outline
UNIT 2: THE SCHOLARLY CONVERSATION
Academic research, Forms of academic writing, Making an argument
Wed , May 15
Embarking on a Research Project
Due
● Pop Culture Encounter Reflective Essay
● Post Topic for Unit 2 on Quercus
Readings
● N/A
In-Class Activities
● Pre-Research Activity (In-class exploratory activity)
● Find a Book Task
Resources
● “ Narrowing your topic and turning it into a research question” from The Craft of Research (Booth et al.) , pps 37-46
● “ How Not to Plagiarize” (Procter)