COMM 260: Social Media

Citrus College Course Outline of Record

Citrus College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Fall 2021
Credits: 3
Total Contact Hours: 54
Lecture Hours : 54
Lab Hours: 0
Hours Arranged: 0
Outside of Class Hours: 108
Strongly Recommended: ENGL 101 or ENGL 101E or ENGL 101H; COMM 101.
District General Education: C2. Humanities
Transferable to CSU: Yes
Transferable to UC: Yes - Approved
Grading Method: Standard Letter

Catalog Course Description

Students will explore the possibilities and limitations of social media, explore emerging social media careers, and learn tools and techniques to create effective social media communication. Students will have hands-on experience with several forms of social media technology while learning how to effectively communicate and disseminate information to the masses and niche media groups. Students successfully completing this course will understand how to use social media productively and have a framework for understanding and evaluating new tools and platforms. 54 lecture hours.

Course Objectives

  • Define the purpose and features of different types of social media.
  • Compare features of common social media platforms.
  • Use social media tools to communicate.
  • Evaluate how social media can be used to create community involvement in problem solving.
  • Analyze the impact of social media on society.
  • Create and implement a social media campaign using the platform and methodology for desired outcome.

Major Course Content

Topics and Scope:

  1. Social Media vs. Traditional Media
    1. Definition and history of social media
    2. Pros and cons of each
  2. Social Media Literacy
    1. Terminology
    2. Different types of social media
  3. Law and Ethics
    1. Copyright
    2. Privacy and security
    3. Social media etiquette
    4. Impact on society
    5. Consuming media with a critical eye
    6. Ramifications of using social media
  4. Uses for Social Media
    1. Sharing information
    2. Promotion of people, products, and services
    3. Branding and marketing - creating a personal brand/identity
    4. Collaboration
    5. Crowdsourcing
    6. Persuasion
  5. Practical Applications
    1. Blogging, microblogging, videoblogging
    2. Social and professional networks
    3. Wikis
    4. Photo and video sharing
    5. Crowdsourcing
  6. Platforms
    1. LinkedIn
    2. Facebook
    3. Twitter
    4. Instagram
    5. YouTube
    6. WordPress
    7. Emerging platforms
  7. Analysis
    1. Selecting the right platform
    2. Trends
    3. Effectiveness
    4. Tools and analytics for measuring success
    5. Using feedback to refine plans
  8. Social Media Plan
    1. Interviewing the subject to determine needs
    2. Brainstorming and sharing expertise within and across teams
    3. Developing a written plan
      1. Understanding and managing risks
      2. Building social media into communication plan
    4. Evaluating group process and dynamics

Suggested Reading Other Than Required Textbook

Read contemporary news articles (at least one per week) that discusses social media campaigns.
Read studies from organizations such as Poynter, Neiman Lab or Pew that underscore trends in social media creation and consumption.

Examples of Required Writing Assignments

In a team format, develop a social media campaign strategy for an existing brand. Critique and review this brand's existing social media campaigns, assess its strengths and weaknesses, and develop an effective social media plan that is grounded in understanding of social media platforms, trends, analytics, and history. (5-8 pages)

Examples of Outside Assignments

Representative Assignments: 1. 20-40 pages of textbook reading per week. 2. Three to five objective tests and final exam. 3. Two-page written proposal with justification for developing a social media campaign. 4. Two-page critique and review of existing social media campaigns. 5. Team social media plan case proposal (5-8 pages). 6. Social media book review oral presentation. 7. 12-14 weekly blog posts of 200-400 words each.

Instruction Type(s)

Lecture, Online Education Lecture