BMS 201
Information Literacy, Writing, and Research for Book and Media Studies
(Summer 2024)
Welcome to BMS 201!
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)
Week 3
Mon, May 20
No class
Critical Engagement in Digital Spaces
Due
● Works Cited Page (Exploratory Activity)
Readings
● “ Lateral Reading: Reading Less and Learning More When Evaluating Digital Information” (Wineburg and McGrew)
Resources
● “ Evaluating Online Information: Logical Fallacies” (University of Iowa Libraries)
● “What Is Confirmation Bias? (Heshmat)
● MLA Handbook
https://mlahandbookplus-org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/books/book/5/MLA-Handbook
Week 4
Mon , May 27
Making an Argument
Due
● N/A
Readings:
● “Chapter 7: Argumentation” (Bourne and Abrams)
Resources:
● “Organizing an Essay” (Plotnick)
● “Using Thesis Statements” (Procter)
Wed , May 29
Research in Action
Due
● Research Sketch
In Class Activity:
● Outline (Exploratory Activity)
Readings
● “The Distorting Prism of Social Media: How Self-Selection and Exposure to Incivility Fuel Online Comment Toxicity” (Kim et al.)
Resources
● “Critical Reading Towards Critical Writing” (Knott)
● “Writing an Annotated Bibliography” (Knott)
UNIT 3: DIGITAL SPACES
Social Media, Misinformation, AI
Week 5
Misinformation
Mon , June 3
Due
● N/A
Readings
● “A Brief History of the Disinformation Age: Information Wars and the Decline of Institutional Authority” (Bennett and Livingston)
Resources
● “Work in the Content Factory: Doing Digital Journalism” (Cohen)
Note: Today is the deadline to drop
Wed , June 5
Observing Online Communities
Due
● Media Deep Dive Research Essay
● Post Unit 3 topic on Quercus
Readings
● N/A
Resources
● N/A
Week 6
Mon , June 10
Observing Online Communities
Due
● N/A
Readings
● "Chapter 1: Defining Participatory Culture " (Jenkins et al.)
Resources
● “An Online Home for the Homeless: a Content Analysis of the Subreddit r/homeless” (Bhandari)
Wed , June 12
Demystifying AI
Due
● Social Media Exploration (Exploratory Activity)
In-Class Activities
● AI Exploration
Readings
● “On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots: Can Language Models Be Too Big?” (Bender et al.)
Resources
● "How ChatGPT and Other LLMs Work —and Where They Could Go Next” (Nield)
● “ 12 ways to get better at using ChatGPT: Comprehensive prompt guide” (Mok)
● “ How do I cite generative AI in MLA style?” (MLA)
Week 7
Mon , June 17
Ethics of Social Media Research
Due
● Free Write: Digital Spaces (Exploratory Activity)
● Any late work or revised assignments
In-Class Activities
● Ethics Reflection
Readings
● "Pics , Dicks , Tits , and Tats: Negotiating Ethics Working With Images of Bodies in Social Media Research " (Warfield et al.)
Resources
● "Informed Consent and Secondary Data: Reflections on the Use of Mothers ’ Blogs in Social Media Research " (Benzon)
● “A Guide to Internet Research Ethics” (The National Committee for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities (NESH))
Finals Week
Sun , June 23
Due
● Digital Spaces Analytic Essay
Grading System
For ease of calculation and transparency , this class uses a point system. To calculate your grade at any time during the term , simply add up all the points you have earned , then divide by the total number of points possible so far. You will get a percentage. Refer to UofT’s Grade Scale (linked below) to identify your letter grade.
For example:
● After Unit 1 is completed , you earned a total of 42 points.
● The total available points so far is 60 .
● Dividing 42/60 , you see that your percentage is 70% .
● Referring to the UofT grading scale , your letter grade so far is a B- .
Note that according to UofT’s grading system , B range grades are considered “good” and C grades are considered “adequate.” A-range grades (“excellent”) will be reserved for exceptional work.
UofT Grading Scale
The University provides the following breakdown of marks.
https://artsci.calendar.utoronto.ca/academic-record#:~:text=of%20Academic%20Achievement-,D ean's%20List%20Scholar,Average%20of%203.50%20or%20higher
Major Assignments
This course is broken down into 3 units. Each unit is comprised of readings , exploratory activities , and a final essay.
● Unit 1: Pop Culture and the Self
○ Pop Culture Encounter Reflective Essay ( 15%)
● Unit 2: The Scholarly Conversation: Academic Research , Forms of Academic Writing , Making an Argument
○ Media Deep Dive Research Essay (25%)
● Unit 3: Digital Spaces: Social Media , Misinformation , and AI
○ Digital Spaces Analytic Essay (25%)
Exploratory Activities (Process)
Process matters. In this course , you will be graded not only on the final drafts of each project.
Instead , each project will include a series of exploratory activities (e.g. , brainstorms , worksheets , outlines , free writes , etc.) that will help you brainstorm , plan , and write a strong essay. The
exploratory activities will also help you build a practice of breaking down larger projects into smaller components that you complete in stages over time. We’ll write some of our exploratory activities during class time , while others will be short homework.
Because the thinking and work that we do along the way is a big part of crafting a strong analysis , a project’s exploratory activities will contribute to your grade. Completing all the exploratory activities is an easy way to help build your course grade.
Because the exploratory activities are designed to be low-pressure , informal opportunities for
brainstorming and experimentation , they are worth fewer points , have fewer requirements , and will be graded more simply:
● Most are worth 1% of your final grade
● Free writes are worth 3%
● The Research Sketch is worth 6%
● Feedback will not be provided for exploratory activities , but they can be helpful starting points for conversation with Stacy as you develop the ideas for your essay.
Finally , you are expected to and encouraged to repurpose or build upon your exploratory activities when writing the final essay for that unit. (Exception: you cannot use exploratory activities from one unit in another.)
Choosing Topics
You may choose your own topics for the projects as long as they relate to pop culture artefacts.
The projects are designed as steps to help you along the way from the Pop Culture Encounter
Reflective Essay (project #1) to the Media Deep Dive Research Essay (project #2) to the Digital
Spaces Analytic Essay (project #3) . That means you can continue analysing the same object of
study (or spin-offs from your first object of study) throughout all the course projects. Doing so may allow you to continually build on your work, dig deeply into your topic , and make increasingly
complex analyses.
However, I understand you may discover something new that inspires you , or you may lose interest in your original topic. Therefore , you are welcome to pick different topics for the three major projects.
Topic changes
● You may change your topic from one unit to the next. Consult Stacy if you have questions.
● Due to the tight summer timeline , once you identify your topic , you cannot change it without consulting Stacy.
Detailed Project Instructions
Detailed information and instructions for each project will be provided as we begin each one.
Pop Culture Encounter
This 500-750 word reflective essay invites you to describe a memorable pop culture object that made you rethink your beliefs , assumptions , or identity in some way. In doing so , we will flex our skills in narration , self-reflection , and close reading.
Related exploratory activities:
● I Remember
● Close Reading
● Free Write
Media Deep Dive
Dig deeper into your topic of study in this 1000- 1500 word research essay. Using published books , academic journal articles , and other academic resources available through the library , explore the historical and social context of your topic and/or the scholarly conversation happening around your topic. After your exploration , identify your own unique contribution to this scholarly conversation.
Write a thesis statement with a narrow focus that makes a specific argument or answers a
question. Then , go on to back up your reasoning with reference to scholarship. You may also
include evidence and reflection gained in Project 1. Note that this project asks you to make your
own points , rather than merely repeat/summarise what other people have said. Our learning goals in this project include developing expertise in finding , analysing , and incorporating scholarship;
finding our own voice within a scholarly conversation; crafting a thesis statement with an argument ; supporting our thesis statement with evidence; and writing in an academic voice.
Related exploratory activities:
● Pre-Research Activity
● Works Cited Page (8 sources)
● Research Sketch (5 sources)
● Outline